Allison,
I enjoyed your story of your amazing left breast.  I have a left (and 
right) breast story to tell, too.  As some on this list may know, I was 
born with a deformity that resulted in a severely indented sternum and a 
right breast that didn't develop at all during puberty.  (That side was 
flat as the proverbial pancake.)  My parents offered to pay for breast 
implant surgery on my right breast so that I'd look more normal, and at 
age 21 I took them up on it.  Eight years later at my first LLL meeting 
and 5 months pregnant with my first child, I asked about one-sided 
breastfeeding and learned that mothers could breastfeed twins, so I 
decided I'd be okay.

I exclusively breastfed each of my three sons for six months, and 
continued on for years (youngest weaner: 3 yr., 2 mo.).  I breastfed on 
both breasts, but often, like you, my sons would end up preferring the 
left breast, which was my major producer.  My right breast made a little 
milk, but not much.

Fast forward decades later to a much-delayed mammogram, where the 
radiologist explained that over the years my breast implant had migrated 
to the center of my chest to fill in my sternum (which during this time 
had indented much further).  I was astounded to discover that my right 
breast--which I had always referred to as "bionic" because I thought it 
was not real--had actually grown breast tissue from all that 
breastfeeding.  The breast growth during my 12 years of breastfeeding 
had actually produced a real right breast!  That was no implant, thank 
you very much, that was all me!  :-)  Talk about a "benefit" of 
breastfeeding! LOL

Allison, how about we nominate you for the "left breast award" and me 
for the "right breast award?"  If we both win, we will have a matched set.

Warmly,
Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA, LLLL
Chicago suburbs
http://www.nancymohrbacher.com/

>   While this anecdote doesn't  include multiples, I can offer my personal
> experience.  When my son was born, I had a lot of trouble latching him onto
> my right breast.  The left side was a snap, only the right was problematic.
> So after a month of making life miserable for myself and my son, I figured,
> "Well, heck, twins nurse on only one side.  I should be fine!"  And I
> was.  David was born at 10 lbs 1 oz and was 20 pounds by 3 months with no
> supplementation whatsoever.  Just me and my UniBoob.  I looked rather
> hysterical.  I continued to nurse on that one side for 4 years.  My 3rd
> daughter nursed off both sides for about 10 months, then we went back to my
> right side and she is still nursing at 3 years.  She too was a 10 pound baby
> and a chunky 3 month old with nary a bottle in sight.
>
> I, for one, think that my left breast deserves an award once I'm
> done nursing my babies! :-)  And I do think it speaks to the awesome power
> of the breast to adjust to the needs of a baby.
>
>
>
>    

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