Lopsided breast when breastfeeding can be said to be like the asymmetry of life has caught us in almost all spheres of life, and in this context, breastfeeding and breast milk flow aren’t left out.
If you’ve had one breast produce more milk than the other during breastfeeding, and you are worried as to why that should be, I will advise you to stop worrying about it.
As long as you are producing enough milk to satisfy your baby, instead of looking at the bottle as half empty, look at it as half full by joining us to talk about the cause and how to fix lopsided breasts when breastfeeding.
Let’s flow along.
What Causes One Breast to Produce More Milk?
One of your breasts may produce more milk than the other for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons is that most nursing mothers experience some breast asymmetry but whether one breast produces more than the other, this should not be a thing of great concern as far as milk produced is enough to satisfy your baby.
Other reasons why lopsided breast when breastfeeding occur which may lead to one of your breasts may produce more milk than the other include:
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injury to the breast
One breast may produce more milk than the other if the breast is traumatized due to an inadequate latch, using a pumping flange that is too tight, or being hurt at the breast or nipple.
This is a less frequent cause of irregular milk supply,
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Less glandular tissue
These are tissues responsible for breast milk production and they increase in size as one gets pregnant and is breastfeeding.
Anatomically, one breast does sometimes have more granular tissue than another and this could be responsible for lopsided breast when breastfeeding and also for one milk producing more milk than another.
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Baby Preference
It is ok naturally for a child to prefer feeding from one side of the breast to another.
Reasons could be birth defects, conditions affecting the mother and nipple, and the preferred breast which empties and refills often tend to be the preferred by the baby.
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Breast surgery
Complications of breast surgery for example Nerve damage or damage to breast tissue can lead to a low supply of milk from the affected part and more production of breast milk on the other side.
How to Maintain a Balanced Milk Supply
Here are a few tips on how to maintain a balanced milk supply in cases of lopsided breasts when breastfeeding.
- When nursing your baby, start with the breast that produces less milk and have him empty it fully before switching to the one that produces more milk.
- When nursing your baby, start with the breast that produces less milk and have him empty it fully before switching to the breast that produces more milk. The breast that produces less milk will produce more the more you breastfeed with it.
- Find techniques to persuade the infant to focus a little more on the low-producing breast if he or she indicates a preference.This might entail trying various nursing positions and seizing the opportunities presented by his less impatient periods.
- Massaging your breast is another way to enhance the flow of milk, so always message the less-producing breast from the base toward the nipple to improve and enhance the flow of milk.
- Lastly, always ensure you get back help from an expert concerning your heartfelt questions on breastfeeding and challenge, since they have been in the field, and have experience, they will always have answers to your questions.
You shouldn’t feel concerned or wounded if one breast produces more milk than the other.
Read also: How long does breast milk last after warming?
In addition to the uneven appearance and variations in output that the mother typically notices, if you ever feel uncomfortable with either of these two, don’t be afraid to try to rectify it for your self-esteem.