Fat Women Don't Breastfeed (with fixed link)

Submitted by Lynn on Mon, 09/18/2006 - 12:22pm.

That's the conclusion of this study from Australia:

After the researchers adjusted for factors including socioeconomic status and years of education, they found that women who were overweight or obese were less apt to attempt breastfeeding at all and those that did were less likely to continue breastfeeding. ...

Overall, the researchers found, overweight or obese women were 76 percent more likely to stop breastfeeding before their infants were six months old than their normal weight peers.

A number of factors could help explain the findings, the investigators say. For example, excess weight may change a woman's hormonal profile, making sustained lactation more difficult, or it may be harder for an infant to "latch on" to breast tissue if the mother is overweight or obese.

The researchers also report that overweight and obese women were more likely to have pregnancy complications and C-sections than normal-weight women.

Here's one factor they didn't talk about: Lactation consultants and nurses who don't know what to do with big boobs.

When I had Josie, my already-generous breasts swelled 3 cup sizes (and stayed there--I'm still dealing with them). The two lactation consultants sent to my room to help me had NO idea what to do. They were both B cup gals, and very obviously and visibly uncomfortable when confronted with a living Venus of Willendorf. We left the hospital still unable to breastfeed. If I hadn't found another large-breasted mom through La Leche League--and if my mom hadn't helped me pore through every line of every baby book we had checking off obstacles--I would have given up and gone to formula. As it was, Josie and I were a happy breastfeeding pair for three years.

My experience with Louisa was different. The lactation consultant I had was also large breasted (though more normal sized elsewhere), I'd had some experience, and Lou was/is a natural chowhound. Smiling But it helped to have an LC who wasn't scared to touch me, didn't act vaguely nauseated by my size, and had navigated a good-sized tit of her own with a baby.

Watching smaller breasted women do it, I was always glad I *was* so generously gifted; I had far more positioning options than smaller women. These things were more like hoses. I could point them in all kinds of directions. Eye-wink

What I'm saying is, body hatred of fat women, by the women themselves and the medical establishment, factors into this. It's not all hormones and/or difficult births.

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Becky's picture

over at Babycenter

Submitted by Becky on Mon, 09/18/2006 - 2:46pm.

I post on the "plus-size and pregnant" board at Babycenter, and there are a number of women who post there asking if it will even be possible to breastfeed (in a very pessimistic tone). Fortunately they always get a response from someone with reassurance, suggestions, and websites to check out, but I'm sure most fat women don't post there!

Anhata's picture

My LC made the difference

Submitted by Anhata on Mon, 09/18/2006 - 5:12pm.

She was very relaxed and reassuring, not fat phobic being plus sized herself. Of course, I'd had reduction surgery and wasn't too huge, a "DD" cup size, but the regular nurses were absolutely no help with lactation. The LC was the only one I talked to who seemed to know anything.

I breastfed until DD was seven months old, but my problem was the breast reduction surgery, not the fat. I never made more than half the milk she needed. The LCs worked diligently with me the whole time, I don't know if I'd have been able to nurse past two or three weeks without them.

Lactation consultants are THE BEST. Regular nurses I found to be no where near as helpful or informed, but I don't think that's their fault, I just don't think they have the amount of training the LCs do.

I couldn't follow the link to the story, did the researchers track how much assistance the mothers got in learning how to breastfeed? Like LCs, LLL, etc.? It's emotionally devastating to have breastfeeding problems for some women and if they don't have adequate support to work through them, they'll quit. If that info isn't in the study, they're missing a huge factor.

Anhata
www.familynaturally.com
Your Family's General Store, Naturally

Lynn's picture

link fixed

Submitted by Lynn on Mon, 09/18/2006 - 5:50pm.

The Reuters story was fairly brief; I don't know from what they published whether help was tracked or even how much help is available in Australia.

Lynn Siprelle, Editor

Phelan's picture

Big boobed gal here

Submitted by Phelan on Tue, 09/19/2006 - 5:08am.

With my second child I had a hard time, {my first was too small to nurse}the nurses acted just as you discribed. My third was easier and a specialist came in to help.

Unlike you, I only gained and kept two cup sizes bigger than I started.

ARRR! I can't type today.

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