Has my supply gone?

[liz1979]

Hi ladies. I don't post very often, in fact this is the first thread I have started but I have learnt an awful lot from you all so was hoping that you could help me now. My daughter is nearly 8 months old and has been breastfed from birth. I have actually found it relatively easy this time after having struggled with my first 2 children. My problem is that since we started weaning, my baby has decreased her milk intake dramatically. Our 6 20 minute feeds a day are now about 4 5 minute feeds. She refuses water although I always offer it. My left side is now far smaller than the right and she will not feed for more than 2 or 3 minutes from it. Tonight it has started to hurt too. When she refuses the left I put her on the right and she will drink for 5 minutes before refusing. Has my supply gone from the left and is it possible to increase it? I wanted to make it to at least a year if I can.

 

[Lownthwaite]

Hi ladies. I don't post very often, in fact this is the first thread I have started but I have learnt an awful lot from you all so was hoping that you could help me now. My daughter is nearly 8 months old and has been breastfed from birth. I have actually found it relatively easy this time after having struggled with my first 2 children. My problem is that since we started weaning, my baby has decreased her milk intake dramatically. Our 6 20 minute feeds a day are now about 4 5 minute feeds. She refuses water although I always offer it. My left side is now far smaller than the right and she will not feed for more than 2 or 3 minutes from it. Tonight it has started to hurt too. When she refuses the left I put her on the right and she will drink for 5 minutes before refusing. Has my supply gone from the left and is it possible to increase it? I wanted to make it to at least a year if I can.

I doubt it has totally gone since your supply has been established so long now - but it is totally possible to increase it to what your baby needs

I would cut down on the solids (although don't cut out - she still needs to learn to eat new things etc). Food is for fun until they are 1 so focus more on her milk intake. Offer the breast regularly, even if you think she won't want it. I used to find that if I offered my LO the breast 99% of the time she would accept. Offer the breast before solids so she's not filling up on solids and not really taking in alot of milk. It should be the other way round.
Offer breast first - LO takes a decent feed and then snacks and plays with the solids offered after.

Start eating oats to help increase your supply - porridge, flapjacks, oat biscuits.....

I hope that helps.

 

[Blah11]

I've not fed amelie from my left side in about 6m and there's still milk. I wouldn't worry, just follow babys lead and relax x

Eta - I wouldn't cut back on solids though. Feed her before you give solids but if she eats them I wouldn't limit them. If you give her lots of fruit, dairy, Veg etc shell be getting what she needs without huge amounts of milk.

 

[fairy1984]

Hi ladies. I don't post very often, in fact this is the first thread I have started but I have learnt an awful lot from you all so was hoping that you could help me now. My daughter is nearly 8 months old and has been breastfed from birth. I have actually found it relatively easy this time after having struggled with my first 2 children. My problem is that since we started weaning, my baby has decreased her milk intake dramatically. Our 6 20 minute feeds a day are now about 4 5 minute feeds. She refuses water although I always offer it. My left side is now far smaller than the right and she will not feed for more than 2 or 3 minutes from it. Tonight it has started to hurt too. When she refuses the left I put her on the right and she will drink for 5 minutes before refusing. Has my supply gone from the left and is it possible to increase it? I wanted to make it to at least a year if I can.

I doubt it has totally gone since your supply has been established so long now - but it is totally possible to increase it to what your baby needs

I would cut down on the solids (although don't cut out - she still needs to learn to eat new things etc). Food is for fun until they are 1 so focus more on her milk intake. Offer the breast regularly, even if you think she won't want it. I used to find that if I offered my LO the breast 99% of the time she would accept. Offer the breast before solids so she's not filling up on solids and not really taking in alot of milk. It should be the other way round.
Offer breast first - LO takes a decent feed and then snacks and plays with the solids offered after.

Start eating oats to help increase your supply - porridge, flapjacks, oat biscuits.....

I hope that helps.

sorry, i just have to say that i dont think a health visitor would advise an 8 month old to have solids reduced. please ask a health professional if you're worried about the situation as I dont believe this advice above is safe for your baby. i know the poster said not to cut them out but after 6 months babies need nutrients from other sources than milk and even breastmilk wont fulfill this.

 

[patch2006uk]

The advice to offer milk before solids is good, although as PPs have said, I'm not sure about consciously trying to cut back on solids. It's true that food before one is just for fun, but between 9 and 12 months, food should start being a more equal part of the diet to milk, so I'd be slightly wary of reducing the solid intake now. Maybe offer a milk feed half an hour before solids, so that LO will still be interested in eating but without cutting back on milk.

 

[Lownthwaite]

Hi ladies. I don't post very often, in fact this is the first thread I have started but I have learnt an awful lot from you all so was hoping that you could help me now. My daughter is nearly 8 months old and has been breastfed from birth. I have actually found it relatively easy this time after having struggled with my first 2 children. My problem is that since we started weaning, my baby has decreased her milk intake dramatically. Our 6 20 minute feeds a day are now about 4 5 minute feeds. She refuses water although I always offer it. My left side is now far smaller than the right and she will not feed for more than 2 or 3 minutes from it. Tonight it has started to hurt too. When she refuses the left I put her on the right and she will drink for 5 minutes before refusing. Has my supply gone from the left and is it possible to increase it? I wanted to make it to at least a year if I can.

I doubt it has totally gone since your supply has been established so long now - but it is totally possible to increase it to what your baby needs

I would cut down on the solids (although don't cut out - she still needs to learn to eat new things etc). Food is for fun until they are 1 so focus more on her milk intake. Offer the breast regularly, even if you think she won't want it. I used to find that if I offered my LO the breast 99% of the time she would accept. Offer the breast before solids so she's not filling up on solids and not really taking in alot of milk. It should be the other way round.
Offer breast first - LO takes a decent feed and then snacks and plays with the solids offered after.

Start eating oats to help increase your supply - porridge, flapjacks, oat biscuits.....

I hope that helps.

sorry, i just have to say that i dont think a health visitor would advise an 8 month old to have solids reduced. please ask a health professional if you're worried about the situation as I dont believe this advice above is safe for your baby. i know the poster said not to cut them out but after 6 months babies need nutrients from other sources than milk and even breastmilk wont fulfill this.

Hiya,

I understand what you're saying Fairy but this advice actually did come from a HV. My friend was having similar problems - her LO was eating solids fine but starting to refuse the breast - the HV guessed because she was filling up on solids before milk and so HV suggested milk before solids - and because the LO filled up on milk before the solids there was less need for as much solids as previously offered - this is what I meant. Like I said, I certainly don't recommend solids are totally cut but in offering the breast more the OP would probably find that the intake of solids is cut down. This is what I meant - sorry, I probably didn't make it clear. Sorry for any confusion.

 

[liz1979]

Thanks for the advice ladies. I do always offer milk before solid food but perhaps I could try giving a little less. She certainly seems happy and healthy and she has a good balance of food. She does have her first 2 teeth coming through too which I suppose could be affecting her eating habits?

 

[patch2006uk]

Her teeth could definitely be affecting her feeding.

If she prefers the right, you should offer the left first and encourage her to drink from that one before offering the right. Something to do with the hormones being strongest on the first letdown and encouraging stronger sucking to ensure an even supply.

How are her nappies? As long as she's still having her usual number of wet nappies and a good number of dirty ones, don't worry too much about feed length

 

[liz1979]

Her nappies seem normal, no change in them. I always offer the left first but she fusses and then cries and carries on until I give in and offer the right. She will then latch fine and settle for around 5 minutes. Thanks for all the help, I'll keep an eye on it and try everything you have suggested.