Breastfeeding: One Breast Is Larger Than The Other; What Can I Do To Even Them Out?

Question

My daughter is 7 weeks old and I have been breastfeeding her since day one. I pump every 3 to 4 hours at work and at night try to alternate breast when feeding her. My problem is one breast is not producing enough milk. It looks really bad! One breast is a size A and the other is a C. I can not wear a nursing bra or a regular bra; I have to wear a very padded bra so I will not look crazy. What can I do to get the other beast to produce more milk? Please Help!!

Answer 1

I read about this in "So That's What They're For: Definitive Breastfeeding Guide".

This tends to happen when one side is being nursed from/stimulated more often than the other. When I started nursing I had one twin that would only nurse from my right side. As a result that side was producing more when I pumped and started getting bigger than the other side. Here's a few things you can do:

1. Try and encourage your daughter to nurse from the smaller side more. She should be nursing from both breasts at each feeding. Usually about half from each side. It might be that she's more hungry when nursing from the larger size which is why it's producing more milk.
2. Pump just from the smaller side for about 10 minutes after your daughter finishes nursing.
3. Put something cold (a bag of frozen peas works well) on the bigger side and something warm (washcloth with hot water works well) on the other side. Or, try the Breast Therapy pads from Gerber that you can freeze in your freezer or heat in the microwave.
4. Are you double pumping (both sides at once)? If not switch to a pump that gets both sides at once. Make sure you're pumping the same amount of time on both sides during the day.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Okay, this may sound crazy, but PLAY WITH IT. Just rub it, massage it, put heat on it and wait. I've been left with one breast slightly larger than the other from nursing two children. I wear a bra to fit the smaller breast and just ram the big one in there. I suppose with one A and one C breast that option won't work for you. Seriously, massage that little breast and hope for milk.

Answer 3

You can use the smaller breast more often, or better yet, pump the smaller one everytime the baby feeds from the larger one. This may get the milk production up.

This being said, it is very normal for your breasts to stay at two different sizes while breast feeding. I know this stinks, but they should go back to a (nearly) similar size when you are done.

Good luck to you and BRAVO fro breastfeeding that baby of yours!

Answer 4

The same happened to me.... I tried everthing the la-leche league and the doctors told me to do. Even pumping on that side after feeding on it. Nothing worked..... In the What to expect the first year book it states that many mothers have this problem. I just went to Sears and bought a bra that fit the larger breast and bought pads to go in the other side..... Baby girl is now 3.5 months old and doing wonderful... Just know you are a great mom and you are doing what is best for you and your little one....

Answer 5

Stimulate the smaller one more to even them out a bit try to use the smaller one with feeding. You may want to try some herbal tea called mothers milk or maybe some fenugreek pills but that will help produce milk in BOTH breast. I would seek a lactation consultant possibly

Answer 6

This works for me: in the beginning, my bra ought to have an underwire. it works greater suitable regardless of if it relatively is not a nursing bra. The area of the bra that is going around the interior factor of your breast must be a comfortable greater healthful. once you're arranged to nurse, pull basically a factor of your breast out and enable that comfortable line of fabric help your breast particularly of attempting to hold it with your hand. it works like a sling or a crutch! additionally, no count how "open" you're, i individually experience that it remains suitable to bypass to a greater inner maximum area and use an quite mild-weight blanket to conceal your self... those handcrafted crochet blankets with lots of holes are suitable, additionally those mild cotton recieveing blankets. If I have been in a resturaunt, i might request a seat at a sales area far flung from the different occupants. If I have been in a procuring mall, i might bypass to the upscale branch shop because of the fact greater than a number of the ladies' rooms in those places have a front room area the place you may take a seat mushy and not must be so discreet. On an airplane- window seat with your husband at your side. to each her very own, and toddler has each and every good to eat, yet Mommy remains a female who might under no different situation exhibit her breasts in public!

Answer 7

Ask a lactation consultant, but I would think that trying to pump more on the breast that is smaller might help increase the milk production. Also you might want to go to your OB/GYN and have them check it out to make sure that you do not have some kind of infection in that breast.

Answer 8

you may need to see a doctor. it is normal for one breast to be larger than the other but not that much larger. try nursing her out of the bigger one for a while and see if that helps. i would see a doctor to find out how to help produce more milk or talk to your local WIC office good luck

Answer 9

It's very common, usually the left side is larger. Ask the Dr. when you go back, unless there is a problem with the ducts, it'll be ok. Many women have unequal sizes, it's very common, even if not nursing. I call it the chinese syndrome..... "One Hung Lo"

Answer 10

either pump for longer on the smaller breast or have your daughter breastfeed longer and stay on that breast for a while