Not able to pump one breast?

Nekotaru · June 2014

Has anyone else had one breast that just will *not* cooperate? I feel like I am all over the place trying to get the BF thing down. She latches and sucks but I feel like so far - 3 weeks out - the milk has waterfalled, waned, and returned. However, I notice that everytime my left breast seems to not produce as much and hardly pumps anything!

For example, the right breast every morning on a good, regular day for me so far can pump 4-5oz. The left one feels heavy but barely pumps 1oz! I feel like I am relying solely on the right one for both feedings and pumping and having to supplement with forumla when the supply wanes (which really upsets me, but baby has to eat!).

It's really upsetting does this ever change? It's pretty early on for us so I am hoping some others might say it could change or it won't last forever ;_;

Nekotaru · June 2014

Well, I had started pumping when I was transitioning from the supplemented formula briefly back to breast. It seemed to go fine but I also was pumping so that her daddy could feed her during times when I was able to get relief and sleep. Our schedule is not all figured out so well yet as we are new to this and I am still learning what to do and not to do for breastfeeding, also. The pediatrician said it was fine that I had been pumping the milk also, but I was feeling like I could not count on the fact that the baby was getting enough breast milk just from feedings for the past week or so.

She seemed to be constantly wanting more food, I thought maybe it was the cluster feeding issue I had read about and the pediatrician said that was normal. I thought I should have extra in case she wasn't getting enough from my breasts.

It's good to hear those oz's are a good amount, but I can only get 4-5oz. twice a day and the pediatrician said she should be eating every 3-4 hours at about 2.5-3oz each time so the math seems like I don't make enough and that was leaving her hungry? I am just worried about her being underweight since she had lost weight and we had to monitor her to make sure it was going back up.

Thank you so much for the advice

I'm trying to learn fast for baby's sake ^_^b

Nekotaru · June 2014

Oh yes, sorry to be unclear, I am nursing as well as pumping, I didn't feel like everytime I needed to nurse I had any milk to give so I was trying to pump when I had the most milk for those occasions.

I was fortunate our insurance covered the Medela double electric pump, which our hospital and LC said they use there, as well.

I think I will take your advice and try to nurse as opposed to pump and maybe that will help things stay more regular.

Could the growth spurt at 3 - and I also read there is another one at 6 - weeks sometimes cause them to want extra food or do the cluster feeding? I must sound nervous, I am just so worried baby would not get enough to eat. But the LC does say baby knows when to stop nursing from the breast and she does let go on her own and her arm goes limp in that sort of drunken-coma state when she seems to be done. I try to watch for all her cues, but then it seems like 1 hour later she is hungry again instead of 3 hours lol.

BootsOrHearts · June 2014

Try breast compressions while nursing and pumping.

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Not able to pump one breast?

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