Asymmetrical letdown - what to do?

[somegirl99]

I have forceful letdown on both side (pulling off, gagging, lots of burping, spit up), but it is much stronger on the right side. DS (5 weeks old) will take the right breast when he is really hungry (resulting in major spit up) but often he will take a few sucks, then angrily refuse the right, but happily take the left breast. I've tried different positions and it doesn't really help. We take frequent burping breaks, but that doesn't help either. He really just prefers the flow on the left.

If I knew when he was going to feed I would just pump a bit on the right beforehand, but I can't predict it at this point, and I don't want to upset him by making him wait. I know my supply is still adjusting itself, but I was wondering if it would be ok to try just nursing on the left and pumping on the right for a bit, or if this is a bad idea. I seem to have plenty of supply at this point, I can easily pump 4-5 ounces in 10 minutes with a manual pump with plenty left behind. I don't really need to pump very much right now as I'm not planning to WOH until January but I guess I can fill the freezer.

Any suggestions? I hate torturing him by drowning him in milk.

[sacridote]

I'm in the exact same boat. My son drowns on the right breast... poor thing. And block nursing doesn't seem to be helping with supply reduction on that side. I'm half tempted to wean from the right side altogether. (Ok, not really, but it's VERY frustrating)

I have tried pumping that side a bit (just past the foremilk) shortly before the right side block begins. That at least takes the edge off for me, and it does seem to help him a bit... but it doesn't last, and I often have to let my multiple letdowns go into a cloth diaper. (I'd love to know just how much milk is wasted into those diapers)

Hopefully someone else has more tips for us.

[QiMom]

I remember a similar thing happening with my little girl when she was born (nearly 4 years ago!) - let down too forceful. It helps to remember that establishing a breastfeeding relationship between mother and newborn takes 3 to 4 months! That means the supply and demand can be a bit off for quite some time. I have friends who have been sure that at 4 months their milk was disappearing! It was just the end of engorgment and the beginning of well-established relationship. I suggest being patient. Manually extracting milk from the overfull side just before the baby latches on will help. If you let the baby get started on the left side, while suckling, have a cloth or towel handy and manually drain the right a bit.
Pumping at this point may not help too much. The baby is the expert and it is the mouth-nipple contact and communiation that regulates the production and supply.
Hold on in there and be patient. Remember, it takes 3 to 4 months for a breastfeeding relationship to be fully established!

[somegirl99]

Thanks for the input! I have been block feeding which has helped on the left side but not as much on the right, but I'll try a bit of manual expression first and see if that helps.

[expat-mama]

I've also been struggling with this for the past two weeks. DS always preferred the left breast and I didn't know why until he started noticeable sputtering and choking at the right breast about 2 weeks ago when he was 5 weeks. I have tried expressing milk before putting him on the breast, block feeding, and reclined positions (impossible!). Nothing works. My supply on the right side is so f*ed up now from him refusing to nurse from it some days while I pump it so that I don't lose the supply. I have no idea what I'm doing.
Now we are having really bad latching on problems on the right side- he just won't open wide enough and on top of the fast let-down I now have an awfully sore nipple added into the mix. I am seriously tempted to just stop nursing on the right side all together. Is it possible to just pump that side forever? Too many tears of mine and his- I can't stand it anymore!

Any other suggestions for fast let down for someone that has tried almost everything?