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More milk on right than left?



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 12th 03, 06:44 PM
Kathy
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Default More milk on right than left?


Here I am with yet another question...

I notice when I pump (with an Avent Isis) that my right breast seems to
produce a lot more milk than the left...or at least it releases more
milk for the pump than the left...I'd say close to twice as much. I
never really would've noticed it by just bf'ing my baby...I only noticed
because when I pump I can actually see the milk coming out.

Is this bad? Is there something I can or should do to increase the
amount of milk that my left breast produces? Or is it normal and I am
worrying myself over nothing?

One other question...do I need to worry about whether I am producing
foremilk or hind milk for the freezer stash I am making? Right now I am
just pumping once every other day, making a small stash of 2oz freezer
bags...I usually pump 1oz from one breast, and then switch to the other
for another ounce, even though I probably could keep going a bit more on
the first breast (especially if I start with the right). Does this mean
I am only getting the foremilk and the bottle I am making isn't as good
as if it contained the higher fat hind milk?

Thanks once again for your help!
Kathy


  #2  
Old October 12th 03, 07:08 PM
Shannon G
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Default More milk on right than left?


I notice when I pump (with an Avent Isis) that my right breast seems to
produce a lot more milk than the left...or at least it releases more
milk for the pump than the left...I'd say close to twice as much. I
never really would've noticed it by just bf'ing my baby...I only noticed
because when I pump I can actually see the milk coming out.

Is this bad? Is there something I can or should do to increase the
amount of milk that my left breast produces? Or is it normal and I am
worrying myself over nothing?


I've heard it is very common. I too pump 2X the amount on the right as I do
on the left. I let DD nurse on the left while I pump on the right in order
to optimize my pumping efforts. I know DD is more efficient that the pump
at getting out the milk. FWIW, my left breast is a bit smaller than the
right, even before nursing.

One other question...do I need to worry about whether I am producing
foremilk or hind milk for the freezer stash I am making? Right now I am
just pumping once every other day, making a small stash of 2oz freezer
bags...I usually pump 1oz from one breast, and then switch to the other
for another ounce, even though I probably could keep going a bit more on
the first breast (especially if I start with the right). Does this mean
I am only getting the foremilk and the bottle I am making isn't as good
as if it contained the higher fat hind milk?


I never worried about that except for the first few weeks of engorgement
when the first 2 ozs looked like water. I never saved that as DD was gassy
and I suffered from OAL. If you have a choice, I'd probably collect the 2
ozs. from one breast.

Shannon


  #3  
Old October 12th 03, 08:00 PM
Anne Rogers
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Default More milk on right than left?

One other question...do I need to worry about whether I am producing
foremilk or hind milk for the freezer stash I am making? Right now I am
just pumping once every other day, making a small stash of 2oz freezer
bags...I usually pump 1oz from one breast, and then switch to the other
for another ounce, even though I probably could keep going a bit more on
the first breast (especially if I start with the right). Does this mean
I am only getting the foremilk and the bottle I am making isn't as good
as if it contained the higher fat hind milk?


if you pump after a feed, you'll get super high quality milk

what I used to do was pump after almost every feed, I'd get about 1.5oz
from both breasts, I stored it in 6oz lots as that seemed to be the amount
ds ate. For what reason are you building up a stash? Even at the rate I
pumped it grows very slowly and when I needed to fall back on it it ran
out very quickly.

I think the my left side produces more than the right, but I'm not sure.

  #4  
Old October 12th 03, 08:52 PM
Jacqui Culverwell
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Default More milk on right than left?


I was the same - loads more milk on the right than the left. I theorised
that if DD/DS were happy and content after a feed, then they'd got enough
milk out. Babies are more effective than pumps at getting milk.

I'm sure that someone will correct me if I'm wrong here, but my
understanding of milk production is that once the let-down has happened and
the hind-milk is coming through, that milk is made there and then. That
means that as long as the baby stays latched on and suckling, milk is being
produced (although I found that to be a slow process compared to the first
part of the feed). As a baby is more effective at suckling than a pump, the
baby will continue to get milk from you, whereas with the pump you may
appear to run dry.

Jacqui

(I have posted before as Matt C (DH), but this is the REAL me!!)

"Kathy" wrote in message
...

Here I am with yet another question...

I notice when I pump (with an Avent Isis) that my right breast seems to
produce a lot more milk than the left...or at least it releases more
milk for the pump than the left...I'd say close to twice as much. I
never really would've noticed it by just bf'ing my baby...I only noticed
because when I pump I can actually see the milk coming out.

Is this bad? Is there something I can or should do to increase the
amount of milk that my left breast produces? Or is it normal and I am
worrying myself over nothing?

One other question...do I need to worry about whether I am producing
foremilk or hind milk for the freezer stash I am making? Right now I am
just pumping once every other day, making a small stash of 2oz freezer
bags...I usually pump 1oz from one breast, and then switch to the other
for another ounce, even though I probably could keep going a bit more on
the first breast (especially if I start with the right). Does this mean
I am only getting the foremilk and the bottle I am making isn't as good
as if it contained the higher fat hind milk?

