# Oh duh, is it my small breasts???



## Cartesia (Mar 26, 2008)

OK I have a hard time getting comfortable side-lying.
I do it anyhow. For. Hours. At. A. Time.
But now that my LO is teething I feel like it would be REALLY smart to figure out a way to be more comfortable. (yes, I try pillows - so far haven't helped much)
And then I had a depressing thought - is it my small breasts? Those of you who have big ones, can you just lie however you want and let your breasts do the stretching???
Is there hope for the small-titted back-aching mama???

And if anyone here with small breasts side-lies in comfort, could you give me the anatomical details?

I read on here someone saying that her LO sleeps in the crook of her arm so I just tried that and it seems promising. Anyone else do that??


----------



## mojobot2000 (Jun 29, 2008)

No advice, just commiseration. I, too, am small-boobed, and my back and hips are a mess from side-lying nursing. The only thing that makes any difference at all is a pillow between the knees, but that only solves the hip problem. I've started just sitting up in bed to nurse my LO, and then putting her down again. This seems to have an added benefit -- instead of us both falling asleep halfway through a feed, she takes in a full meal, and then sleeps longer before her next waking. The downside is that I have to, yes, sit up, and wake more fully. For the time being, it's worth it for me.


----------



## sarahope (Feb 5, 2009)

so a light bulb is going off in my head, as I contemplate how I have struggled with side nursing the past six months!! No ideas but you have my sympathy.









ETA- now that DS is older and bigger we can manage better. But the first four months or so was impossible for side nursing


----------



## radishes (Mar 25, 2008)

Uh yeah, it's the boobs. I have no boobs to speak of and my back always kills me if there is prolonged bed nursing. My daughter sleeps in a bed next to us now, so this isn't as much of a problem, but when she slept with us this is what I did: Place regular pillow right next to you. Lay crooked arm on pillow and place baby in crook of elbow or sort of in armpit. That way you are pretty much on your back with the baby sort of on you, but comfy. The only way I slept for months. Good luck.


----------



## MLA (May 22, 2008)

I don't have small breasts (at least not now that I'm breastfeeding), but I've found the same pain you describe w/side-lying breastfeeding. Placing a pillow behind me to sort of prop me up seems to help a bit


----------



## Loralz (Feb 20, 2009)

I'm definitely not a small girl now that I'm nursing, but I still find it uncomfortable. They don't stick out but droop, so LO has to come in from underneath unless I hold the boob for her, which is what usually happens. I envy those whose children latch on, latch off and it's no trouble. <sigh> Still waiting for that to happen at 7.5 months.

I do put LO in the crook of my arm to begin with, but then the muscle gets all achy and if I want to leave the bed, then I have to slip it out from under her sleeping head. Now I just lay her beside me and put my arm so that it is touching her, but my hand goes under the pillow, while the other hand is holding the boob. No wonder I'm not getting a lot of comfortable sleep...

Have you looked at this link before? http://www.mother-2-mother.com/tut-layingdown.htm

Also, try googling 'side-lying nursing' images and you'll see a lot of things that might also be helpful.


----------



## MG01 (Nov 17, 2008)

I too can commiserate. I do envision that if they were big and floppy I could get more comfortable and have more freedom of position. I do the propping pillows and all but it's still not the greatest.. one thing that does work to some extent is the crook of the arm thing and then propping a boppy or other pillow under the arm so I am not trying to hold it up at that odd angle to support the little one. If anyone has other solutions I am all ears!


----------



## mckittre (Jan 15, 2009)

I guess I'm the lucky one then! I have small breasts, and we've been side nursing from about day 1 with no real problems. I just lay on my side on the bed with the arm towards baby sticking out at shoulder level. Baby lies on his side curled in towards boob. I drape my other hand loosely over him. No pillows for either of us except the one under my head.
I'm quite comfy this way every night now, but at the beginning I did get a little stiff just from being in the same position too long. When he's done eating I sometimes roll onto my back (leaving him in the crook of my arm that was sticking out before), but mostly just stay on my side. And I need to switch sides a couple times a night (I just roll and roll baby with me).


----------



## kssinca (Dec 17, 2006)

I have F cups and side-lying is really really really hard for me to do. I can only do the "top" breast and I'm 1/2 on top of DS (3 months old) to nurse him. Meanwhile, my "bottom" arm starts to fall asleep and my "bottom" breast is smushed and feels like it will pop! I've tried propping DS on a pillow, flat on the bed or if I can manuver it, on my arm and so far, I have not had any success.

It's easier for me to just sit up in bed and nurse and then go back to sleep. I keep hoping that maybe once DS gets bigger, maybe it will get easier?


