Lopsided breasts

It’s common for breasts to look or feel a bit different from each other, especially when you’re breastfeeding.

You might notice that one breast is bigger, feels fuller, or makes more milk than the other. This is normal, and with a few simple tips, you might be able to even things out.

At first, your breasts might seem the same. Over time, your baby may start to prefer one side. Each breast responds to how much your baby feeds from it—so if your baby feeds more on one side, that breast will make more milk. The other side, with less milk removed, will make less.

Your baby might have a favourite side because:

• the milk flows faster or slower from one breast.
• one nipple is a different shape and easier to latch onto.
• they are more comfortable feeding with their head facing a particular way.

You may have:

• more milk available from one breast.
• a preference for holding your baby on a certain side.

You can try to encourage your baby to feed more from the less-used side:

• Offer that side more frequently
• Offer that side first at each feed.
• Try holding your baby in a way that feels like their favourite side. Or try other positions.
• Use some of the gentle strategies to encourage your baby to feed. 

It’s normal to get more milk from one breast when you pump. To help get the most from each breasts, you could:

• Encourage your let-down reflex to help your milk flow before and during pumping.
• Use breast compressions or hand express after you’ve finished using a breast pump.

If you want to encourage more milk to be made in one breast, you can pump from just that breast. You may need to do shorter sessions more often.

You may find that one breast will continue to produce more milk than the other and that’s okay. 

Sometimes, even with lots of encouragement, your baby might only want to feed from one breast. This can feel disheartening, but it’s helpful to know that many babies get all the milk they need from just one side. The more you feed from that breast, the more milk it will make. As your body adjusts you can check if your baby is getting enough milk.

You might notice a difference, but most people won’t. Any unevenness is usually temporary and will settle after your baby weans. If you feel self-conscious, a bra filler can help.

© Australian Breastfeeding Association November 2025