Probably, all women are characterized by a degree of panic and suspiciousness in almost any situation, and with the birth of a baby, the state of anxiety over trifles completely turns into commonplace. This is how we are designed and there is nothing we can do about it. The motto “Calm, just calm!”, as Carlson called, although useful, is rarely applicable to the real life of a mother. During breastfeeding, every woman faces many different “whys?” and doesn't always know what to do with them. For example: why does one breast become larger than the other during breastfeeding?
Such a problem as different sizes of mammary glands is familiar to every second mother when breastfeeding, so if the situation has affected you, know: you are not alone. The phenomenon in which one breast is asymmetrical to the other is natural for many women when breastfeeding, and it is not worth the nerves and worries. We assure you that this is not scary at all and you can influence the situation. Today we will talk about how to fix this and whether we can expect changes soon.
Types of breast asymmetry
There are three types of asymmetry, due to which the following degrees are distinguished:
- Easy. In this case the differences are minor. They are practically invisible visually. This pathology does not require any surgical intervention.
- Average. With such asymmetry, one mammary gland is one third larger than the other. The defect becomes noticeable to others, especially if the woman is wearing tight-fitting clothes. At the same time, she faces significant discomfort.
- Heavy. The breast becomes half the size of the other. The entire proportionality of the female figure begins to be disrupted. This pathology is rare.
A woman encounters a visual change in the size of her mammary glands during the feeding period. Especially if we are talking about the first child. This pathology, which manifested itself during the lactation period, is considered acquired.
Nuances of postpartum disproportion
Disproportion of the glands is considered a problem not only of an aesthetic nature. Such a change can negatively affect lactation, since there is more milk on one side. The breasts fill faster.
This may be due to physiological processes occurring in a woman’s body.
The manifested disproportion is not considered a disease and does not require special treatment. The pathology is based on improper organization of the lactation process. The mammary glands are not emptied quite evenly, which affects their subsequent filling.
Causes
The reason that the mammary glands have become different sizes may be improper attachment of the child. If the baby begins to loosely grasp the nipple, this subsequently leads to the formation of microcracks and the onset of inflammation. The woman begins to feel discomfort and, without noticing it, offers the baby one breast more often than the other. Due to this, more milk is produced in one mammary gland than in the other. Asymmetry appears. But these are not all the reasons leading to this pathology.
When the reason is mom
The main and most common causes of asymmetry can be considered:
- Disrupted pumping process. If a woman constantly expresses more nutritional fluid from one breast, then asymmetry develops.
- The occurrence of inflammatory diseases in the female body that affect the mammary glands and disrupt lactation.
- Incorrectly organized night feeding. At this time of day the milk is stronger than during the day. And if a woman, due to her habit or convenience, places the baby on one side, then a certain mammary gland will then be filled with milk.
- Another reason for asymmetry is that when feeding, a woman prefers only one position that is comfortable for her. She feels comfortable in it. But at the same time, stimulation captures one mammary gland, which then becomes large. In this case, you should try to alternate between both breasts, without thinking about comfort.
When it's about the baby
Sometimes the baby himself begins to suckle on one breast more willingly than the other. The reason for this may be a more comfortable nipple shape. As a result, only one mammary gland is emptied, which is then more actively filled with milk.
A child may also choose one breast only because it is easier to get food from it.
This problem is relevant during the first weeks of lactation, since the milk ducts are not fully developed, they are clogged, and milk begins to actively flow. Warming up the tight breasts from which you need to express milk will help you cope.
If a woman initially had asymmetry of the mammary glands, the baby will suck better from the gland that contains more milk. As a result, the disproportion will increase. The baby should try to be given another breast, which has less milk.
If it's about hormones
Sometimes the cause of the asymmetry that appears can be hormonal disruptions occurring in the female body. During pregnancy, certain hormones begin to be actively produced, affecting the condition of the entire body. One breast may begin to enlarge faster and stronger than the other. Even after the lactation period, asymmetry continues to be present.
If the problem does not go away over time, then you should consult a doctor. Surgery may be needed.
Typical situation
For many mothers, the situation is when the breasts are different immediately after feeding the baby. Most women begin to worry about this and completely in vain.
The reason again lies in the individual characteristics of each mother. A difference in the number of milk ducts and their width in each breast is absolutely normal. This directly determines which breast is easier for the baby to get his favorite milk from.
If immediately after feeding one breast becomes larger than the other, this will almost always be a reason for asymmetry, which you risk experiencing in the future.
The solution to this problem during breastfeeding is to normalize the lactation process, which we wrote about just above.
Doctors' advice on proper breastfeeding
Lactation should be established from the first days of the baby’s birth. In order not to encounter such a problem as breast asymmetry, you must adhere to the following medical recommendations:
- The baby should be offered two breasts, starting with the smaller one.
- When the glands are very different in size, then after feeding you need to completely express the one that is small. And the breast that is larger should not be fully expressed.
- To stabilize lactation and improve the condition of the mammary glands, feeding should be done not according to the clock, but at the baby’s request.
