Mothering › Forums › Breastfeeding › Breastfeeding Challenges › left breast produces less milk
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

left breast produces less milk  

post #1 of 24
6/1/06 at 9:50am
Thread Starter 
anyone else have this problem?

I am just now noticing my left breast produces significantly less milk then the right. so much so, that latley I usually have to feed DD from the right side right after nursing on the left. I am eating oatmeal 2x a day and drinking lots of water. it seems to be helping a little but what else can I do? pump? herbs? etc?

also does anyone know why is it that the left side is producing less all of the sudden? might I have a plugged duct or something and not know it? DD is almost 10 months old btw.
post #2 of 24
6/1/06 at 9:53am
That happened to my friend. She only nursed from one side with all her kids. Never knew why just how things ended up working out. She said she always felt lopsided.
post #3 of 24
6/1/06 at 4:19pm

Me too

I have the same problem, but mine is the right breast! I get about 1/2 oz. less in the right breast when I pump. My first ds preferred one side over the other...maybe that's how it starts????
post #4 of 24
6/1/06 at 4:49pm
I'm right-breasted as well. When I pump I get at least twice as much from the right side. I'm nursing my second child, and neither one complained or expressed a preference for one side, so I just don't worry about it.
post #5 of 24
6/1/06 at 4:51pm
I'm right-breasted too. When I pump I always get twice as much from the right side. I'm nursing my second child now, and neither one has complained or expressed a preference for one side, so I just don't worry about it.
post #6 of 24
6/1/06 at 5:42pm
I have the same problem with my right breast. Mine has always been like that - when I pumped my right breast was always about 1-2 oz less. Now my son will get fustrated and stop nursing on that side when I put him on my left side he is fine. I think he is making our problem worse but what can I do?
post #7 of 24
6/1/06 at 6:00pm
My left produces much less due to surgery as a child. With my first few kids I nursed almost exclusively on the right because they didn't want the left. Now, because of my extremely strong let down, the baby actually prefers the left first, since it comes out at a more acceptable rate. I just shove a prefold in the right side and let it pour until it's softer and he can take that side too.

When I pump at work I get about 6 ounces on the right and 2 on the left.
post #8 of 24
6/1/06 at 6:01pm
I WOH so I pumped regularly for both of my dc. I always got about twice as much from my left side as I did from my right. I'd nurse on both sides but both children prefered the bigger producing side. I don't know if it was the favorite because it had more milk or if it came to produce more because it was the favorite.
post #9 of 24
6/1/06 at 8:00pm
Counte me in! My left side is my producer. My right side just droplets. I'm a low-supply mama, too. Too much to contend with...good thing all the breastmilk is worth the work!
post #10 of 24
6/1/06 at 8:02pm
Yes. My breasts are two completely different sizes. I can get an ounce out of my right, at best, in comparison to 4-5 oz out of my left.
post #11 of 24
6/2/06 at 7:18pm
Me too - always - my left breat productes 50% to 75% of what the right breast produces. I think it's common and doesn't indicate a problem. Or did you say that this started happening all of a sudden? If that's the case, I am not sure if that's normal. If you had a clogged duct, I think you'd know... it would start hurting pretty darned quickly!
post #12 of 24
6/2/06 at 7:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rainbowmoon
anyone else have this problem?

I am just now noticing my left breast produces significantly less milk then the right. so much so, that latley I usually have to feed DD from the right side right after nursing on the left. I am eating oatmeal 2x a day and drinking lots of water. it seems to be helping a little but what else can I do? pump? herbs? etc?

also does anyone know why is it that the left side is producing less all of the sudden? might I have a plugged duct or something and not know it? DD is almost 10 months old btw.
It is normal for breasts to produce different amounts. My right breast produced 1-2 oz more than the left, I call it my money maker. Your babe will go through different stages where they prefer one more than the other. I went through a period where I always offered the smaller side first to try and increase the volume and it never made a difference.
post #13 of 24
6/3/06 at 3:29pm
Same here, my right breast was my trouble breast for both children(mastitis in just the right breast, harder to latch, and less supply) By 9 months, I saw a noticeable difference, and by 12 months, DS #2 wasn't nursing on my right side at all(if I did try to nurse him on that side, he'd get mad) He was strictly a left boobed kid for the last 5 months I was nursing him(selfweaned at 17 months)
post #14 of 24
6/4/06 at 3:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rainbowmoon
anyone else have this problem?

I am just now noticing my left breast produces significantly less milk then the right. so much so, that latley I usually have to feed DD from the right side right after nursing on the left. I am eating oatmeal 2x a day and drinking lots of water. it seems to be helping a little but what else can I do? pump? herbs? etc?

also does anyone know why is it that the left side is producing less all of the sudden? might I have a plugged duct or something and not know it? DD is almost 10 months old btw.
same "problem" here. it doesn't bother dd, b/c it is not significantly less.
i have no answer though!
btw, dd is 10 mo here, too!
post #15 of 24
6/4/06 at 5:31pm
My left side produces almost 2x as much as my right. It was really a problem when DD and I were nursing. She would get incredibly fussy about it and eventually stopped BFing. I pump now. I have been unable to increase supply in that breast, and I have tried everything. I think it has reached it's ceiling (by pumping, anyway). I know at one point, my right breast produced more than the left, but they switched.
post #16 of 24
6/5/06 at 6:26pm
Mine too, but mine started after I had mastitis on the left side. I hear that can cause a difference. I've also heard it's common to produce more on one side. Mine produces about half as much, but dd seems satisfied equally, so I do wonder if her sucking gets more out than the pump. I know babies are more effective than pumps.
post #17 of 24
6/6/06 at 12:15am
I always seem to have more milk on the right side... when I pumped while working with my first baby I usually got 30-40% more out of the right side.

I actually use it to my advantage, once my milk supply regulates after birth we do all nighttime feedings on the right side so I don't have to move baby from side to side. (can we say lazy? ) During the day we alternate sides as usual.

Did you mean this started all of the sudden?
post #18 of 24
6/6/06 at 8:09am
I also produce much more from my right side.
post #19 of 24
6/6/06 at 12:22pm
I have a friend with twins who would tandem feed. They would "fight" over who got the better boob
post #20 of 24
6/10/06 at 3:28am
Right Boob: Juicy
Left Boob: Pacifier

Is there any hope? I'd feel better if my babe had TWO reliable sources!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Breastfeeding Challenges
This thread is locked  
Mothering › Forums › Breastfeeding › Breastfeeding Challenges › left breast produces less milk