DS hates right breast -can I just express it?

[Rhian82]

I tend to do each feed from one breast only, alternating them between feeds. DS gets as much as he seems to want from one breast, bringing himself off and settling well afterwards, and he's put on plenty of weight so this seems to be okay milk-wise.

However, he's always disliked feeding from my right breast, I think it's because he favours his right side and has to turn the 'wrong' way for it. It's always been a struggle but recently (DS is eight weeks) it's become almost impossible to get him to latch on that side, and when he does it's normally really painful.

We introduced him to bottles a couple of weeks ago, so he tends to have one bottle of EBM every day, and we always use it to replace a right breast feed. I was starting to wonder if I could just start replacing all the right breast feeds with expressed bottles. Would there be any problems with that? His struggles with it are really making me start to hate breastfeeding, especially at night

How old is your DS?

Expressing isn't as effective so it'd be likely that side wouldn't maintain production - and that could also affect your overall production.

Have you tried the rugby ball hold? If he prefers to lie on one side, he can lie on that side for both breasts. Lay him almost beside you, legs/body under your arm. I used to put mine on a cushion.

ALso if you think he's very one-sided, have you considered a cranial osteopath? I've heard very good reports of them.

I'm sure someone more experienced will be along soon with suggestions...

He's eight weeks. I've tried the rugby hold, but it's not much better, plus I find it really awkward and almost impossible to do if I'm by myself

Hi there - well done for getting to 8 weeks! I had the same problem but didn;t seek enough advice so ended doing what you are suggesting, expressing from right breast, but in quite a short time supply was affected and I ended up giving up bf. With hindsight I think it was probably me who didn't get the hang of the right side rather than DD! I hope you get some good advice on here soon ....

Agh, I was hoping someone wouldn't say that. Guess I'll just have to keep trying then

I could have written that same post nearly 4 years ago Rhian82. I did ask for help (I asked teh HV) but the help came in a strange and upsetting format. I n one visit I had a HV, a breast feeding specialist and a third person whose title I can't remember all coming at the same time, manhandling my breast, manhandling my baby and being generally rather bossy and unhelpful. Consequently I seem to remember losing the plot and pretty much kicking them out of the house. With hindsight, I wish I had right from the start just contacted a breast feeding counsellor or specialist to have some one to one guidance and advice.

I hope you get the help that you need Rhian82 - Have you tried lying down?

Well I had lots of help at the beginning - he took a week to latch on at all, so we fed him EBM from a cup for a week. We've tried every position there is really, and rugby was the one that first got him feeding, but he'd gradually gone onto the cradle hold for all feeds - which is good as it's the only one I can do by myself, and now DH is back at work I'm by myself for most feeds. It's just over the last few days he's got worse and worse with the right breast again.

does your hospital or doctors have a breast feeding counsellor that you can contact?

FWIW, most women have a "good" breast and a "bad" one. I've looked quite lop-sided at times in the past year as DS prefers the left one. However, once the milk was firmly established (around the 10-12wk mark I think) I started every feed with the right one, purely because I wanted to keep up the meagre supply in that breast - I figured that if he was more hungry he would make more effort for it. It seems to have worked, although that breast has never 'performed' as well as its neighbour.

I would agree with Catilla that expressing is not as effective (at least not in the early days). If you can keep trying with that right boob for the time being your LO might get the idea eventually. Otherwise, take heart that as your baby gets bigger and stronger, and is able to hold his head himself, you will find it easier to do feeds lying on your side, which might help.

All the best, you are doing a great job.

BTW, probably worth adding that from about 4wks on I always offered both breasts at each feed, and he usually took from both. It's a good way of improving your supply.

My ds (4 1/2 months) also likes left better. It got to the point that when I pumped with a double pump I would get 5oz out of left and 3oz out of right & so we were getting a bit of a vicious circle - he liked the left, so he ate more from the left, so it produced more, so he liked the left because it was easier to get milk out. The Nursing Mother's Companion (great book imo) has a section on one sided nursing. The other thing they suggest that hasn't been suggested here is nurse in the dark, when the baby's sleepy or asleep & they're less likely to fight it. Also offer that side, but ALSO pump & hopefully the combination will increase supply.
Interestingly, everyone here is saying the right breast is the problem....I think it was kellymom where I read that if you're feeding bottles as well, get the baby to lie both ways to feed the bottle (most people hold bottle naturally in right had so to baby it's like being on left breast).
Maybe some of this will help. I just kept offering & most of the time my ds will take right side, especially lying down. If it doesn't work, a baby CAN get enough from one breast (I refused one of my mum's & she fed me on just the other side until I was 15 months. Made her a little lopsided apparently though - sorry if tmi)