Mammoir of a Busty Breastfeeding Mom

Elisabeth's book available at Amazon

This week we are incredibly fortunate to have the author of bOObs: a guide to your girls, as our guest blogger. Elisabeth writes Mammoirs about life as a busty woman that are empathetic, enlightening and entertaining for all women! 

When Christina Aguilera appeared on the Ellen Show shortly after the birth of her new baby, she didn’t hide her swollen, lactating breasts. Ms. Aguilera proudly rocked her bonus cleavage. I wish I’d felt the same way about my breasts when I first travelled down the nursing path. Well-endowed from puberty, I hoped my first pregnancy would place the emphasis on my growing belly -- not my chest. But where I carried my weight in my expectant condition couldn’t be ignored, or covered with ease.

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In the early 1980s, my pre-baby 34DDs were a rare sight. It was difficult to find the pretty, feminine bras I longed to wear. Lingerie department saleswomen would direct me toward the back wall, where I found a selection of stiff, white, wired grandma bust supporters. Market demand for bigger bra sizes has since radically changed these options, for both regular and maternity wear. Although Victoria’s Secret doesn’t go past the DD mark , other manufacturers have stepped up to meet the fashion needs of a more busty demographic. The downside? Increased engineering support drives up production costs, which are passed on to the consumer. Women must spend more time and money to find the proper gear for ample breasts. Purchasing temporary nursing bras can stress out our clothing budgets.

Fitters claim that women wear up to six different bra sizes in their lifetime. My mammaries morphed that much over one nine month period. Experts also agree that a woman’s cups can double during pregnancy. That’s all good if you’re moving from an A or B to a C or D cup.  My girlfriends with smaller breasts were overjoyed at the prospect of their extra boobage. But it’s a whole other story when you start climbing up the alphabet cup toward a G, H, I, or beyond. I dove into bra cup denial when expecting my first child, praying that my belly would eclipse my ever-expanding bosom.

Lauren Nursing Bra from Royce

My bigger bust prevented me from taking advantage of all the perks offered to most expecting moms. The grocery clerk rarely asked if I needed help with my cart, because my chest made it less certain that I also carried a bun in the oven. Size also didn’t matter when it came to breast milk production. Carrying most of my extra weight up top didn't mean I was filled to the brim and wouldn't face supply issues. The transformation of my areolas was another big surprise. Similar to an over-inflated balloon, my nipples flattened out and disappeared into widening breast flesh. This led to challenges for my baby, as he had difficulty latching on to a level surface.  I would look down at his perfect, angelic face while he nursed, stunned that the circumference of my breast exceeded that of his newborn head. Larger breasts also required breastfeeding positions outside the typical babe-in-arms scene that appeared on most nursing guides.

Imagine my surprise when two subsequent pregnancies led to totally different breast experiences. No baby or boob growth was identical. Sometimes it was easy, and other days more difficult. I may as well have embraced and celebrated whatever happened to my chest – much like Christina Aguilera. Breastfeeding presented me with a whole new dimension to boob ownership, no matter how long I nursed or pumped. I will forever treasure the small window of time when my sweater puppies nourished and sustained a new life. That’s pretty amazing, whatever their size. 

Elisabeth Dale is founder of TheBreastLife.com and author of bOObs: A Guide to Your Girls, a humourous and informative book about breasts. Please visit TheBreastLife.com to read and share other breast perspectives or mammoirs, and learn more about supportive gear and garments that have earned The Breast Life Seal of Approval.