----------



## kcparker (Apr 6, 2008)

My boobs are maybe a C, not teeny, but not huge either. We couldn't side-lie nurse until DS was about 4 months old, but it got easier as he got bigger. I usually held/hold him in the crook of my arm with his head resting on my upper arm, pull him in close, and he nurses on the boob that's closer to the bed (never on the upper one, which I now have to cover with my other hand to defend it from twiddling). Early on, I think pillows behind my back were useful for extra support, and even now, I still have to curl my legs up towards my belly to stay stable and not tip forward.

I remember having so much back pain in general from contorted nursing that first year though, in bed, on the couch, even with a boppy and pillows, and I just kind of suffered through it (I don't recommend suffering back pain for a year).

Can you go to a massage therapist regularly?


----------



## MyZymurgy (Mar 6, 2007)

DUH!! You just gave me a lightbulb moment too!!!

I could never figure out how breastfeeding in bed was so easy for so many women. I could never get the hang of it. It hurts my back. I have to arch over him - it is almost impossible to get my nipple in his mouth.

I almost always end up on my side with him up in the crook of my arm so I can raise him up to my boob. But if I fall asleep, down he goes off my boob.

I could never figure out how women were just "rolling over and bfing without waking" I can't believe I never realized it was because most women have bigger (much bigger) boobies then me.









Well... I feel less uncoordinated now that I realize there is a reason this nursing position isn't working well for us. Thanks for this post!


----------



## mckittre (Jan 15, 2009)

Can you just tilt yourself slightly towards baby? My breasts are small enough that I've never worn a bra in my life (and only occasionally now - just for leaking), and it does still work, I swear! But perhaps it's not just size, but also shape, the baby's position, other anatomical details...


----------



## PaigeC (Nov 25, 2008)

I'm an F and DH is always laughing at how I can contort my breast to the right position. I will say when I'm doing the bottom breast I am leaned away from dd a little with a pillow behind me. When I'm doing the top breast I"m leaning toward her - I have my leg cocked almost on my belly because when the boob mushes all down to the right my nipple is almost pointing at the ceiling. Nice image huh?


----------



## kriket (Nov 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mama_Gaia* 
I too can commiserate. I do envision that if they were big and floppy I could get more comfortable and have more freedom of position.









but then you suffocate them with the top boob, or you have the get them below your boob, I've thought about trying it upside down...

stop complaining about your little boobies! Large breasted mamas' back hurt unles they are laying down, so it would be logical that the small mamas would hurt when they are laying down









I would love to learn the 'top boob' trick, I think I may be a little too small for that, or DS is still too small.


----------



## velcromom (Sep 23, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mojobot2000* 
No advice, just commiseration. I, too, am small-boobed, and my back and hips are a mess from side-lying nursing. The only thing that makes any difference at all is a pillow between the knees, but that only solves the hip problem. I've started just sitting up in bed to nurse my LO, and then putting her down again. This seems to have an added benefit -- instead of us both falling asleep halfway through a feed, she takes in a full meal, and then sleeps longer before her next waking. The downside is that I have to, yes, sit up, and wake more fully. For the time being, it's worth it for me.

I'm very small breasted and I used to do the same, pillow between the legs, but now that dd is almost two it doesn't work anymore, she's too long!

Plus all that fussing with pillows to get them under and behind me, it is just easier to sit up. I agree with it resulting in a longer better feed. I actually do fall asleep sitting there nursing her though, lol. She wakes me up fidgeting when she wants to be put down, or the loud sucking noise that she makes when her latch slips off partway will wake me.









We have the book "I'm made of Mama's Milk" and I have always wished I could do like the mama in the book, there's a pic of her lying pretty much on her back with her little one latched on beside her.... in that position, my dd is still a foot away from the nipple, lol.


----------



## Evergreen (Nov 6, 2002)

I just read this and finally (after two and a half years of wondering) figured out why it was impossible to nurse like that with DD! but my favorite position with DD2. mine were ...ermmm...surgically enhanced between the two


----------



## calpurnia (Sep 26, 2004)

yeah. i think it's all about the boobs. i wish i could just roll mine out like a fire hose - then we would sleep perfectly.


----------



## javilu (Oct 20, 2007)

nak (not in bed)

i'm at least a DD and side-lying is hard for me. my breasts aren't very floppy or stretchy or anything else, and i have a hard time moving both my son and my boob into the proper position at the same time. i also have to hold my boob at the top after he's latched on or his nose is blocked. i think it's a hard position for lots of us, regardless of size. but then...i also have trouble with the plain ol' cradle hold, too. we do cross-cradle most of the time.


----------



## Altair (May 1, 2005)

I'm finding side lying to be really easy now. I have DD breasts. I actually like the top one better. I keep him on one side of me and do the top and bottom at different times.

