Hi Moms,
So this is a bit of an odd one (I think?!) Now that my 10 month old is eating lots of solids naturally her feeding has calmed down quite a bit. She has a big-ish feed morning and night, but the 2 daytime feeds (late morning before her nap and mid afternoon only if she seems peckish) are really quick. But I've noticed for the last month or so that my right breast is always a lot more full than the left - to the point that 3/4 of the feeds are on that side (and really all 4 of them could be on that side!). I'm a bit worried - is that normal? Or even advisable?! My sister-in-law said to me I'd have 2 different sized breasts at the end of it if I wasn't careful (which let's face it - wouldn't be ideal!) I will be weaning her in the next 2 months so just wondering if I need to do something to remedy this situation or if it isn't really a big deal (it just seems a bit odd). Also, I was maybe hoping to keep the night feed for a little longer - but then I'd definitely be down to one breast wouldn't I? Has anyone had experience with this? Thanks!!!
Thanks to everyone for their insight - who knew - but I guess it's pretty common and both easily remedied as well as nothing to really worry about. Phew!
Happened to me. Daughter refused to feed on right because it had less or some reason of her own, who knows.. anyway so the left sight became noticeably bigger than the right and stayed that way while she was breastfeeding. Once she weaned it came back to normal. :-) So for two months you would need to pad up the other side...
V.,
My daughter has always prefered the left breast to the right. Now that we only nurse a few times a day, I too could just use the left breast. However, it try and make it a little bit more even I always nurse on the right side first. Since she doesn't get enough to satisfy her she asks for more and then I let her nurse on the left. It's the way I keep going with the right or I would produce on that side at all and be really small on that side but big on the left.
You can also contact the ladies of La Leche League for more tips. www.llli.org
L. M
My breasts are not equal in size or milk production. My bigger breast has some fibrous tissue and has less milk. However, milk production is based on demand so I would try to actually feed more from the less-producing breast or if it is too slow for baby then pump from that one. A lactation consultant will know more about this topic. To find one try the hospital where you gave birth or the La Leche league. Their website is http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html and then you choose a state. I know of a woman in Groton and that town is not listed so perhaps it is not up-to-date but it will give you a start. Good luck
The same thing is happening with me. I have LOTS of milk on the right breast and a good amount on the left. On some days while at work, I can pump 5 ozs on the right, and 3 on the left. My son's eating habits sound similar to your daughters, it's less during the day due to the solids. I still alternate sides (left right left right) because if you keep giving the right side, it's only going to make more milk to fill it up again. As uncomfortable as it can be, I would give the left side just as much as the right. At some point, the right one will feel REALLY full, but give it a couple of days and it should even out a little better. I'm sure you won't want to have just one side full of milk.
It's not abnormal. I'm still BFing my 14 month daughter and I notice my left definately has more than my right. Probably because I'm more comfortable on that side so I probably have favorored it despite trying not to. I would start each feeding on the side that has less milk since they tend to nurse more on the first breast. That may help. If you're only nursing for another 2 months then I don't think the uneven breasts will be a problem.
Hope this helps :)
It's pretty common for one side to produce more milk than the other. You can compensate in part by starting every single feeding with the less full side. That'll even it out a little, although the one side may still produce more.
Always offer her the smaller breast first for starters, and let ( make ) her nurse from that side for at least ten minutes.
Why are you weaning her a year early? TWO is the weaning year.
You will be depriving her of badly needed emotional strengths if you wean her at one year.
Babies get so much more than milk from nursing and what they derive is necessary for them to successfully mature.
Do wish you would rethink the weaning thing...
Best wishes and God bless
Grandmother Lowell
I breastfed 3 babies on one side. So that was about 7 years of breast feeding. I had read if you had one breast you could produce enough milk, based on demand. I preferred one side & I thought I'd stay at it longer if it was easier on me. Although breasts are naturally not the same exact size, usually the one on the dominant hand side is slightly smaller, mine are even now.
Hi V.,
It's a good idea to let the baby nurse from both breasts each time, alternating the one you start on. So, if you start from the full one, switch to the other after a few min.; then, the next time, start with the one you ended with and switch to the more full one after a few min. Hope this helps!
H.
my left breast has been bigge r sinne i had boobs at 12... when nursing i noticed that my left held more milk but my right one produced more on demand...
The more you feed on one side, the more milk it'll make. So if you try to feed as much on the other side, your breasts should even out in a day or two. It might be uncomfortable, but it should work. Oh, and after you've weaned her, your breasts won't be unevenly sized. They go back to normal.
That is normal and relatively common. I've never heard that you end up with different sized breasts at the end!
