Only Engorged On One Side?

[trekkingirl]

So DD is 13 weeks old and so far nursing has been going well. A little tough at first with thrush and then mastitus, but things have been smooth for about eight weeks now. Last week I went back to work just five hour shifts with zero commute. So me and DD are only apart for a little over five hours. I usually nurse her and then pump 2.5 hours into my shift. Well today I was really swamped and I didn't get to pump until 3.5 hours into my shift. When I finally pumped my left breast felt engorged but the right didn't at all. Then when my milk let down the engorged breast started releasing milk but the other was still dry for at least a dozen pumps.

DD usually nurses from one breast at a feeding. Maybe I am feeding her too much from one breast and not enough from the other? I've never experienced this before. What should I do to correct this so I have enough pumped milk to leave for DD? Today I only made 5oz but I usually am able to make 6oz.

[LittleBirdy]

This sounds pretty typical of my experience.  Once I got into a pumping routine after going back to work when DS was 12 weeks old, I noticed that I almost always get more milk from my right breast than from my left - and the right gets engorged more quickly.  I've also found that a 1 oz variance from day to day is pretty typical.  Just keep drinking as much water as you can, eating oatmeal and most of all try not to stress about it!  The more you stress the harder pumping will be.

[trekkingirl]

thanks I know what you mean about the stress thing. I can definately tell the difference when I am just relaxing vs stressing about how much milk I am making.