When I was in my early twenties, I had exploratory surgery for breast cancer. I was lucky and did not have cancer, but this does mean that I have scar tissue in one breast. At the time, I wondered what this would mean when I came to nurse my babies. My doctor insisted that the scar tissue was not too deep and that nursing would not be affected, but I was still concerned.
When I began to nurse my daughter, I noticed that one side made much more milk than the other. I thought that this was a bit odd, but somewhat expected given my medical history. When I nursed my daughter, she preferred the side with more milk and over time, we stopped nursing on the slower side.
Although most women have not had surgery on their breasts, many people do have a side that produces less milk. If you’re nursing a newborn and you notice this happening, never fear!
Why does this happen? Well, milk is a matter of supply and demand. In my case, I am heavily left-handed. When I nursed my newborn and supported her head and worked on her latch, I placed my left hand behind her head to maneuver it into position. This meant that we nursed more adeptly on my right breast. When I nursed my daughter while walking around the house or while she was in the sling, I tended to favor my left hand as the one that carried the bulk of her weight. Hand dominance definitely plays a role. The more you nurse on one side, the more milk it will make.
Perhaps you have a side that got mastitis or sore nipples at the beginning of your nursing career. I know that I did. Unconsciously, you tend to favor the side that is less sore. You start on that side, then start on it again the next time. One breast becomes the favored side, leading to greater supply.
What can you do to balance your milk supply? Take good care of both breasts during early nursing, watching for cracked nipples and soreness. Alternate sides during a feeding, and as time goes on, continue to be conscious of what side you are nursing on instead of using one by default.
In the end, it doesn’t matter that much, though. Once your milk supply is stable and your child is no longer a newborn and is eating some solids, your body can often accommodate nursing on a single side. We nursed for quite a while on that one side, and you can too!