Lo fed evey 30 mins yesterday all day and I ran out of milk by evening!!

[Mrsb3]

I thought I had quite a good supply but yesterday all day including morning she wanted feeding every half an hour and fed for 5-10 mins and didn't do any sleeping. By evening around 8pm I must have ran out of milk because she was sucking furiously, yanking twisting and pulling at my nipple and being really fussy! My boobs did feel really soft and empty and when I tried to hand express nothing came out..... After crying for 20 mins which to me sounded like a hunger cry I gave in and give her a bottle of formula. At first she wouldn't take it in her mouth but when she realised it was food she wolfed it down then settled for the night and slept right through... I dream fed her about 2am for only a few mins as she was too tired. She is 3 weeks by the way. Has this happened to anyone else? Did I run out of milk? I normally do feed her on demand so my supply should have been good enough right? So confused..

 

[sheldonsmommy]

Sounds like she's trying to build your supply, maybe due to a growth spurt? I don't remember which weeks, but in the early days there were a few times where I was stuck on the couch with a baby attached to my boob.

At 3 weeks your supply is still regulating, so try and let baby do what she needs, which is suckle, to get your supply back to where she needs it.

If you need to give formula for your sanity, by all means do it, but this behaviour is totally normal and actually beneficial in regulating supply. As frustrating as it is

Lots of wet and dirty diapers, along with weight gain are the best indicators of baby getting enough milk.

Oh, and you typically never run out of milk, it just hasn't had a chance to build up and cause full breasts, it continues to trickle so your lo isn't suckling for nothing

 

[Sarah lo]

I agree with everything the above poster said.

Its completely normal and its due to your baby having a growth spurt. LO is trying to build your supply so yes your boobs will be empty at times but as baby continues to suck you will make more milk. Empty boobs = more milk production. The more they suck the more milk it tells your brain to make for next time. So in a couple if days time you will have enough milk for her and she will go back to being satisfied after her feeds.

When you give her formula it stops that process and your body doesn't know to increase your supply.

I hope that makes sense, I'm not very good at explaining stuff lol

This link says it better: https://kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurts/

 

[cait]

I feel like my son all but empties me some days and for my sanity my OH takes him out for an hours walk so I have a chance to build up some milk again and give my nipples a rest. Will your LO sleep in the pram? Or in the car seat if you drive for an hour?
Growth spurts are draining in every sense of the word!

 

[Mummafrog]

We're just leaving our three week growth spurt phase, there were two days where she was cluster feeding aall day, on and off, fussing, feeding every time she had any room in her tummy! hehe. The third day she slept all day and fed four hourly, my breasts had a bit of over supply that day, then the last 3 days have been a bit up and down with some cluster feeding but it's going back to normal

I also felt 'empty' at the end of the day, but saying that if you are producing a healthy amount of milk generally I'm not sure you can totally run out, you produce as they feed. It was probably just not coming as fast as she is used to.

Just wanted to share my experience and say I understand, I think it's normal. Three weeks is the first textbook growth spurt time

 

[Mrsb3]

I feel like my son all but empties me some days and for my sanity my OH takes him out for an hours walk so I have a chance to build up some milk again and give my nipples a rest. Will your LO sleep in the pram? Or in the car seat if you drive for an hour?
Growth spurts are draining in every sense of the word!

That's a good idea, only it was at night and I have a 13 month old in bed who is a very light sleeper.... So couldn't leave the house but that's good to know for next time if she gets fussy through the day x

 

[Mrsb3]

Thank you ladies, must have been a major growth spurt ! She has slept loads after that night infact my boobs keep leaking because she is not feeding as often anymore :-/ (bonkers) had to dream feed her twice last night because she never woke up and I was worried. I have to say she is starting to fill out those 0-3 baby grows nicely since too and she was only 7lb 4 at birth 3 plus weeks ago- getting her weighed this week and I wouldn't be surprised if she is over 10lb now lol x

 

[Sarah lo]

That's good to hear! mine always has a really good sleep after his growth spurts to

 

[cait]

Glad to hear things have settled a bit now x

 

[patch2006uk]

You don't run out of milk, as such. It would be like saying "i cried alot today and now I've run out of tears" or "I've been too hot and now I've run out of sweat". Your boobs aren't bottles-they don't empty and fill like a cup. They constantly produce to demand. If Lo feeds more frequently, you will use up what was already in your milk ducts and then make more. This will flow more slowly, but is higher in fat and will actually keep her full for longer.

Don't overthink things. Put the formula away and just trust your body and your baby to do what they need to do x

 

[Mummafrog]

Love your message patch, new mothers should have it on the fridge or something hehe X

 

[irish_cob]

Yes I agree, that's a fab way of explaining it

 

[Olivette]

Hi!

There has been some great advice above. I know how tough growth spurts can be. She'll have a lot of them in those early weeks. As said above your boobs will never be 'empty' as such. Letting her continue to suck through those evening bouts of feeding is really important. I used to call it the witching hours as for several hours in the evening she'd just feed non stop. It really does feel like your boobs are empty but they aren't really and the sucking is important as it helps your body to regulate the milk levels.

What you described is completely normal. Trust your body is doing everything it needs to be doing and try to avoid formula if you can.

Ox

 

[Marythefairy]

You don't run out of milk, as such. It would be like saying "i cried alot today and now I've run out of tears" or "I've been too hot and now I've run out of sweat".

Great way of putting it. Love it