Does anyone have any experience or references on breastfeeding or exclusively pumping from just one breast when both breasts produce but mom is afraid to nurse or pump from a breast that has nipple damage and pain? Permission by client to post, Mother of 33 week infant in NICU  with a history of damaged left nipple from prior breastfeeding and pumping experience with 22 month old and 3 .5 year. Left nipple appeared scarred prior to this delivery with an indented whitish spongy area in the center that continuallly breaks open with pumping. She had mulptiple episodes of mastitis on the left, an abscess ( MRSA)with her last baby. She is scared that the same thing will happen with this experience. Infant is direct breastfeeding well  and is only 5 days old. She is feeding exclusively on the right and she is transferring 35-40 ml per test weight. We attempted nursing on the left but mom cried and said it was terribly painful. Oral assessment of baby is unremarkable and right nipple is undamaged.Mom has daily volumes from both breast of 960ml (32 ounces) I have been having her use a larger flange just on the left so as to not touch the sides of the nipple and then hand express the left after double pumping for better emptying (24 mm fits best but using 27 mm on the left) we have used expressed milk on her nipples,Motherlove, she has been air drying when possible and uses a shell on that side when wearing her bra so it doesn't stick. We discussed meticulous hand washing, using mild soap, rinsing and patting dry and even polysporin and hydrocorisone 1 %. She spoke with her OB about recomendations of condensed APNO -who responded by asking if she really wanted to do the breastfeeding thing again-ughhhhh. She asked me today if she could slowly wean from pumping the left breast and exclusively feed from the right breast which at this time is producing 3.5-5 ounces every 3 hours. Anyone have thoughts on how they would respond and references or experiences to help. I am hoping that she heals and has 2 functioning breasts that she is happy to feed from both but she does not want to chance it. This is her first NICU experience -other babies were term. She just wants a successful breastfeeding experience.
Thanks.

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