Has anyone breastfed from just one side?

[ThatsMyOnlyShirt]

DD is 9 months on Sat and is pretty much refusing one breast all together. I offer her the least preferred breast first but she will only usually take it once in 24hrs.

Has been steadily refusing one side more and more as she has been getting older. Even when not breastfeeding i have a cup size difference between my boobs and she prefers the bigger one (I don't blame her!) The size difference is more apparent now with BF'ding, but this doesn't bother me as i am used to it.


I really want to feed till at least 12 month, will it be possible on just one side?

[AGnu]

I seem to be managing it! I also have a 9mo & found feeding from one side painful even after his tongue-tie was cut. I've been feeding from just one side for months now & have recently weaned him off formula since his appetite for food has increased! He's DC2 & I'm actually rather pleased that we're now successfully bf-ing with no formula back-up. I didn't get to do that with DS1 because his TT was never diagnosed/cut & he ended up being put on high-energy formula due to failure to thrive. It's nice that things are going smoothly & I don't even notice that he only feeds from one side! Except for the teeth marks...!

[Sparklysilversequins]

Dd was like this. The right one was MASSIVE, clearly larger than the left. She would feed from it but obviously preferred the other, it wasn't that much of a problem but I always wondered why.

[eagle2010]

My DS (5.5 mo) is doing this now - over the last month he's pretty much stopped feeding properly from my left side. He goes in for a few lacklustre sucks as if he's just waiting for the main event from the right side! The right side flows more forcefully and I think he likes that now altho couldn't cope so well with it when he was a smaller baby.

There's a good article about side preference on KellyMom if you Google it.

Ultimately it shouldn't be a problem, nutrition wise, and you're not alone in the lopsided boob stakes!

[GingerMaman]

I only feed from one side once or twice in 24 hours. DD is 9 months and feeds a lot, and is fine.

One breast is 2 times bigger than the other too!

[KristinaM]

DS3 stopped feeding from one side when he was 2.5. I thought that he was finally deciding to wean. He then went on to feed for another 12 months on one side only . I didn't notice any difference in the size of my boobs, but by them I think the supply / demand thing was pretty well established .

[ThatsMyOnlyShirt]

Thanks for the reply's, it is encouraging to know one side feeding is possible!

AGnu DD makes it known that she doesn't want one side by using her teeth and i find teeth marks on her preferred side as well! CONGRATS on feeding your DC2.

[Pantygirdl]

Yes, I did from about 6 months till 2 years. Cup size difference while still BF but leveling out now (2 months on).

[ThatsMyOnlyShirt]

for all the lopsided Mama's out there!

[imip]

Yes, I've done it with 2 dcs. One nipple is flatter than the other, sometimes it is uncomfortable to feed and dcs have preferred the other breast. Have done this for almost 2 years cumulatively.

After a couple of weeks, not really a size difference.

Dh tells me milk still comes from both sides . It freaks him out [ smile].

[ClairesTravellingCircus]

I bf twins with one breast! Was doing mixed feeding to start with (about 50/50). But by the time they started solids it was just 1or2 ff feed a day between them.

So, yes, absolutely possible.

[Longdistance]

Yes, not me, but my gm fed my mum, and aunties from one breast as she had an inverted nipple on the other. She kept reminding us of her lopsided boobs.

Good luck.

[NormHonal]

Yes, I've done it with two DCs! It really hurt on the left side, I think due to an inverted nipple. I also had blocked ducts, mastitis on the left.

Fed to around 15mo with both, admittedly mix-fed with DC1 from 6mo and with DC2 from birth (one ff a day), although that was just because I wanted a break rather than milk production concerns.

Stopped feeding DC2 around 18 months ago and I'd say the boob that did all of the work probably feels a bit "emptier" than the other and is a bit wrinklier, but on the whole they both look the same size.

[ThatsMyOnlyShirt]

imip

I think the angle of my nipple may be a factor on the smaller side as well. I have to feed DD in a rugby hold on that side because the bigger boob combined with nipple angle means she can't reach the nipple in a cradle hold on the smaller side....

I am now wondering if it is just not comfortable for her as she has got bigger?

[ShoeWhore]

Not me personally but two of my friends have done this very successfully (pretty much from birth) One was a bit lopsided but the other not. At 9 mo I'd have thought the difference would be less.

I assume you've experimented with different holds? My babies all had a preferred side and I found I could trick them to an extent by using the opposite hold to the other side maybe at 9mo your lo is too canny for such tactics though!

[Romily]

This may be a way for me to keep on feeding long term as I have more discomfort on one side than the other but worried that it would not be possible to feed on only one side.

[domesticslattern]

Yes, I fed DD2 from one side from about 6 months. Still going strong at 2 years and no discernable difference in boob size.
It was a great relief to give up feeding from the left side as that was always the troublesome side. I cut down slowly. The only thing I would say is be careful how you hold your back and shoulders; good posture is important because you are not evening things out by holding your child on both sides equally.

[qumquat]

Would this be possible from 8 weeks do you think or is that too early? One side incredibly painful the other one usually bearable. Have tried everything and considering one sided as a means of continuing.

[MerryInthechelseahotel]

It really shouldn't be painful qumquat could you get some help with positioning your baby? I was amazed how much difference that made to me.

[MerryInthechelseahotel]

Oops I see you have tried everything. Have you spoken to La Leche?

[ThatsMyOnlyShirt]

That's a good point about posture domestic LO likes to play with my hair while feeding and I often realise my neck is aching from being pulled down.

[qumquat]

Thanks Merry. I've asked about la Leche meetings but haven't heard back,
but have been to endless bf cafés, seen two lactation consultants, seen cranial osteopath, had tongue tie snipped, read the whole of the internet...! Can't bring myself to give up though, I keep trying because I can't bring myself to give up.

[MerryInthechelseahotel]

Persevere if you can as it will be worth it in the long run as you say you really want to do this. Try again with LLL they can be really helpful. It really shouldn't be painful if baby is latching on correctly, good luck