https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:30:00 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8718 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:26:38 +0000 Maysprout 8718@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not sure but I've never heard that's the case. I've heard that part of the problem was a lot of misinformation and bad information circulating about breastfeeding in the past and that's something hospitals have been trying to rectify. My mom was able to breastfeed all 4 of her kids but she said she was told in the hospital with a couple of us that we didn't have good sucking reflexes and she wouldn't be able to breastfeed us but she just ignored the nurses and it worked out just fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8693 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:01:33 +0000 sandsandmore 8693@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No clue. No one in my family breastfed when I or my cousins were babies. Since then, none of my cousins who had babies breastfed. But I was determined to do it (well, pump), and I'm still doing it. At one point I was making way too much milk so I had to work on drastically weaning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8636 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 05:43:56 +0000 yin 8636@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mother wasn't able to breastfeed me or my four sisters. She has inverted nipples and couldn't make it work with my oldest sister. Afterwards she never tried to breastfeed the rest of us. </p> <p>My maternal grandmother had issues with breastfeeding too, and I think it was due to the lack of education and help. Unfortunately that cost the lives of my mother's siblings. Once my mother was born, she was given cow's milk and survived.</p> <p>I have nipples made for breastfeeding, but my son was unable to latch on. He also had a difficult time learning how to suck, swallow, and breathe. I'm just lucky that I was able to keep up with pumping from the beginning, and I'm still going strong as an exclusive pumper. </p> <p>So I think it could partially be due to genetics from my experience, but then maybe not... my sister is successfully breastfeeding her 2 month old daughter and didn't run into any issues. It is a learned experience for both mother and child. There are factors that can make the experience easier and also factors to make it more difficult. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8631 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:52:45 +0000 looch 8631@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mom had no issues breastfeeding three kids, I struggled.</p> <p>Our labors were remarkably alike, for first babies, 5 hours of active labor at full dilation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8590 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:35:03 +0000 SAHM0811 8590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sometimes I think there's a difference in the info (or lack of info) our moms were given at that time too. My mom said she also didn't make "enough milk" but she also said that during that time, doctors pushed formula (similac) alot on her. I wonder if breastfeeding were more encouraged, if she would've breastfed me more (and thus made more milk).</p> <p>Also, for example, she used to think that if your breasts are soft that means there's no milk. I thought that too as a new mom, but I also had a lactation consultant around to tell me otherwise... and that helped me alot with my 2nd baby whom I'm bf'ing exclusively now for almost 4 months. so I do think there are educational influences that make up for some differences among generations.</p> <p>the nipple thing... if you have flat/inverted nipples, it is MUCH harder to bf successfully because it's so much harder for baby to latch properly. lucky are u gals with bf-friendly nipples... one less factor to worry about :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8487 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:23:34 +0000 MsMini 8487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would think that like anything else genetics would play somewhat of a role (stuff like nipple size/shape I am sure are genetically determined), but stuff like milk supply have so many environmental and psychological factors that would come into play. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8485 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:21:09 +0000 chopsuey 8485@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think so.. my mom had an overabundance of milk. I had a low supply the first couple of months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8479 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:57:44 +0000 winniebee 8479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peachy - I plan to BF so I guess that's good! Just weird, b/c it's not like they are big or anything....I should have asked her why but I just didn't know what to say. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8474 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:55:36 +0000 peachybee 8474@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>lol @ winnie. I would have had the same kinda reaction. What do you say to that?</p> <p>I have no idea how breastfeeding is going to go. My mom did not breastfeed and my sister didn't as well. I plan on breastfeeding, </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8467 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:45:22 +0000 winniebee 8467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Gosh, I don't know! I think sometimes it's baby specific, too? My sister had a really hard time BFing #1 but then #2 loved it and it was really easy. My midwife told me recently that I had "great nipples for breastfeeding" - isn't that weird!?! Thanks, I think?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8456 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:36:26 +0000 duetletterpress 8456@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i don't know. it's something i wondered too. my mom didn't nurse me but i nursed my daughter with pretty much no problems. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8408 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:27:44 +0000 MegWag 8408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've wondered about this too! My mom said childbirth (without meds) wasn't "that bad" and that breastfeeding was "quite pleasant" which makes me feel really hopeful about my chances at both, but then maybe I'm just kidding myself! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-genetics#post-8403 Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:19:11 +0000 mrsjyw 8403@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mom wasn't able to breastfeed neither me nor my younger brother because she wasn't producing enough milk postpartum. None of my aunts on her side were able to either, though my aunts on dad's side were able to. </p> <p>Is this genetically linked? Will I have trouble due to my mom's inability to produce enough milk? </p>