one boob more milk than the other

[DebbieL]

Any advice greatly appreciated...
First time mum b/f 5 week old DD. Everything seems to be going well - I was v apprehensive about b/f due to horror stories of mastitis and bleeding cracked nipples. None of these (thankfully) I have suffered, but DD struggles to feed from my right boob and as a consequence I look like I have had an implant in my left boob!
I have tried expressing from right boob, but can only get 10mls out over 20 mins in drips - left boob I can express 80 mls in a few mins!
What can I try to make my right boob more productive?

[Azzie]

I'm afraid I don't know the answer, but I had the same thing with both my children - the left side gave far more milk than the right, and eventually both refused to feed at all from the right (too much like hard work I suspect). I did my best to keep some supply from the RHS by expressing from that breast and storing the milk for when I wasn't around.

A friend of mine had the same thing. There's a lovely modern art pic of a lopsided nude in the Tate in Cornwall - her husband pointed it out and said "Look, it's you dear" in front of a group of their friends .

[pupuce]

Debbie- the best thing would be a quick call to a BF counsellor - it's free and it will put your mind at ease !
Assoxiation of BF mothers as a 24h helpline : 020 7813 1481

[SofiaAmes]

DebbieL, I had the same thing except it was my right side that had more milk. After 11 months I stopped feeding on the left side at all. You will find that after a few months your breasts won't look as full and therefore the fact that one is bigger than the other won't be as noticeable. It is important to make sure your dd does feed from both at this point or you may end up with blocks and mastitis. Later on it doesn't matter so much. Just get her to take as much as she can from the slow one.

[tigermoth]

My left breast had fewer milk ducts than my right breast, due to me having a breast lump surgically removed. Although my left breast produced less milk, the difference in size was hardly noticeable after the first month or two. A little expressing did help maintain a flow of milk from my left breast, as did encourging my baby to feed from this side, even though he favoured the fuller right side. After the first month or two, this lopsided arrangement was not painful, noticeable or problematic at all, really. HTH

[mears]

DebbieL

Have you tried feeding from the right side with dd lying as if she was on the left? You could also start on the left then slip her over to the right once the milk is letting down. It is not uncommon for babies to prefer one boob and it can usually be resolved with a bit of trickery. Don't worry though if she point blank refuses. As others have said, you can feed from one side and the milk will adjust itself. Your left boob will remain bigger but not as obviously so as at the moment. The amount you can express from that side has no bearing on what is in it. I had the same problem but my babies fed happily from both sides.

[DebbieL]

thank you all for your advice - I have just tried tricking DD with LHS position for RHS, she still gives up after 2 mins. I think the main problem is that it is hard work for her to get the milk flowing. Thanks for the advice line no. will ring later.

LOL re: nude in Tate Gallery - know how she feels! glad I am not doomed to lopsided boobs forever!

[oxocube]

This is so me! My left boob has always been at least one cup size bigger than the right and now I am b/feeding again, the difference is very noticable: do have milk on both sides, but much more on the left! Luckily, I am too tired to care and, after 3 kids, have grown steadily used to feeling droopy, wrinkled, varicouse veined etc. etc. I must admit though, I do look a bit weird

[oxocube]

sorry, DebbieL: have just realised this is prob. not what you want to hear, but at least you are not alone!

[jasper]

SofiaAmes are you left handed?
If so you being "right boobed" would support my theory...I findfeeding much easier on the left boob(I'm right handed) and as a consequence do it on the left more often...so it produces more..etc.
I think its because I am right handed, if I am feeding baby on the left, my right ( dominant ) hand is free to do positioning of baby and other stuff.Particularly in the early days when bf was getting established it was easier to put baby on left using right hand to guide him in, and as a result the left has been easier since. My 3 fellow bf friends are all right handed and left boobed.
Confused??

[SofiaAmes]

sorry jasper to ruin your theory....i'm right handed and right boobed...actually I think it's because my right nipple is double sized (mutant breast) so has more places for the milk to come out.

[DebbieL]

jasper,
I think you have something there - I am right handed too and also find it easier to b/f from LHS!!

[jasper]

Got another theory....Sofia is your HUSBAND left handed? Bear with me....

From an article in today's Times about the most recent study linking bf with reduced rates of breast cancer..

"One small but interesting finding in relation to sex, conception, and breast cancer is that cancers are more likely to be found in the left breast because this is the one which suffers repeated mild trauma from fondling by a right handed male partner"

Maybe this repeated fondling also gets the milk ducts working?

[SofiaAmes]

sorry jasper, husband's right handed too. And he's an equal opportunity fondler.

[jasper]

lucky you !!