Baby only feeding from one breast

Feeding from one breast - BabyCentre UK

I find it easier to breastfeed on one side. Is this normal?

Yes. This may be because it’s more comfortable for you, or because your baby latches on more easily to one breast than the other.

Sometimes, the letdown sensation is much stronger and more uncomfortable in one breast than the other. This may lead you to favour one side.

Letdown discomfort is normal. It should only last a few moments, and will lessen the more you feed.

However, if you feel pain or discomfort beyond the initial letdown, in either breast or both breasts, ask your midwife or health visitor to refer you to a breastfeeding counsellor or consultant. You may also be able to find a children’s centre near you where you can ask about breastfeeding support.

Many mums find it easier to latch their baby onto one breast than the other, maybe depending on whether they’re right or left-handed. But you will soon get the knack of feeding from both sides.

Some women only have one breast that produces milk, perhaps because they have had breast surgery. Whatever the reason, there is no problem with feeding a baby just from one breast, as there will always be enough milk (UKMI 2014). After all, most mums of twins or more find that one breast per baby works fine.

What can I do if my baby has a favourite breast?

If your baby is under six weeks old, you need to give yourself a chance to keep up a good supply of milk in both breasts. Your body makes milk on demand, so your milk supply may slow down in the less-favoured breast (NHS 2016).

To encourage your baby to take her less favoured breast, start feeds on that side. If that doesn't work, start her on her favourite side, and then slide her over to the other breast when your milk has let down (Bonyata 2016).

To build up your supply in the less popular breast, you could express from that side straight after your baby's finished feeding from her favourite breast.

If you're dexterous enough, you could express milk from one breast, while your baby feeds from the side she likes. This way, you are working with your natural letdown reflex.

Once your milk supply gets going in the less-favoured side, try to gently encourage your baby to swap over. It’s best to wait until she’s already had a little feed. If she is very hungry, the change may just make her frustrated.

If your baby is always allowed to finish the first breast, it may be that this is all she needs, particularly in the early days. If she always seems full after feeding from one side, just offer the other breast first, the next time she asks to feed.

Even if the favourite breast does end up contributing more and more to a feed, it won't matter to your baby. The important thing is that your baby is getting enough milk, and is putting on weight.

What position is best for feeding from both sides?

You could try laid-back breastfeeding, especially while you’re getting the hang of breastfeeding.

This encourages your baby’s natural reflexes to find your breasts. As a breastfeeding position, it relies less on sides, because your baby lies on your tummy or chest, while you rest back supported by pillows or cushions.

You could try different positions for each breast, using the same hand to bring your baby to your breast on either side. You could hold your baby underarm to feed from one breast, and across your body for the other.

This may help if your baby likes lying on one side, perhaps from being in a certain position in your womb, or a muscle tightening on one side of her neck (torticollis).

If there’s a big difference in the texture or size of your nipples, your baby may find it easier to latch on to one than the other. This will matter less as you and your baby become more experienced at breastfeeding.

In time, you'll probably find yourself helping your baby to latch on without even thinking about it. Then you can feed in any position you like.

Will I look lopsided if I feed from one breast?

It’s unlikely that anyone will notice any difference. You may be very aware of it in the early days but, as time goes by, any imbalance should even out.

Even if you are still breastfeeding, your breasts naturally reduce in size between six months and nine months after your baby is born. They will still produce about the same amount of milk (Kent 2007). The amount of milk your breasts can store adapts to meet your baby’s needs (Kent et al 2006).

Breasts go back to more or less their original size after 15 months of breastfeeding, or after you have weaned your baby (Kent 2007).

Why is my baby suddenly rejecting one breast?

If your baby suddenly turns away from one breast, try to work out why it’s happening. She may have a blocked nostril or an ear infection that means she prefers one breast (Bonyata 2016).

If you have mastitis, she may not be keen on the milk from your affected breast, as it can make milk taste salty (Bonyata 2016). Try to keep feeding from your affected breast, though. It's quite safe for your baby and will help to treat the mastitis.

In both of these cases, get help from your health visitor or doctor so they can help your baby and you to recover.

