supply after big illness

[psychochick]

I'm pretty discouraged ladies. I was ebf my baby for 7 months now and I was working so hard to pump enough for him at work. But I got hit with a bad stomach bug and fever and got really dehydrated and I don't think I'm producing enough for him. We've had to supplement from the stash quite a bit and even though I'm all better now my breasts feel emptier. I've been drinking mother's milk tea but it feels not as effective as it was before. Does it just take time for my body to bounce back after an illness? Or could this be the beginning of the end?

 

[misspriss]

I don't think it is. I'd avoid supplementing as it is very much supply and demand, if you aren't trying to nurse (by using the freezer stash) your body isn't getting the signal how much you need to make. I'd just have baby on your breast often, drink TONS of water, and have faith your body will bounce back. If you need to supplement, do it after baby has tried to nurse.

At this point in your nursing relationship, your breasts probably won't feel as full. This may have been gradually happening before your illness, but you pay more attention to it now. I have breastfed one to 4 years old, one (still going) to almost 2. I have breastfed through two pregnancies (well, 1 and 2/3) and my breasts do not ever feel full anymore. The only time I noticed the "full" feeling was in the first few months after birth. It definitely goes away by 6-9 months for me, and that is more than likely the case for you. Your body is more fine tuned to your babies needs and doesn't need to get engorged every time anymore. I'd be concerned if your baby is still mainly breastfed, and stops having as frequent of diaper changes, but if your baby is receiving other nutrition is hard to tie that to breastfeeding anymore. Your baby is probably old enough to clue you in if they are still hungry after a feed or are not getting enough. Listen to your baby, nurse often, and drink lots of water.

 

[psychochick]

Thanks. Yeah we were supplementing when I was in the midst of the illness and the baby was fussing all the time, seemed like he was still hungry. When I was at home I nursed him very frequently sometimes hourly. But now I'm back at work and pumping has been slow so I'm worried. I am definitely drinking lots of water but I wonder if my supply is affected also by the fact that I haven't been able to eat much. This stomach bug has been rough.

 

[gingmg]

Great advice above. I went through a supply drop as well around six or seven months but not because of illness, I don't know why but it just kinda happened. I did get it back up and went on to continue to EBF for quite a long time, but it took a little work. I took fenugreek capsules, drank the tea, offered the breast almost hourly while I was home, pumped after nursing at least once or twice a day (which I wasn't doing anymore except at work), and power pumped consistently a few nights a week for a few weeks. At night I would watch a movie and pump 10 mins, rest 10 mins, pump 10 mins, rest 10 minutes for the whole movie and I started making more and more milk again. I found the fenugreek capsules really effective, I actually became engorged again for the first time in a long time. It was work, but it did go back up and then everything was fine again. Good luck!

 

[jtink28]

Just feed on demand, and your supply should rebound. I have Crohn's disease, and went through periods of bad illness, and my supply has always rebounded. I nursed my first until 11 months (he weaned himself ) and I'm still nursing this little guy at almost 13 months.

Your breasts don't need to feel constantly feel, especially at this stage. My breasts NEVER feel full, and stopped feeling full around 6 months. Yet I've got a 25 pound exclusively BF 13 month old haha! Keep going, you can do it!!!

 

[psychochick]

So I fed him a lot over the weekend and also power pumped all 3 days over the weekend and my supply is back up now! I am still on fenugreek though so I am not exactly sure which helped the most but yay! thanks guys for the encouragement.

 

[misspriss]

Great to hear!

 

[gingmg]

Yay!

 

[kidmom12]

Try healthy nursing tea and blessed thistle (take both together). They boosted my milk supply literally within a couple of days! They really work! And they are totally natural and don't cause any harm to you or the baby.