Combining breastfeeding and pumping for baby’s side preferences

Sometimes a baby prefers one breast over the other, for one reason or another – sometimes she’s just being picky and prefers the way she’s held with your right arm instead of your left, for example. But any way you look at it, it can leave you feeling very lopsided and engorged. So, you could try breastfeeding and pumping one breast at each session.

First off, let me say that it’s important to try to get your baby to take a full feeding at both breasts – not only to make sure your baby is getting enough milk and getting a full meal (instead of “snacking”), but also to prevent engorgement , painful blocked milk ducts and even reduced milk production. (The more you nurse/pump, the more milk you make – it sends signals to your milk ducts that clearly there is a need, so your body automatically ups your supply.)

Make sure you have the right breast pump!

Medela 57036 Medela Pump in Style Metro Bag (57036)

But, if you need to pump one breast at each feeding session, there are a few different methods you could try. One quick note: Don’t forget to set up your breast pump for single pumping! Depending on your pump model, this may involve plugging one of the output valves with a manufacturer-provided plug.

While breastfeeding and pumping, you could pump one side while you’re nursing on the other – a potentially awkward situation (holding a pump with one hand and supporting a baby with another), but not with the right tools and strategy.

I’d suggest using a hands-free pumping bra – or, if your pump is hands-free, hooking it up to your nursing bra. This way, the pump is being held onto you (leaving that side’s hand free to operate the pump), and you could have the baby nurse through the opening on the other side of the bra. While doing this, you might try nursing in the football position so that you and your baby aren’t competing for space in front of your stomach.

This method is quite efficient, because it allows you to nurse and pump at the same time, rather than breaking up these two activities into separate sessions. You also have the benefit of having both breasts “occupied” when you’re letting down (in other words, you won’t have to clean up a leaking breast while you’re pumping or nursing on the other one!).

If this isn’t possible or is uncomfortable for you, you could always nurse or pump first, and then follow up with nursing or pumping on the other side. If you decide to take this route, I would suggest first breastfeeding and pumping second – that way your baby is getting the “first fruits” of your milk, when it is most abundant.

Remember to allow her to nurse as long as possible, so that she can get the rich hindmilk at the end; while it may be most abundant, it is also quite thin and watery at the beginning. And don’t forget to have a breast pad in place to soak up milk from the unoccupied breast!

This method does take more time, but it could be the right solution if you consider your nursing time to be sacred – a time to bond and connect with your baby – and find that pumping while nursing to be a distraction.

Whatever you do, just make sure to keep your milk supply strong with a steady rhythm of emptying both breasts at each nursing session. Your body and your baby will thank you for going the extra mile!

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