Rejecting One Breast

Babychuu

It's been building up for about a month now--he started refusing the right breast once in awhile, but still mostly took it. Now it's at the point where he is absolutely rejecting it--I can't even hold him on the right side without him freaking out. I'm pretty sure it's not an earache or a cold, since I've been to the doctor twice to make sure, he sleeps fine on his left ear, and he doesn't get upset if other people hold him with his left ear down--only me. It's really stressful for both of us, and it's extremely uncomfortable for me since I'm constantly fending off engorgement. 

Does anybody have any experience with LO rejecting only one breast? What was the reason and how did you fix it? I'm really, really hoping I don't have to only feed from one breast and continue pumping on the right side until he's weaned, so I hope somebody out there has some good news for me!

km_md

Have you tried any different kinds of holds? DD refused my right breast when she was first born and the nurse at the hospital suggested we try a football hold on that side. Worked like a charm. I did it like that for a while but I was eventually able to switch back to a regular cross body hold with no problems.

I hope that you get it figured out soon!

Babychuu

Thanks @km_md ! Yes, I've tried a few positions, but I didn't start switching positions until he was already 3 months. I'm not sure if they will accept new positions after a certain point? LO certainly didn't seem too responsive. 

Babychuu

@Marbee1214 Yeah I've been pumping. I usually get around 3-4 ounces from the right one, but I haven't been pumping the left so I don't know if that is less than the left. How do you know if your let-down is slow on one side, though?

@rgoblue I've tried starting him on the left but then sliding him to the right, which he didn't not accept. I'll have to try leaning over, too, though. 

@T1131 He rarely dozes off while feeding during the day, but like your LO he for sure takes it during the night. I really don't want to resort to only feeding off the left and pumping right, seeing as how its wasted milk--he wont drink from a bottle either

Thanks for all the suggestions, ladies!

RedSaffron

Ugh, this is happening to us too. DD is hating my left side and I know she wants to nurse because she latches on the right like its nothing. My left gets engorged throughout the day and when I try to nurse DD, she pushes off of me with milk spraying all over her and soaking my shirts.

Babychuu

RedSaffron said:

Ugh, this is happening to us too. DD is hating my left side and I know she wants to nurse because she latches on the right like its nothing. My left gets engorged throughout the day and when I try to nurse DD, she pushes off of me with milk spraying all over her and soaking my shirts.

Ugh, yup. He sucks on everything and will take the left no prob, so he's definitely hungry. Mini vent: With the milk spraying everywhere it makes it really hard to go out and do anything in public. NIP is a no-go until this ridiculousness is over. 

I can feel my let-down , but only on the opposite side from which I'm using. So, if I pump/nurse from my right breast, I feel the let-down in my left, but not the right. Isn't that normal, though? I dunno. I think my stream gets faster at the same time as I feel let-down in the opposite breast, but when I pump today I'll have to take a closer look. I stopped pumping at 3 weeks pp and just started up again in the last week because of these issues, so I'm not really in-tune with my body while pumping--I don't know what's normal for me and what's not/what's usual and whats not/ etc.

@tarajeannette Thanks for the advice! I'll be pumping from both sides today to see a comparison, so if there is a strong disparity between the yield from each breast I'll try adding the extra pumping sessions.

Thanks again for all the advice and help, ladies. You're amazing! It's been really stressful, and I feel like I get so little support here in Germany. Ive told the pedi and my midwife/lc about it, and they all say "well, just don't feed him until he takes the right breast. When he's hungry enough he'll take it." I'd rather not starve my baby into submission though.