Has anyone experienced a low supply on one side?

Bridget - posted on 06/29/2011

Ive tried suppliments, teas, diet changes etc. My issue isnt increasing supply in general, its increasing supply only on my left side. I deal with engorgement on my right side constantly, and an extremely low supply on my left no matter what Ive tried.

Jessica - posted on 06/29/2011

There are certain food supplements as well as prescription medications that may increase your milk supply. Before using any of these, it is important to rule out other problems such as illness in mother or baby. Many herbal supplements have been used for many years to increase milk production, with the most popular being Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, and Red Raspberry. Brewers Yeast (containing B vitamins) is another commonly recommended treatment for low milk supply. I usually recommend that mothers try Fenugreek capsules (2-3 capsules taken 3 times daily) along with Blessed Thistle tablets (same dosage). You many want to add Brewers Yeast tablets (3 tablets taken with meals, 3 times per day) and Red Raspberry tea or capsules several times each day. I know that seems like a lot of capsules to take, but if you don't want to take them all, the Fenugreek seems to be the most effective. Fenugreek is rated GRAS (generally regarded as safe), but when taken in large doses may cause lowered blood sugar, so should be used with caution by diabetics. It is in the same family with peanuts and chickpeas, and may cause an allergic reaction in moms who are allergic to them. It may cause a maple syrup odor in urine and sweat. For the majority of mothers, it causes no problems, and can be very effective. It has not been known to cause any problems for the babies of the mothers who take it. Check out this site for more information on supply boosters: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prair..., or contact Mechell Turner, IBCLC & herbalist at www.birthandbreastfeeding.com or directly email at mrturner@vnet.net.

Jessica - posted on 06/29/2011

I don't think it was the bra unless it was too tight cause that's what I've mainly worn with both my kids and haven't had a problem and not the shot cause I had the shot after my son was born and it didn't both my supply at all. my only problem was he refused to take a pacifier and used me instead which kept my supply low. try the mothers' tea I haven't tried it but I hear lots of good things about it and there are supposed to be lots of things you can do to increase it overall. try researching on google or ask a breastfeeding consultant.

Lucie - posted on 06/28/2011

I have no idea if productivity is connected to your dominant hand, but last pregnancy & this one I've noticed my right side produces more milk (I'm left handed). My son tended to nurse more on the right side because it produced more. Did it make the situation worse? I don't know, but I did read into this. I read that some women have one side that makes far less and it doesn't affect things - baby still gets fat and grows. I thought this time my left side was making more, but for the few times I've pumped I notice, again, that the right side produces more milk. It is what it is. Don't freak out over it. If baby's weight gain is on track, you have nothing to worry about. But if you're supplementing with formula, you're sabotaging your supply - you're telling your body it doesn't need to make more. It takes about one week for your body to respond to demand, whether it's more or less desired. And I always have to remind myself that for every single boob drained, I have to drink one tall glass of liquid to have enough for next time.

Yalana - posted on 06/28/2011

I've had the problem of keeping up with my boys on either side! My right does produce more, but my boys would drain me completely in under five minutes...not five minutes on each side, five altogether! My oldest was only breastfed for 6 weeks, and I found out after the birth of my third son that the doctor I had when I had my oldest was trying to sabotage my efforts. She told me to wear a sports bra whenever I became engorged (wrong move unless you're trying to dry up) and that the birth control shots would not affect my milk production (another lie...within a week after my first shot, I was bone dry). I tried pumping with the two younger boys, but that didn't help and only caused more pain and chapping. I tried increasing my meal size, but that just put more weight on me that I was trying to lose after all that baby weight. IF I was lucky to get any out through pumping after nursing, it was a grand total of a drop. I wish I could help, but I have yet to find anyone myself who can help me find a solution before my daughter is born! I'll most likely have to do what I did with the others...supply their feedings with formula, because it hurts to nurse these little Hoovers!!!

Cinda - posted on 06/28/2011

I hear it's pretty common to have 1 side produce more than the other. I've always had more production on the left side than the right. Have you tried drinking Mother's Milk tea? It really helped my overall supply. Have you tried calling a local lactation specialist (at the hospital or La Leche Legue)? They might have some good suggestions.

Jessica - posted on 06/28/2011

where at in walmart I've wanted to try it

Angela - posted on 06/27/2011

I had the same problem. Try drinking mothers milk tea and pumping both breast at the same time an hour before a feeding or 30 minutes after a feeding. Drink lots of water as well. The tea is inexpensive and can be purchased at walmart, gnc, safeway, etc.



http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/mot...

Jessica - posted on 06/27/2011

the heart thing can't be it cause that side for me produces the most. that's what my pediactrian said was to offer the lower side first and if she's still hungry offer the other and it might be the letdown is slower cause I can feel it in my left before my right and sometimes I don't feel it at all on the right. thanks for all the advice and I'm so glad to know I'm not alone

Brittany - posted on 06/27/2011

My son has that kind of issue with the right side. So I always start feeding him on the right side. It seems to have helped. They are pretty close in oz when it comes to pumping. My son is almost 6 months. It seems like this keeps happening. So if i notice any difference then I switch to that side to always start on.

