Lactation and breast size increase

[Asakawa]

Hi all,

I've been reading around and I have stumbled on some conversations about lactating mothers and breast size. It sounds like there is a positive breast size increase when using a breast pump to pump the breast while actively lactating. From what I read it sounds like several mothers can experience this. Since we are lactating capable, albeit with a good effort, can we not use lactation as a means to increase breast size?

[valerie anne]

I use hospital grade breast electric pumps on a daily basis.

They are really working for me. I am up at least one cup size and my nipples have gone from pink to dark brown in color.

I have more boob volume and my nipples feel like they have lead weights in them. I really need the support of a bra now.

I am very sensitive, and I wear breast shells inside my bra cups to protect my nipples.

[Asakawa]

Hi Valerie,

Are you able to lactate? If you can about how much are you able to make? Was the change in color of your nipples due to taking progesterone or just from the continuous use of the pump? It is nice to hear that the extra breast volume is helping with your size .

[valerie anne]

I am definitely a lot bigger, but I think I may have gone backwards.

I have a lump behind each nipple and I feel so heavy and ready to release. I feel that a session on the electric breast pumps will bring relief, but nothing.

I can relieve the nipple aching by wearing Avent Nipplette suction cups for a couple of hours, and they fill with a clear or milky fluid.



 

[Asakawa]

Hi valerie,

It sounds like you are very close to becoming fully capable of lactating. I think you might need more stimulation (Which means using the breast pump more often on daily basis. Probably at least 6 times a day for 15 minutes or so each session. That would mean pumping once every 3 hours for every 18 hours not counting sleeping hours which is 8 hrs) to stimulate the mammary glands into making more milk. That or if you just started hrt then likely you need to wait longer, like 2 years minimum, so the mammary glands can mature further to be able to make more milk than what currently comes out. If you already do/did both of these then probably it is the hormones themselves that might be holding back milk production since during pregnancy lactating doesn't really start until delivery which is when the placenta is removed and it is this organ that makes high levels of hormones during pregnancy and the hormones prevent the mammary glands from creating milk. At least this is what I have gathered from reading on the subject.