Why would a 5 day old newborn refuse the left side all of a sudden? She was eating fine on it before bed and now she gets hysterical when I put her on it. Right side is fine, nothing has changed since a feeding earlier this evening.
ETA: I tricked her into eating on it by starting on the right and switching but what gives?
pomegranate / 3601 posts
Maybe it smelled funny to her? Did you shower and use gel or use lotion that could've gotten on the nipple? Hope she'll be back to normal for the next feed. 
cantaloupe / 6610 posts
@jetsa: Is it possible your letdown is more forceful on that side? I think I have a slightly forceful letdown on both, but it's worse on one side and we have to constantly adjust her position so she doesn't sputter and choke, and sometimes it's like she's afraid to nurse on that side....Total shot in the dark but thought I'd throw it out there!
grapefruit / 4681 posts
My left side has a slower letdown then the right. It also produces significantly less milk. While my first nursed from both sides, he still favored the right. My second had a really hard time with the left side. She eventually refused to nurse from it all together no matter what trick I tried. For awhile I offered it and pumped from it, but eventually just gave up during her second year and only nurse from the right. It no longer produces.
Do you pump (might be to early for that)? That's when I really noticed the differences between the two sides. It takes a lot longer for my left to respond to the pump and the flow is not as good. It could just be a subtle difference between the two that has her favoring the other side, but I would continue to offer it. Sometimes they say to start on the least fVorable side, but my LO wouldn't nurse at all then. I think kellymom.com has some tips for dealing with this.
grapefruit / 4663 posts
@PrincessBaby: my left is my "easy" side so I was thinking something like this.
@Pumuckl: showering is high on the list today 
@anbanan15: my "left" is typically my easier side but who knows. I haven't pumped for this LO yet. Last time they produced about the same
Luckily for me LO1 is headed to daycare today so I can spend all day forcing her to nurse and hopefully break this habit before it really becomes an issue. She's now fighting me on both sides but worse on the left
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
What position do you nurse in? Can you try a different position for your left side? If you're doing cradle/cross-cradle and it's only while laying on that one side that your infant finds upsetting, it's possible she has an ear infection... though I really hope not!! 
grapefruit / 4681 posts
Positioning is a good point! Both of my LO's preferred side lying.
grapefruit / 4663 posts
@Adira: I tried cradle, football, and upright. She seems to be okay with it now. Silly newborns
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
both of my girls used to do that, on my left side too! the right side was shaped differently and easier for her to latch on to. the lactation consultant had me do the cradle position on the right and slide her over - so her body was around my left side. confusing but it tricked her into relatching and then we just had to play around. usually football hold got her to latch on that side til she was bigger!
grapefruit / 4418 posts
My daughter did the same thing! It resolved itself after a few weeks but it was rough. Just keep offering and trying! Probably is a change in letdown (too fat or too slow) or different size is making it harder to latch? Hang in there! Nursing is so much easier when they're bigger!
grapefruit / 4663 posts
@sorrycharlie: @catomd00: I think you guys may have nailed it. She has a shallow latch (which ouch) on the right side bc the nipple is flatter and I think that's why she prefers it so mean old mommy is forcing a good latch on the right and then she'll take both sides 
pineapple / 12793 posts
DD2 prefers my right and has a harder time latching on the left when we're out and about. I often use football hold and pretend my left is my right by using more of a cradle hold with my arms.
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