One Breast Produces More Than The Other?

[kitchensqueen]

My little guy has been here for a full week, but I've only been pumping/breastfeeding him since last Sunday (he spent some time in the NICU on straight IV fluids). I've noticed that my left breast produces from a third to half less than the right - is this normal, or something I should be concerned about? 

And I'm really struggling with the whole breast and bottle thing - he was started on bottles and pacifiers in the NICU (something I'm not happy about) so now switching back and forth can be confusing for him. He does okay overall and seems to be getting enough to eat, but we're still working on his latch - he doesn't like to open his lower jaw all the way. But the other challenge I'm facing with all this is the balance of time I spend pumping versus breastfeeding. I produce a lot of milk, and he can never get through it all. And I don't have obvious signs of letdown, so the next thing I know I'm totally engorged. Any tips or suggestions?

[bignerpie]

It's totally normal for one breast to produce more than the other. My left breast makes at least twice as much as my right, so I try to use my right side more often to compensate.

Do you still need to pump? I mean, are you pumping because you're having the latch issue or for another reason? If you don't *have* to pump, maybe take a break from it for a few days until you get the other issues sorted out?

I was just reading something the other day about massaging the baby's jaw to relax them enough to open wide. I'll have to see if I can find it again.

[kitchensqueen]

Thanks for the reassurance - I was worried that the one that produced less was a problem. 

I was still pumping because the hospital wanted to be sure I could establish an adequate milk supply since I got a delayed start of over 24 hours in getting things going. But it became readily apparent to me that supply would not be an issue. They also wanted me to feed him on a regimented schedule of every three hours. I can see how this makes sense for the premies they usually deal with, but my baby was full term. So yesterday after 3:00, I pumped a couple of ounces briefly to relieve severe engorgement and then quit the pump cold turkey! I'm now nursing him on demand every 2 1/2 - 3 hours, with a longer stretch every once in awhile, and we're both so much happier - the engorgement issue still hasn't cleared up entirely, but it's bearable and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel!

About the latching, it's still a work in progress. I've got conflicting advice on how to get him to open as wide as possible - the hospital lactation consultant said to tickle the upper lip under the nose with the nipple to get proper positioning. This was not working for us at all - it was so painful it was bringing me to clench my jaw and cry. But the La Leche League website says tickle the lower lip, and I tried that today. It's still not perfect, but it's leaps and bounds better. No crying from me while nursing today! I guess I'm just wondering, is there a "right" way, or is every baby just different?

[bignerpie]

That is great news! The first 2 weeks are definitely the hardest, but it sounds like you are on the right track. 

I also had a delayed start with breastfeeding with my son. Because I had a c-section and we were both drowsy and I had some other complications, I didn't get my son latched on for over 2 days. He did lose a full 10% of his birth weight, but once we got going, it didn't take him long to put it back on. I looked at him and not the clock, and everything leveled out eventually.

I've always tickled the lower lip or the side of the mouth to get my little ones to open up. I still can't find the exact thing I was reading about the massage, but one place I did find just said "Massage baby's jaw - gentle circles in front of baby's ears to relax baby's lower jaw."

I think that every baby is different. Are you using the same position every time? I had a much easier time with my son using the football hold, but my daughter prefers the cradle hold. She didn't want to open wide, either, and it took a few days to correct her latch. Don't be afraid to take him off if he's not latched properly and try again. Can you get to a LLL meeting? It's so much easier to help with latch issues in person.

[kitchensqueen]

Isn't it the hardest thing not to be able to breastfeed right away? I was mentally prepared for him being whisked straight to NICU with only a brief look at him first, but I wasn't prepared at all for the emotional distress it put me under. I'm glad to hear you got things corrected with a delayed start too. It's just so hard that way. 

I definitely want to go to some LLL meet ups. I think the next one that's close to me isn't happening until the first Tuesday of the month, so October, if I'm not mistaken. They have discontinued the weekly Mommy Cafe sessions in my area. :-( We've been continuing on with our new routine all day today, and I think it's going well. He's got around the right number of wet and messy diapers, so I'll be interested to hear what his weight gain is next week when we head back to the pediatrician. 

Oh, and the holds - initially he would only tolerate the football hold on the left breast, and hated nursing the right entirely. But in the last day, he seems to do quite well with a regular cradle hold on both. I think part of this is a security issue with him - since we spent so much time separated, he's been very snuggly. And I think that's just part of his temperament too - unless he's freaking out over a bad latch or clothing changes (which he seems to hate with an unrivaled passion), he's very low key and loving. So I think he likes and need the full body contact that he gets in the cradle hold.