feeding one-sided due to ongoing nipple damage on one side, anyone understand?

Cassie - posted on 06/22/2010

I see a remedial massager that specialises in breastfeeding mum's and I have regular massages in the 1st few months to avoid mastitis and to stimulate milk flow and I also have a session at the weaning stage to drain all excess fluid ( not just milk) and this returns my breasts to their regular 'non-lactating' size and also helps sustain the muscles that keep my breasts from sagging, sounds weird having a guy massage my boobs but he is very proffesional and has been doing it for years ridding mum's of mastitis and increasing milk-flow etc it's awesome! (aparently most breastfeeding mum's in japan do this and there is a very low rate of mastitis over there)

Jennifer - posted on 06/21/2010

Hannah, I had a similar experience with my ds, he much preferred the faster flowing right side later after preferring the slower flowing side at first. By 12 months he'd pretty much weaned himself off the left side and I was quite lopsided for a while. Strangely enough, when dd was born, the larger side stayed much larger. Luckily so far she will still nurse on the left side, but she doesn't get much out of it and usually needs to have some from the right.

Olivia - posted on 06/21/2010

I am glad that you are happy and feel much better this way, but yo may want to check and make sure your boob's will go back to normal. From what I have heard it wont, It can be a small difference but one mother I know who stopped bf-ing years ago has a size B and a size D. She had a situation similar to yours. I don't know if that would happen to everyone. But whatever works best for you in the long run, more power to you.

Cassie - posted on 06/21/2010

hi all, thanks for your support, just letting you know that I am still breastfeeding one-sided, not realy expressing the otherside anymore (mostly because I'm happy feeding one-sided now, I'm not really concerned with keeping the other side going just incase I want to feed on that side again - I also have an 18moth old at home and sounds crazy but finding the time to just sit quiety and express oneside is actually really hard :-) but, the important thing is bub is getting enough milk and I am happy - dont mind the 'one big boob one small boob' thing, at least it's winter and no-one can really tell, It will go back to normal after :-) it's great not having to remember waht side I am on etc it's actually easier this way luv it!

Nydia - posted on 06/17/2010

I'm lopsided now because of this. My baby refuses to drink from my left breast because there has never been a fast supply from that side. I used to get her to suck from the left side and I'd alternate, then one day she just refused it and cried. Now I'm lopsided :-) I've been told once she's weaned and my milk dries up my boob won't be as lopsided but I hate looking at it in the mirror. I only do it because I know breastfeeding is best.

Suzy - posted on 06/17/2010

my daughter was the same and still is i had to use nipple shields while my nipple healed and then went back to doing it without but for the length of time it took to heal summer got used to feeding off the one side so i expressed the other to keep them eve.

Mary - posted on 06/17/2010

So sorry you are having trouble!!! I do think the idea of pumping the other side meanwhile is a great idea. My sister had to go one sided due to baby's preference also hannah, and since she let the "offside" dry up she was perpetually lopsided until she weaned. So pumping that side would offset that problem also.

Cassie, I would really like to know what your doctor says about yeast medication etc. and if you get healed up finally. Meanwhile, keeping you in my prayers. God bless!

Hannah - posted on 06/12/2010

I fed one sided for quite a while, but this was due to my babies preference. She point blank refused the 'faster flowing' left hand side! Then after a couple of months, her favorite side changed!



Her attachment on the left side was never as good on the right and it was always sore for the first few months, but we got there in the end.

I would recommend keeping the other sides supply up by expressing so that when you feel comforable about feeding on that side again, you can.



I have heard that lots of mums like to feed off one side and express off the other all the time, so maybe this is for you. I wonder if any other mums have done this? Like I said, I kept my supply up and am now able to feed both sides.