Most women notice differences in milk supply, pumping output, milk flow and/or size
between breasts. As with many other things (foot size, ring size, eyesight, etc.) asymmetry is normal in humans. In some women the difference between breasts is hardly noticeable; in others it is very noticeable. There is every variation in between. This is not usually a problem in terms of the breastfeeding relationship, so you certainly don’t need to do anything about it if the asymmetry does not bother you or baby; however some mothers prefer to even things out, particularly if there
is a very noticable difference in breast size. Now infants can get Sometimes babies will refuse or fuss at a breast when the let-down is
slower or too forceful, or the supply a bit lower. They in turn will prefer the side which lets down more/less quickly and in which the supply is more bountiful. Why does it happen?Possible reasons for variations in supply/milk flow between breasts:
If your newborn is refusing one side, have her doctor do a good physical exam to check for birth injuries. Some babies will have an injury that goes unnoticed at birth, but causes baby discomfort when in certain nursing positions. If baby suddenly begins to refuse one side, it could be caused by an ear infection or other illness in baby (making nursing painful or uncomfortable on that side), an injury to baby (or something else, such as a sore immunization site) that makes nursing painful in that position, or a breast infection in that breast (which can make the milk taste salty). Many babies who refuse one side do so because mom has a much faster or slower letdown on one side (baby might prefer either the faster or slower flow). If all other possible causes are ruled out and baby continues to refuse one side, then consider seeing your doctor just to rule out any breast problems. Evening things upIt is fine to just do nothing, but if the lopsidedness is bothering you, you can try to increase milk supply on the smaller side to increase the supply/breast size/milk flow on that side. Be careful, though, not to neglect the larger producing breast too much and allow too much backup of milk in that breast, because that may make you vulnerable to plugged ducts and mastitis. Here are some things that can help to even things up (you don’t need to do them all; start off with the one thing that looks most workable for you):
If the larger side becomes overfull, express just enough milk to relieve the pressure. Most mothers notice an “evening out” of some proportion within 3-5 days of doing these things. Most moms use these measures for a short time only, until they get the desired results, but others continue long-term. There may always be a small degree of difference in breast size – at least to your own eyes. If there is an obvious difference in appearance through your clothing, you may want want to use nursing pads to give a more even appearance. Usually a difference in size is much more noticeable to you than to anyone else. Persuading baby to nurse better on the less preferred side
Will baby get enough milk?Yes – your baby can get all that she needs as long as she is allowed to nurse as often as she wishes – even if you nurse exclusively on only one side. If there is simply a difference in supply between breasts, baby will adjust her nursing to compensate. Overall milk production is generally not a concern unless other factors are involved. If baby is completely refusing one side, you’ll want to pump that side as often as she nurses to maintain supply until you get her back nursing on that side. If all else fails, one-sided nursing is very possible as long as your baby is allowed to What does it mean when one breast produces more milk?One breast may have more milk-producing tissue, larger milk ducts, or a more forceful letdown response. However, milk production is directly linked to milk consumption, so if your baby favors one breast over the other, the preferred breast will produce more milk.
Is it normal for one breast produce more milk than the other?O'Connor says that it is normal for breast anatomy to have variation and for one of your breasts to simply have more mammary tissue than another. This can be a reason why one of your breasts produces more milk than another, and why your baby may prefer one side over another.
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