Feeding on one side only.....

10 replies

KaylaC · 02/08/2012 21:39

My DS is 6 days old and he really doesn't like feeding from the left side, he feeds just fine on the right side but I'm having a real battle to get him to feed from the left.

Has anyone else had this problem? And what did you do to resolve it?

I have tried different positions and he has latched on and fed a few times but he really resists. I have been expressing on the left side to try and encourage the milk to come in.

Thanks for any advice at all.

OP posts:

HardlyEverHoovers · 02/08/2012 22:58

Hi, I remember my DS found the right side a lot more comfortable than the left. I think I just persisted and kept trying him with it, and it remained the not so favourite side for months but he did drink from it. From what I've heard it is normal to have a favourite side. I also found that feeding him from an underarm position, like you would hold a rugby ball (though I must admit I had no idea how to hold a rugby ball until the breast feeding lady showed me how to hold my baby like one!) really helped in the first few weeks when the problem was quite pronounced.
Not sure how much that helps but to my knowledge is normal and you need to battle on and he'll probably get used to it.
Best of luck!

neontetra · 03/08/2012 13:57

I had the same thing - ended up ebf from one side only. At first I kept pumping the side she won't take, but it got too time consuming with a newborn to care for, plus I hated all the pump and bottle sterilisation faff. Some hvs are a bit sceptical about feeding from one side, but at four months my dd continues to gain weight well. Just wanted to reassure you this could be an option. Obviously not the only one - there is lots you can try in terms of position to make less favoured breast appealing. Good luck!

nickelbarapasaurus · 03/08/2012 14:03

are yo uleft-handed?
DD had this problem too.
(it' because I find it easier to put her into position on the right-hand side than on the left)

there's a Rugby Ball hold ,where you hold him in the same position as for the other side, but his body is under your armpit instead of across your body.
a description here

Original poster

KaylaC · 04/08/2012 08:16

Thanks for your replies. I had a health visitor out yesterday and she tried to help but couldn't see why he won't feed from that side. Since she has been I've now had problems getting him to latch on all together! :( He latched on about 4pm yesterday and that was the last time. Last night I expressed and syringe fed him, this morning we've had a bath together and although he was sort of drinking from me (milk was pouring out) he hasn't actually latched on.
I really don't know what to do with him to get him to latch on, I don't understand why he has suddenly stopped feeding on the right side.

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domesticslattern · 04/08/2012 09:22

Hello Kayla, congratulations on your new baby! I am not a bf expert but didn't want your post to go ignored. I'd suggest getting some RL advice about your baby, asking a mw or hv to come out today to see you. Explain that your baby has not latched on for 16 hours and they should prioritise you- don't worry about making a fuss. They will be able to assess all sorts of things which a MNetter cannot, including your baby's weight and whether perhaps they are jaundiced (this made my DD1 too tired to feed, also at about 6 days old). In the meantime, persisting with skin to skin and free access to your boobs, as well as the syringe feeding if baby continues to refuse to latch on- all this sounds very sensible.

nickelbarapasaurus · 04/08/2012 10:58

i wonder if it's too full when he goes to latch on? so he can't get a mouthful?
maybe you could express a bit before you start to see if that helps?

i think it's time you went to a bf clinic for some real life support.
there will most likely be a peer support group - Google la leche league in your area.

ThisIsYourSong · 04/08/2012 13:02

Have you heard of the exaggerated latch - I think it's also called a flipple. Do a search as it might help him get the nipple into the right place to suck.

Probably less relevant to you now, but I feed mostly from one side and it hasn't been a problem - we always found latching on the left difficult so I tended to avoid it.

ThisIsYourSong · 04/08/2012 13:03

Meant to say hope you get it sorted soon as it sounds stressful and distressing for you both

Original poster

KaylaC · 04/08/2012 19:43

Thank you everyone. I called the community midwife this morning and she told me to go up to the day clinic at our local hospital, so we went this morning. The midwife there was really helpful and he eventually latched onto the right side perfectly! On his next feed at home he messed around a bit and wouldn't latch on properly, and on the feed I just gave him I used nipple shields (I bought this morning) and he latched on perfectly. I don't know if this is a good idea to use them but it seemed to work for now. Has anyone else used them? And managed to wean them off once feeding is established?
Thanks again for all your help/support

OP posts:

nickelbarapasaurus · 05/08/2012 21:14

if it works for now, then so be it :)

you can always try each time without the shield.
if it doesn't work without the shield, then take him off and do something else (even only for a minute or two), like sing or stand up and walk round with him before trying with the shield - that way he won't get the message "if i don't latch she'll give up and give me the shield" (in theory, he should associate that if he doesn't latch he won't get any - hence the distraction)

Flip