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Left boob, you suck. Anyone else?

lisakeikolisakeiko member
in Hawaii Babies

I've always noticed that my left side doesn't seem to produce as much as the right but over the past few days, I'm beginning to wonder if my supply on the left isn't drastically lower than the right.  I hardly ever feel engorged on that side, even after going 4-5 hours between feedings and when I pump, the output is pretty pathetic compared to the right.  Also, when J nurses on that side, he's always tugging, squirming, or making whiny sounds as he nurses.  Sad If I start on the left, I try to keep him on for at least 10-15 minutes before switching over.  If I start on the right and then switch to the left, sometimes J seems so frustrated that I have to put him back on the right to finish off. 

Besides pumping on the left after feedings, is there anything else I can do to try to even it out a bit more?  I've tried different positions but it doesn't seem to make a difference.  J still squirms around a ton and makes sad sad noises while trying to nurse.  Sad  Maybe I should call a lactation consultant?

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Re: Left boob, you suck. Anyone else?

  • inamrainamra member
    *raises hand* for me, it's the same problem, different boob. My right is the lagger. If I pump my left, I can get 3.5 oz now but my right will only give me .5oz (maybe 1oz on a good day). I don't have a proven solution yet, but what I try to do is nurse on the right side first more often and sometimes I don't even switch sides since I have a sleepy nurser so I often cannot wake him to switch, so now I just let him stay on one side and I nurse the right more than the left to get it going (hopefully) and when I nurse on the left, I try to pump simultaneously on the right. Does J seem satisfied after feedings or do you think he's getting enough? I feel like as long as he seems to be getting enough, I wouldn't worry too much but that's how I feel about my lagging side as of now.
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  • lisakeikolisakeiko member

    I think he's getting enough.  His face and chins (yes, plural because he now has TWO chins) seem to be getting chubbier and chubbier each day and it looks like he may even be starting to develop some rolls on his thighs.  Stick out tongue  He's also going longer between feedings now and sleeping for about 4 hours straight at night!

    And this might be totally lame, but I worry that after we're totally done BFing, my left boob will be totally mangled from all the pulling and tugging he's been doing to it.  He'll jerk his head back while still latched on and each time he does it, I can't help but think what my poor boob will look like in a few months.     

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  • redshoegirlredshoegirl member

    Yup, I have the same problem.

    I've done a LOT of searching for a solution because feeding two babies means that one is always getting less. Sad The general answer (from sites like kellymom) seems to be: "It's very common to have an imbalance between sides and as long as your LO is getting enough to eat then it's not a problem." One site did say that you can try pumping like crazy on the poor side, but it may not work - sometimes it's just how we're built. *shrug*

    Also, YAAAAY for Johnny sleeping for 4 hours straight!!!

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  • mrspresleymrspresley

    imageredshoegirl:
    The general answer (from sites like kellymom) seems to be: "It's very common to have an imbalance between sides and as long as your LO is getting enough to eat then it's not a problem."

    this. don't worry about it. i have read that all the pulling and tugging and beating of the boob is the baby's way of signaling your body to produce more. i used to have my right boob produce more so i started feeding more on the left side and now i have the opposite problem...b/c there's a lag between supply and demand, i never know how much "extra" to nurse on one side so i think i will always have one side producing more...but, i don't care anymore.  since i block feed it looks ridiculous sometimes with one boob larger than the other but oh well.

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  • lola808lola808
    Yeah, I've read that "one's a stud, one's a dud."  My left side was really low in the beginning, but it's caught up a little over time.  The right is still the rock star, though.
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  • redshoegirlredshoegirl member
    It's funny that the left boob seems to be the dud for everyone - I wonder if it's related to what hand you are? I'm right handed and my right boob is definitely the good one and the left is the dud.
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  • inamrainamra member

    imageredshoegirl:
    It's funny that the left boob seems to be the dud for everyone - I wonder if it's related to what hand you are? I'm right handed and my right boob is definitely the good one and the left is the dud.

    Actually I'm right handed and my left is the stud.

    Have you ever heard that if you're right handed, then you're left legged? My left leg is definitely stronger than my right (I used to sprain my right ankle all the time) and back when I could do splits (long ago), my left side was always easier and better than my right. So maybe my boob takes after my leg side preference rather than my hand?

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  • redshoegirlredshoegirl member
    imageinamra:

    Have you ever heard that if you're right handed, then you're left legged? My left leg is definitely stronger than my right (I used to sprain my right ankle all the time) and back when I could do splits (long ago), my left side was always easier and better than my right.

    You know, I've heard this but I seem to be right handed AND right legged! My right leg is stronger, and when I walk or go up stairs, etc., I generally lead with the right leg. Go figure!

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  • jaysgirljuliejaysgirljulie member
    I'm left handed and my left boob is the stud. The dud isn't a total dead-beat though. She pulls her weight :-)
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  • SirenSongSirenSong

    Yep, my left boob is a dud. That and the fact that I can't seem to position Samara comfortably on the left one has led me to abandon that boob completely (it's been about 6 weeks since I fed from the left boob).

    I fed from both with Maya because I used a Milk Bar pillow for the first 4 mths or so....

    I need to get leftie up and running again lol. Samara gets enough from my right though so until I DO start getting my supply back up on the left side, it's all good anyway.

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