When your baby's older, a low milk supply, or a reduced flow of milk in one breast, may make her favour the other breast. It’s common for one breast to produce more milk than the other (Kent et al 2006).

If you can’t work out why your baby is rejecting one breast, check how she is latching on. Try changing her position when she breastfeeds.

Your baby may have grown too big for the position you’ve both become used to. Sometimes just sitting your baby up more, if she’s been lying across your lap, is all you need to do.

Watch a video showing you different breastfeeding positions.

References

Bonyata K. 2016. Lopsided! What can I do? www.kellymom.com [Accessed March 2017]

Kent J, Mitoulas L, Cregan M, et al. 2006. Volume and frequency of breastfeedings and fat content of breast milk thoughout the day. Pediatrics 117(3):e387-95 pediatrics.aappublications.org [Accessed April 2017]

Kent J. 2007. How breastfeeding works. J Midwifery & Women’s Health 52(6): 564-70.

NHS. 2016. Breastfeeding: Is my baby getting enough milk? NHS Choices, Health A-Z. www.nhs.uk [Accessed April 2017]

UKMI. 2014. Q&A 73.5 Drug treatment of inadequate lactation. UK Medicines Information. www.evidence.nhs.uk [Accessed April 2017]

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Feeding from one breast - BabyCentre UK

I find it easier to breastfeed on one side. Is this normal?

Yes. This may be because it’s more comfortable for you, or because your baby latches on more easily to one breast than the other.

Sometimes, the letdown sensation is much stronger and more uncomfortable in one breast than the other. This may lead you to favour one side.

Letdown discomfort is normal. It should only last a few moments, and will lessen the more you feed.

Many mums find it easier to latch their baby onto one breast than the other, maybe depending on whether they’re right or left-handed. But you will soon get the knack of feeding from both sides.

What can I do if my baby has a favourite breast?

To build up your supply in the less popular breast, you could express from that side straight after your baby's finished feeding from her favourite breast.

If you're dexterous enough, you could express milk from one breast, while your baby feeds from the side she likes. This way, you are working with your natural letdown reflex.

Even if the favourite breast does end up contributing more and more to a feed, it won't matter to your baby. The important thing is that your baby is getting enough milk, and is putting on weight.

What position is best for feeding from both sides?

You could try laid-back breastfeeding, especially while you’re getting the hang of breastfeeding.

This may help if your baby likes lying on one side, perhaps from being in a certain position in your womb, or a muscle tightening on one side of her neck (torticollis).

In time, you'll probably find yourself helping your baby to latch on without even thinking about it. Then you can feed in any position you like.

Will I look lopsided if I feed from one breast?

It’s unlikely that anyone will notice any difference. You may be very aware of it in the early days but, as time goes by, any imbalance should even out.

Breasts go back to more or less their original size after 15 months of breastfeeding, or after you have weaned your baby (Kent 2007).

Why is my baby suddenly rejecting one breast?

If your baby suddenly turns away from one breast, try to work out why it’s happening. She may have a blocked nostril or an ear infection that means she prefers one breast (Bonyata 2016).

In both of these cases, get help from your health visitor or doctor so they can help your baby and you to recover.

If you can’t work out why your baby is rejecting one breast, check how she is latching on. Try changing her position when she breastfeeds.

Your baby may have grown too big for the position you’ve both become used to. Sometimes just sitting your baby up more, if she’s been lying across your lap, is all you need to do.

Watch a video showing you different breastfeeding positions.

References

Bonyata K. 2016. Lopsided! What can I do? www.kellymom.com [Accessed March 2017]

Kent J. 2007. How breastfeeding works. J Midwifery & Women’s Health 52(6): 564-70.

