https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:53:47 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1556323 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:14:13 +0000 Meltini 1556323@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used to roll up a burp cloth and put it under my boob so I wouldn't have to hold it the whole time. Now that LO is bigger, my big boobs aren't a problem. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1556280 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 11:53:13 +0000 Ms.SK 1556280@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would roll a washcloth up and shove it under each of my breasts using the twin nursing pillow in a football hold...try saying that 3 times fast :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1556253 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 11:42:12 +0000 artsyfartsy 1556253@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can't latch LO without a nursing pillow. Period. I've tried everything. My boobs are too big and nipples are too low.</p> <p>I have to use one hand to hold my boob at all times. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1556220 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 11:30:56 +0000 oliviaoblivia 1556220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd also recommend the lay-back position. Good luck! It'll get easier as he gets bigger and you get more confident. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1556211 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 11:27:44 +0000 mdf106 1556211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used the football hold exclusively with my brest friend pillow for a long time, because that is how I could get the best latch. I would strap the pillow tightly to me at the correct angle, so I only had to support LO's head. I needed to use two hands for a long time. My wrists did hurt a lot in the beginning, but it eventually got better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1556037 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 10:46:37 +0000 swedishfish 1556037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Side lying worked best for us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555995 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 10:36:42 +0000 Greentea 1555995@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@debbiei8: I had these exact issues! I had to do only football when she was tiny and then moved to a cross cradle (I still always use a pillow) and had to hold my breast while she laid (directly) on the pillow. Once she was like 6 months I could do a more comfortable cradle with my arms and a pillow under them. It was uncomfy but had to be done as my breasts are just huge. And, when she was tiny I had to hold an airhole for her, they were so large she couldn't breathe :meh: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555921 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 10:18:17 +0000 Dandelion 1555921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have to hold my boob in a way that doesn't cover M's nose.I I just pinch it a bit. His head is getting some more control so I don't have to do it so much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555907 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 10:13:15 +0000 MamaMoose 1555907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used to have to sort of push my breast away from her nose once she was latched so she could breath. But we stuck with the football hold for a long time because it was the easier for us. I used the My Breast Friend pillow which was much better than the Boppy </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555902 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 10:10:27 +0000 bookwormmama 1555902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@brownie: I want to try the reclined position for more than this reason...I have an over active letdown and I've been told it will help with his spit up and choking on the boob, but I had a c section and the few times I've done the recline position I've been really sore afterwards from having to sit up afterwards. Hopefully we can do it soon though!</p> <p>@heartonastring: I've probably been holding his head too much! He's just so floppy when he's sleepy nursing...but I'm sure with practice we will get better. I'll have to try the pillows behind me to avoid him kicking off. He struggles with my over active letdown sometimes and kicking of the chair is how he deals with it!</p> <p>@MrsH: my boob actually covers his nose completely in certain holds and I can actually hear him struggle to breathe and then he pulls off to catch his breath. It's so scary to watch so I just hold the top down to avoid it.</p> <p>@mrs. wagon: oh man that sounds so rough! I can nurse in public with the football, it's just so exhausting!</p> <p>I do have a boppy and use it most of the time, especially at night for support. But nursing in public has been more difficult without the pillow support. Thanks for all the responses, suggestions, and reassurances! I was getting kinda worried it was just me and we'd have this struggle the entire time! I'm glad to hear things got a little easier for people as their LO got older! