Types of breasts

I have been asked by friends, about they types of boobs and how this can effect breastfeeding. I luckily or unluckily have slightly larger ones than my frame. Meaning I am a little top heavy. My friends have suggested this is the reason why I am able to breastfeed so well. However, this is not the case. Breast size or shape have very little to do with the actually ability to breastfeed. Breast milk production happens all in the milk ducts.

Having large nipples, small nipples or in most cases inverted nipples, do not affect breastfeeding. All of which should be good news for anyone with small inverted nipples reading this. In some cases inverted nipples can be a problem, but in most it isn’t, I am pretty sure that there is a little plastic tool you can by to try and make them protrude.

Even having pierced nipples won’t affect milk production. When the nipple is pierces it does go though some of the milk ducts, but all it means is that other milk ducts will compensate for the loss of a few. However it is advisable to remove the piercing whilst feeding, as the piercing can increase the feeling of tightness on the breasts.

If you have had surgery, it will depend on the type of surgery you have had, if the whole of the breast has been removed this is likely to include the milk producing area. But it can still be possible, if only part of the breast has been removed. In this case it is best to speak to your doctor who can check both yourself and your medical notes. If the operation was a breast reduction, then it should still be ok to breastfeed. As a breast reduction removes the fatty tissue of the breast and not the milk ducts. However with this, there may have been the need to reduce the nipple size for cosmetic reasons, this may lead to a large of sensitivity, which can create an issue with breastfeeding.