NHS. 2016. Breastfeeding: Is my baby getting enough milk? NHS Choices, Health A-Z. www.nhs.uk [Accessed April 2017]

UKMI. 2014. Q&A 73.5 Drug treatment of inadequate lactation. UK Medicines Information. www.evidence.nhs.uk [Accessed April 2017]

Show references Hide references

What to do if the baby takes only one breast - "Healthy baby's online cabinet"

Ksenofontova Olga Leonidovna

Deputy chief physician of MBU "EKPC"

First of all, you need to understand the question - did the baby always prefer the same breast, or had there been no problems with alternating breasts before? If a child initially has a tendency to breastfeed with one breast, it is possible that he has problems with the cervical spine and neck muscles. On the other side and at the other breast, it is simply uncomfortable or painful for him to lie. This problem will be solved by a neurologist or pediatrician during examination, and this is usually detected almost once - in the first weeks of feeding. Then, for the duration of treatment, you should choose comfortable positions for feeding at both breasts - it can be from under the arm, hanging over the baby, in a cross cradle, and so on, the main thing is that the position of the child’s body is convenient for his muscles.

If the child does not have physical health problems, the reason for the refusal of one breast may be in the formation of the refusal as such. The baby may be sucking on a pacifier and developing nipple tangles, or selectively rejecting one breast in any position because it contains too much milk. And then, at the beginning of feeding, it pours too much from it, which makes the baby refuse it in favor of another breast - softer and with less pressure. Perhaps the reason for the refusal is the psychological discomfort of the baby - it is inconvenient for the mother to reproach the child with one of the breasts. She is not so comfortable putting the baby to her chest, and he catches this on a subconscious level, refusing the “unloved” breast. Sometimes the refusal of one breast is a kind of “demonstration of strength” by the baby and a way to control the mother, a kind of whim of the baby. Sometimes the breasts can be somewhat different from one another - it is easier and easier for the baby to get milk from one breast than from the other. And then the child can refuse a more “complex” breast in favor of a simpler one.

First of all, do not panic and be nervous. With a strong nervousness of the mother, the baby may refuse the breast completely, feeling her physical and emotional stress. At the same time, the mother’s milk in a state of stress is “clamped” by oxytocin in the chest and it becomes more difficult for the baby to get it. Pull yourself together and calm down. But you need to correct breast rejection at its earliest stages, until the baby has switched to breast rejection altogether or you yourself have come to terms with the fact that you will feed from one breast for the rest of the time. First of all, you need to understand for yourself that you are the mother of this baby and you are the leader in your couple, you are the main one and you will need to decide which breast and which of the feedings you will give to the baby. Feeding on demand implies not only the requirements of the baby itself, but also the requirement of the mother - if she has chest discomfort or a feeling of breast fullness, if she needs to feed in this situation with her left or right breast. It is extremely important to understand this for yourself and follow this rule. You need to be completely confident in yourself and in the correctness of all your actions. However, in such a delicate situation as the beginning or already completed refusal of the breast, you should not go too far either, insist on your opinion and breastfeeding with a certain breast should be extremely delicate, since violence in terms of breastfeeding can turn the situation in the opposite direction to you.

How to start the process of dealing with the rejection of one breast? First of all - change the program - that is, feed the baby with the unloved breast in an unusual position for him or use non-standard places for feeding him, sometimes you can feed the child with the unloved breast on a walk, in the kitchen with the noise of working appliances, in the car while traveling on business . Do the same when feeding for falling asleep: always start feeding by offering the baby his favorite breast, and when the baby starts to fall asleep, quickly change the breast to the one that he does not take well. Offer the same breast at night. When the baby wakes up for feeding, half-asleep children are usually more willing to agree to an unloved breast, if only to cling to their favorite milk faster again. Can be used to persuade you to take an unloved breast sources of white noise hair dryer, noise or splashing of water, sounds of nature or light music. Usually, breast rejection does not last long, and if you quickly eliminate the cause of discomfort and cope with your tension within yourself, then the child will quickly again be evenly applied to one and the other breast.

If you let the situation take its course, you can get a categorical rejection of the breast because there will actually be less milk in it due to its low stimulation. Then the baby will be capricious and offended by the lack of milk when trying to suck, and over time will refuse one breast altogether. Then you will have to feed with one breast, which entails a chain of new problems, for example, the formation of different breast sizes.

