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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Feeding better from one boob, is this going to affect supply or is it just all in my head?

12 replies

bumperlicious · 30/06/2007 13:13

Sorry, this is similar to needaplans post earlier but DD seems to feed better and more efficiently from one boob. On the right she gulps it down and only needs about 20 mins to half an hour. On the left we struggle to latch as easily, and she feeds for up to an hour and doesn't seem to be gulping it down. I'm worried that there is a problem with my supply, or if there isn't that if she doesn't feed better there soon will be.

Any tips?

OP posts:
twelveyeargap · 30/06/2007 13:28

This happened to me in the first couple of weeks. I think it was to do with positioning because my right arm is so much stronger than my left. Found that if I used right hand to support her neck and back whilst she was on left breast, left hand to support pendulous boob - that was fine, that was the "good side". Right nipple was constantly sore and she didn't latch on right when I tried to do either the opposite of the above, or use my right arm to cradle hold her as her head was too wobbly. Found that on the right breast, if I did the "rugby ball hold" with my right arm and baby's weight supported between my arm and my hip/ side that she got a much better latch and fed more efficiently.

However, all that said, lots of people feed successfully just with one breast (think twins) and my midwife told me that almost all women favour one breast over the other anyway. Granted if you don't feed at all on one side you will look a little lopsided, but each breast has it's own supply and demand meter.

Hope that helps, though hopefully one of the breastfeeding experts can give you some more guidance.

Original poster
bumperlicious · 30/06/2007 19:11

Thanks for the reply TYG. Just had another really long feed from the left breast and taking a good few attempts to latch on. I'm really worried as I am tired and getting frustrated and tearful and DH back to work tomorrow, I know my frustration isn't helping DD.

OP posts:
twelveyeargap · 30/06/2007 19:46

It does get easier hun. I would keep putting her to that breast anyway. I'm no expert, but that's what I did and would you believe, I ended up having a better supply in the "bad" breast than the other!

chipmonkey · 30/06/2007 20:33

I used to put ds3 to the "bad" breast facing the same way as if he was on the "good" breast. It soon improved.

twelveyeargap · 30/06/2007 20:46

That's what I was trying to get across... Have her facing the same way on both breasts. After we took DD2 to the osteopath, she said that it made sense that she fed better on one side, because her palate was compressed on one side.

QPootle · 30/06/2007 20:53

Must admit I tried and tried and bad breast was utter agony for about six-8 weeks. Then suddenly pain etc went, he never ever prefferred bad breast and always took less from it but I breast fed him till he was about 18 months in the end and there were never any problems. My NCt teacher said as per previous posts lots of women have one that does one thing and another that does another, AND that it can then change with a different baby! The only thing I would say is that my good brast got more pumped up etc and well, he's two now and while my boobs were matching before, the good breast is a bit droopier. small boobs so no great shakes but imagine this would exaggerate with bigger boobs.

Original poster
bumperlicious · 30/06/2007 21:28

Thanks girls, that does make sense, the only problem is that we have bought a glider chair as we don't have any comfortable furniture for me to feed on and she doesn't quite fit in the underarm position in it. Maybe i will try giving it another go. And we are seeing the osteopath again on Friday so will mention it to him.

Thanks for the support x

OP posts:
twelveyeargap · 01/07/2007 09:55

Try sitting on the floor, legs crossed, with her resting between your hip and your knee. You won't have to always do that, just until you get feeding established on that side.

DITDOT · 01/07/2007 22:27

I could only feed from one breast for a while due to another problem. To keep my sanity and stop me worrying about drying up I just expressed from the one dd did not feed from. The milk started to flow much better as a result and was there for when I could put her back on that side again.
Also had lots of spare milk in freezer for nights out!!!
Stopped me worrying.

jaynehater · 01/07/2007 22:41

DD1 was so specific in her preferences our HV nicknamed my left boob Apple-Pie and my right Brocolli. Never really got round it but DD2 wasn't half as fussy. 'Rugby Ball' hold worked a little for us, but the other thing I did (being at home, first child, time to kill, and all) was try once or twice a day to feed her from the non-delicious breast lying down, as I got much less fraught, and wasn't hoicking her about in a state of stress half as much, she kind of found her own way, and I crowbarred in a mini-nap in the name of breastfeeding.

colander · 01/07/2007 22:43

Both DDs preferred one side and can't remember which one, but it was the same one for both of them. I found that if I lay down to feed them though they could latch on much better to the bad one, so I sort of saved that one up for night / early am feeds. HTH

LyraB · 01/07/2007 22:44

DS2 only fed from the right side after the first few months.

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