One boob is failing to give milk anymore...

[suzi2]

It's a little odd. I've been feeding several times a day for the last year. But now I can't seem to get a let down on my left side. My first period arrived the other day and it conincindes with that, but my right side is just fine so I'm not too sure!

Any ideas? DD is getting frustrated and is using her first new tooth to have a nip at tme when nothing happens!

[avenanap]

Sometimes the brain sends the signals to the boobs telling them to stop making milk. Have you tried using a breast pump to try and urge it to make some?

[hercules1]

avenanap - I have never heard that before. Can you tell me how you know this? Very curious

[mears]

It is unlikely that you have suddenly stopped producing milk. Sometimes it can be harder to express when you are feeding an older baby. I hardly got anything from my right.

Feed from the right first which will get the milk to letdown in the left - even though you don't feel it. It will sort itself out. Sometimes the more you woory, it inhibits the letdown. Alsi if you are afraid of getting nipped, the letdwon will be slow. It is common for babies to nip at this age anyway, whether there is milk there or not. Some people find that their periods do alter the flow of milk and possibly the taste. If it is connecvted to your period it will pass soon. HTH.

[hercules1]

I know when I had my periods both children would feed much longer at night time.

[avenanap]

Breast feeding is controlled by the brain, the breast is stimulated by the baby's sucking action, the signals then go to the brain and it produces milk. The more the baby sucks, the more milk (eventually) is made because the brain recognises this as a hungry baby. Sometimes a supply can dry up because the brain misenterprets the signal and it thinks the milk isn't needed. If the baby's trying to feed and nothing comes out it gets annoyed and will either bite or give up. As no mesages are getting to the brain no milk can be made. By using the breast pump the mesages start going back and the milk should return. In theory, my friend's a midwife, we've had long chats about this.

[suzi2]

Thanks. I keep trying but I'm not getting very far, even using it as a second side when I know the first has gone OK. Hopefully things will pick up a bit when my period finishes. DD was nipping at me at every feed today so she hardly had any milk at all.

[SparklyDYSONGothKat]

I have no milk on left, it actually hurts to feed Callum on that size now, because there is no milk at all.

[mears]

Sparkly - have you not been feeding or expressing off that breast? The breast will stop producing milk if it is not stimulated at all. It can be reversed by feeding off it again or expressing.

Some times one breast does not produce much when actually expressing but it doesn't mean there is no milk there.

[SparklyDYSONGothKat]

yes I was feeding on both sides, but always had a problem with the left side, not sure he was wasn't comfortable and then wasn't getting enough milk off, but its dried up on that side now. It really hurts to feed him on that side, but I do try.

[Caz10]

really interested to read this thread. dd feeds really easily from my left boob, but on the right one she twists and pulls the nipple, "shouts" at it, and generally does MUCH less active feeding from it. I always offer both sides, but the right is a real struggle and I wondered about supply, or maybe just a v slow let down? (i can't feel let down)