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Baby eats from only one breast

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This is the problem. My daughter has been eating only from her left breast for quite some time now. Right offer - refusal. He refuses even at night when he eats in his sleep. What worries me is that the left breast has become noticeably larger than the right one (well, of course, almost no milk comes to the right one anymore!) In general, the problem is of an exclusively aesthetic nature. I'm afraid that even when I stop feeding, my breasts will still be different. And yes, I don't want to quit. How about in summer??? Everything will be visible (((
Daughter almost 9 months old

when you quit, it will most likely even out. About six months after the end of the GW, this happens. well, at least in clothes it will definitely not be visible, well, without clothes - only if you look closely.
but now, while you are feeding, either put up with it, or still insist, stubbornly offer the second one.

Thank you. You reassured me that it will even out))) Now the difference is decent

Rather "may even out", rather than "even out". Because there may be a noticeable difference. My left breast has always been larger, and the child preferred it. I have not been feeding for almost 2 years, the difference has become a little less, but still much more noticeable than before childbirth and breastfeeding
So, of course, I would hope for the best, but still try to convince the child to feed more evenly.

A friend's daughter has been feeding from only one breast since she was 3 months old. the difference was sooooo big, half a year ago they completed guards, says that it is not very noticeable

I have a similar problem. After the first daughter, a little difference appeared. Now the second one also often refuses. Eats a little and freaks out until I give another one.
Try to express this one, if she doesn't drink from bottles, it will be possible to add it to cereals and vegetables
And unfortunately, nothing really evens out ((((it may not be noticeable in clothes, but after the 1st child there was a difference of at least half a size. You can put an insert in a smaller bra.
tp
This time my situation was aggravated by the fact that there was lactostasis in the smaller breast and the doctors forbade feeding it for several days. I don’t try to apply and you, not really something changes

My grandmother breastfed her three daughters with only one breast. I didn’t notice the difference at all, although she always emphasized that there was a difference (we went to the bathhouse together).
At some point, my youngest also began to prefer one breast, I coped by using the one that the child did not like for feedings with a hang, and "favorite" for short ones. After two weeks, I stopped feeling the difference in the reaction of the child.

+1. I did it the same way. The child has ceased to show discontent. However, there is always more milk in one breast, and it was more in all breastfeeding, after the first two it leveled off, it was possible to notice only without clothes and looking at it with precision. Now I am feeding the third one, the difference after feeding is almost imperceptible, if the breast is full - yes, one more.

I don't understand how it happened. It is unlikely that he will be able to shrink from another breast - only a drop of milk can be expressed there. In general, I will be a beauty in the summer))

Try to express while feeding from the second breast.

I have more milk and he understands this, even if he sleeps, he wakes up most often, but this is during the day. Although at night I feed more than the little one, it’s more convenient for me. But anyway, for some reason, her milk doesn’t get anymore

By the way, yes, an option, milk might be better. But mine if the breast pump will be distracted, and the hand is not very convenient. But you have to try

well, I also have. and most women have this asymmetry. it’s just that if you don’t miss the moment when you can still influence the child in this regard, then you can still feed both, albeit not equally.

I have the same nonsense. The first fed - everything was even, and with the second one there was a lot of milk in one breast, in the other almost none. And from the very beginning so, what I just did not do. Now my son is 9months, takes both breasts without problems, but there is practically no milk in the left, 50-60 ml maximum. I offer it first, the tide sucks it out, then the second, full. At night I almost always feed "full". The difference in size is awful, especially in the evening before feeding. One breast is 2 sizes, the second is 4. I hope that after folding the GV will somehow even out.

Well, this is how it turned out for us - from the age of 7, our daughter was fed from one breast. And in the end, they fed up like that ... up to 3.3 years)))) if anything - I planned a maximum of up to a year))) in the process there was not much difference, even in the summer in a bathing suit, although I was also worried. Now it’s been about a month since they finished - everything has become exactly the same, as it didn’t feed one, which, of course, pleases, I thought it would be worse

For the last 6-7 months on breastfeeding, my son ate only from one breast. Visually, the difference was in size for sure, but after the end of breastfeeding, both quickly became the same, or rather returned to their "old" size.

Thank you very much everyone, they reassured me
I thought I would remain a mutant ((

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