One breast produces less milk

by Sunny
(Inglewood, CA )

My son is in NICU and I've been pumping for almost two months. My right breast produces only 1/3 of the milk the left one does. It also takes longer for the milk on the right to come out. Should I be concerned? How can I get the right breast to produce equally.

Answer from the lactation consultant:
It is very common for one breast to outproduce the other. That being said, it would be beneficial for you to see a lactation consultant who can do a physical exam to rule out problems.
I would also suggest stimulating more on that one side. So in other words, pump 5 minutes longer on that breast alone. EVEN if nothing is coming out, pump an extra 5 minutes. Extra stimulation should help.
You could consider trying goats rue. Goats rue has been noted to help stimulate the growth of mammary tissue, So if that breast has less mammary tissue than the other Goats Rue will help. But this is is just one possible cause.


Of course, please consult your primary care doctor and the neonatologist before ingesting any herb.

Again a full assessment by a lactation consultant is in order. If you cannot find a local lactation consultant, I would be happy to do a phone or email consultation with you.

Hope this helps,
Liz Pevytoe, RN, IBCLC