Unique Situations: Large Breasts

I have large breasts. I mean really large. The kind that you have to go to a special store to buy a bra for. The kind where a bra costs almost the same as a shopping trip to Whole Pay…I mean foods. I have always been pretty well endowed. My mother was larger with a tiny body. I am not a tiny person by any means but my chest is disproportionately large compared to my body.

At one point in my breastfeeding journey I reached a 38M. Yeah.

At this point I am a more reasonable 38G/H but its still nearly impossible to find appropriate nursing wear. This is how I found Rumina. Almost 3 years ago they were doing the full figured model search. I am no model. In fact, in person, I am terribly shy and hate showing my body. But I thought maybe I could help other larger breasted nursing mothers feel like their size isn’t so atypical. The looks I would get at most bra stores when they measured me ranged from amusement to disgust. I vividly recall walking into one “plus size” store that is pretty popular and asking to be measured when Grace was a little over a year old. We were going on a vacation and I wanted one non-nursing bra to wear just in case. The woman measuring acted as if she had never seen a woman with such large breasts before. I walked out feeling shamed and disgusted with my own body.

I quickly shifted my thoughts and realized my body isn’t the problem, her attitude was. But the experience left me feeling down. A few months later I found Rumina and entered the search. Making it to the final round did wonders for my confidence and being invited to become an Ambassador and blogger for the Rumina team has helped my confidence soar. I have had the opportunity to share my story, connect with other woman, and join a brand that truly cares about mothers above all else.

As a larger breasted women I have had the opportunity to test many of Rumina’s products that aren’t really made for my size but do work. Through this process I have found one thing, try it. You may look at it and think there is no way it will work for you, and it does. I remember receiving one tank and thinking yeah, right! Its now my favorite; you’ll find me lounging almost every Sunday afternoon nursing my baby wearing that tank.

My journey as a breastfeeding mother with a very large size has been unique. People often think that bigger size = more milk. With my first 2, I had more than enough milk. Enough to donate gallons. With my third, that wasn’t the case and when I first had her my size was as large as its ever been. Production and size really aren’t related at all in my experience.

I also get weird comments about smothering my baby with my breast. Obviously I am aware of my children as they are latched and nursing. These comments are hurtful and serve no real purpose other than to further shame a woman for her size.

Of course there’s also the other end of the spectrum. I have no issue with nursing in public and with 2 other children I often do so since we are always out and about. I have heard, on more than one occasion, how “lucky my baby is to have a mom with such a rack.” First of all, that’s gross. My babies don’t care about the size, shape, or appearance of my breasts. Second, my children do not think of me in any sort of sexual way. And third, making breastfeeding sexual is disgusting. Breastfeeding is beautiful, but not because of the way you look or what how your breasts appear. The beauty comes from the bond between mama and baby and the ability to nourish your child.

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Nursing or pumping as a mom with larger breasts presents a unique set of challenges. Nursing wear isn’t really made for us and what is costs as much as my mortgage and is hard to find. Latch can be different. The standard pump flanges that come with most pumps don’t often work and finding the correct size can be a lot of trial and error. There can be shame and embarrassment attached to having an extremely large size bust. I have found it super empowering to own my size. Think of all of the amazing things that my breasts are able to do. Sure, I can’t walk into any store and buy a nursing bra off the rack and sure that is irritating but I can find things that work for me. My breasts are large, but they have fed my three children, they provide comfort and fill bellies. I’m glad I found a community in Rumina and have connected with other women who have nursed with what some consider extremely large breasts. Its not extreme to me, its just who I am. I embrace, and most days, love it