One breast producing waaaaaay more milk...advice please!

[roz1982]

Hello I'm new to this forum and would really appreciate some advice from experienced breast feeders. I have a two week old ds, first baby and have been breast feeding him without too many issues.

However, my right breast produces way more milk than left and becomes engorged and sore frequently. This means I am feeding alot more from this breast and the left one is a bit neglected! My left is pretty normal and my right is more or less constantly like a rugby ball unless I feed almost exclusively from it. I'm scared to express, purely to make it more comfortable as doesn't this mean it will produce even more?? Also my right nipple is taking a right battering!

Any advice greatly appreciated
X

It's normal (if frustrating) to have a 'super boob' and a not so super boob.

All women have one side that makes more than the other though they not be aware of it as the difference might be slight. Milk ducts are not symetrical between the left/right so a woman might have 6 ducts on one side and 5 on the other but not notice the difference between the two.

It may be that there is a big difference in the number of ducts on your left and right or that baby has been preferring the right side so has fed more often or longer which has increased the supply to the point of far outstripping the left. It's impossible to say which is true with out more history which is why it might be good to talk things over with one of the bfing counsellors on a helpline.

If you get very engorged on the right side you could try pumping as much as you can on that side to 'reset' it (expressing a few minutes past the point of no milk coming out) then feed from the left side for the next feed, switching to the right for the feed after that. More details here but if you do decide that this is the way forward for you don't do the 'reset' on the left side too.