Community› The Bump Message Boards› Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
New Discussion
Options

Latching one side better

melissa11015melissa11015 member
in Breastfeeding
Hi,
Ive been posting on other boards but thought I'd give this one a try. My LO is 3 weeks old and is EBF. I've noticed that she isn't latching and nursing from one side much better than the other. For instance tonight, I forgot that we finished with the right side the last time and should've started with the left but we didn't. When I realized it, I switched her over and at first she clamped closed and wouldn't even try to latch, them when she finally did, she kept falling off, screaming, or bouncing off my breast like it was a balloon in her face. Any tips? Is this normal? It's so frustrating!!!
Report Reply to Post

Re: Latching one side better

  • Options
    meggymemeggyme member
    edited June 2017
    melissa11015 said:
    Hi,
    Ive been posting on other boards but thought I'd give this one a try. My LO is 3 weeks old and is EBF. I've noticed that she isn't latching and nursing from one side much better than the other. For instance tonight, I forgot that we finished with the right side the last time and should've started with the left but we didn't. When I realized it, I switched her over and at first she clamped closed and wouldn't even try to latch, them when she finally did, she kept falling off, screaming, or bouncing off my breast like it was a balloon in her face. Any tips? Is this normal? It's so frustrating!!!
    I am not a lactation consultant, but I believe this is common and something that can be worked through. Sometime babies have a preference as to which side they lay on. Try the football hold and try to get her to latch on as similarly to the other side as possible. At 3 weeks she's still learning how to nurse, so once her latch gets better you should be able to go back to a regular cradle hold.

    eta: if it doesn't seem to help I'd recommend finding a local La Leche League or lactation consultant.
    DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
    Report Reply
  • Options
    FelicitousJinxFelicitousJinx member
    I agree with pp that position may have something to do with it.

     If positioning doesn't help, I'd like to add its possible the milk flow could be faster from one breast than the other. It may be coming faster than she can keep up with at first, especially if she seems to sputter, choke, or have milk flowing out the side of her mouth. If that's the case, you may need to release some milk by hand before latching her. Alternatively, the flow may be slower than she likes on that side.
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • Options
    TabulaRasa25TabulaRasa25 member
    Per the lactation consultant I just saw, this is very normal. It can stem from many things...breasts and nipples are not identical, babies mouths and palates are not necessarily symmetrical, how you hold/cradle them on each side can vary subtly, etc.  My eight-week old daughter had a great latch on one side, shallow latch on the other, which was working fine for her in terms of getting enough flow, but was causing increasing discomfort for me and threatening nipple damage.  The consultant I saw helped me get a feel for how I needed to position and support her on that side and guide her to a better latch.  She just does it automatically on the other side, but needs help on that one side.  So far, so good. 
    Report Reply
Sign In or Register to comment.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"