My infant will only nurse on one side!! This has been going on for three months.

Chelsea - posted on 02/24/2009

Quoting Serena:

OK, so she will feed that side if she's sleepy - that's a good start! So every sleepy feed do her that side. Pumping is not necessarily a good indicator of production, keep trying her that side anyway and especially when sleepy when she might actually feed; u need stimulus to keep ur supply up - the best way is baby on that boob not pumping.

Throwing off and crying, back on boob, throwing off etc could just be wind, so burp and put her back on.

How about giving her a little on your 'good' side, just to take the edge off her hunger, then breaking her off and putting her on the other side? Keep winding/burping and alternating.

There could be an issue in your breast or nipple; my youngest couldn't get milk from one side due to a tiny lump in my nipple - about the quarter of a pea in size and even though I could express, she couldn't get milk out. Make sure you're not holding your breast in your hand, you can prevent the milk flow if you do.

Have heard of cranial manipulation in babies who've been through a difficult birth.

If none of the answers help so far, maybe tell us a bit more about e.g age of your baby, what your typical feeding is like over 24hrs...

Thank you so much for the support I will try what you said and post more later.  Her birth was far from difficult, I only pushed for 45 minutes and I was only in labor for 9 hours.  Do you know how you check to see if shes getting milk from that side?

Lolly_loulou - posted on 02/24/2009

Quoting Chelsea:

Quoting Chelsea:

My infant will only nurse on one side!! This has been going on for three months.

I can only get to her nurse in the football hold on that side if she's sleeping.  At first I was pumping that side a lot now I just pump once a day on that side and I never get more than 1oz.  Does anyone know why she is doing this.  I have tried everything such as nursing her in the bath, praising her when she latches on the right side and every type of hold there is.  She won't even get into position if I hold her on my right side.  I have been told that she is getting enough from the left side but it makes me sore to only nurse on that one side, she has also slowed down a lot in gaining weight in the past months, she was off the chart and is now in the 25th percentile.  She will not take a bottle and is not always satisfied after nursing on the left side, she throws herself off and cries and then sucks and does the same thing.  I have been referred to an infant chiropractor, has anyone heard of this being a treatment?  

when she has fed from her usual breast and starts to cry then place her on other breast. that worked for me.  good luck

Serena - posted on 02/24/2009

OK, so she will feed that side if she's sleepy - that's a good start! So every sleepy feed do her that side. Pumping is not necessarily a good indicator of production, keep trying her that side anyway and especially when sleepy when she might actually feed; u need stimulus to keep ur supply up - the best way is baby on that boob not pumping.



Throwing off and crying, back on boob, throwing off etc could just be wind, so burp and put her back on.



How about giving her a little on your 'good' side, just to take the edge off her hunger, then breaking her off and putting her on the other side? Keep winding/burping and alternating.



There could be an issue in your breast or nipple; my youngest couldn't get milk from one side due to a tiny lump in my nipple - about the quarter of a pea in size and even though I could express, she couldn't get milk out. Make sure you're not holding your breast in your hand, you can prevent the milk flow if you do.



Have heard of cranial manipulation in babies who've been through a difficult birth.



If none of the answers help so far, maybe tell us a bit more about e.g age of your baby, what your typical feeding is like over 24hrs...

Stacy - posted on 02/24/2009

She might be having a hard time getting milk out of that side. My daughter was refusing one side so I had to pump that side. I ended up pumping the one side everytime I feed her on the other side to make sure my milk supply was still good on the side she wouldn't nurse on. Then after I made sure I had milk on that side I would pump a little bit to get the milk flowing and then latch her on when my milk was spraying. She loves my milk and found it hard to say no to free flowing milk in her mouth.

I hope this helps!!!!!

Chelsea - posted on 02/24/2009

Quoting Chelsea:

My infant will only nurse on one side!! This has been going on for three months.

I can only get to her nurse in the football hold on that side if she's sleeping.  At first I was pumping that side a lot now I just pump once a day on that side and I never get more than 1oz.  Does anyone know why she is doing this.  I have tried everything such as nursing her in the bath, praising her when she latches on the right side and every type of hold there is.  She won't even get into position if I hold her on my right side.  I have been told that she is getting enough from the left side but it makes me sore to only nurse on that one side, she has also slowed down a lot in gaining weight in the past months, she was off the chart and is now in the 25th percentile.  She will not take a bottle and is not always satisfied after nursing on the left side, she throws herself off and cries and then sucks and does the same thing.  I have been referred to an infant chiropractor, has anyone heard of this being a treatment?  

Serena - posted on 02/24/2009

Like Jana, I would recommend trying different positions, e.g. the 'rugby ball' position, feeding while you're lying down, using cushions etc. There is also a positiion where baby sits facing you in an upright position. Also expressing milk from the side your baby doesn't feed from will help keep your milk supply established.

Jana - posted on 02/23/2009

My daughter did the same thing for a little bit.  What worked for me was to hold her how she liked to nurse then just slide her over to the other breast.  Her legs would be around my side but she was in the same position she liked.  I had a chair with flat arms on it so I could just have her rest on a pillow while she nursed, I stilled had my arm around her.  She eventually got back to a point where she nursed on both sides no matter how I held her. 

I don't know if you have a breast pump but maybe pumping for a few just to get things flowing might help her nurse on the non-favorite side.  Good luck.