One breast is better than the other

Hi ladies.  I am new here and still trying to get this breastfeeding thing down.  I nurse about every 3 hours and my little one has gained 5 oz. since birth (13 days ago) which the pediatrician says is great.  My only issue is one of my breasts puts out a lot of milk (constantly leaking and drips after a shower or nursing) the other one is not putting out very much.  Is this normal?  I don't worry about my son not getting enough since he is gaining weight, but I just wondered it this was normal.

My other question is about food.  Can I eat just about anything and not worry about giving my son an allergic reaction.  I am afraid to eat honey, peanut butter, protein bars, or anything with nuts.  Am I being over cautious.  Can anything I eat hurt my milk.  

What about medicine...can I use hemorrhoid cream (still have them from delivery) Can I use something for my yeast infection like Monistat?  

Any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated.

[AnnieBrooke]

Many women have one breast that produces more than the other, and it's not a bad idea to start the baby on the less-productive breast.  If you can try to catch some of the leaks from the other breast in a milk sack or bottle, you could even freeze that milk and have it on hand for later use.  

I don't know about peanuts, it might be something to ask your doctor or lactation consultant, but the foods I've heard people avoid have more to do with ones that produce a lot of gas and discomfort in the baby, like onions, broccoli, and cauliflower.  I've never heard that hemorrhoid cream or Monistat affects breast milk, but again, you could ask your doctor.  La Leche League is also a great resource.

[happynifer]

topical medications are generally ok while breast feeding
i was told to eat normally and a balanced diet.  if my baby becomes uncomfortable, gassy, etc then keeping a food journal is a good idea to help see if there is a particular food that is causing the problem.  
it is typical to have your breasts differ.  and just because one leaks more does not mean the other isn't feeding the baby well.
if your baby is pooping, wetting and gaining weight as expected, then you are producing enough milk :)
my baby nurses well both sides, but my left side i can generally pump 3-4 times as much milk than my right.  DD has no trouble getting milk from either side, so it seems to be a pumping thing rather than a production thing.  

[tiredbuthappy]

the others gave good advice.

As far as I know, the only cases where a person should avoid peanuts and common allergens is if there is an immediate family history of food allergies. Otherwise, eat what you want. If you see the baby get fussy often, start to note the foods you ate before. I learned that my baby could not tolerate any amount of onion. It wasn't an allergy, but it did aggrevate her reflux. PBJ sandwiches are actually quick nutritious snacks that can be very convenient to a breast feeding mom :)

[need_answers_from_someone]

Thank you ladies.  I am sure I will have many more questions along the way.  Still trying to get the hang of this mommy thing.

[zazou]

My left breast made more milk and now I only BF with the left breast, my daughter knows it has more milk (she's 19 months old). I had alot of let-down too and expressed sometimes, but my daughter did end up getting enough milk, it's normal to worry :-)

I avoided alot of gassy foods and if there i a history of allergies in your or your partners families then it is recommended to avoid them. My daughter didn't react to many things, there was something but I can't remember at the moment what that was.

I didn't take much medication whilst EBF, was overly cautious and if I had to I always asked the pharmacist and Doctor that I was BF and that was always taken into consideration. So I would ask either of them just to make sure, that' what I did.