[axiomae]

DD has aways preferred my left breast to the right breast. She never stays attached for long on the right breast (except for nights feeds) and generally gets fussy quite on it quite quickly, although she feeds for a long time happily on the left. I think it's a matter of flow - quite slow.

Usually she'll feed on the right for up to five minutes before refusing it, but the last few days she's refusing to take it at all. I'm so engorged and sore and I don't know why she won't take it! I get relief at the dream feed (haven't had time to express with christmas and all the running around) and she generally drains me then, but it's puzzling to me. I have supply issues so need to top her up with formula after a few feeds anyway so her refusing the breast means more formula, which I would prefer she not have if I have a breast full of milk!

Any ideas?

[Super Cat]

Sometimes it not the breast but the position you're holding them in. If they have some discomfort laying on a particular side it may seem as though they dislike that breast, but it might be something else going on.

Try the 'football' hold. This is where you kinda tuck baby under your arm rather than lay them across the front of you. If you're feeding from the right breast you'd tuck her under the right arm and she'd be laying on her right side.

See I'd this helps, and if it does it may be a positioning problem. Good luck!

[kabailz13]

My friend had a similar problem with her DD when she was very young. She would latch on but not really feed from one side. Ended up being an infection in her spine!

I don't want to stress you out, just mentioning that it may be something completely unrelated to the breast itself

[CupcakeMumma]

My 2nd did that, so I'd start her on the side she liked and then slide her across to the side she didn't. Sometimes it's just one side flows faster so they get frustrated, mine started after a bout of mastitis. The other thought is does she refuses it when she's really sleepy and her eyes are closed. My dd scratched her eye and had a patch for a time, and I couldn't get her to feed from the side she couldn't see out of when she was wide awake for day feeds but was okay at night

[Winterdanceparty]

Sometimes it not the breast but the position you're holding them in. If they have some discomfort laying on a particular side it may seem as though they dislike that breast, but it might be something else going on.

Try the 'football' hold. This is where you kinda tuck baby under your arm rather than lay them across the front of you. If you're feeding from the right breast you'd tuck her under the right arm and she'd be laying on her right side.

See I'd this helps, and if it does it may be a positioning problem. Good luck!

I would have said this and another thing you can perhaps do, is to push your breast gently with the flat of your hand, towards the nipple. In that way your bubs is getting a bit more milk when the flow has slowed down. Have you also tried Switch Feeding - one side to the other and then back again during the one feed. Some babies will take the breast about 8 times, but maybe the formula is filling your baby up and it doesn't digest easily like breastmilk, so your baby could still feel too full.

[MrsWidget]

DS1 always preferred my right breast. By 8 months he stopped drinking from my left altogether. We continued breast feeding until he was 2 from the one breast. From memory my boob took a little while to settle down then there was no drama, bar being a little lopsided. ;-)

This post has been edited by MrsWidget: 29/12/2012, 09:15 AM

[lucky 2]

Hi, how are things going?
How old is your baby?
I hope you have been able to get her to feed or do regular expressing from that breast as milk production will continue to reduce (and slow flow) if the milk is allowed to stay in the breast.
What might have helped is heat packs and gentle massage with bfing or expressing and get the breast feeling softer and more comfortable, the milk will flow better then and the production will increase.
There is also a risk of mastitis if the milk is allowed to pool in the breast.
I hope you are ok.
All the best.

[Bek+3]

DS1 fed for 22 months preferring the right 70/30. Also, that is only because I persisted with the left because I thought I had to.

DS2 rejected the left at 4 months completely. He was exclusively breastfed for 29 months.

I have never even put DS3 to the left breast, not once ever. I decided to give it a miss from the start. He has had exclusive breast milk for 12 months and counting.

Moral of the story is not to worry too much about it. I have found that breasts work on demand and supply independently.

[MrsWidget]

Moral of the story is not to worry too much about it. I have found that breasts work on demand and supply independently.

So true!!