Can I breastfeed from one side only?

[Moonshine160]

I’m having some troubles breastfeeding. DS is 5 weeks only and has been checked three times now for tongue tie and apparently he doesn’t have one. He has a really shallow latch and makes lots of clicking sounds when feeding, he is also a very gassy baby. I have noticed that he feeds fairly happily from my left breast but my right breast has a really forceful letdown and he’s constantly latching on and off it which I think it what is making him take in a lot of air. Ive tried catching the milk into a Muslin when it’s spraying out but he still fusses on the right boob. I’ve had a breastfeeding support worker come out to me who gave me tips to improve the latch but it hasn’t stopped the fussy behaviour on the one breast.

Part of me wants to stop breastfeeding altogether as I’m getting quite down with all of this but I’m wondering if it’s possible to just feed from the one breast? Will I have enough milk to do that?

I would still keep your supply by pumping it. My two babies had a favourite side but it changed over the time I bf them.

Who checked for the TT. I was told multiple times DS didn’t have one. We went to a specialist paediatrician who not only diagnosed the TT but revised it in minutes. Posterior TT is notoriously incorrectly diagnosed.

I fed for just over a year from one side fine! My daughter never latched properly to the left so was just easier in the end. I did pump from the other side though but that was mainly just so I had some expressed milk in the freezer for if I was leaving her with husband.

(I only pumped once a day though from the breast I didn’t feed her from)

I fed exclusively from one breast for about two years - it was fine! For the first year I did pump one or two times a day though from the other one as I was worried about getting lopsided 😂

Lots of people can have a full supply from one breast. You could always use a Haaka on the right side to catch any milk and then you have a freezer stash if you want/need it.

Do get the tongue tie assessed by someone else though, I asked lots of midwives to check DS as he had all the signs and they all said he was fine, it wasn't until we saw the infant feeding team at 6 weeks they found he was 80% tied including a posterior one.

I know someone who did without any problems with the feeding itself but it messed her back up a bit always holding the baby on one side. I'd try and get to the bottom of the problem, do you have any breastfeeding groups where you are? Or maybe speak to La Leche League. Who has checked for tongue tie?

I fed from the left breast as it felt so cack handed on the right and dd never seemed to latch on properly. Both boobs are the same size now.

Have you tried the rugby ball hold on both side or the tricky one or try expressing a bit first so it’s not so forceful. I found after six weeks it got easier and so did lots of others I knew.

I fed from one breast for 3 years. I pumped the other breast, though he never ever took a bottle so what i pumped was dumped but i just pumped enough to be comfortable.

Your baby will get better at managing your letdown, but as you can see from PO you can feed from one side no problem. Do see a proper tongue tie practitioner though. My DD’s was obvious from birth even to me but NHS wouldn’t do anything. Turned out to be a 100% tie.

You absolutely can - I did for 4 years!

word of warning - you will be a bit lopsided as one boob will be bigger. I found some good bras in M and s aimed at people who’ve had mastectomies so you could add padding into one side to compensate.

My dgm did. I had a favourite boob 😂 to feed from, it felt more comfortable, but I could express from the other.

Have you checked for a lip tie? My dd was my third and I had trouble feeding her because of that.

Thanks everyone.

Tongue tie has been checked by a breastfeeding support worker, midwife after birth and health visitor. Although all they seemed to do was a quick look when he opened his mouth, no one has actually had a feel around in there. I’m tempted to pay privately for a lactation consultant to see us.

Recommend looking here: www.tongue-tie.org.uk/find-a-practitioner/

You can definitely feed front one side if you want to, you’d just need to up the supply in that boob (you might end up a bit wonky!)

Not sure if anyone has suggested it but have you thought about seeing a cranial osteopath? DS had problems on one side and was really fussy and gassy too. I knew my boobs were working right because I’m still feeding my older one. The osteopath got him to improve a lot in 2 sessions and it’s comfortable both sides now.

I was very sceptical about it doing anything but it definitely did help

You need a proper tongue tie practitioner, because it definitely sounds like a tongue tie. None of those people are qualified to diagnose a tongue tie, and a TT cannot be assessed without feeling the tongue. Too many ‘professionals’ state no tongue tie when they really shouldn’t. Ask for a referral to a tongue tie specialist, or go private if you can.

And it needs to be a TT specialist, some LBCLCs will have done the extra TT qualification, but most won’t have

I'm a midwife and I second the idea about getting a TT specialist to have a look. Some TTs are so subtle that they could be easily missed if not fully trained in them.

I have a strong letdown and have been using nipple shields for the initial bit of the feed as they trap the squirtiness. Then, once that's done, I pop them off and just feed directly. Just a suggestion in case it's of help.

I had this. I just used combi feeding and it was easier on everyone. Bottle feeding meant other people could feed him when I'd had enough sitting about. It meant I could get stuff done and manage the other kids.

We were told by 4 midwives and 2 health visitors that DS didn't have a tongue tie. Saw a proper consultant and found out he had a grade 3 tongue tie. Getting it divided has been a game changer to breastfeeding. Get another opinion! Good luck!

Yes you definitely can! I finally gave up trying to feed DS from my right boob when he was 4mo. He was a big baby on the 98th centile and my trooper of a left boob coped fine on its own. He’s 17 months now and I still feel him before nap and bedtime. God bless the left boob. Get in the bin, rubbish right boob.

That isn’t right. The tongue needs to be palpitated ti show up a posterior TT. I had similar and because I presumed they knew what they were doing I was very unsure but going to the Lactation specialist was invaluable in the end.