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555886 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 10:04:29 +0000 junebugmama 1555886@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I sat crossed legged and used my lap to support him. It gave me one, and sometimes 2 hands, to be able to change the positioning. For me, the boppy never worked because I had to hold my breast the entire time, because it brought him too far up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555867 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 09:59:12 +0000 mrs. wagon 1555867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I definitely feel your pain. For us the football hold never worked so we did the cradle hold, but I could NOT nurse without a boppy and I had to hold the baby's head with one hand and my boob with the other. I had to hold my boob up and push the top of my boob down so it didn't block the baby's nose while he was nursing. It was so difficult to nurse in public because I always needed support. Usually we would find a quiet spot, roll up a jacket or blanket to use as a pillow, and Wagon Sr. would stand in front of me holding up a blanket or nursing cover. I needed him to hold the cover up because if I had to adjust the cover at all, I had to let go of either the baby's head or my grip on my boob and neither of those could be let go at any time. It was misery!!! But it did get better as he got older (I didn't have to push the top of the boob down, but I still had to hold it up) but I still always needed a pillow. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555855 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 09:55:02 +0000 MrsH 1555855@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think a pillow or boppy is a huge help in football and cross cradle. Also I read the newborns nostrils are flared so they can still breath even if the boob is covering the nose. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555848 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 09:53:16 +0000 ShootingStar 1555848@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a large chest and I found when DS was really little that football hold was the easiest. I would use a boppy and instead of putting it in front of me, I'd put it on my side. I definitely could not nurse him without some type of pillow propping him up. At least, not while sitting. Eventually we started doing side lying and I like that much much more. Now that he's a little bigger (4.5 months) I can do cradle with him when we're out and I can lie down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555843 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 09:52:21 +0000 heartonastring 1555843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am large-chested as well. We used football and cross-cradle almost exclusively for the first 7 or 8 months. A pillow is essential though. If he's pushing off the chair when you're doing football hold, just put more cushions behind your back so that you're farther away from the chair back. I can still do football hold with my 11.5 month old who's 88th percentile for height...so it's possible, it just requires good positioning!</p> <p>As for the sore wrist, make sure you're only using your thumb and first finger to cradle his head, and they should be on his neck, not on his head at all (this took a lot of practice for me at first, but helped immensely).</p> <p>Also, until she got really good head control, I did have to hold my boob the whole time I nursed. It's pretty annoying to not have a free hand, but for those of us who are blessed/cursed with larger chests it's pretty necessary.</p> <p>It gets way easier as they get bigger! We now nurse either side-lying, cradle hold of her sitting in my lap facing me.</p> <p>Hang in there, mama! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555834 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 09:49:00 +0000 brownie 1555834@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nipple pain will subside as everyone gets into the routine. But one suggesting I have is to try the laid back nursing style. Essentially you recline at an angle and then baby lays on you. I naturally took to this position because I love slouching BuT my la Leche group swore by it for bigger chested women. </p> <p>Do you have a boppy? That really helped me with football hold because the baby could just hang out on that and I didn't have to hold him up. You can do the same thing with a stack of pillows as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555830 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 09:46:25 +0000 MoonMoon 1555830@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel your pain sister! I read so many articles with suggestions for different holds for moms with bigger breasts in those early days! Unfortunately, I think what really helped was time-he got bigger and more capable, and my breasts got less engorged and everything just kinda came together. Hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/large-chest-making-baby-positioning-difficult#post-1555811 Wed, 09 Apr 2014 09:37:29 +0000 bookwormmama 1555811@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS is just over 3 weeks old and up until this point we have only used the football hold. It's what we learned to nurse with and gives me great control over his latch. I would continue with this hold but my 8.5 pound baby is getting harder to hold this way. My wrists end up hurting a lot if I'm not using a nursing pillow to help support his weight. He's also been pushing off the back of the chair in this position when he gets frustrated and he pulls my nipple hard when he does this.</p> <p>We've tried the cradle/cross cradle holds but his latch isn't very good with these holds and it is really starting to hurt my nipple. I think one issue is that my boobs are so big right now the nipples are lower and it's more difficult at that angle for him to stay latched properly unless I bend over and hold my boob then entire session. But the other issue is that my boobs cover his nose while he's nursing in these positions so to give him room to breathe he needs to be pushed off my boob a little, which tugs on my nipple more. Or he tugs on my nipples when his nose gets covered.</p> <p>Have other people with large chests have these issues? Will it get better when he gets bigger? Or do I need to push through the nipple pain to get better at the positions now? </p> <p>Sorry for the novel! </p>