4 month old refusing left breast - please help

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Over the last week and a bit he's refused the left side. Can someone please help? When placed to the left breast he'll arch and scream til he's on the right side. If he's sleepy during the night he'll feed from the left side but largely he'll refuse and be very upset about it.

he started off on the 91st centile then dropped to 80th after 2 months and has stayed there since. Yesterday got him weighed and he has gained weight but dropped to the 75th now.

He's has a chest infection and horrible cold for 2 weeks and also has flat head syndrome. Don't know if these are worth mentioning.

have you tried holding him in exactly the same position as you do for the right but just shunting him across? bit of an awkward hold but it might trick him into taking it!

Ill try that...I thought I was holding him in the same position but maybe I'm not the bf counsellor thinksim not feeding enough and my supply has dropped from the left side. Could this be the case?

Sorry forgot tonic back.

Can I advice without putting. Any fear in your head.

Please go and get yourself checked by a nurse. Rarely and I mean rarely a baby will refuse a certain breast because there is something wrong with it. Now of course I am not saying there is something wrong most likely is nothing but I have seen this (in my job field) so many times and mums have not thought about getting checked out when if it was to be something getting helpnow could really make a differents.

Please dont take that the wrong way. Just thought I would make you and others aware who might be having the same issue.

Hi there,
I'm having exactly the same issue with my 4-month old DD. I'm pretty sure I have a faster let down and flow of milk on the right side, hence she prefers it - as did my DS. My right breast actually feels fuller and has visible blue veins, unlike the left side.
Problem is that after DS I was left lopsided, with a good cup size difference between them! Been trying to even it out this time by feeding twice as often on the left, although DD will feed for half the time she will on the right, so have also tried expressing - takes ages to get anything! There's some good tips on the Kellymom site for when baby has a preference.
As another mumsnetter pointed out to me, they're sisters not twins!

I will sunshine but now I'm slightly freaking out. Could it be a sign of breast cancer or something??

waiting ds had jabs on Wednesday....but he was refusing the left breast before....it does seem to have got worse over the last few days though.

Please dont freak out it is more than likely nothing honesty Yes it CAN be an early sign of breast cancer but it CAN also be sign of an infection and so.
The likelihood is it is NOTHING but like I said please just get it ruled it out. :)

If the supply in your left side has dropped, you could try expressing to bring it back up again. Keep trying with the less preferred side, perhaps when your baby is just waking up or perhaps try some different holds.

There's more information on kellymom.com.

I rang the NCT breastfeeding helpline a few weeks ago and they said it's pretty common for baby to have a preference. I also met a woman at baby clinic who was feeding totally off one side.

I really don't think my supply has dropped, when I hand express there's milk there, I can hear him gulp when he does feed from it, there's milk around his mouth after, I can feel the letdown....it's almost as if the milk tastes funny to him. He literally pushes the breast away withhis hand and makes a face when feeding. What coukd cause my milk to taste funny in one breast?? Maybe tmi but his wind seems smellier than usual as well.

Did you try stinkypants's suggestion - i'm not sure you understood what she meant? Keep your baby lying on his left side as if feeding from the right breast, but move him round to the left breast so his legs are sticking out to the left of you or curled round your side (it's called the rugby hold). It might be he just doesn't like lying on his right side, not that he doesn't like your left breast.

My niece was like this and my sister did what other posters have recommended-cradle hold on preferred side and rugby ball on other, to mimic preferred side. Worked a treat!

My 15 week old has been doing this, but he's had bronchiolitis and I'm pretty sure it's because the flow from one side is really fast and he coughs and splutters, more so when he's all snotty anyway, so he prefers the slower side. I ended up expressing from the fast side to avoid having one enormo boob.

Yes I have heard of this a bit and I have heard of a few suggestions to overcome reasons for it include fast let down, ear ache, teething. Things you can do include start off on good boob and slide quickly mid feed, try a different hold eg rugby hold which makes the baby not realise what boob they are going too. Try to feed on the same side block feed if you think it might be over supply/ fast let down. Go to a LLL meeting and you can get more support and a better diagnosis.

Sometimes milk can taste salty if you have had mastitis - is that a possibility?

Tried the switching boobs while keeping position but he makes a face and pulls away at the boob as soon as he tastes the milk. Don't think I have mastitis everything feels fine. I did feel a lump in that boob about 2 months ago but can't feel it now.