Mothering Forum banner

We Are a Mess, Lopsided and Favoring One Side. How Do I fix It?

554 views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Katie8681 
#1 ·
My little one is 3 weeks and in the beginning he would eat about 25 from only one side and be fine. Then for some reason I thought he may not be getting enough and started offering both breasts at each feeding and now he barely nurses from the left and loves the right. I now always start him on the left and have to keep taking him off to wake him and get him to eat from the left, then after a certain point I switch to the right where even if he sleeps he gulps down a ton. Right after I started offering both breasts he started showing signs of reflux, which has gone down since staying with the same start on left routine. I believe he was getting too much foremilk, and still think he might.

So now it takes us 50 minutes to feed and I'm really lopsided. I want to go back to one side each feeding but don't know how to get there. Would love any advice.

Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
I'm sorry, I haven't got any good advice for you--maybe you could ask the pediatrician or an LC?--but just wanted to commiserate...my DD has always favored the left side. In fact, she refused to drink on the right for the first two weeks. My pediatrician said to always start her on the right (the side she didn't like), or at least attempt to, and to pump anything she didn't drink from that side, and that it would eventually go away. So I did that for two weeks and like magic! it worked, and now I'm not lopsided. But she still likes the other side better. Babies are strange little creatures!

Wishing you the best of luck! Hope somebody else can give you some more useful advice.
 
#4 ·
they will end up going back to normal eventually. i had a good cup size different with DS2. not with DD who favors the left breast but i also WOH and pumped until she was 15 months. maybe you can pump the side she isnt nursing on if it bothers you so much. i didnt really think it was a big deal
 
#5 ·
Hum. I would work on it. It is a myth that it will always correct itself. I have a dear friend that is proof. Sometimes a second pregnancy will help. Sometimes the body adjusts after weaning.

When I discovered a pregnancy we switched to starting nursing on that side at big nursing sessions (going to sleep etc) and always, always alternating at other times.
 
#6 ·
I would start her on the unfavorite breast often, and pump the favorite. A baby nursing is more effective at encouraging milk production than a pump. Good luck! This is a constant battle for me as well. Poor Righty gets no love.

ETA: I realize now it sounds like you're doing this almost exactly. :)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top