One full breast, one empty one

AlwaysHopeful · 2010-06-20T07:46:11+00:00

Has anyone had experience of having one breast which is constantly full and one which is empty? DS is two weeks old and has fed very well on both sides so far, but yesterday I noticed that my right breast was much smaller than my left. I put it down to having just fed on that side, but then it didn't get significantly fuller all day, despite me putting him on the right for each feed. By the time I came to the middle of the night feed, there didn't seem to be anything there at all. I had a similar issue with DD a couple of years back, but that was because she would never feed well on the right and we never really got the supply going on that side. I thought DS and I had it sussed this time. Now I don't know how to get the supply back.

jemjabella · 20/06/2010 09:14

I ended up lopsided for a while after I had a blocked duct (because we fed almost totally off one side for 24h to clear it) and I sorted it by always offering the 'emptier' boob first.

I know women who only nurse from one side though, so worse case scenario is you end up with a one-boob-babe.

mistressploppy · 20/06/2010 09:28

I was just about to post about this so thanks! jemjabella, how long did it take for the 'empty' boob to fill up again?

MoonFaceMama · 20/06/2010 09:31

Hello, congratulations on0your little one and well done on establishing bfing. It can be tough going at first.

I'm no expert but the joy of mn is that hopefully one will be along soon! For now i'll repeat some stuff i've read on hear for you...i would say just keep trying to use both breasts. My ds has a clear preference for one of mine, so sometimes i swap him over when he's sleepy or really hungry. I don't think not using one breast for one day will seriously diminish supply, assuming you had it nicely established in your two weeks, which it sounds like it is. It may seem counter intuitive, but a breast feeling empty doesn't mean it is. It will still be producing, and when it feels empty the milk is in fact less watered down and so more nutritious. Remember, your baby is much more efficient at getting the milk out than we are, so don't panic if you can't seem to express much. I hope i've got that all right...expert!?

Do you have access to support? The nct and le leche league both offer support. The nct have an advice line you can call on 0300 330 0771
please call if you are in doubt, though as i say no doubt some one will be along to help you soon. Good luck!

MoonFaceMama · 20/06/2010 09:36

x post... Certainly not saying jemja and mistress aren't experts...they may well be!

woofie · 20/06/2010 09:53

Hi alwayshopeful

I don't have any advice, but am hoping to pick up some pearls of wisdom from yr thread. Ds2 is 12 days old, and is feeding a lot tho hasn't put any weight on yet. He has a clear preference for left boob, where he sucks voraciously and seems to finish up in 20-30 mins. He'll have a good try at the right, but his sucking is much weaker and more intermittent- it's like it sends him so sleep, but when I hand express there usually seems to be plenty there. I'm worried he's not getting to the hind milk on the right side, which could explain why he's doing loads of wet nappies bit we didn't get a poo yesterday? Should I consider expressing to keep up the supply on the right while he gets the hang of it?

Sorry to hijack your thread, but our questions are pretty similar!

woofie · 20/06/2010 09:53

Hi alwayshopeful

I don't have any advice, but am hoping to pick up some pearls of wisdom from yr thread. Ds2 is 12 days old, and is feeding a lot tho hasn't put any weight on yet. He has a clear preference for left boob, where he sucks voraciously and seems to finish up in 20-30 mins. He'll have a good try at the right, but his sucking is much weaker and more intermittent- it's like it sends him so sleep, but when I hand express there usually seems to be plenty there. I'm worried he's not getting to the hind milk on the right side, which could explain why he's doing loads of wet nappies bit we didn't get a poo yesterday? Should I consider expressing to keep up the supply on the right while he gets the hang of it?

Sorry to hijack your thread, but our questions are pretty similar!

piscesmoon · 20/06/2010 10:05

I had the same problem. With DS1 I eventually had to give up with the right one. Therefore with DS2 I decided to make sure that I always started with the right one because it must just have been that I am left handed and I was more comfortable with that position. It made no difference and again I ended up lopsided-one huge boob and one normal one! I had to end up feeding from one side. The went back to normal afterwards. Maybe expressing might be an answer.

MoonFaceMama · 20/06/2010 12:04

Woofie, i'm not sure whether hand expressing is helpfull, but don't worry about the lack of poo too much. It's very common for bfd babies not to poo for ages (hv said up to a week, longst i've had is six days, ds rather, not me!) because breastmilk is so uber efficient it is virtually all absorbed

Have to go now but will check back later.

woofie · 20/06/2010 12:39

Thanks moonfacemama- that's reassuring

MoonFaceMama · 20/06/2010 13:50

Also, the line between fore and hind milk is a more of a blend, or merge, iyswim...it doesn't just change from one to the other suddenly. By twenty mins i'm sure the milk is nice and rich, and it continues to get even more so. When your boob feels empty it is still producing plenty of really creamy stuff. Check your lo's mouth and you'll see...hope that helps woofie

I have heard of people only using one side on a long term basis and that it can slow or stop it's supply as they work independently, but think it would probably take a while for this to happen when there's still lots of prolactin kicking around... ?

How is it going alwayshopefull?