Suzie - posted on 06/26/2011

i have the same problem and when i am nursing i have a D on my right side and a B on the left it has never evend out no mater how hard i try i have come to grips and wear a sports bra most of the Time so i dont look as uneven on my right side when i pump i get 8 oz a time on my left 1/2 Oz a time it is frustrating and there is nthing i can do about it but go on and know that it is best for my Son to nurse and have breast Milk

Kerri - posted on 06/25/2011

You can still nurse on the side with less supply (it may also have a less strong let-down and she likes the other side since it is "easier"). Being lop-sided is not a big deal. This is such a short period of time in your life and the benefits to breastfeeding & breastmilk are well worth it. Your body is more then capable of producing enough milk from one breast. I personally know w people who exclusively breastfed using only one breast. In one case the mother had been burned & the breast on one side had no nipple, but still ducts. It dried up on its own with no issues. She breastfed with the side that was "normal". The other mom was like you & had lower supply & less let-down so eventually she only breastfed with the one breast. I breastfed twins so each breast had to produce enough milk for each baby. Then my son was born & I was nursing three!

Jessica - posted on 06/25/2011

I have the same problem except that my left produces much more than my right and this has really been since the beginning. My little guy is now 15 months old and is self weaning. I did find that I could temporarily bring up the supply on the right through pumping and feeding on that side first, but it still does not empty as easily (or produce as much) as the other side with either the pump or the baby. I am not sure of the reason why this happens. He does still prefer the left side, but I am not sure if the problem happened because of his preference or if the preference happened because of the problem.

Molly - posted on 06/25/2011

I had that also with my first child. I talked to my LLL leader and she said that my child might have had a "bad encounter" with that particular breast... ie. he bit me and I scolded him or a scary noise or something similar. What she suggested is nurse the baby until they fall asleep, and then latch them on the side they dont prefer. It will get the child back on the breast and the sucking (even the casual pacifier suck) will stimulate the breast to make more milk. I hope this helps. Best of luck ladies :)

Missy - posted on 06/25/2011

I've been nursing my son for 17 months now and the same happened to me at 7 months. My doctor said it was the left side not producing as much because that is the side of the heart, but really, now after all these months (and I really tried to pump it back to health) I really don't believe that is it, I think my son just has a preference. I do make him nurse on the right before offering the left. But I must say, I look like a Picasso.

Vanessa - posted on 06/25/2011

i experienced that also, but i always switched sides even though the one will feel more full come the next feeding even though it was the one i left off on, id always switch to keep the slower one on schedule, i kinda figured that at those times my son was getting what he needed so that's how that breast adjusted, it never seemed to bother him....

Jackie - posted on 06/25/2011

I had this problem too. Towards the end my daughter weaned completely from my right side and nursed on the left all the time. I think it's because that side was more comfortable for me and I seemed to actually be able to get her in a more comfortable position and angle on that side, so naturally she was more comfortable on that side and then the decline in production on my right occured. I think that as long as your baby is getting enough milk on which ever side they nurse on, then you are golden...you'll just be a bit lop sided for a while. :) Keep up the good work, nursing mommy.

Erin - posted on 06/23/2011

I find if I sleep on my side, the breast on that side will have lower supply the next day. Not sure if there's any correlation or not.

Gina - posted on 06/23/2011

I was also slightly lower on the left side. My daughter is 9 months and what I try doing is let her feed off the left side each time she wakes up at night which is about 2 - 3 times (I do give her the right side if I see she is looking for something more). She's not really hungry at night but is just looking for that comfort of suckling on something so it's a good idea to give her the breast with the lower supply. You need that nipple stimulation to get things going and increase supply. Pumping doesn't help much in that. Try to let her nurse off the lower supply side as often as you can which should help things balance out or at least increase supply. Good luck!

Jessica - posted on 06/21/2011

same here right handed already uneven from having the blocked duct 3 yrs ago and I don't want it worse

Bridget - posted on 06/21/2011

Im right handed. I dont want to nurse only on one side, I am already uneven I dont want to make the problem worse.

Regina - posted on 06/21/2011

just out of curiosity are you left handed? I experience this from tie to time on my right side. I usually spend most of the day just laying in bed skin to skin with my daughter nursing only on the right side and it seems to get things going again. I pump the left side a few times durring the day also. If she gets too fussy though i give her the left.

Jessica - posted on 06/21/2011

I have that same problem. I had a spot on my right side when she was younger and had to feed her mainly on the left now my supply on the right is slowing and my left stays full. I pumped the right during that time to keep it going but now I'm a little unbalanced and don't know what I can do. with my son I had a blocked duct on the same side that's now low. I can only pump maybe 2 oz on a good day