Breastfeeding Support Group

While breastfeeding is recommended by many doctors, it is not as simple as it seems. This is a community dedicated to parents who are choosing to breastfeed, providing a safe place to discuss everything from pumping, to questions of whether baby is getting enough, weaning, breast care, scheduling, supply, and more.

258 Members

1,879 Posts

0 Online

truststhelord 01/06/2011

I'm looking for help on how to get milk production up on one side...my left boob produces less than half of the milk of my right. I've gone back to work and so I've been pumping much more regularly. In my morning pump (which is like 6 hours from my night time pump), I get a decent amount from my left side--like 2oz. and I get like 3oz from my right. But, at other times of the day, I sometimes only get 1/2 an oz from my left and over 2 oz from my right.
My dd also seems to get frustrated on my left side...like there isn't enough milk for her.
I've tried to get her to stay on my left side as much as possible and have let the pump go long, trying to get up production. Any other tips?

deleted_user 01/06/2011

I was the opposite. I always got way more out of my left than my right. They were never equal and my mid afternoon pump the disparity was always the greatest. I had supply issues and took everything under the sun to help and even being on domperidone they were never equal....

deleted_user 01/06/2011

I nursed 3 babies. and it was the same for me with all 3, and I pumped at work, too. It was a pain, and I hated when my babes would get mad at the lesser boob, but we did fine :).

deleted_user 01/06/2011

I had a similar issue. I would pump or nurse extra on the side that produced less and eventually it produced more, became the favorite side and I had the same problem again. You will probably always have one side that makes more milk. As long as you are comfortable and not 'lopsided' (which subsides in a few weeks anyway) I wouldn't worry. Just always put the baby on the breas that makes less at the beginning of each nursing session and be sure you empty the breast completely before switching sides.

deleted_user 01/06/2011

well I'm glad I'm not the only one, I was wondering if this was normal, I can get almost 5oz out of one breast and 3oz out of the other at times, sometimes it's less like 3oz out of one and 1 oz out of the other. It's always a 2 oz difference between them for some reason

deleted_user 01/06/2011

This is normal. 75% of us have the left boob make more, actually. If your baby gets flustered and does not want to nurse much on the breast that makes less, I suggest you start nursing on the "good" side first..that gets the let-down going, and after a couple of minutes, switch to the one that makes less. That should make your baby less flustered. Once he empties the unfavoured breast, go back to the "good" one.

Despite my best efforts, I was NEVER able to "even out" the production totally, not even with pumping more on the "lesser" side.

deleted_user 01/12/2011

I too had the same issue. My left produced alot more than the right. I did what Franny suggested and started out on the left and then went to my right. I never evened out and never will *sighing*

Join the Conversation