boobs not feeling full anymore?

[TryinFor1]

My little girl is a week old and has been doing great at breastfeeding. I've only been offering her one boob at each feeding because she drains it and falls asleep. Well, I'm worried I've messed up my supply now. My boobs are not hard anymore or sore, and I do not have the let down feeling anymore. They are not leaking or really doing anything suggesting breastfeeding. They are just hanging there.

Today she has been on and off the boob all day every hour or two or so. I'm worried it's because she isn't getting what she needs because my supply is diminishing. She is having a lot of wet diapers but has only pooped once today.

I wasn't planning on breastfeeding and then fell in love with it. I don't want my supply to go away and I'm not sure if the not feeling full anymore or not being hard anymore are normal at this stage.

Advice?

 

[Linnypops]

I'm no expert but my boobs did the same and it was fine. You might find they 'flare up' again periodically...boobs aren't supposed to feel sore and leak all the time thank goodness! Your LO should be getting weighed again soon right? Wet nappies are a good sign I think....Can't think of much else...hopefully someone with better info will weigh in!

 

[Kitters]

I don't have any advice I'm afraid but wanted to offer reassurance (hopefully!)

My boobs never got that full feeling until about 3/4 weeks in, and it also wasn't until around then that I offered both at each feed.

If you are feeding as often as baby requests it is very, very unlikely that your supply is going below what is needed. I believe nearly all babies will cluster feed like that for at least the first ten days or so to help you establish your supply.

Don't worry, I could have written this myself when DS was one week and he is a thriving little milk monster now at seven weeks

 

[susywoosy]

Its normal for boobs to b hard and full in the first week to 10 days as your body works out how much LO needs and then that will pass. When LO needs more milk, she will feed for longer and encourage more supply.

It sounds like its going well. Your body will b adjusting and you will have periods of feeling full and other times, they will feel fairly normal. I only breast fed for 4 months and always worried about supply but my DD and later DS always gained weight and had plenty of wet nappies.

In fact my DS lost no weight after birth and actually put on 3/4 of a lb in his first week after I worried he wasn't getting enough from me. MW came to weigh him at 8 days and commented on how I must have been producing gold topped milk as she was amazed at the weight gain.

Don't worry. Sounds like u r doing a great job. She'll likely cluster feed soon to increase supply. Dont think u aren't producing enough. She is just letting your body know it needs to produce more milk as she gets bigger. She is getting enough so relax and enjoy xx

 

[sue_88]

Just feed feed feed. It's normal for your boobs to not feel full, but I experienced this around 6-7weeks after the first growth spurt.

Let her feed from one breast, burp, little snooze, then feed the other side but within the same session iykwim.

You're milk will still be coming in and regulating itself so the main thing is to just keep baby at the breast and feed frequently x

 

[NotNic]

It is completely normal for the engorgement to ease. For some women it eases around the first week, but for others it can take several weeks to ease off. It has nothing to do with milk drying up but your boobs adapting to milk coming in. What your lo is doing is completely normal too. It's cluster feeding to help stimulate your milk to match their needs and around 2/3 weeks they have a growth spurt too, so she will want to feed more often. During growth spurts this can happen for a few days, as they need more milk and then you might find a day or two afterwards you are engorged and it settles again. Same when she has a fussy day or naturally begins to drop feeds. All you need to do for milk production is keep your fluid levels up and try to eat well. You don't need extra fat in your diet - just fruit, veg, normal carbs and protein. But speak to your mW/Dr if you have any concerns. GL!

 

[Kiwiberry]

My boobs do not feel as full anymore either. I think that is normal for that "full" feeling to go away a little bit after you start BF'ing. I would suggest to you hun to pump the boob that your daughter does not feed from, as well as the one she does feed from after she is done (if its not drained all the way). I know some people are against breast pumps but it really would help to keep your milk supply up as well as ease your mind once you see how much you are actually producing. You could let her feed from both with a break between but some babies just get tuckered out as newborns since its a lot of work for them. It is really all up to you.

 

[noon_child]

It's not a "My supply is down it'll never come back" situation. Your boobs make milk in response to stimulus, so if you feed regularly (either to your baby's cues OR more frequently if she is still below birth weight or struggling to gain weight or pass bowel movements) then it'll come back. It is difficult to say whether the one breast feeding has contributed to your soft feeling boobs or not without knowing how often you feed. I only ever offered one boob in the early days because it took so long to get her latched and keep her awake, she just wasn't interested, but I was feeding 12 times in 24hrs. Usually you'd have to leave a breast un-drunk for 4hrs or more for it to start to reduce your supply by a lot.

It could just be a growth spurt, so she's feeding so frequently your breasts are not having time to fill up. In truth, breasts aren't "supposed" to be full of milk - I mean it is totally normal that they are in those early days because they don't know what they are doing, but they don't have specific "storage" areas in them (which is why it leaks out after a while), they are supposed to make milk on demand - a factory not a warehouse!

Just keep following baby's cues, but if she's feeding less than 10 times in 24hrs you might want to think about seeing of you can wake her up to take that second breast, or wake her for an extra feed (but it really depends on your baby's health and weight gain and output - which we can't know). If she's really full she'll just refuse to drink.

 

[patch2006uk]

If baby is weeing, pooing and growing, your supply is fine x

 

[GeneralLilac]

^ agree with NotNic, sounds like your boobs are adjusting mine took about 2 weeks. I'd say with the cluster feeding your baby is helping to build your supply. My son clusterfed in the afternoons until after his six week growth spurt, then settled down a bit.

