Problem with nipples after breastfeeding for 10 months... HELP?

Question

I've been breastfeeding my son exclusively for the past almost 10 months now, he does eat solid food but he FLATLY refuses anything like a bottle or sippy.

Ive spent a FORTUNE on EVERY kind of bottle or sippy at every store I could find. I seriously am saying E-V-E-R-Y cup, bottle, or nipple on the market. I digress however...

My son favors my left side... if you know what I am saying... I feed him from both but for the past moth or two he has been starting to REFUSE the right breast. Screaming, flailing and even making himself physically ill at times, until he gets his 'favorite' one...

Now here is my problem, Ive been giving in to his demands lately and now I'm noticing a change in that side. My right is drying out, and my left is... well its embarrassing, anyway. Its not rely noticeable, YET, but I don't want it to BECOME noticeable.

Its like he has killed the collagen in that nipple, it doesn't get cold anymore! Not THAT looks strange when that happens.

I'm stuck now, he wont take the other breast, he HATES the idea of bottles or sippys like poison... What do I do?

Anyone ever have a problem like this?

Answer 1

I think you should try a breast pump . But he's not read for a sippy til 1 most likely 2 years old. Put the breast milk in the bottle . If he refuse take put the bottle to his mouth and squeeze the nipple . So that he can know it's breast milk . Maybe he like the breast milk better. not all babies like powder milk or try that bottle thing like I said at the top ad put whole milk in the bottle . you know actualy try both see which One is the solution.

Answer 2

Pump the right side and use the milk to make his morning cereal.

Have you tried a straw cup?

You could try nursing on the right side lying down.

You could also talk with your dr for advice/suggestions.

I have a similar problem in the sense my baby will bite my right side but not the left side.

Breastfed exclusively until baby started to bite around 10-11 month b-day.

She'll be 12 months in about a week.

So in the mean time I've been pumping the right side while it heals. I'll let my baby take the right side about once a week.  

Answer 3

I had that problem with my youngest son. He favoured one side and flat out refused a dummy, to suck his thumb, drink a bottle or a sippy cup. He grew out of it in the end but I breastfed him for over two years and there was not too much noticeable difference in breast size. Best of luck, they can become stubborn little things.

Answer 4

I wish I had better ideas than just always offering the side he doesn't like first.

Try sneaking it in at the night feedings.  This may be a variation of a nursing strike, and sneaking the breast in at night is a classic technique for overcoming nursing strikes.

You could just pad the side he doesn't like when you go out in public.  It's not the best idea, but it'd take care of the cosmetic issue.  And you can certainly give him all the nutrition and nurturing he needs from the one breast, since it's possible to breastfeed twins, and even triplets, with just two b*****s.  So you can continue this way indefinitely, til he weans.

Good luck!

Answer 5

My son is somewhat the same.... although I can still get him to nurse on the right side, he just won't nurse as long, and he only falls asleep on the left side :)  Anyways, do you switch positions, or do you always feed in one certain position?  The reason I ask is because my son is very picky when we are sitting in a chair using the Boppy pillow, but if I lay him down on the bed next to me and nurse, he doesn't care which side he is on.  You may try to switch up positions and see if it helps... other than that, I would pump on the right side to at least keep them as close to the same size as possible, and if nothing else freeze the milk so that when he does start using a sippy cup, you can give him that milk once in a while.  Good luck!

Answer 6

You could try pumping on the unfavourable side and freeze it.  This way you have extra milk on hand also.  My 6 month month old also prefers one side.  But I have noticed that if I lay down on the bed, she seems to nurse on that side, if that breast is closest to the bed.  Good Luck!