HELP PLEASE!!! 2 wk old baby will only feed from one breast

[RubiMama]

I'm posting here on behalf of my friend who has a 2wk old DD. DD was always happier suckling on one side than the other but now won't suckle at all from left breast. When she tries DD just cries and cries. It's been for a happening for a couple of days and she has had to resort to expressing milk from the left breast to stop herself becoming engorged. There isn't much difference in the nipple as far as I can see, and she latches on fine to the right breast. Until she can see the midwife again tomorrow (we're in Greece, no health visitors) I advised her to express again from the left side (as it was getting really engorged, and she was getting really tense and tearful) and feed from the right for that feed then just try again later, but to keep trying. Did I give the right advice? Also she asked what she should do with the EBM and I said throw it away (I said it in the nicest possible way - honest) but I got the feeling when I said that that she felt awful and that she's been giving her the milk in a bottle and now feels guilty about that too. I really want to help her, but I know how vulnerable you can be feeling at that time and i don't want to make her feel worse. It's really easy to give advice in hindsight isn't it, but I also remember that feeling of just wanting to feed my baby no matter what, especially when he was screaming every time I tried to latch him on.
Thanks for reading x

Some babies do only feed form 1 breast. however can she try lying down to feed on the other side - I have resorted to very strange positions when I have been stuck! It can be to do with breasts being a slightly different size or mum being very right/left handed so just find it easier to latch on 1 side than the other. My DS always preferred one side to the other my DD didn't care where it came from as long as it was milk so peraps personality comes into it. I don't know if they have such things over there but may be worth contacting a breastfeeding counsellor. She could ring one over here...NCT ABM and La leche league all have them
Hoping to help
Fi

NCT 0870 444 8708
ABM 08444 122 949
La leche 0845 120 2918

She could give the baby the expressed milk in a cup as an alternative for now btw.

I had a similar problem. DD just would not latch onto the left side. I eventually discovered she would only latch on that side in the rugby/clutch hold. It transpired that she couldn't turn her head to her right. I'd had a very long labour and 6 hour second stage with her head stuck on one side (found out during em cs). The pressure had caused problems with her neck and shoulder muscles which were fixed by a cranial osteopath. He lay her on her back and got her to follow a rattle which she did fine one way but physically couldn't move her head to the other side.

Sorry to blather on, just recounting in case your friend finds it's a similar thing.

I had the same problem. Hard as it is, she needs to keep trying to feed from the left or it will stop producing milk eventually. Start the baby on the left side when it's not too hungry, so hopefully isn't too frustrated by the slow milk. I would also brush my hair (helps with the let down) before I fed, and hand express a bit of milk on the left boob so the milk was definitely there as soon as DD latched on, to avoid her getting fed up trying to get it started.

It didn't solve the problem, but it meant the left kept going, albeit always much less milk and slower than the right.

Oh, and I used rugby ball hold because some how she could never latch on to the left properly.

Rugby ball hold worked for me at the start - it tricked her into thinking she was feeding on the preferred side.

I was also advised to see a cranial osteopath but after a couple of weeks doing rugby ball hold I tried cradle hold on the bad side and it worked!

Hope your friend has some luck soon. I would think the ideal thing would be to see a bfc in person to advise on positioning.

my DS2 wouldn't feed from one breast - at about 3 weeks, worked out that I had a cyst and my milk tasted horrible on that side (ask her to taste the first bit that comes out)

to get him used to it again I too used rugby ball hold

Hello All,
I'm really sorry it took me so long to reply and say thanks for your really helpful advice. DH working on laptop all evening and I never seem to get a minute....
The rugby hold is working for now , so clever, why didn't I think of that! and she is seeking a cranial osteopath too. You are all stars.
Thanks again xx