I'm getting so frustrated. For the last few nights, Kesslie's been cluster feeding for hours at night. Now, normally I'd just roll my eyes and suck it up, cause cluster feeding is totally normal and I know it.

But these last few nights, she starts screaming cause nothing is coming out. I watch her and she's sucking 10-15 times before swallowing. I know that theoretically boobs are never empty, but it sure seems like they are lately!

I've upped the fenugreek I'm taking, and my hubby went to the store to get some oatmeal, but I have TONS of milk in the mornings and afternoons, just none at night when she's hungry.

Any suggestions? She was SO distraught yesterday that I almost caved in and gave her formula, but I know that's just starting down a slippery slope to really having no milk. But she was crying her poor little heart out for almost 2 hours. I felt like the worst mommy in the world.

Today, I pumped out about 3oz this morning when I had tons of milk again, so I can give her a bottle of BM if I have the same problem tonight, but I'd really rather figure out how to have a supply between, oh, say 7pm and midnight?

Thanks for any help/suggestions~

There is something there it just doesn't seem like it, it really isn't possible to have a great supply during the day but absolutely nada at night, babies acting fussy and frustrated and 'hungry' in the evening is a normal newborn behaviour, even for FF babies, I'm on my phone right now so find it hard to link but please go to kellymom site and look up 'evening fussiness'. I know it's hard but giving bottles, even of EBM in the evening will do nothing to up your supply which is really the whole purpose for your baby behaving in this fussy way, and I know from bitter experience with my eldest that it can only serve to prolong the growth spurt, if you're absolutely desperate then do it for one evening but try not to make it habitual as it can be counter productive (literally!) xx

But then why is it taking her 10-15 sucks to go gulp, when during the day it's either 1-2 sucks to go gulp? That's why I keep thinking I'm running on empty.

http://kellymom.com/parenting/parent...fussy-evening/

It could be that her fussiness isn't as much due to hunger as you think hence her not being so quick to drink at night. It often seems they are ravenously hungry at night when their behaviour can be down to so many other factors. Thanks for posting the link Candyday! Xx

I too find my breasts are emptier in the evenings than in the mornings. Morning boobs were practically exploding with milk and up under my chin and my evening boobs were like some 90 year old lady's who had had BF 19 children or something So I know what you mean, not technically empty but not enough stored milk before the let down arrives.

I am a great believer in do whatever it takes to keep LO happy. If you want to give her an occasional bottle because she is so very upset then by all means do so. You will need to make sure you spend time pumping though to make sure you are still stimulating the breast even a little at that time. Do 10 - 15 min per side if that is the case.

have you considered offering interim feeds earlier in the day? Maybe starting about 4 or 4.30 start offering the breast regularly and frequently. It will take a few days of getting her to latch (even just for a bit) to help get that supply up and help trigger those let downs in to coming faster, rather than having her work hard and get frustrated and give up crying.

Unfortunately the trick is to get LO on there and nursing as much as poss to get that supply up.

Good luck

Ooh and lots of water!! I up'd my water intake and found it helped.

My baby fusses in the night so it seems normal I put it down to him being tired too because he has cluster fed most of the day don't give up! Your doing so well! X

such a good analogy! My boobs are flabby, saggy and empty looking by the time we go to bed... I know there is still something in there even if they look empty.. I've never supplemented and LO gains weight really well... he did have major freak outs in the evenings when he was newborn but I never attributed it to no milk

The flappy saggy boobs described mean that they have a higher fat content and are actually more satisfying nutritionally for the baby. I've always fed on demand around the clock and never got "full" boobs but have a "full" baby! LOL

Check this link out too. X

http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/basics/milkproduction/