If Baby Only Nurses On One Side Should I Pump The Other
Babies don’t ALWAYS breastfeed from both sides.
Because, let’s face it, they’re humans after all. And sometimes we want a full meal, and sometimes we just want a snack!
So, the question remains: If baby only nurses on one side, should you pump the other?
PRO-TIP: You always want to at least OFFER both breasts until 6 weeks postpartum (when your milk supply is fully established). But, don’t worry if sometimes your baby seems satisfied after just one breast.
Let’s explore…
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If Baby Only Nurses On One Side Should I Pump The Other?
The 1st question you have to ask yourself after baby only nurses on one side is:
Are you comfortable on the side the baby didn’t nurse on?
If you don’t feel overly full - you can opt to just relax and remember to feed on the side baby didn’t feed on at the next session first.
If your other breast feels uncomfortable and super full - you can hand express or pump on the other side in order to prevent future clogged ducts/mastitis. If you don’t want to increase your milk supply, hand express/pump just enough to relieve the pressure.
The 2nd question you want to ask yourself after baby only nurses on one side:
Are you happy with your milk supply or do you want to increase it and/or start building up a stash of breast milk for freezer?
Not everyone needs to have a freezer full of milk or needs to increase their milk supply.
Pumping is completely optional if:
• baby is latching well and nursing is going well
• you don’t mind keeping baby with you for outings and don’t plan on being separated for any long stretches
Remember, breast milk is made on a supply and demand basis.
So if you’re breastfeeding on demand AND adding in pump sessions too frequently (especially early on), you may encourage your body to start making too much milk and have an oversupply.
If you make more breast milk than your baby needs, it can lead to its own set of challenges. Oversupply can make breastfeeding difficult for both mother and baby.
Signs of Breast Milk Oversupply:
Baby chokes or gulps quickly at the breast during letdowns and has trouble handling the flow of milk
Each feeding feels like a struggle or battle
Your breasts never feel empty and refill quickly between feedings
Fussiness during feedings and difficulty latching due to engorged breasts
Baby has green, loose, or explosive stools
Excessive gassiness and spit up
You have frequent clogged ducts or bouts of mastitis.
If you DO want to increase your milk supply and/or build a freezer stash:
If your baby is around 4-6 weeks old, you can start adding in pumping sessions 1-2 times per day without sending your milk production into overdrive.
If you’re in this situation, you can opt to pump the other side that baby didn’t nurse on. It’s actually a really convenient time to breast pump during feed sessions after your baby only nurses on one breast.
Note:
If you need to INCREASE your milk supply, you can pump on one breast at the same time as baby nurses on the other. This may take some practice but baby nursing can enhance the number of letdowns you have for pumping.
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