Hippo,
Found this that might help:
Experiment with different positions. The traditional cradle hold is the most popular position, but the football hold generally works better for women with larger breasts. In this position, the baby is tucked under your arm and you have better control of the baby's head as he latches on, as well as more freedom of arm movement. Be sure to use lots of pillows to bring the baby up to your level, rather than having to lean over him. You also want to support your back with pillows as well. Raising your knees with a footstool also helps (Medela's Nursing Stool is ideal for this). It is difficult to learn how to position your baby by reading a book, so spend some time at La Leche League meetings if you have the opportunity. You'll get the chance to see real live babies in action in a comfortable situation where only other mothers are present. Medela has an excellent video called "Breastfeeding Your Baby: A Mother's Guide: Positioning" that shows a variety of nursing positions. It's available from many LLL group libraries, and in our area, Blockbuster Video offers it free as a public service. You may find it useful to "practice" different positions before your baby arrives, using a baby doll or stuffed animal. While this isn't the same as nursing a real live wiggly baby, it can give you an idea of how to use pillows for support, and help you get a feel for which positions might be most comfortable for you.
Make sure to support the breast while nursing. Using the "C" hold is often effective. The optimal C hold involves using your outside hand (the one on the same side you're nursing from) to support your breast. Put your palm gently under the breast, with your thumb curved around the top and side, forming a "C". Be sure to keep your finger and thumb well behind the areola, because if your fingers are in the way, your baby can't compress the milk sinuses effectively. This can cause soreness as well as keeping him from obtaining the hind milk that he needs to grow. Some mothers find that rolling up a washcloth and placing it under the breast during the feeding provides extra support. You may need additional support only while you are getting the baby latched on, or you may need to support the breast throughout the entire feeding. Once your baby is older and has better muscle control, you may find that you don't need as much support as you do in the beginning.
Pay careful attention to latch on. You need to make sure that your baby takes a good portion of the areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple) into his mouth, and not just the nipple. Milk is stored behind the areola in pockets (lactiferous sinuses) and the baby has to compress these pockets in order to breastfeed effectively. Babies have tiny little rosebud mouths, and if your areola is large (some are the size of a saucer), then you need to make sure he opens wide (like a yawn) before you pull him in to you to latch on. Most of the areola should be covered, but it's not necessary for him to take all of it in his mouth.
Gently massage your breasts while you are nursing. Large breasted women have more tissue that can become engorged or lumpy, and massage can help insure that the milk ducts are being emptied adequately.
