[Enudely]

nak
everyone says that you should start on the smaller side, but my ds only takes one side at a time so I end up trying to do the smaller one twice in a row and the bigger side gets engorged and painful and becomes way too full for one "meal"...is this what I should be doing??

 

[jitterBug mom]

I'm not sure what you mean about starting with the smaller side - I've never heard of that. I've always heard to try to switch sides each time. So one time start with right, next with left and so on.

 

[kalamos23]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jitterBug mom I'm not sure what you mean about starting with the smaller side - I've never heard of that. I've always heard to try to switch sides each time. So one time start with right, next with left and so on.

This. You probably heard start with the smaller side because if you have a one sided eater, one side will usually be smaller bc the other side will be full of milk. Just switch sides each time.

 

[Enudely]

I guess you didn't notice in my title that my problem here is that my left breast is bigger and producing more milk than my right. So I'm trying to start on the right side, so the stronger sucking stimulates more milk production and not nurse as much on the left side so it goes down in size/production. I just want my breasts to go back to being small!!

 

[Gnatty]

*sigh*

Me too.

I'm tandeming a 4 day old and a 1 year old, so I'm trying giving baby just the larger one and DS the smaller. I can't decide if that is right, though, I worry her more frequent, small feeds may make things worse...

:

 

[justKate]

I'm right there with you. Major oversupply issues, but Right is waaay worse than Left. Maybe just nurse regularly, alternating, then if one gets too full, pump/express a little for comfort? I'm block feeding--so 3 hours for one side, 3 hours only offer the other, etc., and pumping a tiny bit if I get over full. And wearing cabbage leaves. And leaking everywhere.

So I guess that's not really helpful, but I wanted to let you know I empathize. Have you checked out kellymom.com re. oversupply?

 

[kalamos23]

Oh ok, I misunderstood - I had problems with oversupply too and block feeding really worked. I would continue what you are doing, if you have to, just pump a little off the top of the big boob, it will eventually regulate (took until 4.5m for me but got a lot better right at 3 months or so) Kellymom has a lot of good stuff on oversupply.

 

[jitterBug mom]

Ooops sorry about that. I don't know what to suggest, it sounds like you are probably doing it right.

I have heard that lopsidedness is often due to either nursing at the keyboard or night nursing - I know that sounds crazy but it is because depending on whether you are right or left handed it is easier to nurse from one side while typing, so without realizing it you favor one boob over the other. With night nursing it is because your LO is latching on to whichever one is closest depending on which side you sleep on.

 

[Enudely]

mine is totally from me deleriously forgetting to nurse on the "top" breast" one night. It's a pain, because the bottom one gets so full and engorged that it hurst to lean on it to nurse from the top. I'm not about to move him over me either.
sigh

 

[Gnatty]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jitterBug mom I have heard that lopsidedness is often due to either nursing at the keyboard or night nursing - I know that sounds crazy but it is because depending on whether you are right or left handed it is easier to nurse from one side while typing, so without realizing it you favor one boob over the other. With night nursing it is because your LO is latching on to whichever one is closest depending on which side you sleep on.

Yeah, last time I dealt with this, with DS, it was a combination of both- I unconsciously favored the same side for night nursing AND computering.

I think for me things may be evening out just a little. Hope you get some relief soon, Enudely!

 

[dearmama22]

Oh I didn't see this post until after I wrote mine! Me too, girl! It's not comfortable- I feel ya!

 

[mojobot2000]

I have a lopsided issue, too...I try to get DD to take just the small boob as often as I can, and I always end with the small. In other words, I start small...if she's still hungry, I'll give her the big boob, and then let her do her post-eating comfort-suck on the small side. I only give her the big boob first when she's mega-fussy and I know nothing but the fast letdown, high-volume will do. I don't think they'll ever be the same side -- left one was a bit bigger pre-preggo, just now it's redonkulous. Have considered pumping small side a few minutes after each feeding, but who has the time, really?