For the top I lay on my side them prop myself up on my elbow and put him on his side and latch him on. The reason I prop up is so that I can do the 2 step latch on move that gets his jaw open wide (first connecting/catching his lower lip with my areola then tilting his head in up and on to open him wider). I am kind of leaning over him. Then I unprop my arm and put it under the 2 pillows I have under my head. I have a pillow between my legs also. He loves that his body is kinda tucked under mine while he nurses that one. I'm not leaning on him enough though that it matters when i fall asleep.

For the bottom breast I do the same prop up thing, but when I lay down I'm leaning back ever do slightly. Not enough that I need a pillow back there. I sometimes bring up my top knee and put it between his legs so he's straddling it to keep him in a good position. He needs to be fully on his side for this breast, but for the top breast he can be a little on his back.

That all being said, I also think the key is having a really great mattress. Ours is a latex mattress and it's heavenly and my hips sink right in perfectly. Once he's asleep I'll lay on either my back with my arm still out over the top of his head or stay on my side.


----------



## Altair (May 1, 2005)

ETA: My LC was very big on side-lying nursing and she said she has never met a mom iof any breast size that she hasn't been able to find a way to get her comfortable.


----------



## sophmama (Sep 11, 2004)

ok i'm smaller than a AA cup and i've nursed lying down forever. I'm basically flat chested with nipples. I don't even have a my right pectoralis major muscle so that sides nearly concave. it's doable. takes some learning. i think i propped baby's head up on my arm a bit. and had a pillow holding me in place behind my back - a firm one. it's been a while since my youngest weaned though. I would lean toward my babies and nurse the top and bottom side while laying down. hurt my arm sometimes though - the one on the bottom. I did it for years....

eta - i think it was firm prop pillows that were key.


----------



## tinkentinken (May 12, 2007)

small breasted here. Side-lying sort of worked for me, but then I always seemed more prone to blocked ducts. So I ended up sitting up for every nursing session - that worked alright, but often I would just nod off again while still sitting upright and that doesn't make for the best sleep. Now, since a few weeks, DS - 2.5 years - no longer wakes me to nurse overnight. Hurray, it's amazing to sleep in one continuous stretch again.


----------



## SweetTexasgal (Aug 12, 2006)

Not small-breasted here at all and side lying/nursing was impossible. I sat up and still sit up for every nursing. I too will dose off with my head against the wall as she nurses, but I have found also that she gets a better nursing session and sleeps better/longer then when we side nursed.


----------



## liza-s (Jul 19, 2008)

I a no where near small-boobed (G cup). When he was under 8 months, I would have just smothered him with my knockers. Regardless of the position, I had to hold it up for him. Side-lying started working at about 8 months. But it comes with lots of back pain. He is now in his own bed, but we still night nurse. I have an inflatable bumper/bed rail to keep him on the bed, but it helps prop me up. That plus a leg pillow make it bearable. Sometimes I prop up his head on a folded fleece blanket at that improves his angle & latch.

IMO it not the boob size, it just over-stressed backs from all of the mommy duties we do every day - picking them up, car seats, slings, walking bent over to hold hands.....


----------



## annekevdbroek (Jun 5, 2005)

Side lying never worked for me - and I am another aerodynamic woman. There as absolutely no combination of pillows, props, whatever that made it comfortable. And shooting stabbing back pain and muscle cramps and addtional sleeplessness = no benefit to side nursing

Anyhow, what did work was to lie on my back, pillow next to me, with my arm crooked across pillow and babe tucked into my arm, more or less on top of me, kinda. He could nurse that way and they sort of roll back or tilt his head or whatever to get comfortable. Since I was flat on my back it was nice and comfortable for both of us.


----------



## kortner (Jul 22, 2005)

Wow. Fascinating stuff! I have huge breasts, and I still have to hold them while DS (15 months) nurses. It has gotten easier now that he's older and can 'hang on' better, but usually it is more comfortable for me to hold the breast in the right position. Side-lying has always been the easiest because I don't have to hold the weight of the baby AND the breast, but it's still not what I would call comfy. I have to twist my back backwards for the 'bottom' boob, or forwards for the top and it makes for some kinks! No amount of pillows, props, or different mattresses have made a difference.


----------



## Mrsboyko (Nov 13, 2007)

Lay down with your arm (lower arm) extended. Bend arm at the elbow so it looks like you are holding a stop sign at a cross walk. Place baby on upper arm. Adjust position of arm/ baby's head so it is at nipple level (usually that means lowering your arm). Stick boob in baby's mouth. Sleep. Whe nbaby is odne, it can keep right on sleeping in your arm with it's head propped up to prevent any reflux issues.

Raising baby's head to your level is the key in all this. I do have a pillow between my legs, but i sleep with it there so no extra finageling is necessary.


----------