Thanks once again for your help!
Kathy




  #5  
Old October 12th 03, 09:07 PM
Phoebe & Allyson
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Default More milk on right than left?

Kathy wrote:

I notice when I pump (with an Avent Isis) that my right breast seems to
produce a lot more milk than the left...or at least it releases more
milk for the pump than the left...I'd say close to twice as much.



That happens to me, too, but my left produces more than the
right. If I assiduously nurse on the right side for a day,
I can pump more the next day (so both sides produce about
the same amount for the pump). It's normal, and I don't
worry about it.


do I need to worry about whether I am producing
foremilk or hind milk for the freezer stash I am making?


I wouldn't arbitrarily stop at one ounce from one side.
When I pump one side at a time, I stop after 2 letdowns or
when I can't feel any more "full" spots on that side.
Usually that's more than an ounce.

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt

  #6  
Old October 12th 03, 09:11 PM
Phoebe & Allyson
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Default More milk on right than left?

Anne Rogers wrote:

if you pump after a feed, you'll get super high quality milk


If I pump after a feed, I get no milk at all. On the
other hand, I can pump for an eternity (more than 30
minutes), then latch the Caterpillar on and hear milk
running down her throat within seconds. If I pump in the
morning before I leave for work, then top her off with the
higher-fat milk that's left, she can go longer without
needing a bottle.

Same theory, but different things work for different people.

Phoebe
--
yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt

  #7  
Old October 12th 03, 09:57 PM
Kathy
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Default More milk on right than left?

Anne wrote:

For what reason are you building up a
stash? Even at the rate I pumped it grows
very slowly and when I needed to fall back
on it it ran out very quickly.


I'm a SAHM, so really I don't need a stash at all...but I wanted to have
some milk available in the freezer for an occasional night out with dh,
as well as for any emergencies that might arise that would keep me away
from DD for some reason.

We actually haven't given DD a bottle yet, but will be trying it soon.
I'm freezing the milk in small portions (2oz) until we know how much she
would typically take.

Thanks very much for your help!
Kathy

  #8  
Old October 12th 03, 10:01 PM
Kathy
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Default More milk on right than left?

Phoebe wrote:

I wouldn't arbitrarily stop at one ounce
from one side. When I pump one side at a
time, I stop after 2 letdowns or when I
can't feel any more "full" spots on that
side. Usually that's more than an ounce.


That's what I thought...from now on I'll stick with one side instead of
switching sides at the half way point.

Question: Is a "letdown" when a bunch of milk comes all at once? I
mean when I pump I'll get a lot of milk, and then nothing or some
dribbles, and then a lot of milk again. Am I right that the "lot of
milk" is a letdown? I don't think I've actually felt one yet with
DD...but maybe that will come in time? (She will be 1 month tomorrow).

Thanks for your help...
Kathy

  #9  
Old October 13th 03, 03:11 AM
Irrational Number
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Default More milk on right than left?

Kathy wrote:

I notice when I pump (with an Avent Isis) that my right breast seems to
produce a lot more milk than the left...


I always have this. The left one produces 3 oz. at most.
The right one varies between 1 oz. to 5 oz., but it's
almost always double the left.

Is this bad? Is there something I can or should do to increase the
amount of milk that my left breast produces? Or is it normal and I am
worrying myself over nothing?


I wouldn't worry about it. What I try to do is always
start Pillbug on the left breast to stimulate it to
produce more. That hasn't changed anything! But, I'm
able to pump enough and nurse him enough, so I'm not
worried about the disparity.

One other question...do I need to worry about whether I am producing
foremilk or hind milk for the freezer stash I am making?


I also wouldn't worry about this. If you're making a
stash to use *occasionally*, then if once in a while,
baby gets a bit more foremilk, that doesn't matter. If
you're like me, pumping 20 oz. a day at work for the
nanny the next day, well, it all evens out anyway.

-- Anita --
Pillbug is 4 months, about 20 pounds!

--
SUCCESS FOUR FLIGHTS THURSDAY MORNING ALL AGAINST
TWENTY ONE MILE WIND STARTED FROM LEVEL WITH ENGINE
POWER ALONE AVERAGE SPEED THROUGH AIR THIRTY ONE
MILES LONGEST 57 SECONDS INFORM PRESS HOME CHRISTMAS.

  #10  
Old October 13th 03, 03:53 AM
Anne Rogers
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Posts: n/a
Default More milk on right than left?

if you pump after a feed, you'll get super high quality milk

If I pump after a feed, I get no milk at all. On the
other hand, I can pump for an eternity (more than 30
minutes), then latch the Caterpillar on and hear milk
running down her throat within seconds. If I pump in the
morning before I leave for work, then top her off with the
higher-fat milk that's left, she can go longer without
needing a bottle.

Same theory, but different things work for different people.


:-), you mentioned a while back you never let down for a pump, I never
did either, I used to have a medela mini electric, but it broke and we
exchanged it for an isis, I got a mega quick let down with the petal
insert in, but as it gave me sore nipples I stopped using it, I still get
one pretty quick without, just a thought...

 




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