Please help - milk appears to have disappeared over night!!

[nabo86]

My DD has never been a good eater but today I don't seem to be able to give her any milk!

I got Jessica weighed last week - she had gained 10oz in 3 weeks - this is not the first time she has had poor weight gain and although its not a loss I have still been very concerned.

I took her to the HV today and she said we would weigh her again and she had put on a disappointing 1/2 an ounce...

Jessica never feeds well during the day - she pulls off the breast lots of times and only manages to eat 4 or 5 minutes maximum. HV has said this is ok if she is gaining enough weight but now it appears she isn't.

anyway, I fed DD when we got home, she only managed 3 minutes. I offered both sides but she was screaming and wouldn't go back on. She usually eats every 2 hours during the day and it had been nearly 3 hours (because I had been at HV) so she must have been hungry. I decided to give her a small bottle of formula and express. (she drank the whole 3oz bottle) When I expressed I didn't even get enough milk to cover the bottom of a bottle!

I waited over an hour and tried to express again as DD was sleeping anyway - this time I didn't even get one drop from either side!

I don't understand how my milk can disappear overnight?! Im guessing its been dwindling though which explains the poor weight gain..

Has this happened to anyone and is there any way to get my milk back? I had to give Jessica another bottle so need to express again but is there any point if nothing at all comes out?

Please help if you can...

 

[Srrme]

I expressed for 60 days while my son was in the NICU and began exclusively breastfeeding (we only tried once in the NICU) when he came home. I pumped like a maniac when he was there and got so much milk it was ridiculous, but as soon as he began breastfeeding I was unable to express anymore milk. It freaked me out and made me think I had dried up but I didn't.

 

[Katteh]

I could have written a very similar post, although I haven't (yet) had the supply issue so can't help with that sadly.

Ben, my little boy, iso also an incredibly fussy when feeding and only feeds for 5 mins max before pulling off and on and thrashing around. His weight gain had been 5oz a week, but last week was 3oz and they're getting more concerned.

Have you ever had a home give you a reason for why your little girl is so fussy? I've been told to supplement with expressed milk a couple of times a day but he is really bad about taking bottles, which is frustrating!

 

[TheNewMrs]

Milk doesn't dry up over night, but you may have stopped responding to a pump. Very normal and happens to lots of mums.

 

[nabo86]

thank you ladies

Jessica has been back on the breast since I wrote this and I can see milk in her mouth when she pulls off so I am sure she is getting something! I hope it is just a problem with the pump..

we're going to see the GP this afternoon as she hasn't pooped for a whole week - the longest ever... this may be having something to do with it i guess...

the HV told me yesterday to top up with formula - i asked if this would damage my supply but she didn't seem to know (she has just qualified) so thats why I was trying to pump when I had to resort to the bottle

 

[ChimChims]

Does LO have reflux?

 

[Bunanie]

My lo was a slow but steady weigh gainer, can't rmb the exact figures but we went thru something similar. Turns out my af was returning at 3 months (so very disappointed coz I was EBF and she was no where near sttn) and she was impatient with the slow flow due to low supply.

I just kept feeding her, she was doing 3.5hrly i fed her every 1.5-2hrs. The day or two just before the bleeding starts, my supply was the lowest, I had to dip into my freezer stash and get her to drink 3-4oz then pump literally non stop after that feed to "catch up", putting at least 3oz back to the fridge.

I think supplementing with formula at this time would hurt ur supply even more, but u gotta do what's right for ur lo. I'm combi feeding now due to work and her lack of patience, as long as she's getting a bit of bm goodies I'm happy.

Good luck

 

[Elmo5]

It is not reccomended to weigh every week after the early days for precisely the worries you have above. The reccomended weighing is every 4 weeks, and to judge by baby through wee/poo if they are hydrated and generally happy.

Some women don't respond to a pump, so it is not an indicator of milk supply.

Up to 10 days is around normal for no poo in exclusively breastfed babies which is great. But when it comes it comes!

Feeding formula may have blocked her up as it is harder to digest. Babies will normally drink a whole bottle of forumula if given the opportunity as it does not contain the hormone which tells them they are full. Also it will damage supply, breast works on supply and demand. If you are not demanding the supply drops accordingly.

 

[nabo86]

Does LO have reflux?

i don't think so... she doesn't seem to have problems getting her wind up (or down!) and she very rarely spits up...