Running low???

[elsmogro]

So, earlier tonight my cousin who had her baby last weekend txt earlier to say she has ran out of breast milk and has had to send her mam to the shop for some formula :/

Well this has terrified me as im due on friday so could have my bubbs any day now and im planning to breastfeed. What on earth would i do in the middle of the night if i couldnt feed my baby :S

Can this really happen or is she just Making excuses to quit?? Im really really worried now i want to breast feed but ive got tiny breasts and now im scared of running out

 

[Nervous_1]

Boob size has nothing to do with the amount of milk you can produce so don't panic! It's extremely rare to run out of milk at such an early stage, so I'd say that her LO has hit a growth spurt and seems like he/she is always hungry despite just being fed. This is totally normal, and is just baby's way of increasing supply for their bigger tummy. Maybe your cousin didn't realise this, or is using it as an excuse to quit.

If you want to make sure you have plenty of milk, drink lots of water (2-3 litres a day!) and eat oat based foods like porridge

 

[summer rain]

I agree with nervous_1, its a myth that your milk will just dry up, unless you have been giving formula to begin with. Your body is constantly producing milk; imagine your boobs as a shop, the shop floor may run out of that top in size 10 but there are always some in the stockroom-weird analogy but your boobs are the same; even if the front bit behind the nipple is empty milk is always being produced in the back and constantly sent down to the nipple area to meet your LOs needs, when you feed your LO the signals come to your brain to both produce more milk and to send some immediately to your breast, when stocks are running a bit low the milk your body produces is even more fattening and high in calories to meet the needs of your baby in the meantime while your body produces more and more; which doesn't take long at all xx

 

[Lownthwaite]

As nervous said - your milk doesn't just dry up suddenly.

She's either doubting her bodys ability to produce milk and not feeding baby on demand or she is finding an excuse to quit.

If you go into BF determined to succeed and with the correct knowledge then the chances are you will achieve what you want.

 

[elsmogro]

Thanks for the advice, i feel better now.
She said she was feeding constantly so surley i thoughts they would fill up again as you fed from one the other can fill and so on. Im going to mqke sure i drink plenty of water and eat properly to keep my supply strong ^_^ xx

 

[patch2006uk]

They don't need to 'fill up' between feeds-your body is constantly producing, they're not just flesh covered bottles. Theoretically a baby could nurse forever and there would still be milk flowing. It would be very slow flowing, but it would still be there.

I think of it like how saliva works. Your mouth is always moist, even if you swallow or spit, more just fills it up instantly.

As long as you drink to your thirst (drinking more than you want is just as detrimental to supply as drinking too little-don't force water down) and eat to your hunger, your supply will be fine. Biggest mistake you can make is to stop feeding your baby. Even if it was only 20 mins since last feed, even is they've been suckling constantly for an hour, even if you feel there's nothing left in your boobs, keep feeding your baby. Simple

 

[Elmo5]

Thanks for the advice, i feel better now.
She said she was feeding constantly ...

That is what they do in the early days, it doesn't mean you are empty or they are hungry.

If you top up with formula it is a slippery slope to failure. You top up because you think they are hungry rather than putting them back to the boob, then your boob thinks it doesn't need to make as much milk next time so then they are hungry. So you top up with more formula, so your boob makes less and it is repetitive cycle until you end up on formula fully.

 

[elsmogro]

Patch2006uk im not going to force myself to drink or eat more than i need!!!

I wont be topping up with formula either, i want to only breast feed so using formula kindnof defeats the object in my opinion. Id never heard of someone running out before as i just asumed you kept producing as much as baby wanted so it worried me thinking that my baby could go hungry >_<

 

[patch2006uk]

Patch2006uk im not going to force myself to drink or eat more than i need!!!

I wont be topping up with formula either, i want to only breast feed so using formula kindnof defeats the object in my opinion. Id never heard of someone running out before as i just asumed you kept producing as much as baby wanted so it worried me thinking that my baby could go hungry >_<

That's good I've heard people before who've been told to drink 2 to 3 litres a day, which can do more harm than good, so just wanted to give you the heads up

It's a common misconception that your milk can run out. In reality, there are days when your baby is fussy and your boobs don't feel full anymore, but it's all completely normal.

Any problems, these forums are an amazing support. And if you have any serious difficulties (baby won't latch, tongue tie, that sort of thing) ask for help while you're in hospital and contact as many different support lines as you feel you need. BFing is worth fighting for Hope the last few days of your pregnancy are as enjoyable as possible and all the best for the birth