Fussy after feeding on right breast

[jordiwes]

Hi all,
I was wondering if you had any ideas why my 15 wk old DD is fussy after feeding on the right breast (won't sleep, cranky, crying) but usually fine after feeding on the left.

I had mastitis (for the second time) last week, I'm thinking I could have thrush in the right breast maybe? Does the yeast go into the milk and make the baby fussy?
Any ideas would be appreciated... it really sucks when she feeds at 2am and can't sleep afterwards!
Thanks!!

[Samuel's mum]

If that was the side you had mastitis in then the supply may well have reduced. Boobs sometimes think the swollen hardness of mastitis is engorgement and send 'slow down supply' signals mistakenly. The taste of milk also sometimes changes during mastitis as sodium levels rise but once the infection is clear it returns to normal.

In Secrets.. Tracy says it's her experience that many babies move to double-sided feeding around 12 pounds. So it might be time for double-sided feeding anyway (but alternate which side you start with).
You could also do some focused pumping on your right. Try and pump soon after a feed on that side. Not much will come out but you will send precious signals to increase supply after 2-3 days of regular pumping.

Thrush can make babies fussier when they feed if they have oral thrush (white patches on their inner cheeks and roof of mouth - not so often the tongue). It's not going to be the case that you have thrush in your breast that you don't know about that is causing her to reject the milk. If you are showing no symptoms of thrush (itchy red 'shiny' nipples that are sensitive to the touch or deep sharp pains inside the breast after a feed and between feeds) and if she is also symptoms free then it won't be that. If a baby has oral thrush it would obviously affect feeding on both sides.
Although if you are taking antibiotics it does make thrush a lot more likely so I would consider taking preventative probiotics like lacto acidophilus capsules.

I think a slight supply dip on that side is the most likely thing following the mastitis.