In 16 hours, the limit of my counter's cache, I got 14 hits plus, below, for my post Tits, hooters, boobs, boulders, melons, breasts, and ice cream cones yesterday. I have been floored at the response, particularly b/c half are actually people seeking real information, not wanting descriptions of boobies.
I feel even more redeemed for having revealed myself that way with the post. B/c these people actually have the proper wording down, they are leaps and bounds ahead of me and I would love to learn off of their experiences. And there are just as many people searching every single day. This is a very common concern, I am learning.
On the personal front, I mentioned to P that I think fixing my breasts would be covered by insurance and you'd have thought I'd killed his cat with the look on his face - jaw-dropping sadness and shock. He begged me to please, please, please not mess with the breasts.
I am taking his concerns under advisement.
In order of hits, not relevance (!), following are the yesterday's hits and their rank within the search engine for that search.
#1.....Tell your boobs to quite staring at my eyes
#3.....liz clayman boobs
#1.....bilateral asymmetry breast milk production
#7.....top 10 solution for bigger breasts
#6.....hypoplastic tubular breasts
#30.....growing bigger boobs younger sister
#7.....pert breasts
#21.....tubular breasts
#570 (talk about persistent!).....breasts breastfeeding techniques
#3.....sister melons
#2.....Breast Deformities Tubular
#5.....tuberous puffy shape
#20.....tuberous breast deformity
#1.....pancake boobs national geographic
My only surprise is that none yesterday came seeking accessory, flattened, or inverted nipples. They get attention many other days. Can't forget the nips.
PS - These are from overnight and through the day, just those that pertain directly:
wrinkly old tits
hypoplastic tubular breasts reconstructed
tubular hypoplastic breasts
hypoplastic tubular breast
ice cream boobs
abnormal breasts hypoplastic
cone puffy nips
saggy boulders
Breast Symmetry (Tuberous)
i have awful breasts
Obviously this is an issue to lots of people. Why don't we hear about it more in this our perfect society? There is a hierarchy of acceptability when it comes to birth defects and wonky breasts rank low in acceptance. If knowlege is power, those with tubular breasts feel powerless, b/c knowledge sure is difficult to come by.
Please share if you have something to add, even if this is an "old" post.
15 comments:
I have nothing pertinent to add, but just wanted to tell you how brave you are for sharing all this, and look, you're helping people too. You rock.
Hooray for informative boob blogging!
i definitely just started a blog about my tuberous breasts, and then came across this post...
http://tuberousbreasts.blogspot.com/
i always just hated my breasts, and then while watching a plastic surgery show one day i saw someone w/ T.B.D. and i knew that was me! i'm pg now and a bit concerned about breastfeeding, but i'll see how it goes . . .
Has anyone here had success in breastfeeding with tuberous breasts?
I did, but I have enough breast tissue. Well, I had enough to pump and feed, as J would never suckle. I think production depends on how hypoplastic the breasts are. Regardless, I think breastfeeding could probably be combined with either the supplemental system recommended by LLL or with bottles.
Okay so I have read everything I possibly can find about hypoplastic breasts, tuberous breasts, whatever you want to call them and how they affect ability to breastfeed. This blog and all your links is where it began and I can't thank you enough for writing it. I am pregnant...2 days past my due date now. Very nervous about my ability to breastfeed along with the fact that I will have to have many people inspecting my wierd shaped boobs if I do fail. So here is what I have learned in summary...Start pumping at 3 days after birth, the following herbs can be taken to increase supply: Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, Goats Rue and prescriptions for Domperidone & Reglan have been helpful to other women.
The following women have been noted as specialists in diagnosing and helping those with hypoplastic breasts to breastfeed: Mona Gabby MD (914) 632-7999
Ellen "Binky" Petok & Kathleen Huggins RN http://www.thepumpconnection.com/staff.aspx
I've read there are 4 severity's of diagnosis and of course this will also affect the success rate. As "Cricket" has noted. I too resemble the 3rd picture down on the left of this website: http://www.007b.com/breast_size_breastfeeding.php
So now I turn my questions over to Cricket, because she had sucess in producing milk via pumping. How long after delivery did you start pumping? And how much did you produce? You were able to nurse exclusively without supplementation and without herbs or prescription drugs? And finally...did you also have a good amount of colostrum production?
I am glad to be a resource. I sure wish someone had been around to help me. I have little, um, no respect for LCs or LLL.
I started pumping after I got out of the hospital, but before he was a week old. He'd yet to eat in the hospital and only pooped after sugar water - fuck heads wouldn't discharge a baby who didn't poop, but would a baby who wouldn't eat. He lost 9% of his body weight in the hospital, but nobody seemed to care. With a shitpot of work, he more than gained it back in the first week, but that was a forced feed death march - he had this jaw clenching thing and you'd have to pry his mouth open to insert the bottle - an impossible task with my flattened nipples.
