Only feeds from one side

[~Emma~]

DD is now refusing the left side altogether and I dont why. My first thinking is that she has grown so used to OAL that she now prefers the right which has a much stronger let down. Perhaps she doesn't have the patience to wait?

 Any ideas on how to get her to feed from the left side? Its now alot emptier than the right all the time. Should I maybe be pumping that side to help supply?

[~inbalance~]

T used to do this to me on the right side.  He would refuse it for a day or two but would go back to it eventually.  I found that if I put him on the side he didn't like first if would often nurse from it because he was hungry, then I'd switch to the other side after.  These phases always passed for us, I hope it does for you too.   

[~Emma~]

Its been about a week now. I try to make that one the MOTN feed as she is quite sleepy then but my supply on that side is pants so she's not really getting as much as she would if she fed from the other side kwim? I do always offer it first for exactly the reason you said! She just isn't interested....so weird! Just worried that I'll end up with no milk on that side then have supply issues.

[kimmbba]

Emma, I'm no expert but I can tell you something from my one experience of BF

My son from day 1 hated nursing on the left side.  He was also super impatient, and in the end I decided to EBF because it was so stressful for both of us.  Anyway, when pumping my left side was always much less that the right!  It was like it was "defective" compared to the right and he must have known this a long time before I ever did!!

I'd try pumping the side he doesn't want to feed from to see if you can increase that side at the same time as trying to feed.  Your LO probably just knows that side isn't giving her what she wants

[~inbalance~]

I was going to suggest pumping that side too, if anything just to try to keep your supply up.  And keep trying, she might get over it soon.  I found with T he was a fussy feeder for months, sometimes refusing the right side, but after about 4mos he levelled off and all was good. 

[shivi]

Emma never liked the right (Oscar grew to dislike it and was only feeding from the left for the last 2 mths of feeding him).

I always offered the right first and would definately pump even pump on empty for a few days from only the lesser side....it will really help, if even to even you out (I looked so so lopsided when Oscar went to feeding only from the left...and of course it was summer so very very obvious).

Dylan sounds so so much like my Emma xxx

[~Emma~]

 Thanks folks and yeo looking very lopsided here too! When I pump I can get 4oz from the right in about 10 mins, the left side doesn't produce much.

[Vicku]

Hi Emma,

Just wanted to tell you about something I was told by a midwife here.. If baby is refusing one side you can try to trick her by first putting her on the preferred side and get the letdown going, then quickly break the latch and move her to the other side without turning her round. So you start in the cradle position on the right, then slide her across into the rugby hold to feel from the left. Sometimes they don't really get that you switched sides as they are still facing the same way. Was told this works very well for most young babies that are refusing a side. I guess you could also start in the rugby hold position and then switch to the cradle , if that feels better. I've not tried this myself as never had full refusal but it sounds worth a go.
Sienna definitely prefers the right which has a bigger supply and stronger letdown, and I remember that in the very early days (sort of first 1.5 mos) she did prefer the left as I also had slightly OALD.

[shivi]

I tried something like this with Emma and in her more sleepy relaxed moments it would work....but the spirited in her "copped on" very early unfortunately....

I basically started every relaxed feed from the weaker side especially night feeds while they lasted, though luckily for me that was just till 10 weeks LOL! Once we got onto 4 hr EASY the 11am and 3pm feeds were straight from naps that I had to wake her from and I would get her latched on first and then got a letdown as she was only coming to consciousness so that worked really well. Also I bfed direct from the breast for the DF so that always started on the right and was the only real way I kept up supply on that side from 7-8 mths onwards as we had dropped the 11am feed at that stage...

S x

S x

[~Emma~]

Great tips ladies will try those tomorrow. She feeds very well when she has woken from a good nap and she's still sleepy.....those naps aren't happening too often though. 

[shivi]

those naps aren't happening too often though.

fingers crossed she keeps getting better. My two were perfect by 4 mths, before that it was a right mess!

[Vicku]

yeah naps were a mess here too for the first months. how did the tips work out? How's it going now?

[~Emma~]

Well the boobies have had a switch around! Its now the left fuller than the right.  Although not AS full and I think things are generally calming down on the oversupply front here. Its weird though as I am so used to them being so, so full. Especially in the morning but not so much anymore. She's still fussy on the breast but I think thats more to do with getting older and becoming more distracted.  I have stopped pumping now too as I was giving her bottles but not anymore, well not regularly anyways so I think that has helped even things out.