- Smaller breasts are offered as often as possible.
User comments
So my breasts began to noticeably change in size. The left one is larger than the right! on the right he doesn’t eat enough, he doesn’t get enough milk there-(
to such an extent that the heaviness and discomfort go away
Tell me, please, how are things with your breasts now? the same?
If one breast is larger than the other
Among the various questions of nursing mothers, the question of different breast sizes and different amounts of milk in the right and left breasts is quite common.
Mothers can detect a difference between the breasts at any age of the child - in a month, in six months, and closer to a year. Of course, the younger the baby is, the easier it is to return the breasts to the same size, but even if you have had one breast noticeably larger than the other for several months, you can still change the organization of feeding so that the size begins to even out.
Why are the breasts different?
The main reason that the breasts have become different is unequal stimulation. It turns out that one breast receives a request for more milk, and the other for less. Here are the situations in which this can happen:
· the baby sucks one breast correctly, but not the other;
· her mother pumps, and from the very beginning one breast pumped better than the other;
· mother mostly feeds with one breast, because it is more convenient for her - for example, she always wears it in a sling at one breast;
· mother always feeds only one breast at night;
· in one breast, lactation was suppressed - for example, by a long-term compress with camphor.
Depending on the reason, the mother’s actions to equalize the sizes will vary slightly.
How to equalize breast size?
So, we found the supposed reason. It is probably already clear that now the main change in the organization of feeding should be aimed at reducing stimulation of the larger breast and increasing stimulation of the smaller one. This is not difficult to do when the asymmetry is caused by night feedings on one side or predominant feeding from one breast due to convenience for the mother. Specifically, it is enough to change the following
· always start feeding with the smaller breast, then give the larger one, after the larger one again the smaller one;
· for short applications, give less;
· if your baby likes to sleep while sucking on the breast, or falls asleep at the breast for a long time, try to have him suckle on a smaller breast during such periods;
· Try to feed at night primarily from the smaller breast.
· If you feel discomfort from filling in the larger breast, place your baby on it - but not for long, until the discomfort disappears.
As a result of these actions, you will end up with the smaller breast being empty all the time, and the baby actively stimulating it to produce milk, while the larger breast should not be completely emptied, which will entail a slight decrease in milk production in this breast. Thus, gradually in the smaller breast the amount of milk will increase, and its size will become larger; and in a larger breast, on the contrary, there will be less milk and the size will decrease. As soon as the size is equal, try to ensure that the baby sucks on both breasts approximately equally during the day.
What should I do to solve the problem?
When faced with asymmetry of the mammary glands, a woman tries in various ways to solve this problem. And the sooner the necessary measures are taken, the more effective the result will be. But you need to understand that it will not be possible to eliminate the pathology in one day. We'll have to be patient.
Non-surgical therapy
You can cope with gland asymmetry on your own. To do this, you need to normalize lactation and follow tips such as:
- the baby should receive the same amount of nutrition on both sides;
- you need to start feeding from the gland that is smaller in size;
- At night, the breast should be offered to the baby alternately;
- when expressing, large breasts should not be completely emptied, this will reduce the flow of milk;
- with short feedings, a small gland should be offered first.
Home therapy to correct breast asymmetry can take about three months.
Surgical correction
When you cannot cope with bust asymmetry on your own, then you should seek the help of a surgeon. This method will be effective if there is a significant difference in size, and this causes discomfort to the mother.
A specialist may suggest the following options:
- an implant is inserted into a small breast without affecting the milk ducts;
- the large mammary gland is reduced using a method called reduction mammoplasty;
- hypoplasia is carried out, which implies the first two options at once.
But surgical intervention should be resorted to only after completion of lactation.
Recording the time
It is not enough to know what needs to be done to ensure that the breasts return to their previous uniform size during feeding. Every mother worries: when can we expect the situation to change?
On some thematic forums you can find a common opinion that everything will return to normal immediately after you stop breastfeeding and without special methods. There is a possibility of such a wonderful outcome, but it is not that great.
It is better not to rely on chance, but to start correcting the different size of the mammary glands immediately after discovering the problem. Your actions will also benefit the baby, because they will be aimed at improving the lactation process. Here, efficiency is important for the mother: the sooner she takes action, the sooner she will correct the situation, and the easier it will be for her to do this.
Of course, you won’t be able to establish lactation and adjust your bust size in one day. As a rule, with breastfeeding, the average time to get rid of the problem is 2-3 months, but this time is individual for each specific mother.
How to avoid asymmetry: prevention methods
To avoid the problem of breast asymmetry, you need to follow the rules. These include the following recommendations:
- Offer the baby both breasts at one feeding, the same number of approaches;
- it is necessary to ensure that the emptying of the chest is uniform;
- it is important to systematically change your position at night;
- you should also express evenly so that the emptying is equal;
- You should not rub the chest with camphor oil during the feeding period.
These simple rules will help you avoid problems associated with asymmetry of the mammary glands.
