Only feeding from one side??

[debralouise]

Hello ladies! Gosh I can't believe I'm here!

Grace is doing very well but she will only feed on my left boob - she can't latch onto the other and if she does she comes off very soon after. I've tried loads of positions etc but they don't work.

I have tried expressing from it and it's fine so all in working order but I'm concered that I'm gonna end up with a massive left boob if she never feeds from my right????

xx xx

 

[freckleonear]

Hello there, congratulations on your beautiful daughter!

I had a similar problem with Aaron, who could only latch onto my right breast. Eventually I had to give up trying to feed from the left side as he was losing a lot of weight and I've been feeding from my right side only ever since. It is possible to do, but I am rather lopsided!

Grace is still very little at the moment though and breastfeeding is something that babies as well as mothers need to learn. I would encourage you to keep trying her on the other side, as one day she may suddenly get it! Have you tried feeding lying down on your side? This is often a good position to try with latching problems. Another way would be to hold her in the rugby position under your arm, so that she is facing the same way as if she was feeding from her favourite breast. You may be able to trick her like that.

At first I did try expressing from my left side to keep up the milk supply there whilst feeding from the right. However, Aaron refused to take a bottle and was getting all he needed from my right breast, so it seemed rather pointless and I gave up. It might be a good thing to do if you are worried about being lopsided though (remember it is probably not a good idea to give a bottle before six weeks to help avoid nipple confusion, but you can freeze the milk for the future).

Good luck with it. Fingers crossed that she will learn to feed from both sides!

 

[KarenLV]

I've been feeding exclusively only with right breast as my son has problems latching on the left one and the milk flow is very slow compared to right one. My right breast is a little bigger but nobody notices it.It will shrink again anyways when I'm finished with breastfeeding and he is on solids.The first 3 weeks and during growth spurts my nipple did get very sore but now it does not happen anymore.Everything is smooth sailing now.Good luck!

p.s. Congrats new mommy! Welcome to the babyclub!

 

[Munchkin]

I had problems with this too. Ryan would only feed from the left breast. To get him to feed from the right breast too, I continued holding him with the right hand and slid him across the chest to the right breast. So he was still in exactly the same position and didn't know the difference.
I noticed he always wanted to be lying on his right side even when in the cot, so this did work for him.

 

[lorrilou]

i had this problem with callum, would only feed from my left breast and couldnt latch onto my right properly. i found expressing really difficult so in the end i had to give up. i can remember constantly having one huge boob, dont think anyone else noticed it tho.

hopefully you'll find a solution. x

 

[debralouise]

Thanks for your replies ladies.

We've since had a successful 15 min feed from the said 'awkward breast' and I have tried the rugby ball hold - which seems to fool her as she turns her head that way for the left breast.

Again thanks and I'm just gonna have to persist

xx xx