LeninGoooaaall · 20/06/2010 14:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

goodname · 20/06/2010 15:39

hey woofie just took my baby to the cranial oesteopath on Friday and he corrected his jaw alignment so he would be better at feeding from the right side. It seems to have worked and feeding is now easier and less windy from that side. He fixed something so that the poor wee fellow could poo better as well as he was really struggling and in pain. The results were amazing so would recommend getting any baby checked over if you have a therapist nearby. Has improved his windy colicky crying at night too

woofie · 20/06/2010 16:06

Thanks goodname - I think there is one nearby so may well be worth a try. Glad to hear it's helped baby F

MumNWLondon · 20/06/2010 16:35

I had this with DD, resolved in around 3 weeks by always starting the feed on the smaller breast and getting her to feed on that side for as long as possible thus stimulating demand.

If you wanted to solve it quicker then maybe for a day or so only offer the emptier side, other than to relive any engorging on the full side.

Original poster

AlwaysHopeful · 20/06/2010 19:30

3 weeks?! Oh.... have been putting baby on the small side first all day with less and less success. He's getting restless and fed up and on the last attempt just used me as a dummy and had a nice sleep, the woke up crying to be fed...

I tried expressing earlier and got almost nothing out, so it's not like baby is being lazy - the milk just isn't there.

Am feeling like a complete failure. Breast feeding is supposed to be natural and instinctive - why would my body just decide to stop making milk after working perfectly for nearly 2 weeks?

Thanks for the advice, though. Will bear in mind your experience MumNW

OP posts:

LeninGoooaaall · 20/06/2010 20:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MoonFaceMama · 20/06/2010 21:42

Also, the line between fore and hind milk is a more of a blend, or merge, iyswim...it doesn't just change from one to the other suddenly. By twenty mins i'm sure the milk is nice and rich, and it continues to get even more so. When your boob feels empty it is still producing plenty of really creamy stuff. Check your lo's mouth and you'll see...hope that helps woofie

I have heard of people only using one side on a long term basis and that it can slow or stop it's supply as they work independently, but think it would probably take a while for this to happen when there's still lots of prolactin kicking around... ?

How is it going alwayshopefull?

MoonFaceMama · 20/06/2010 21:54

Sorry, just logged on again and managed to resubmit the above message.

alwayshopefull please don't feel like a failure. Breastfeeding can be really difficult and you are doing really well.

Fwiw, i have read on here many times that the milk you can express is not necessarily an indication of how much milk the baby can get from the boob, as they are much better at it. So please don't feel disheartened. I really suggest you contact a bfing councillor who can give you specific advise and perhaps check if you are holding your ds differently on the side he likes less, and advise re upping supply if needed etc.

You are doing brilliantly, don't let yourself think differently!

jemjabella · 21/06/2010 09:00

I can't express and I'm still breastfeeding at 7mo so doesn't necessarily mean anything

whenwillisleepagain · 21/06/2010 09:19

Hi there! I too have come on here from our ante natal thread!Got a similar-ish issue. Agree with all the advice you've been given, esp re expressing being poor indicator of how much milk you've got, and that babies have a definite preference for one breast over the other.

I feel as though my nearly 5 wk old DD is draining right side more effectively - left got hideously engorged last week and I am not sure whether that was the cause or result of her reluctance IYSWIM. Am trying to keep her going on both and doing small amount of hand expressing on left to keep it comfortable - so little comes out when I express that of course i instantly got anxious - should take my own advice! Sorry if this reply sounds terse btw, can only seem to get to do 1 fingered typing with either sleeping or feeding DD along at all times!

Original poster

AlwaysHopeful · 21/06/2010 13:52

Thanks everyone. Feel slightly better balanced today . Am trying to take it easy-ish and see if a bit more rest helps me make more milk. Had trouble in the middle of the night settling DS - it seemed I was empty on both sides and he was still hungry, but we got there in the end. Will call in the experts tomorrow if things don't look any better by then.

Am also one finger typing while feeding wwisa!

OP posts:

greensnail · 21/06/2010 14:37

Glad to hear you're feeling more balanced alwayshopeful . I wonder if the inbalance is anything to do with the fact that DD prefered one side. My mum was telling me that my brother would only ever feed from one side and as a result when I came along and fed from both sides she felt her body took a while to adjust to this and she was lopsided for a while. She fed us both for a year so obviously didn't cause her problems with supply in the longterm.

Agree with everyone who says soft "empty-feeling" breasts and inability to express does not mean there's no milk there. I've never been able to express much, and my breasts have never really felt full since DD2 was born, but I definitely have plenty of milk to feed my two.

I very much doubt you were really empty on both sides last night as your breasts are never completely empty when you're breastfeeding. I find its very easy to assume the problem is caused by whatever you're most worried about when your baby is unsettled (i always tend to assume DD2 is has a sore tummy as I worry about her lack of pooing!) when actually the problem could be something completely different!

Original poster

AlwaysHopeful · 23/06/2010 10:37

Very wise greensnail. I think you and your mum are right. Small boob is fuller again today, so panic over. I think last week i was so engorged that the shrinking to meet demand made a real difference to how they felt. I am still a long way from being balanced, but am much happier that i do have enough milk.

Thanks for your support everyone.

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