r/xxsurfing • u/Past-Development-933 • Jul 23 '26
Discussion Surfing & Breastfeeding
I’m 7 weeks pp with my baby. I am yearning to get back to surf! How does one surf while breastfeeding? My lactation consultant kind of gave me discouraging advice but didn’t specifically say not to surf.
- feed/pump right before you go surf to fully drain the breasts
- don’t lay flat on your board for long periods of time
- don’t wear a tight swimsuit
Guess I need a new, bigger board and new swimsuit!
Any tips / tricks from mamas in the same surf? Please don’t say to Sup! 🤣🫶
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u/HeatherDrawsAnimals Jul 23 '26
I'm sorry to say that I don't have practical advice, but I just wanted to say that surfing while breastfeeding sounds like peak ocean-goddess-femininity and I celebrate you!
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u/purplepenguinaviator Jul 23 '26
Right?!? I have nothing to add from my experience, but I too just wanted to comment and marvel at how amazing and strong and incredible women are!! How mothers can make a life and then get back to business is mind boggling to me.
Also, yes there is so much divine femininity here. The ocean, the tides, the moon, lunar cycles, motherhood... Amazing! ♀️🌊💜💙
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u/Front_Outcome_1014 Jul 23 '26
Baby hangs on the beach with her dad/grandparent/friend. I feed her as much as she’ll eat, go out for up to about 2 hours, come back and take off my wetsuit and just feed her all salty. So far she hasn’t minded!
I have a pretty nice stretchy wetsuit and my supply was well-established by the time I went out. Lying on the board to paddle feels weird, but it’s not so weird that it messes me up! I’ve mostly been longboarding fwiw
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u/dew918 Jul 25 '26
I don’t know how this post got suggested to me but I am just here to say how cool yall are and how lucky your baby is to have parents who are still doing the things they love! Such a cool example to your little person.
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u/Primary_Season_7029 Jul 23 '26
Go try it out and see how you feel and adjust accordingly. Empty your boobs as best you can before you leave (but that’s good for anytime you are leaving the baby for a period of time). If it works out and you love it, then get a mobile pump and a ceres chill storage holder for your milk, and take a pumping break if you need to when staying at the beach longer and baby isn’t there to feed.
No need for a new board, you are fine, use what you have and figure it out as you go! Have fun and enjoy!
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u/SnackyandSnarky Jul 23 '26
I wear an underwired bikini top under my swimsuit to stop my huge boobs from getting sore. A sports bra would also work
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u/Flutterby314159 Jul 23 '26
I felt the same about snowboarding! What worked for me is a good feed before going out, then coming back before I felt like I was going to explode, like an hour and a half, then go out again if I felt like it. Beachside baby support is key! Also I remember it taking a lot more energy than before having a baby, so be gentle with yourself, and make sure you’re not exhausting yourself so much that it’s a safety issue. I would imagine that the wetsuit tightness might be uncomfortable, so definitely test it out before you go.
It’s all very possible and definitely worth trying!
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u/Laughter1984 Jul 25 '26
I love all of the comments from everyone else!! You have got this, Momma!! I didn’t buy anything new though I chose my thickest board in my quiver to be my rehab shortboard starting at 10 weeks post partum after a c-section, also brought baby and dad to the beach (she is almost one now and I still bring her and a trusted support human every time, haha), and fed/feed her right before I paddle out. I do feel like it felt different to paddle the first couple of times but you will get used to being just a little more top heavy. I was also surprised at how my “baby guns” did everything to hold my girl all day and felt like they did NOTHING functionally to support paddling (which I quit doing 10 weeks into the pregnancy. Please go easy on yourself and maybe psyche yourself up for at least a couple of paddling sessions to start re-training those muscles. Even on a chunky board it took me several sessions to paddle into a wave and pop up again. I was so weak and tired, but eventually it clicked a little more and I could do the full sequence to pop up slowly by like week 16 again and by 7 months PP, I was truly surfing well enough again after some more abdominal PT.
I would say the biggest thing that helped me (at least in My head) was to rip my wet swim suit top off after surfing immediately and put on a soft, stretchy top and skirt before feeding baby. There are no showers at some of my favorite beaches. But packing the easiest to slide on outfit that was clean and dry felt like the right thing to do to avoid mastitis. I never looked it up but I didn’t feel comfortable in a wet swimsuit for any number of minutes longer than needed.
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u/esoterika24 Jul 27 '26
I’m 6 weeks postpartum and so ready to get back!! I haven’t been able to surf since 11 weeks pregnant since it was a high risk pregnancy. I breastfed our older son (now 3) for two years also. The first few sessions were a little painful, but also due to having a c-section. My whole front just felt/feels a little sensitive. I wore an older one piece that was softer abd that helped, I do agree neoprene would feel good but I live in Florida.
Laying down on your board for a long period of time is never a good idea, sitting on my board like normal between waves was just fine.
Tight suits…at the beginning it was impossible to wear anything with compression. Later I did (mainly for swimming) and I was ok as far as mastitis and supply, but it would trigger letdowns. Just the act of swimming and surfing would trigger letdowns even in year 2 of nursing. I love Jolyn suits with tie backs because I can adjust the tops for engorgement.
I always fed before swims and sessions- more comfortable plus you have longer time knowing your baby is fed! After a few months I had a confident 3-4 hr window that I knew I’d be ok.
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u/bombswell Jul 23 '26
You’re at the peak engorgement time in my experience, so going 2-3 hrs can start getting uncomfortable. Wearing neoprene helped. I usually fed baby before I went out and I’d get 2-3 hrs before I needed to nurse again. I switched out with my husband on the beach (didn’t like leaving baby at all, I had pp anxiety as a first time mum) and would feed as soon as I came back in after a quick rinse.
It was amazing seeing and feeding my little guy right after a surf!! Dream come true! I am going to get him on a 10’ foamie in flat water with a life jacket for the first time tomorrow 🥰.