One Sided?

I had that issue with my daughter at first. She liked how I held her on my right side and not the left. What I did was trick her in a sense. I would hold her on the right and twist my body so I could feed her with my left breast. It worked like a charm for us. It was a little uncomfortable for me but not as uncomfortable as an engorged breast was. Anyways, we only did that for a few days and I was able to find a comfortable hold that worked for both of us. Good luck, and if she can't get her to take it yet, pumping can provide some relief.

CONGRATS!!

Nipple shields only serve to protect the nipples when they are super sensitive in the beginning, and to draw the nipples out if they're inverted. Have her pump on that side if it's bothering her, but the trick to getting the baby to nurse on that side is to offer that breast first, when babys most hungry. Have her try changing position so she's laying more like she would be on the right breast when she's nursing from the left.

Good luck and congrats again on the new grandbaby :)

My 2nd daughter was like that. Only wanted to nurse on 1 side. I' m pretty sure it's because I felt much more comfortable holding her in my left arm (nursing on the left breast). In order to get her to nurse on the right I would keep her in the same position instead of switching to cradle her in my right arm. I used pillows to support her body. Worked out great. Have your daugher give it a try and start out on the engorged side first. Since it might be a little hard to grasp tell her to pump a little first.

Tell her to pump that side... babies always have a breast preference to the point where they will ignore one side completely. Once she pumps enough to lessen the engorgement, have her try nursing that side but a different position... sometimes the position isn't as comfortable for the baby which makes them not nurse on that side.

I agree with the other Mama's...have her pump the side that baby is refusing to latch onto...and then...after it isn't so full and the nipple is more pliable...have her try the "football hold" ( hold her off to the side of her body instead of across her body)....so that she is basically laying in the same position that she would be when nursing on the side that she latches onto...see if that helps.

Ask the hospital for a referral to a lactation consultant. They can help figure out why she favors one side and strategies to help. Good luck!

K.:

Your daughter's body is sooo young and trying to work...I bet being engorged is SOO NOT FUN!!!!

My second son preferred nursing on the right side - what we found out was that his ears were not fully developed so it was VERY uncomfortable for him to "lean" on his left side...

Pump both breasts after she nurses...it will help with the hind milk as well.

Never did nipple shields. Sorry - can't help you with that one!!

GOOD LUCK!! And Rosalie is just beautiful!! I loved all that jet black hair!! She was sooo alert too!! WOW!!

If you have a breast pump, I would use it to relieve some of the pressure. If the right is so engorged that the baby can't latch on, pumping for a minute or two will help. I also used warm washclothes and warm showers to help when I was engorged. You might want to add something about breastfeeding on the title. There are so many moms who could probably offer better advice.

I would suggest that your daughter bring her to a chiropractor. (Find one that takes special training in infants.) It could be that it hurts or is uncomfortable for her to be in certain positions. Delivery is hard on babies too. We've had GREAT experiences with getting our newborns adjusted! Won't hurt her and very well may help her!

You may want to check with a lactation consultant to learn the football hold. It can be a little akward at first but it helps. My daughter preferred the right side. I never got engorged--especially since I pumped once I went back to work. But it made me feel lopsided. it took a couple of weeks but once we got it down, it worked well.

I never used nipple shields but did lots of experimenting with different holds! My girls both were only on side at a time nursers. I always pumped after nursing. Some women pump while nursing. That will help with the engorgement. Good luck to them!

Express some milk from the engorged side, it's mostly the colostrum anyway... while her nipple is still wet and pliable after manipulating it for a bit patiently put baby on that side. Main thing is mom not getting "tense", baby can feel that.

I did use nipple shields because I had overactive letdown. I think you should encourage her to see a lactation consultant. It may be that one nipple is easier for the baby to use so she prefers it. Or the hold is better. Kellymom.com has a lot of good nursing info. The thing with a shield is you should use it under the advice of an LC and you should also work to get off the shield at some point. If you don't have OALD, it can hinder your milk production. That said, I know women who pump one side and nurse one side or just nurse one side only. There was some nursing book I read where the author did that (Nursing Mother, Working Mother or So That's What They're There For). She can also take the edge off by expressing a little before nursing. Either hop in the shower or use a hand pump (and then store the milk). I give her credit for breastfeeding when she is so young. I wish all of you luck. Tell her to hang in there for 6 weeks. The first weeks she has a lot to learn and so does her baby. Once she gets past that, it is so much easier than bottles (I worked, so I pumped and bottle fed at daycare, too). If she is nervous about nursing in public, get her a cool cover up. The shawls from Bebe Au Lait are expensive but WORTH it. I had 2 and they lasted 2.5 years of near-constant use (I have stepkids so I used a cover at home, too...personal preference). Baby's output will tell Momma about input. The number of diapers is a better indicator than worrying about ounces.

Make sure that she hand expresses some milk before the baby nurses so that she can latch on....put the baby under her right arm (hold her like a football) to fool her into thinking it is the left breast.....taking a warm shower sometimes helps the milk let down in order to relieve engorgement....massage the area around the nipple to soften it so she can get enough of it in her mouth......I had some success with shields but recommend that she keep working at the above often, every hour or two, until she gets established.....