Breastfeeding can be a real pain — literally. Not only does it come with all this outside external pressure, but the physical act itself can be downright excruciating.
Not only that, but it can have lasting effects on the size and overall appearance of a woman’s breasts. Have a look and read about what happened when this breastfeeding mom used one boob more than the other.
RELATED STORIES
Abbie Herbert is a well-known TikToker and social media influencer.
Abbie has made her presence known across all platforms. She, along with her husband Josh Herbert, have become renowned for their hilariously relatable videos portraying the life of a young married couple.
Six months ago, Abbie and Josh welcomed their first child into the world — a beautiful baby girl named Poppy.
A quick scan of Abbie’s Instagram reveals that Poppy is already quite the little fashionista. The newborn can’t even walk yet and already knows how to throw an outfit together.
As most new mothers will tell you, the joys of parenting come hard and fast.
It sounds cliche to say but there really is no other bond quite like the one between mother and child. That feeling of instant connection is unrivaled by anything else on this planet.
That being said, there’s also a lot of not-so-great aspects of parenthood that are seldom discussed.
A lot of new mothers feel as if they have to be perfect, lest they be judged by society at large. This is why things like postpartum depression, sleep exhaustion, body dysmorphia, and issues with breastfeeding tend to take a backseat.
Recently, Abbie decided to share some of her own personal struggles surrounding breastfeeding her daughter.
In a video titled “Things No One Tells You About After Giving Birth,” Abbie explains that her daughter’s issue isn’t that she won’t feed, but rather that she’s incredibly particular about which breast she nurses from.
“Poot (Poppy) loves to breastfeed but she’s very particular on what side she likes,” Abbie explained.
“So she’s right side, so I said ‘Girl, right side is yours, you stay on the right. You love it, it is yours.’ Well…someone forgot to remind me what can happen if you let your baby only feed on one boob.”
Abbie then pulls her hair back over her right shoulder, revealing the disparaging size difference between her left and right breast.
“This is hard as a rock. You know, it’s not an implant — it’s just my boob. And this one seems to be missing..,” Abbie says with a semi-serious/half-joking smile.
Toward the end of the video, Abbie earnestly asks if this is common and if her breast will ever go back to its normal size.
Several helpful young mothers replied to Abbie’s video, saying that they too had experienced similar circumstances.
One user even suggested that Abbie begin pumping her left breast, so as to help level out the milk production.
In a follow-up video, Abbie informed her followers that “Since going viral with my breasts, I have tried pumping the left side to level the supply back out, but it’s just staying how it is at this point !”
It turns out that most newborns do in fact favor one breast over the other.
New mothers can choose to only nurse from one breast, although experts say that it isn’t recommended for this exact reason. Mothers who nurse from only one breast may experience pain and swelling.
The best thing for mothers in this situation is to do as Abbie has been and continue pumping from the non-favored side.
Despite her discomfort, Abbie says that “No matter what my breasts’ size looks like, I’m just happy I’ve had an easy experience with breastfeeding. And — no matter how you feed your baby — a fed baby is best, and that’s all that matters !”
