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July 2015 Moms
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Breasts not producing milk equally!?!?

eclohoecloho member
in July 2015 Moms
i am a FTM & my right breast has pumped more from the start. Left breast produced half as much. Now it seems as though the right production has increased & the left has further decreased :(( anyone else experiencing this? I worry that my LO isn't getting much from his time spent on leftie either. I am feeding him from both breasts religiously ever 2-3 hours...Do I need to pump more? Similar experiences? Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks ladies!
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Re: Breasts not producing milk equally!?!?

  • ashleytiffashleytiff member
    I have the same issue. My left boob is bigger than my right and produces more.
    My right has started to produce more now though but it might be because my diet.
    I eat oatmeal or something with oats in it daily and drink tea that's supposed to help with supply.
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  • pandd10513pandd10513 member
    I was told by LC that if you are right handed your left boob will produce more and if you're left handed your right boob will produce more. Not sure how true it is but my LO definitely prefers the left and I'm right handed.
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  • eclohoecloho member
    @pandd10513 interesting, but doesn't prove true with me as I'm right handed & left is producing less
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  • audi681audi681 member
    My left is always more full, and it is visually noticeable. Just keep feeding from the decreased side and it should still produce milk. I've heard fenugreek is a great supplement for increasing supply.
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  • NSAnderson0313NSAnderson0313 member
    I've been making lactation bites and using upspring milkflow drinks to help my milk production. My right breast was producing much less than the left, but they're evening out now.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00O96X4QI/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1439120548&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=upspring+milkflow&dpPl=1&dpID=51ApVd2-nyL&ref=plSrch
    image


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  • ericadaniel315ericadaniel315 member
    Your breasts milk production is calibrated independently of eachother. If one is producing less you can pump that one more and be sure to that baby is taking turns eating from both breasts. It is supply and demand so if you ask more from it eventually it will catch up.
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  • eclohoecloho member
    edited August 2015
    Yes @ericadaniel I am frustrated but continue to put my LO on leftie & pump leftie also. Eating lots of oatmeal, increasing water intake, trying mothers milk tea, today ordered some of the "up spring milk flow" powdered drink another bumpy mentioned, going to drink a little unfiltered hefeweizen beer (has lots of Brewers yeast), and want to buy or make some lactation cookies. I am willing to try anything & not give up for my LO!! He is gaining weight & going through lots of diapers, so I know he's fed & well hydrated...wish me luck!
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  • kelly422kelly422 member
    What makes you think you are making less on one side? What you pump isn't necessarily reflective of what LO is getting when he nurses.
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  • eclohoecloho member
    @kelly422 I am hoping that what I am pumping is not reflective of what the little one is getting!!!!! but why do I pump so much less?
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  • kelly422kelly422 member
    How often are you pumping? Is LO satisfied and gaining weight?
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  • NSAnderson0313NSAnderson0313 member
    @ecloho your baby is more efficient at emptying your breasts of milk. A pump unfortunately isn't quite as efficient and pumping doesn't fully represent what you have as supply.
    image


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  • eclohoecloho member
    @kelly422 I am only pumping twice a day, but EBF every 2-3 hours even through the night as my LO is only 11 days old. Got mixed messages from my lactation consultant about pumping...first it was pump after every feed when milk was just coming in, then every other feed, then not at all unless the feed didn't go well. My DH is still encouraging me to pump 2x a day
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  • kelly422kelly422 member
    Is he getting bottles? I'm confused why you're pumping so much :)
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  • eclohoecloho member
    @kelly422 no bottles... unless he still acts hungry (which is rare) after a feed then I give him 20 mil. Of pumped breast milk. Is 2x a day a lot? I guess I'm still pumping just so that we have some supply in fridge
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  • kelly422kelly422 member
    No you just said you were pumping every feed and every other feed so i was curious. I'm not going to start pumping until LO is about 4 weeks for a small supply.
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  • eclohoecloho member
    edited August 2015
    Well today leftie appears to be getting back in the game when I pumped this morning! =D> just had me real worried when the last two times I pumped I barely got enough from leftie to cover the bottom of the bottle. I'm ok with righty making more but getting just a few drops from leftie was disappointing. I understand that what I pump does not necessarily reflect what my LO is getting, but still makes me feel better. Thanks bumpies for all your advice & feedback! Happy feeding & pumping to all! :x
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  • NYMominCANYMominCA member
    It is pretty common for one breast to produce more than the other. Also, sometimes one breast responds to the pump better than another. Sometimes one breast needs a bigger pump flange, or a different pump/suction setting, etc. to keep up.

    I'm breastfeeding DS exclusively from my right breast. I noticed with my older DS and now this baby that my left side was an under-producer. Add to it that he struggled to latch on the left and I decided to just nurse only from the right. I pump the left once, maybe twice (on a rare occasion) a day and get only about 2-3oz per day from that side. I'm a bit lopsided, but my DS is gaining plenty and we haven't had issues at all with him being just a "righty."
    image
    Mama to two crazy kiddos
    J -- 9/04
    L -- 11/10
    E -- 7/15


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  • abbymessinaabbymessina member
    edited August 2015
    Am I the only one who isn't pumping at all? I always hear about everyone pumping at certain times to increase supply etc but my baby is 5 weeks old and I haven't at all. She was 8.7 when she was born and she was 10lbs 13ozs this past Friday. Midwife said obviously she's getting what she needs and I have enough for her but wonder why all of you are pumping throughout the day so much. With my two boys I never pumped either and breastfed my first for almost 3 years and my second for 2. Never had to buy formula in my life! Maybe I'm just lucky ? I'm just alittle unsure

    Forgot to add I'm small. Only 105lbs normal weight and I'm back down to basically that from 142 and don't have much for boobs at all lol
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  • randa923randa923 member
    I'm pretty sure everyone is pumping because we're told to. The doctor told me to pump after each feed to make sure my breasts are empty so my body will produce more. That was our first week home when LO wasn't gaining enough weight. He will be 5 weeks on Wednesday and is 9lbs 5 ounces today. I'm not pumping after each feeding anymore. Im trying to figure out a schedule to pump so I can start storing milk for when I go back to work though.
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  • klirwin82klirwin82 member
    Pumping so baby is used to getting a bottle when I go back to work. And so daddy can do the MOTN feed.
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  • bridgitdbridgitd member
    My midwife suggested taking 3 tablets each of fenugreek and blessed thistle, 3 times a day to boost milk production (for a total of 9 tablets of each herb every day). I definitely have noticed a significant increase in my milk production, although of course it could be a coincidence.
    Also renting a hospital grade breast pump can help with your supply, still making sure to feed the baby regularly from both breasts. The hospital grade pumps are more efficient than a regular electric pump at emptying the breasts. Good luck!
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  • hankhunterhankhunter member
    Pumping for work, in case I get sick (and am on mess that don't allow me to breast feed), and just to have a back up supply.
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  • melrandolphmelrandolph member
    edited August 2015
    For those pumping, keep in mind that your milk changes as your baby grows and their demands change, so you don't want to get too far ahead with the pumping.
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  • eclohoecloho member
    Yes @melrandolph you are totally right! The composition of our milk changes so giving baby milk that you had frozen for a while might not be right for them as they get older
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