Anyone fed just from one breast?

[Fifipurple]

I’m finding breastfeeding hard. I’ve had lots of help, but we can’t seem to crack feeding off the right boob. Baby is 10 weeks and when I feed off the right one with either gag and projectile vomit the food from the left one over me or will feed but pull off every 10 seconds fussing, take in loads of gas and then spit up loads.

I’m finding myself getting so stressed before feeding and frustrated that she’s not getting enough food and that she’s uncomfortable with the air she's taking in from trying to feed on that boob.

Has anyone fed from one boob and expressed from the other and given it in a bottle? Wondering if it will make my boobs a bit uneven…

Me! From about 4 months my DS decided he didn’t like the left one 🤔 so then only fed from the right one. He’s 17 months now and still the same, even though I only feed at night now. I did start off pumping from the left but got fed up pretty quickly so stopped. I’ve not been uneven at all and the right has made more than enough in terms of supply - he’s always gained weight etc. My left still has a supply but it’s not used. Do what works for you 😀

Thank you! Great to hear that it has worked well. When you stopped pumping from the left, did you do it gradually?

No I just stopped one day - I still have a freezer full of milk that needs to be binned but can’t bring myself to yet. My DS was a bottle refuser despite my best efforts, hence why I pumped so much in the beginning but gave up as it felt pointless if he wouldn’t take a bottle. I hope this doesn’t come across as patronising but I just want to reassure you that fed is best and you really must do what works for you, don’t worry about what others are doing. I tied myself in knots trying to get DS to feed from the left and/or take a bottle because I felt I should but he’s turned out just fine and I wish I hadn’t upset myself so much over it

Me, my son was a left boob only. It didn't start out that way around 6 months in he needed to wear a medical device which made positions to the right difficult. Didn't cause us any issues at all with his growth etc. If you're concerned though keep trying different positions, if you do decide the ''other" boob just isn't working for you both try reduce the milk slowly (through hand expressing if they won't take it at all) just to prevent an infection.

My daughter was a left breast girl only.
I tried on the right many times but the left just worked better and she fed for 2 years. She's almost 10 now and the only difference in them now is my left nipple sticks out more than my right.

My son used to do this with the left one as milk used to come out faster. I was advised by a lactation consultant to breastfeed lying down from that one and it helped. Feeding him the nipple so it was at the roof of his mouth also helped.

You mentioned you are getting lots of help so I’m sure you have done this but have you tried all the positions? Across the body, rugby hold, lying down etc?

They change their minds. Dont give up on the other side. Keep offering and pump to keep supply.

I mean if they were 10 months my advice might be different, but 10 weeks is still tiny.

Yes. Had one breast bigger than the other. All my children preferred the same one. I tried for months on end. Lots of crying and refusing point blank to feed from the other. I ended up pumping to even them out plus I had stash in the freezer for emergency. I did get some help from a breast feeding specialist.

Thanks to those who shared their experiences. We’ve tried lying down feeding, and lots of positions, as well as putting pressure on my breast to slow the let down. This has helped her not choke as much on the left breast.
For now I'm going to take a break from feeding on the right and will hand express. I'm hoping that as she gets bigger it might improve.

Right breast only for both my children, I have no idea why, tried all the different positions 😅 but it wasn't an issue from what I remember.

For both mine I fed from both but my supply was very uneven. One had oversupply I think and the other under! I did a lot both times to persevere on the right side and get the supply up, but when they started dropping feeds after 6 months I just fed entirely from one side until I stopped feeding both at 12 months. I probably could have done this much earlier. The annoying thing for me was that particularly baby no. 1 a couple of times randomly rejected the low supply boob for the day and I got mastitis. Babies can be massive fusspots (and I think having quite uneven supply is common). My boobs are the same size now.

Yes I had exactly this. My son decided around 5 months he couldn’t be arsed with the right side. I pumped for a while to try and keep the supply but I just kept getting painful on that side because he wouldn’t feed off it, so I let it go in the end. That side has kind of gone back to pre-pregnancy in appearance now. My left has provided more than enough in its own!

i am uneven at the moment, although you can’t really tell when I’m dressed. but I have been told that the left side will probably go back to how it was before once i stop feeding, which I really hope it does.