Refusing right breast - why and is she getting enough from left?

[siamesecatwoman]

DD is 16 weeks and has sporadically refused my right boob in the past but today she has refused it every time - without even 'tasting' it IYSWIM. But latches straight on to the left.

Any ideas why this might be? Also will my left boob have produced enough milk for her today? She has already woken up once since 7 pm bedtime (unusual) and tried the left again (the right boob provokes a reaction like Ive never seen!) - is she hungry because the left normally only provides 3 feeds and it has done 6 today?

Thanks

have you tried holding her in the rugby hold so she is comin to the right breast in the same position as the left?

i wonder if something is hurting her when she lies on that side?
cranial osteopathy is great for sorting stuff like that out

rugby hold will be my next tactic I think but not sure I can do it in the nursery chair easily.
I was wondering if something was hurting her too but she been fine otherwise today - tummy time and rolling over fine, not crying (generally a very happy girl) unless offered the right side..

Do you think left and right 'taste' the same? Right boob is definatly producing as Ive had to express to prevent a blockage and got 4 oz in 5 mins twice. (I might try a bottle at 11pm but generally she refuses a bottle too!)

Any ideas if left boob produces enough in this situation?

completely agree with thisisyesterday it sounds like something is bothering her on that side. Rugby hold is tricky (i find) but it does work... or can you try feeding lying down so that there's no awkward hold?
These are short term solutions (if they work). I'd be getting onto a BFing counsellor in the morning to see if they can suggest anything?
Was also going to suggest cranial osteopathy.
And can you express from the right boob in the meantime? Keep up the supply and means you can give her via a bottle?

May I suggest you feel around in her mouth for teeth. DD had two by this age and prior to them breaking through she refused to feed on one side because her mouth was sore. Lasted about a week IIRC.

Yep mine did this when teething on one side. I just squished the out-of-favour boob over (go go gadget boobies) and didn't move him. We have rugby ball hold issues, so couldn't do that unfortunately.

Thanks - this could be the reason - she's been pulling her ears since friday. (although I read somewhere that this isn't a sign of teething - yeah right!)

I have been putting some bonjela on her gums but not sure if shes just eating it (it does smell yum). She already has a pointy tooth on the bottom!

So will have to see if rugby hold works later, and if she wakes up a squillion times more than the already far too many because she is hungry or not..

It does sound like something may be bothering her on that side (teeth seem like a likely culprit).

If you feed her lying down you should be able to feed from the right boob with her in the position for the left (and you lying on your left) - just lie flatter and squish the right boob in. I usually feed lying down on my left and just squish the right boob over to feed off it (we co-sleep so can only properly swop sides when DH goes into the spare room).

Hope it gets sorted soon!

left boob will produce enough yes, tho she may feed a little bit more frequently on it

Same thing happened to me as Lenin (only it was my left that DD decided she didn't want any more. It didn't make as much milk as the right). I fed her one-sided from 5 months until she gave up at 2 and a bit. I was ridiculously lopsided for a while though

From my experience of similar- it was just that one breast had become too big as too full of milk and my son didn't like it.

Try expressing from the breast that baby is refusing until about a feed has been expressed, you can save the milk of course, but there is no need as you will always produce enough milk for baby.

When a breast is too full babies can find it uncomfortable.

Also there is nothing to lose with giving it a try, good luck x

ooo she just took 5oz of EBM - there may be a plus side to this afterall.. she's been refusing a bottle since 8wks!

thanks for the advice guys

Without meaning to scare you, this happened to a friend of mine and that breast turned out to have a tumour (benign, in her case).

Without meaning to scare you, this happened to a friend of mine and that breast turned out to have a tumour (benign, in her case).