We had a discussion on our Facebook page the other day. It started because I had a random breastfeeding bra with a broken clip on one side. I was looking for someone to regift it too. The bra very quickly found a home. But what followed was a discussion with mums that only breastfeed from one breast. It turns out it is very common.
We started the topic “Randomness. Not sure what the chances are, but if there is a mum who is size 12D and breastfeeding only from her left boob, I have a free bra for you.”
~~~~~~~ Here are some of the comments ~~~~~~~
I wonder what makes babies prefer one side over the other. That’s what it was in my case, and the left side gradually dried up.
Wow and here is me thinking that I was the only one who did it with my daughter…now she’s completely off it. But so nice to know now I was not the only one
I had huge problems on the right, terrible mastitis and lost all supply on that side, so fed off the left from 3-10 months, with the next 3 no issues and have feed well off both sides…
What happens to the boob you don’t feed off? Do you stop producing milk in that boob? (yes)
Wow you learn something new everyday! My misconception is that you would start being a little lopsy if you only breastfed from one side! I know my girl preferred the right, but I think that was because my right arm was stronger and held or at a better angle
I thought mine was the only one…she rejects right side 85% of the time and usually one eats 1x a day from that side
Yes, it is common and possible. I’ve breastfed 5 children on one side after getting terrible mastitis with baby number 2 and having problems with that side ever since.
Me and a few other mums also had left boobie feeders! Mine was because he preferred that side as he also had a stiff neck and didn’t turn much the other way anyway. Trip to the Osteopath fixed that, and he feeds off both sides now. I was expressing hard out anyway because he was premature, so I did extra expressing on the right side to keep up the supply – and YES I was lopsided!!!
Both mine have preferred the right but accepted the left too… I’m lopsided but not sure how much of that is the feeding and how much I would have been lopsided anyway?
With my first bub, I had Mighty Righty. But bubs #2 was exclusively pumped for, so that evened things out. Wonder what #3 will do?
Ohh…I’m a 20DD and only feed from my left breast. Have done with all 5 of my children, and will with number 6 next year.
Yup, your milk dries up, or greatly diminishes, in the unused breast and unfortunately you are a bit umm…lopsided!
I put DS back on the left boob recently after 3 months of no feeds on the left… he was on for about 15 seconds came off shook his head and said “no too big ! ” I laughed and he went to the right boob saying ” little one please”
Both of my girls preferred the right side. The left side is bigger (when they are really little they can’t actually get on that side). I’ve also noticed that when I express that the left side is slower and doesn’t yield as much milk, even when I keep going for longer. I know of friends of friends who’ve had the one sided feeding and its not new, a friend of my mums did single sided when we were little.
I have a lot of friends who had trouble feeding from one side or the other and 9/10 times it was due to alignment of Bubs. Their spine/neck was out of line due to birthing or position in the womb, and until it was fixed they weren’t able to feed from a certain side. After that no trouble from either side.
My girl preferred the right from birth. I took her to the osteopath who worked his magic and now she feeds comfortably off both. He said her neck was damaged during birth and she wasn’t comfortable in that position. I seriously took her home, tried her on the left and she did a full feed from it. Haven’t had any issues since.
I only fed on the left side and that was exclusively until my boy was 8 months old! I then continued to bf till he was 14 months and self weaned. It all worked well for me, my left breast was bigger while I was feeding but they are similar sizes now!
My daughter fed almost exclusively from the left for the first 5 months of her life, maybe 1-2 half feeds a day on the right. from 5 -10 months she’s doing the opposite, will start on the left for 1-2 feeds, but end up fussing then feeding the rest of the time on the right. Weird how she’s switched around.
Yip, am feeding my boy on the left only, am normally quite small, so have one very large breast and one small, bugger the bra has gone!!
My daughter preferred the right and would fuss around on the left, even when I started her on the bad side. Now I’m lopsided! (Finished feeding about 8 months ago). Hopefully with my next baby the left side is preferred and then I can even up again!
I am a righty too, seems the preferred side.
Could it also be handedness? I’m right handed, my right boob is bigger…. maybe that would influence it. ?
My left side is bigger. I put it down to all my babies feeding mostly off that side during the night as then I could lie down and sleep while they fed without worrying about them falling out of the bed. (I’m right handed)
I always produced more on my left, felt more comfie feeding on the left (for both DD’s) but right was always slightly bigger (evened up a bit while b/fing & pregnant) & now 6 months after stopping b/fing for good, is back to being slightly bigger.
My babies had a hard time on my left side when new at first because it had a faster let down. I learned where to press on boob to slow it down and they all were fine with it and did adjust to the faster flow. Infact when they were having growth spurts and really hungry, that’s the side they ended up preferring but I still always fed from both.
I had a baby that only preferred left, and I do think it is because of what hand you use more, because you feel more comfortable holding them in the right position
My son feeds well from both but left is noticeably bigger (especially if I feed from right first!), when I express I always get at least one an half if not double the amount from my left than my right – how odd – I am right handed though so who knows why one side produces more? It’s a mystery.
I only feed from the left now (but more like a 12F right now) I’m terribly lopsided; I hope it’s not permanent!
First 18months I feed from both sides evenly, it’s only now he’s older he only wants righty.
How interesting! And I was concerned that I feed slightly more often from the right & it is slightly larger! My DD doesn’t care which side, she just wants all the milk she can get, but I did have a lot of trouble latching her on one side when she was first born, osteopath helped me too.
Osteopaths often see babies that prefer one side over another often to do with how easily they can turn their heads – sometimes one way is just more difficult than the other plus add the new skill of coordinating feeding and it can all get too much….i.e. fussing at the breast! How mum holds baby (her posture etc) can also influence this preference.
Mine feeds from both but prefers the left. Let down is slower but it has always produced more. Probably easier to feed with a slower flow when he was newborn so you end up with a preference developing.
What a super conversation ha ha 😉 Mine fussed on the righty too – but happy on the left. The osteopath said it’s about the natural fluid moving in his ears.