Our first night home, I slept just fine b/c he couldn't care less about eating. With the severely flattened nipples he would have wanted to eat to make them work. My midwife came over, confirmed nothing, as she's only encountered kids who wanted to eat. Then it's all a blur, but maybe that's when I went to the LC, who pronounced my nips the worst (or nearly, I forget) she'd seen.
Bear in mind that the nips and uncooperative kid were bigger deals than the tubular breasts were, as far as I can figure. I could express colostrum, but have no idea about production. I began pumping probably about the 4th day and my son was supplemented as well until he was 3w old. At that time, I took over and was sole nurishment (pump only, as he would never bf) until 4 months, then I supplemented 3 more months.
My breasts are lumpy, but I don't know if that's what made let down difficult. I had to pump for 45 minutes each time. The Lactina I used for 2 months was best, but I bought a Pump N Style, which worked, but not as effectively.
I did use herbs - the first two you mentioned. I inquired about other help, but the world was clueless - not loads on the Internet back then. I would take the herbs and I could feel tingling 45 minutes later. Timing was everything. If I timed it right, I could get 3-4 oz from each breast; the most was 5-6, but not often. My son was not a big eater and he never polished off a lot at a time (my eyes would pop out when I'd witness a tiny baby down 8oz and want more), so it was good for him for months.
Gotta run - please write any further questions or anything I missed. No problem. And best of luck in your birthing experience. If you're built like me, I suspect you have enough breast tissue.
I remembered other things I wanted to tell you.
I understand that baby oatmeal really increases production.
Also, there is a blogger now who is also an exclusive pumper, if you have to go that route. She has flattened nips, but I don't recall tubular references.
pumpmom.blogspot.com
Cricket,
Thanks for you response. I did hear about eating oatmeal to increase production, but had forgotten that. I am going to look into the pumps you mentioned because I haven't bought one yet.
Kudos to you for breastfeeding. Sounds like you really stuck it though some major hurdles.
Well, I am still waiting for my baby to arrive, and patient is a trait I've never been labled, But who is?
One question I do have...what was the mg and dosage amount you took of Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle?
Did you ever try the teas? I heard those don't work as well though.
Okay....its nearly 1am and my bed is calling me.
Although I'm usually anal about such, I don't remember how much of the herbs I took. I'm thinking it was 2 capsules, but I don't know how that translates. It has been nine years, so I must cut myself some slack here.
I do not do teas and am very careful about herbs. I have tons of allergies. Many female-related teas have raspberry and I'm allergic to strawberry, from the same family, so I steer clear. Also, other things contain chamomile, which is in the ragweed family.
I did not have trouble with the breastfeeding herbs, but I will admit that I fear my son did. He would gaze with dialated pupils, wouldn't do eye contact, rarely smiled. He was an easy baby, rarely fussy, but I wonder if the herbs dazed him. He started to come around and be more social at 4 months, which is the normal time for babies to get un-newborn-like, but it is also when I began to suppliment w/the breastmilk.
I have never researched the herbs' effects on babies, but I have wondered. I also wonder if I stuck it out too long for the wrong reasons, but there's no way to have known that back then.
BTW, Lactina and others are rentals - you pay monthly for them from a hospital or LC - back then it was $35/mo. Pump N Style and others are purchases. Mine was under $200, but they cost twice that now.
Hey Cricket...
Thanks for the responses. I had my baby on Tues July 25th at 3am and have now for almost a week successfully breastfed him. I guess I worried to much about it, but I'm sure that all my research did help it go more smoothly. I also bought the Medela Pump in Style for about $70 and am getting 3oz a day from one pump.
My breasts did get bigger but I still hate the big puffy areola. I've decided to let it go and just be happy that they can do what they are supposed to...feed my baby. :)
Congrats on your baby and your success breastfeeding. You researched enough to know how many ways it could go wrong. It depends a lot on the 'brand' of baby you get and how much s/he wants to eat. I hope you have continued success.
I love this site! I thought it was just me but I guess there are similar people out there. My breasts made me nervous about relationships and although I visited a doctor about it, she pretty much ignopred my concerns. I found the diagnosis on the internet and feel there should be more accessible information about it!
All my life and I have never known that I had a breast deformity!! I've had some breast problems lately and had to go to a breast surgeon. She referred to my breasts as cucumber breasts! How rude! Later, with another problem, she told me it is a deformity!! Really? And as I am looking up more info to shed light on this problem, (NOT! I just thought I had saggy boobs!) I found your blog, although an old entry, and I feel so much better. I am not alone. Thank you!! I am fine with my saggy boobs - yes, National Geographic style! I just hope my daughter doesn't get my and my mother's boobs. At least she'll know that she just is following in her families bra cup!!
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