Is feeding off one breast OK?

[Taurean]

Hi Girls

DD is down to one BF a day, the first morning feed. She use to favour my left breast but since weaning, she's switched to the right so much so that she won't really drink for my left side at all. This has been going on for a couple of weeks now and she will only spend 20 seconds or so at my left breast even if I offer that side first. She sometimes bashes my left side too, like "c'mon milk, I'm waiting and getting impatient!"

So do you think my left breast is *empty* (LOL!)? Should I just stop offering that side? Is it OK to just feed off one side? And the million dollar question - will my already saggy boobs get even worse and become lopsided?!

HELP!

[onthefly]

One side is fine. I would think since you're only doing one feed a day that there wouldn't be any difference in size. Your supply will have dropped a lot by now, of course, but it's not so much that one side isn't making milk (it will if she feeds on it), but that side may have a slower flow.

[mbear]

My DS now 14 mnths has been feeding off the one boob since about 10mths...side he preffered, and TBH, side i preferred. Supply has reduced a lot, so its not like ive got one full boob and another deflated. Never happened with the other kids...but i would think when this monkey weans, they would just balance out ??
GL !

[Bathsheba]

I BF my youngest for 2 years and for the last 9 months or so he only fed off my right breast. Yes it looked lopsided at the time but YES they evened up and are identical again. He is now 4.

[Taurean]

Thanks girls!!! That was just what I needed to hear.

I'll continue to offer her the left side but will stop worrying now if she's not all that interested. I find it amusing that she's swapped faves along the way, it was always the left and I thought it was because I naturally cradle her in my left but obviously the right has something better to offer these days. LOL!

[Kazmar]

Yeah continue!!!

My friend feed her 3 children all up to the age of 2 with one boobie! For some reason all 3 of them hated the left one? hahaha

[Taurean]

For some reason all 3 of them hated the left one? hahaha

Random, isn't it! My poor left side is feeling a little neglected (and very unloved when it literally cops a bashing from DD!)

[Bathsheba]

I've heard that the baby favours the same breast as the hand you write with... ie your dominant arm because it feels stronger/more secure.... also i suspect that your circulation is slightly greater/faster on that side of the body meaning milk is made faster? who knows why they favour.... maybe we could ask a child who has been breast fed until their "milk teeth" fell out (apparently this is a theory as to how old the human child is meant to be breast fed for according to mother nature)...and they could tell us why they have a preference!

[Kazmar]

Random, isn't it! My poor left side is feeling a little neglected (and very unloved when it literally cops a bashing from DD!)

My bbs are quite elastic, from Lucy hammering them! ouch!

[Taurean]

I've heard that the baby favours the same breast as the hand you write with... ie your dominant arm because it feels stronger/more secure.... also i suspect that your circulation is slightly greater/faster on that side of the body meaning milk is made faster? who knows why they favour.... maybe we could ask a child who has been breast fed until their "milk teeth" fell out (apparently this is a theory as to how old the human child is meant to be breast fed for according to mother nature)...and they could tell us why they have a preference!

That makes sense really and yes, I'm right handed! There was a link to a video on BB recently, posted by JustMe, and it was of a mother in the UK who is still BF her 7 year old (may have been 8 year old). I'm not sure how old the footage is but maybe she has a forum or website (given it's so unusual in the western world) and we could email her. The footage was quite amazing and both daughters (I think the younger one self weaned at 5) said how wonderful it tasted, "much better than melons" was the words one used for memory.

Hmmm, might google her!

ETA: found the footage again and apparently it's from a 2006 documentary called Extroadinary Breastfeeding http://vodpod.com/watch/932467-breastfeeding-at-8-

[Taurean]

On second thoughts (after googling about this lady), no, I won't go there!

[MummaSue]

Wow, that is so interesting - about them favouring the side that you write with - my little one TOTALLY favours my right hand side!!!

Weird huh?

Anyway, sorry to jump into the thread there!
Sue x

[Bathsheba]

After thinking about this and my own child's preference; when he was attached to my right side that meant that HIS right arm was the free one too (rather than being tucked under) and given that he has grown up to be right handed maybe he just felt more comfortable having his right hand out so that he could fiddle with my shirt etc which is what he did while BFing.

[onthefly]

Studies show that most women have a better supply/flow on one side or the other. It's most often the right - maybe it's the right-handed thing?

[Taurean]

It's quite interesting, isn't it! Maybe you're right Bath, maybe it is so they have their dominant hand free too. DD definitely liked the left when she was little and my left produced a lot more milk when expressing too but since she's gotten older, and appears to be favouring her right hand, she has taken a shine for my right breast. Hmmmm

[Snacks]

I think we are the exception then.
My LHS is definitely the preferred option for P and was for N too. I have been exclusively feeding from my LHS for several months now (maybe 6?!?) and I am right handed. I would be surprised if my kids prove to be anything but right-handed also.
Interesting though.

[Taurean]

I think we are the exception then.
My LHS is definitely the preferred option for P and was for N too. I have been exclusively feeding from my LHS for several months now (maybe 6?!?) and I am right handed. I would be surprised if my kids prove to be anything but right-handed also.
Interesting though.

Ah, there goes that theory

[Cass72]

I'm left-handed and he prefers my left!! How terribly intriguing!!