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My LO is 9 months and has only ever nursed from 1 side at a time, except around 6 months she started taking both sides right before bed. My supply regulated to the point where I would not (and still don't) get engorged going 5 to 6 hours between feedings on each side. I haven't gotten mastitis.

I do not work full time but do work out of the home some and have always been able to pump to match her needs; I just roughly line up pumping times to match when she'd nurse and pump the side she would have nursed from if I was with her. I built up a freezer stash when she started sleeping longer stretches at night by nursing on the first side and pumping an ounce or two on the other. I'd still have enough to nurse her again in 3ish hours from the side I pumped and the 1 to 2 ozs started adding up.

If it's any consolation I'm away from my LO for 6 days right now (on day 5 currently) and still pumping 20 to 24 ozs per day by pumping just one side at a time!

@Boopers: I can only respond based on 2 and 4.

Both my kids have only nursed on one side until they’re older, like 8 months+. Right now my second is 3.5 months and nurses on one side exclusively every 2.5-3.5 hours. I don’t feel like I have supply issues and he is pretty full and gaining appropriately. I have felt a little bit full a few times and have pumped the other side between a feeding or after a feeding of I know it’s goong to be a long time and I feel uncomfortable. I don’t make a habit of it though because: I’m a stay at home mum and don’t need the milk, he doesn’t drink from a bottle anyway and probably wouldn’t unless desperate, and I didn’t want to make myself have an oversupply or get my boobs used to being used that frequently since he doesn’t nurse that way. I want my supply to just match what he needs/wants. I rarely feel engorged or engorged enough to pump and have gone 5 hours between a feeding a few times. Have also been lucky enough to never have a clogged duct or mastitis and hope that continues.

If you’re wanting to save a freezer stash though then it makes sense to me to pump some from the side baby doesn’t nurse on. I’d also try pumping a bit from the side that was nursed in too. I think at some point they want to eat from both sides. I’m waiting for that anyway. I forget when it occurred with my first. I also have super short nursers, eat from one side for under 10 minutes and then carry on with their day. I don’t know what that means about my milk.

DS is almost 9 months old and I went back to work fulltime when he was 12 weeks. Once my supply regulated, we've been pretty much been doing one feed per side.

1. Did you ever deal with mastitis going so long between feedings? Nope - I've had clogged ducts a few times, but it's been quite a few months since I've had that happen.

2. Did you feel like you could maintain your supply going 5-6 hours between feedings on each side? Yes, supply has been fine. The only thing that tanked it was when I went back on the non-hormonal BCP. The doctor told me it wouldn't affect my supply. um, it totally did. Once I stopped that, my supply eventually went back up with some help from supplements.

3. If you went back to work and pumped were you able to pump enough for your LO each day? Yes - So, I would feed him before dropping him at daycare, pump at 10 and 2 and get maybe 8 oz each time. I would feed him when I got home and again right before bed. It's a bit different now that he's eating dinner, so the nursing right when I get home is gone. Eventually, I did have to supplement from my freezer stash for a few months. But, it was only a bag or two a week at most. Now with DS at 9 months, his milk intake has really decreased, but I'm still pumping about the same amount. So, for the first time in what seems like ages, I actually put a bag in the freezer last week!

4. Did you choose to pump the other side your LO didn’t nurse on to help maintain your supply and build a freezer stash? Somewhat, i guess? So, when I feed him right before daycare/leaving for work, I pump the other side at the same time. Takes some juggling, but then, I can get an extra ounce or two. At night bedtime feed, I do feed him both sides. But, all during the night, it's only one side at a time. For maybe 2 months, I would feed him on one side and then go pump the other side. I was able to create quite a hefty freezer stash this way. I eventually stopped doing this and although there were a few uncomfortable nights (where my boobs were adjusting), my body has figured it out.

I will say that on weekends, I really only feed him one side at a time, except for his bedtime feed. During the work days, it's kind of a crap shoot regarding how he slept at night. But, I try to stick to one side at a time on the weekends.

DD is almost 9 months and usually will only nurse one side, sometimes both at bedtime, which is when I have the least milk.

1. Did you ever deal with mastitis going so long between feedings? No, I had a clogged duct on one side but hot baths/massage got rid of it.
2. Did you feel like you could maintain your supply going 5-6 hours between feedings on each side? Yes, never any issues.
3. If you went back to work and pumped were you able to pump enough for your LO each day? I went back to work at 7 weeks, and average 4-5 oz each pump, which is what she drinks.
4. Did you choose to pump the other side your LO didn’t nurse on to help maintain your supply and build a freezer stash? Only if I was super engorged.

Both of my kids have been 1 side nursers.

1. Did you ever deal with mastitis going so long between feedings? I had one time with my first, but I think I had a virus that made me not get out a blocked duct more than starting with mastitis.

2. Did you feel like you could maintain your supply going 5-6 hours between feedings on each side? I have a large supply in each breast. In actuality, both kids slept through the night early and I was routinely going up to 16 hours without nursing at 3 months. I have a large breast supply and at 3 months got 14-16 ounces when I didn't nurse in the morning.

3. If you went back to work and pumped were you able to pump enough for your LO each day? I was in the beginning. I am not making enough for DD now that she is 9 months, but DD loves her solids. I have no worries that I don't have enough for her by nursing. I am just giving her food and water in her sippy cup.

4. Did you choose to pump the other side your LO didn’t nurse on to help maintain your supply and build a freezer stash? I didn't, but in the beginning, my breasts were so full that I had to pump some just for my comfort and for her to be able nurse. I have about 60 ounces in the freezer and am pulling out 3-5 ounces each week. I just hope to get to the beginning of January when DD will be 11 months. I'll just move to milk early if I have to.

DD is 7 months old and has been a one side at a time nurser since she was born.

1. Did you ever deal with mastitis going so long between feedings?

Nope.

2. Did you feel like you could maintain your supply going 5-6 hours between feedings on each side?

Yep. But supply has never really been a problem for me.

3. If you went back to work and pumped were you able to pump enough for your LO each day?

I cheat and only pump once a day. She hates bottles and barely drinks anything at daycare, so I wasn't too worried about it. She gets the most from me in the evening and overnight. I've actually built up a little stash because she barely drinks at daycare.

4. Did you choose to pump the other side your LO didn’t nurse on to help maintain your supply and build a freezer stash?

DD had struggles with one side, so at the beginning, I did pump the other side when she'd reject it. That kept my supply up until she was better at latching both sides. Honestly, all of that milk was basically wasted on attempts to get her to drink from different bottles

@Boopers: You can just pump both sides every time at work, don't need to overthink it. Yep your body does just get used to it. No need to ever pump just one side.