[Magic_Mikki]

Devon prefers only my left side! He had a really hard time latching on to my right side, and doesn't stick around for very long!

Is this normal, and is there anything I can do about it??

[angelic_ky]

from my experience and talking with others i've found that most babies have a preferred side... i also had a slight latch problem and wouldn't stay long so i was told to try a different position and i found that did help

[twinzplus3]

Exactly what I was going to say. . .you may find that you have to nurse in one position on one side and in another position on another side. But yes, totally normal.

[vanaden]

it is normal for babies to prefer one side to the other. just making sure you are emptying the breast he's not nursing on or you'll get full and sore. Are you pumping that side?

[Magic_Mikki]

No I haven't been pumping my right side (the side he doesn't prefer). We had him on formula for two days while I took an antibiotic for an infection, and I pumped then. But I haven't pumped since because I thought it depleted the supply if you pump too early.. now I'm paranoid! hehe!

That side doesn't get too full, really... When I was pumping I would get about an ounce more out of that side than I would from my left side than I did from my left side. And now it doesn't really fill up to the hard-boob, leaking milk stage. He eats some from my right side, but not like he likes the left. I try to start him on my right side.

Now I'm just rambling. Now that I know it's ok that he doesn't eat as much from my right breast, here is my other question-- Is it OK that my breasts don't fill up with milk anymore? Until a couple of days ago, they would fill right up, especially between pumping (when I was only pumping). And now they are still.. uh.. soft and floppy even when he's ready to eat!

It seems like he is getting enough, so I'm not too worried. But I hope that the two days of pumping didn't deplete my supply!!! Is this normal?

[angelic_ky]

mine were/are alway soft and floppy, escept when my milk first came in and was slightly engorged (even then it wasn't as bad as i had read/been told) but i was still over-producing... i think you probably find is that your breast are getting use to having the milk... one time i couldn't remember which breast was use in the last feed so i guess and was wrong (so had 2 feeds in a row on the one side) after feeding her i went to go in for a bath, so i undressed took off my bra and the milk from the other breast just squrted out, and mean not just leaked the milk landed in the bath (about a yard from where i stood)... anyway with 2 days of pumping i don't think you can deplete your supply, it might dropped a bit but with nursing it would go back up, but as long as he is content and no longer hungry after a feed then it's probably fine... remember generally a new mother will over produce as your body not quite sure on whether it needs to supply for 1 baby or more nor does it know exactly how much milk the baby (or babies) will need

[twinzplus3]

Magic Mikki--you don't need to be afraid to pump but neither do you need to pump that side if it's not engorged. Actually, I like jumping into the shower and hand expressing to relieve engorgement. . .but the point is. . .relieve the engorgement. Hard and full is not how you are supposed to be. . .so make sure that you relieve that whenever it occurs.

But yes, as you continue to nurse your breasts will adjust and they only produce what your baby demands. So you shouldn't have hard breasts all the time.

[LeanyBean]

Completely normal. All the ladies here have very valid points. Different positioning and continually offering the non-favored breast will probably help out considerably. In fact in a few weeks you will most likely find what works for you and Devon and the problem will be a thing of the past. I went through the same thing with Gabe when we was 3 months.