Baby only nurses one side?

Question

my baby - 12 days old, for the past 2 feedings has only been nursing one side for about 20 min and then refusing the other. is this normal?

Answer 1

I have been looking into breastfeeding due to my baby due next week when talking to health care providers they have told me that you should offer your baby one breast at a time as the first milk to come out is slightly more watered down then the fatty milk at the back of the breast, and to try to empty the breast before offering the other .

Answer 2

I breastfed both my children from one side at each feeding.  One feeding, I nurse from the left and the next feeding I fed from the right.

I was never told I had to do both sides, no actually I did start that with my oldest, but my doctor said not to bother, she'd get enough from one side.

Both my children got their fill from one breast only and had no issues what so ever.

Good luck!

Answer 3

oh nooo please dont do that or you will end up like me!  my son so prefers my left breast so now i have a lop sided titty lolllll and worse yet when it's full it looks big rather than the right side one

Answer 4

No! you need to do 10 minutes on each side it's not that he/her doesn't want the other side it's that he/she is full from eating 20 minutes geez poor baby trying to make it eat for 40 minutes....just time it 10 minutes.....burp and switch sides....it's that easy.  

Answer 5

It's not clear if you are saying that your child favours one side (which is not unusual).

You don't have to offer both sides at every feed.  If the baby is satisfied after having one side then that's fine. Just make sure you start on the other side next feed.

If you swap b*****s too quickly your baby will not get enough hind milk to satisify him.  It sounds like he's Ok on one side.  20 mins isn't unusual. Just make sure he's still taking milk and not just having a lovely nuzzle on your b***s!

Answer 6

There is a diference between foremilk (what comes out first,) and hindmilk (what comes out last.)  But don't worry so much about getting in both b*****s at the same feeding.  I've been feeding my 5 week old from only one breast per feeding (unless he still acts hungry after falling off himself then I'll do the other,) and he's fine!  Just make sure you are switching between feedings so that your milk supply wont decrease!

Just keep doing what you are doing!  Later when your baby is older they will have bigger tummys to hold more milk!  Right now her tummy is just about as big as her fist!