Help from BF moms-and anyone who wants to weigh in!

chirico3 · November 2014

Hi everybody.

I have been breastfeeding until now (almost 7 months) and supplementing with formula, since my milk is not enough. Usually in the morning LO takes my milk only, it's enough, probably I make more because I am more rested.

Upon indications from the pediatrician, we have started weaning too.

For the last 5-6 days, my LO refuses to latch on the left side. I have tried putting some water with sugar on the nipple, it has worked for a couple of days, but now it doesn't trick her anymore. She just closes her mouth and starts crying. It's all very weird

I don't really know what to do now. Stop BF all together? Keep going on one side? I really wanted to BF until she is 1yo, but at this point I don't know if it's worth the hussle. Plus, I miss those morning when I'd feed her before going to work, and she'd happily latch and fall asleep afterwards. Now she seems so nervous...

momofmanyinthemitten · November 2014

My left breast stops producing before my right. It also takes longer to let down once we've started solids. This has been very frustrating for a all 3 of my kids. I was able to nurse DD1 on both sides until at least a year, but I was down to just one or two sessions on that side. It stopped producing completely when DS was 8 mos. I nursed him just on the right side until he was 14 mos. Nursing on just one side can be done successfully, but be ready to have lop sided boobs for a while.

*sparky* · November 2014

My two sides are very different too. I agree with PP that it is likely that one side has started drying up. You can just nurse on the other side as long as your supply holds out. If you want to keep that morning session and are not trying to wean completely you can try oatmeal and/or Gatorade early on the morning before you feed her.

I have one side with a much stronger letdown and better supply than the other. In the afternoon many days my right side barely produces anything but my left side is fine.

chirico3 · November 2014

LalaMama81 said:

What the other posters said is true and you definitely can her nursing on one side. But what really concerns me is your comment about weaning b/c of the pediatrician. What does that mean exactly? If you are trying to nurse until she's one, it's way too early to think about weaning.

Yes, I am a bit confused too with the weaning thing...

The pediatrician told me to start weaning, and gave me indications on how to. But he said to keep nursing her in the morning and at night - I wasn't able to nurse her much more anyway.

porterlove525 · November 2014

I would say that given your production issues, if you want to continue nursing to a year, do not cut nursing or pumping sessions. BF, as you know, is a supply and demand situation so definitely try to maintain the supply you have. Damn pedi trying to sabotage you! Why do so many docs push to start weaning and move to cow's milk so young? I will never understand this.

I agree with PP's one-sided nursing can be done so don't give up. Can you just nurse on the right side and pump in the left just to try and keep the supply higher and continue to add to your freezer so you can give bottles down the road to make it to a year?

chirico3 · November 2014

porterlove525 said:

I would say that given your production issues, if you want to continue nursing to a year, do not cut nursing or pumping sessions. BF, as you know, is a supply and demand situation so definitely try to maintain the supply you have. Damn pedi trying to sabotage you! Why do so many docs push to start weaning and move to cow's milk so young? I will never understand this. I agree with PP's one-sided nursing can be done so don't give up. Can you just nurse on the right side and pump in the left just to try and keep the supply higher and continue to add to your freezer so you can give bottles down the road to make it to a year?

Sorry, maybe I didn't explain the situation correctly. I am home now so have more time to write.

Pedi never talked about cow's milk. He just told me to introduce solid foods, and gave me a "schedule". The meals that were not constituted by solid food, theoretically, were to be BM - or formula if necessary. But I never had enough BM. I was never able to build a stash: by pumping 20 minutes per part, I was able to make 1 oz - as much as I tried, even pumping for longer, I was never able to pump more.

Baby is more efficient, so I think she was having more that this 1 oz, but I had to supplement with formula anyway since the beginning, since she wasn't gaining any weight.

Pedi follows the general italian guidelines: start introducing solids from 6 months, but keep giving BM if possible up to a year, ideally even until the baby is 3. I wander how this is possible, since my baby seems to love solid food so much that she is losing interest in milk, be it BM or formula. But I know of people who followed this scheme and kept BF until 3yo - even after the introduction of solid foods. So I didn't think it was an "either or" situation.

Anyway.As I said, my milk has never been a lot. But I want to try BFing her as long as I can. SO I'll probably go on one side only, as for your suggestions, since I think at this point the left side has dried up...

I have heard one case of this happening among my friends, but this girl stopped BFing when this happened.

Hope I make sense...

chirico3 · November 2014

Just wanted to add two things.

1) Thanks for all your suggestions.

2) Baby never had any problems to latch, since the day the LC at he hospital helped me.

yellowflower15 · November 2014

Just to add that if you'd like to keep nursing both sides, you could pump on the side with the problem - that might improve supply. Your baby could just be going through a phase too. Mine prefers the right to the left and often refuses the left when in public, but will take it at home in quiet or if the right is offered first. I just wouldn't necessarily give up on the one side right away.

Rrrrrachel · November 2014

I breastfeed on one side only. It's nbd.

Solid foods should not replace breastmilk or formula until after one. Idk if you have special health concerns that negate that rule of thumb but I'm side eyeing your peds advice a little.

porterlove525 · November 2014

I probably wasn't clear either OP. I just meant so many docs suggest scaling back on BF in favor of food, milk, formula, etc. I was trying to convey that I would recommend continuing to nurse as much as you can and pump on the side your LO wasn't nursing from. Babies are definitely far more efficient at emptying breasts than a pump so the more you can nurse the better, but any stimulation can help maintain even the smallest of supply. Hugs.

Rrrrrachel · November 2014

I wish I could take a picture of how lopsided my boobs are and show it to you without it being super weird.

chirico3 · November 2014

celticlullaby said:

Weaning means adding solid food, not cutting off the boob, in British English. I'm guessing a European would use the word that way. It's an American thing that weaning means to stop BFing. Just saying because I think that's causing confusion in this thread. I don't have any advice other than what other ladies gave - trying pumping too if you want keep that side producing, but you can just BF from one side and it's fine.

Yes! I guess the confusion came from here: I even checked on the dictionary to see if weaning was the right term... I meant it in the "european" way.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions!

And @Rrrrrachel, my left side has always been smaller than the right one, so I don't mind if I have different sized breasts for a couple of monts...

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