Seems like you're doing a fantastic job!

 

[Bex84]

With my first I never felt let down, I would feed with one breast and then next feed the other if that's what she wanted and similar with son. I leaked once and I bf my daughter 22 months and son 3 months so far so don't worry and is normal not to get engorgement after first few weeks as supply stabilises

 

[Miss Magic]

Take FENUGREEK ! I have been taking it for a week now , after 2 days of taking it I'm able to pump 3x as much ... My boobs are always full now , it's a miricle all natural capsul that I will swear by ! It starts working in 24-72 hours and you'll notice as soon as it does ! It's amazing ( get it at supplement stores, GNC ... I buy mine at bulk barn ) it's about 10-15$ per bottle but totally worth it

 

[noon_child]

Take FENUGREEK ! I have been taking it for a week now , after 2 days of taking it I'm able to pump 3x as much ... My boobs are always full now , it's a miricle all natural capsul that I will swear by ! It starts working in 24-72 hours and you'll notice as soon as it does ! It's amazing ( get it at supplement stores, GNC ... I buy mine at bulk barn ) it's about 10-15$ per bottle but totally worth it

Yes this supplement can be great if you genuinely have low supply i.e baby has no weight gain etc. and other routes to increasing supply are not working e.g more frequent feeding. BUT I would caution bf women against taking it routinely as oversupply can cause as many problems as undersupply. If your boobs feel full and are leaking then that is technically oversupply, which is very normal in the early weeks but you want to move towards soft breasts and no-engorgement as that means your boobs are working to your baby's demand.

If you do not have a milk transfer issue (latching problem, sucking problem) and LO will latch (isn't refusing breast etc.) then you will make enough milk (with the exception of some medical conditions and medications that can prevent the body from making enough).

 

[Kiwiberry]

Take FENUGREEK ! I have been taking it for a week now , after 2 days of taking it I'm able to pump 3x as much ... My boobs are always full now , it's a miricle all natural capsul that I will swear by ! It starts working in 24-72 hours and you'll notice as soon as it does ! It's amazing ( get it at supplement stores, GNC ... I buy mine at bulk barn ) it's about 10-15$ per bottle but totally worth it

How much were you pumping on average before you started taking it mama?

To the OP, how is it going for you hun? Have you noticed any changes? For me a letdown feels like this burning sensation in my breasts, it is further away from the nipple and closer to where my breasts connect to my body. I too could not feel the letdown for at least a month and a half after starting to pump / breast feed. Well at least at that time I did not know what it was so I am not sure if I actually felt it or not. It does not happen every time I breast feed her but 90% of the time it does. If I feed her for 20 minutes I will at the very least feel it happen twice sometimes 3 times.

 

[wishuwerehere]

With my first i was always full and leaky but now with baby no 2 I never feel full and I don't need breastpads or anything, they've both gained weight along the same centile etc. so i think it's just your body settling into it. If she is peeing/pooping I wouldn't worry! If she is feeding lots if you let her get on with it for a few days you will probably feel your supply boom anyway.

 

[Miss Magic]

I was pumping 4oz both breasts , after taking it I can pump at least 5oz in just one breast , now I always have 3 bottles in the fridge which is great because I can sleep in or go out and my hubby can feed her !

 

[TryinFor1]

Thanks for the advise ladies!

It was a total just paranoid breastfeeding moment. They have since gotten hard, soft, I've felt the letdown again, all that. PLENTY of diapers, and we got her weighed yesterday and she weighs 7.3 after weighing 6.11 six days ago so she is definitely getting milk. She is feeding several times in a day. I haven't counted but she's a snacker so she is on there a lot, well when she isn't sleeping that is. she's a pretty sleepy baby. I've still just been switching with each feeding unless she drains one, then I offer the other.

Thank you for all your replies. My supply is fine and she's getting everything she needs.

 

[mara16jade]

Yup, sounds like your bbs are just adjusting. I went through the same thing, "OMG they're not hard, my supply, my supply!!!". But LO ate just fine and gained weight normally and had the right amount of pee/poo's.

Don't be afraid that your supply is diminishing when they have a growth spurt. They feed like they are angry starving little monkeys and make you feel like you're empty 24/7. I will admit that the 6 week was the WORST growth spurt, and the 3 month was bad, but not too bad. I did supplement with formula a few times, and then pumped to try and stimulate my supply. I know you're not "supposed" to do that, but I just couldn't bare watching him act hungry and trying over and over to feed off me and he had already drained me. My supply was never hurt though, and now that I'm back at work, I'm pumping more than he eats in a day apparently. Just trust your heart - it will guide you.

ETA: Didn't see your last update.

 

[Kiwiberry]

I was pumping 4oz both breasts , after taking it I can pump at least 5oz in just one breast , now I always have 3 bottles in the fridge which is great because I can sleep in or go out and my hubby can feed her !

Wow that is a really big increase!! .

Thanks for the advise ladies!

It was a total just paranoid breastfeeding moment. They have since gotten hard, soft, I've felt the letdown again, all that. PLENTY of diapers, and we got her weighed yesterday and she weighs 7.3 after weighing 6.11 six days ago so she is definitely getting milk. She is feeding several times in a day. I haven't counted but she's a snacker so she is on there a lot, well when she isn't sleeping that is. she's a pretty sleepy baby. I've still just been switching with each feeding unless she drains one, then I offer the other.

Thank you for all your replies. My supply is fine and she's getting everything she needs.

Glad to hear everything is going great mama.