Breastfeeding question from new MoM-- please help!

bridesea

Hi everyone!

My babes are exactly one week old, and about 5 lbs each.  I am breastfeeding, pumping, and supplementing with formula.  Howeve, one breast seems to be producing about 1/2 as much milk as the other!  I have switched babies each day, and am now keeping the stronger sucker on the weak breast to try and get it to produce more... but I'm worried. I know they are getting enough food (because we supplement), but it's a real pain in the ass when I am pumping-- I get a full feeding's worth from one boob, and 1/2 from the other!!

Any ideas?  Suggestions?  Has this happened to anyone else?

Thank you!!

togagirl

One of my boobs makes a lot more milk than the other one too.  I think one must just have more milk glands than the other.  Sometimes if I pump for even longer I get a more out of the slow one but I don't always have time to pump for 15 minutes.

jooliagoolia

You're milk supply is still getting established so I wouldn't worry. One of my breasts made lots more than the other (still does somewhat), but it's just the way it works. Actually, it more that one breast empties much slower than the other. So it takes 2x as much time to empty as the other. But like pp, I don't always have time for that to happen.

SCOOTER

Totally normal.  Make sure you rotate which baby is on which boob to start the day with and the switch all day long.  That will help too.

ImRonBurgundy?

Mine did the same thing! And my left one always leaked, whereas my right never did. My right caught up to my left (ha ha, I don't know why but that just sounds funny) sometime around 5 months postpartum. Even with the right underproducing, I still produced enough (although I did take Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle for a few months, just to give my supply a boost).

lovethe1story

After bfing for 9 months, my left still produces less.  Hmmpf- they are still getting what they need, so something is working. 
Great job!
Trina