Is it possible to bfeed successfully from just one breast?

[MissingMyHeels]

DD has been refusing my right breast for the last 2 days, I can't express anything from it and she doesn't seem to get anything from it either as she cries and whilst sucking she doesn't seem to be swallowing - bf counsellor agreed with this.

Bf counsellor told me to keep trying but that she has known people to bfeed successfully with just one side. Wondered if anyone had any personal experience? I'm worried I won't make enough milk in just one breast for her and I am still trying to wean her off formula top ups.

She is 5 weeks old by the way!

No personal experience but my excellent midwives told me some women feed from one side.

If you don't get much joy here, how about kellymom.com or The Breastfeeding Network?

Good luck.

All of my dcs preferred one breast to the other, and towards the end of my bf ing stints, there was a time when I was just using one side only.you will certainly be able to produce enough milk from one side only, but I would be slightly concerned as to what's wrong with the other side. There's no lump or anything?

Thank you all, very reassuring.

No lumps or anything, BF counsellor thinks that my latch may have been wrong for the last week as it was our first week not using nipple shields on the right hand side, I thought it was fine and it was last Mon at the bf clinic but something must have gone wrong and I didn't pick up on it (I don't get let down pains or anything) as she could well have been sucking for comfort on it even though she wasn't getting any milk.

Then she had a tummy bug on Wed/Thu and was refusing both breasts so I think it might be all of these things that have caused it to stop. It's always been her least fav side anyway. Feel a bit guilty that it took me so long to notice when it could have been happening for longer so very glad that it hasn't ruined everything

hi, my lo is very very reluctant to feed from my R side. it has always been smaller, but more noticably now. he will only suck for 30-60secs on that side then screams until put on L. this has been really pronounced for over a month. some milk does spurt out though - can you 'express' any drops at all by squeezing the nipple when feeding on the other side (and when baby is gulping ie there is a let down)?

in my bf group today, i mentioned this problem and 2 others said they had a huge side preference too. i don't think my lo (4mo) gets much from my R but he seems happy and is gaining wt fine.

good luck

how is it going heels?

MMH - yes it is possible. My SIL fed both her DDs from just one side as she had had surgery on the other side and couldn't produce milk with it. She and they were fine and IIRC she BFd exclusively until at least 6 months.

I fed my DS on one side only from about 4 months onwards as he was never keen on my right boob as the nipple wasn't as pronounced and let down was slower. I fed him solely on my left until he was 1 year old. My DD is now 12 weeks old and she too does not fancy my right boob, I express twice a day from the right and again feed her solely from the left. It does make you look a little lopsided but it can be done!
They're both big babies too, 91st percentile jobs!

I had a similar problem with my DS favouring my left breast and getting upset while feeding on the right.

When he was 4 weeks old I took him to a paedeatric chiropracter who found that DS left shoulder was out of alignment. This meant that he was really uncomfortable when he was feeding and favouring the more comfortable side IYKWIM.

As soon as the chiropracter treated him he was fine feeding on both breasts.

It might be worth taking your LO to a chiropracter/osteopath to check the problem isn't with them.

thanks helgicita and broguemum, i can't tell you how reasuring that is to hear - things are getting worse here and he's even not feeding on 1 side at night when sleepy (co-sleeping) so i think it is really drying up.

i hope it doesn't mean the end of bf for us, i hope there is a chance i can carry on from 1 side.

I BF from just the one side - my left side. It was because when DD was born she couldn't suckle from the right (nipple too big or something) and not enough help from the staff at the hospital (I know they were busy don't worry) meant that I didn't have the courage to try myself so the milk just dissapeared.

I bf'd for 3 months from just the one. My poor diet meant I had to give up not the fact that I only fed with 1 boob.

HTH

I have always fed from the left side. Ds loathes the right side - I used to get him started on the left side and swap him over but in the end I got bored of doing that and so dried up one boob. Still going strong one one boob for feeds at 7 and 7 at 11 months! Only problem is you have oddly shaped nips and one boob bigger than the other.

Weasle if you're still there - you can successfully feed from one boob. HV used to say to me, think of women feeding twins - one boob for each baby!
Enjoy your feeding and stuff socks into the right cup of your bra!

A friend of mine did.

I had to for a week or so when one side was sore from a bad latch. I hand expressed gently every so often from the non feeding side, so there was still a flow of milk, to reduce chance of mastitis.

hi, thanks all. yes, agree about twins, had thought about that. we seem to be going along OK. still a bit of milk on L side.

is it going alright missingmyheels?