All Communities > Breastfeeding Moms > Lopsided

Lopsided

Sheila - posted on 01/17/2009 ( 4 moms have responded )

8

11

OK, I admit it. I am in this predicament entirely of my own fault. My daughter is now 8 months old and I have been feeding her almost exclusively on my right side for probably at least 4 months now, therefore I have a 2-cup size difference between my breasts. I occasionally take up pumping throughout the day for a day or two (small side only) in a lame attempt to increase milk production in my neglected breast so I will even out, but then give up when I don't see results right away.

Has anyone else had this problem and corrected it? Is there any hope at this point, or should I just give up and try to show less favoritism next time around? If anyone has bounced back from this, how long did it take to get back into full-on milk producing shape?

Join Circle of Moms

Sign up for Circle of Moms and be a part of this community! Membership is just one click away.

Join Circle of Moms

4 Comments

View replies by

Melissa - posted on 01/18/2009

234

13

maybe try offering her the left side when she is sleepy or switch back and forth during a nursing session. The only way to make milk on that side is to nurse or pump.

Emily - posted on 01/18/2009

257

10

I would try with the pump - you may not get equal production but the situation would at least improve - could you pump on the left while feeding on the right?  I'd also try putting her on the left first so that she sucks on that side when she's hungriest and sucking most strongly.  good luck!

Sheila - posted on 01/18/2009

8

11

Meh...well, my daughter just always preferred the right side, so sometimes it was just easier to nurse her on the right than to fight with her on the left. Then, after more time went by I realized that I was only nursing on the left once or twice for every 6-8 times she ate. Then, when her appetite increased a bunch, she wouldn't nurse on the left at all (I'm sure, because it didn't produce enough milk)....so, here I am. Snowball effect.

I'm still producing some milk (I know, because I still leak sometimes), so I wanted to to try one last time to get it back up to speed (before it stops working completely), but I just don't know the best way of doing it since staying attached to a breast pump 24/7 isn't an option.

Kerrie - posted on 01/17/2009

85

31

If you have only been feeding on one breast chances are really good that your milk supply simply has dried up in that breast. If there is no demand for milk the breast will eventually stop producing it. Same thing happens when you ween your baby. Eventually your breasts stop making milk. If you can't get anything to come out of that breast then there is pretty much no chance of your breasts evening out in size.  Sorry for the bad news.  Im sure its not quite what you wanted to hear.



Im curious though...why would you only feed off one breast in the first place?



 

Powered by RESPECT not THUMPS

Want to find out the opinions of this community?

Add Poll