I have been thinking about natural selection also. Natural selection is
not "practiced" in the human population to the extent it is in other animal
populations.  This is good because more people and babies have a chance at
life.  If nipple or breast shapes are genetic then we would see a wide
variety of nipple and breast variations in humans.  I am also wondering if
breast size has anything to do with lifestyle or hormones. Obesity can
cause breasts to be larger especially during puberty and also we are
hearing more and more about hormone imbalances in even young girls and I
think hormones are a factor in breast size and how much fat is deposited in
the breasts during puberty.  I don't know, I am just thinking out loud.

The reason this is so interesting to me is because I see so many mothers
with very large breasts and flat nipples.  I have only worked at our
hospital for two months, but I have seen a lot of large, rounded breasts
accompanied with breastfeeding difficulties. When I surveyed the nurses
about what they find most difficult about working with mothers they all
wrote the same thing--large breasts and flat nipples.  Are flat and
inverted nipples more common in large breasts?  I too wonder what breasts
have looked like throughout history.  On those National Geographic shows
you see a lot of breasts, but none of them are large or rounded.

I realize that large breasted women can successfully breastfeed without
problems, but I still wonder about all of the breast variations. So far I
have only seen a few mothers with a C cup or smaller.  I don't mean to
single out large breasts here but that is what I see a lot of and I want to
be able to help these mothers.  That is all for now.

Christine Lichte, LLL leader, CBE, 2003 IBCLC candidate
Warrensburg, MO

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