The short answer is no. Although your breasts will likely grow larger before and during your breastfeeding journey, breast size is irrelevant when it comes to how much milk you produce. A mom with small breasts might have just as much milk supply as a mom with large breasts.
It may even be easier for a healthy, full-term baby to breastfeed on large nipples, as they provide a good target to latch on to. On the other hand, a small newborn or preemie could have a more challenging time latching on if you have very big nipples because their mouths are smaller.
The size of your areolae and nipples may change while you're pregnant or breastfeeding because of the hormones that produce breast milk. They may also grow as your breasts expand with pregnancy weight gain.
For the milk log data (n = 3099 pumping sessions) milk output was greater from the right breast in 47.6% of the sessions, greater from the left breast in 28.0%, and equal from both breasts in 24.4% of the sessions.
Though breasts undergo changes before a period, nipples rarely undergo any change. If the nipples get bigger, or the colored area (areola) around the nipple gets dark, it may suggest pregnancy. Any other unusual changes to the nipple must be checked by your doctor.
During pregnancy, the areola—the circular area of the skin that surrounds the nipple at the center of the breast—becomes darker in color and may grow in size. These changes are believed to help the newborn find the nipple and latch on to encourage nursing.
Dietary changes. In some cases, puffy nipples are the result of too much estrogen and fat. You may be able to correct this by making a few dietary changes. Mindful eating may also help you get fit and stay in shape.
Increase how often you nurse and/or pump.
You can increase the frequency that you empty your breasts to start signaling your body to produce more milk. Some moms have seen a great response when adding an evening or early-morning nursing or pumping session. Make sure you're nursing or pumping at least eight times a day.
The more milk your baby removes from your breasts, the more milk you will make. Despite views to the contrary, breasts are never truly empty. Milk is actually produced nonstop—before, during, and after feedings—so there's no need to wait between feedings for your breasts to refill.
Breast Storage Capacity
The maximum volume of milk in the breasts each day can vary greatly among mothers. Two studies found a breast storage capacity range among its mothers of 74 to 606 g (2.6 to 20.5 oz.) per breast (Daly, Owens, & Hartmann, 1993; Kent et al., 2006).
Nipples often expand while pumping, so it is very important to evaluate the nipple throughout the session.
Breastfeed often
Going too long in between nursing sessions can cause engorgement, which may make your nipples flatten or invert.
Your nipple should be round after feeding. If your nipple is slanted like a tube of new lipstick or has a white line across it, the latch is not quite right. Run your tongue along the roof of your mouth from the front to the back. The “junction of the soft palate” is where the roof of the mouth goes from hard to soft.
With your baby's head tilted back and chin up, lift him or her to touch your nipple. The nipple should rest just above the baby's upper lip. Wait for your baby to open very wide, then "scoop" the breast by placing the lower jaw on first. Now tip your baby's head forward and place the upper jaw well behind your nipple.
Experts recommend using slow flow or “newborn” nipples when bottle feeding a breastfed baby. Typically, you should never have to move up a nipple size for a breastfed baby. Breastfed babies have to work for their milk when at the breast, and breasts usually release milk much slower than a bottle nipple.
It may only take your baby about 5 to 10 minutes to empty each breast and get all the milk they need; however, this is different for everyone.
In short, you should pump until milk isn't coming out any more. Or, if you're trying to boost your supply, pump a little while longer after the milk stops flowing.
Kissing your baby will change your breast milk
When you kiss your baby, you are sampling the pathogens on her skin, which are then transferred to your lymphatic system where you will produce antibodies to any bugs. These antibodies will then pass through your breast milk to your baby and boost her immune system.
Interestingly, prolactin levels have a typical 24-hour cycle — just like the human body's circadian rhythm. Prolactin peaks in the early morning hours around 2-5 a.m., while the lowest prolactin levels happen in the late afternoon to early evening.
How Much Breast Milk to Pump. At one week, you should be able to pump two to three ounces every two to three hours, or about 24 ounces in a 24 hour period. You would need to double this amount if you have twins, triple it for triplets, etc.
Perhaps you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a low or high thyroid, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) or hormonal problems that made it difficult for you to conceive. Any of these issues may also contribute to low milk supply because making milk relies on the hormonal signals being sent to the breasts.
Fortunately, within a few months postpartum, most nipples return to their original appearance.
Your nipples may stick out more than usual. Some women find that their breasts start to get bigger during this time. In the second trimester (weeks 13 to 27) , your breasts will get larger and heavier. You may need a larger bra that gives you more support.
You can expect your nipples to return to their original size and color (likely lighter and smaller than when you were breastfeeding) and extra veins should disappear, says Kasper.