Help, refusing one breast only!!!!

[Charlotte & Georgia's Mummy]

My 15 week old daughter has suddenly decided to refuse feeding from the right breast.
This has happened on s few occasions, but generally she is a very good feeder. Now she has suddenyl refused the right side, and has fed successfully on the right twice since last thursday night.
I've tried starting her on the left and switching to the right, with little success. I've tried feeding on the left and topping up with the right, and I've also tried starting on the right.
I've tried expressing after feeds so she'll take that side next time, and I've tried expressing before a feed so the breast is not too full.
I don't think it's a position problem because when she has fed on the right side it has not been any different to any other time I've fed her.
Is this something she will grow out of? Could it be just a phase??
Help please, any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated.

One very confused and a little frustrated mummy,
Michele

[drewid]

Hi

My 7 month old goes through stages of rejecting the right breast as well. Its a phase, comes and goes every few weeks. I just keep persisting with offering it. If he doesn't take it, I give him the left. After he's had the left I will try again with the right, and if he doesn't take it, then thats the end of the feed.

I know from experience that if he is truly hungry he will take both.

I've never expressed or anything to try and even it up or whatever. I do find that if he misses a feed or two on the right that eventually its rather full (!) and he will take to it better then. I guess cos the flow is lot stronger cos its that much fuller.

Anyway thats just my experiences! I try not to let it frustrate me, it used to drive me bonkers. Now I just go with the flow....

[JanetF]

Definitely a phase! Everything with babies is a phase ;) My son sometimes prefers one breast over the other and it's the one that runs the fastest. If you go along to your local ABA they'll have lots of support for you on this :D If bubs is showing any signs of pain, you might like to get her checked over by an osteopath in case her neck is out of alignment because sometimes this can make it hard for babies to feed on both sides. However it might just be a bub who likes a fast flowing breast ;) It is perfectly normal, and you are doing the absolute best thing by bfing her. Sometimes we just need a little extra IRL support from other bfing mamas. *hugs*

[JenNT]

My 4 week old son is the same, we are full time right side feeding, not on the left at all now, its all dried up. I expressed for 3 weeks from it but the nurse said that its ok to feed from one side. She likened it to chocolate milkshake coming out of one compared to green vege on the other :p Working ok for us, just i'm a bit lopsided!!
HTH Cheers Jen

[JanetF]

Jen, a friend of mine fed her son on one side only from the time he was 12 months. He's now 3 and she's tandem feeding and he's still only on one side. If Jane McGrath can bf with only one breast, so can we! :D