One overproducing breast and one VERY slow producing breast...what can I do?

[tripleccc]

Since my baby was born she wouldn't take my right breast, only liked my left
My breasts were producing evenly, but now my right breast is like a whole size smaller than my left and seems like it is barely producing
I was trying to pump that one as often as I could and I could get 3 oz out of it...now I get maybe an ounce and that's going HOURS without doing anything
My left breast is overproducing and is never empty...always feels full and firm
Is there any thing I can do to even them out? Make my left produce a little less and my right produce a little more?

 

[jessmke]

My LO did this to me, she refused my left entirely after about 4 months old. I used to try to trick her into taking it by starting her on the right, then switching her to the left when she was getting sleepy, or getting her to take the left at night when she was less aware. This worked for a while but eventually she would just scream whenever I tried to put her on the left because I wasn't producing much milk on that side anymore and she would get frustrated. It was stressful so I eventually gave up on my left breast and just excusively breastfed her on the right for the last 6 months that I nursed her. I had a really big size difference in my breasts, but they went back to being the same size once she stopped nursing.

 

[Megandelv88]

I have this issue but my babes isn't refusing the other side, its just more comfortable for the both of us. My left is a size bigger than my right and my right doesnt pump as much as my left. My last pumping I had an even amount in both though. What you should do, is offer the less favorite boob every time you nurse, start with it, and finish on the favorite side. Thats what we have been doing. Its new to me to nurse from both sides, I only offer one side unless he shows interest in the other also. Also hes been having a tough few nights. I just let him have unlimited access at night, so the other night i let him have the right side, the least favorite one, and i had an even pump. But also, there's no reason to change what youre doing. Its not going to cause issues or anything. But good luck!

 

[noon_child]

Like PPs have said you don't need to do anything but there are a few things you could try if you wanted to.

1)Will LO take the right breast if held in rugby ball position? In other words facing the way she would face if she were taking the left breast. Sometimes babies have tight muscles on one side and don't like facing one way (more likely with forceps, c-section or difficult births)

2)If you think she doesn't like the slower flow of milk on that side you could try to stimulate letdown before she latches by massaging the breast etc.

3)Is the nipple flatter or inverted on the right side. If it is will it respond to stimulation and become erect or does it stay flat? Some babies wont latch if it doesn't feel like there is a nipple there, so if you can pull it out further it might be worth trying.

4)Feed from the right when baby is most calm. So either drowsy after just waking up, or when happy and alert (not excited or agitated alert, crying or very hungry).

5)If you are pumping the breast she wont take, leaving it for hours in between wont give you more milk, it will give you less. Breasts don't "fill up" and the longer milk stays in the breast without being removed the more a hormone called FIL has time to tell the breast to slow its milk production. Of course if she will never take this breast, even after trying the above, you have to ask yourself for what purpose are you pumping. If it is so that you can bottle feed occasionally, or build up a stash then it makes sense, but otherwise your left breast will regulate to make exactly what your LO needs and you'll just have extra milk on the right that isn't serving a purpose.