Think I Just Need Some Reassurance....pls!!!

[tyandemsmummy]

I had my baby 24th August and he was 6lbs 9ozs. I am determined to make breastfeeding work for me this time having failed in the past, and I have a supportive partner and had a very easy labour.

He has been 100% bf since he was born and I've had no probs with my nipples or latching on but the night before last he was feeding almost constantly - he seems to do that anyway during the day - but he sleeps well at night so its not a big problem, but, he wasn't being satisfied and I couldn't get any milk out of either breast.

I was devastated and really really upset. I gave him 1.5 ozs of formula and he slept for 5 hrs. After that, when he woke up, it seemed I had some milk so fed him myself and we have been OK since, but I had expressed a small amount 1.5 ozs, during the evening when the 'dry up' happened.

Anyone else had this? I am worried I am going to run out each evening cos he feeds all day

 

[pandv]

This is perfectly normal hun. Your LO is so small and your milk supply is still adjusting to his needs. Let him suckle as much as he wants and your supply will increase to match. Try not to supplement with formula as that will stop your supply from increasing. I promise it gets easier.

 

[PresqueVu]

Exactly as pandv says - he's just building up your supply at the moment. My midwife said this was especially true for the first 3 weeks and then during a growth spurt also.

Also just make sure that YOU are eating and drinking enough, its so easy to forget this when you seem permenantly glued to the sofa! There are a few threads on this bit of the forum about foods that are good for building supply as well if you want to look at those.

 

[venusrockstar]

Your milk supply is generally lower at night since baby feeds most of the day. Don't supplement with formula though, let your baby BF because it tells your body that it needs more milk at that time.

My baby fed ALL day long for about the first 6 weeks. She has just started getting a little better. They say the first 6-8 weeks is the hardest because you're baby is constantly growing and telling your body how much milk it needs.

 

[tyandemsmummy]

Thanks to everyone who replied, just after I posted this the MW turned up and I was blubbing :0( however, he is 9 days old today, she said he seems very healthy and he weighed 6-15 today!! I must be doing something right for him to have already regained his birth weight and an additional 6 ozs and it gave me loads of reassurance.

I read up on good diet for feeding mums before I had him and it was a high protein diet makes for good milk, and because of weight loss surgery I had 4 years ago, I have to eat a high protein diet, so I'm not worried about getting enough food. OH is great and makes sure I eat regularly, take my vitamins, drink plenty and sleep when I can, as well as looking after the other 5 kids! Jeez, I'm a lucky girl

I think I just needed some experienced breastfeeding mums to tell me its OK and normal, so for that xxx

 

[lvh05]

LO is probably just 'cluster feeding.' Perfectly normal and usually occurs around the 1 week mark. It also likely happened at the hospital when you were beginning to produce the colostrum. It is tiring, but it should pass. As long as baby has seemed satisfied during other feedings, I wouldn't be overly concerned, as you are likely producing enough in that case. Milk usually takes about an hour to come back in, so try to put LO off. Are you sure it's not gas?

 

[tyandemsmummy]

My milk seems to have caught up now although my boobs aren't anywhere near as full-feeling, but he seems satisfied. The only problem now is that he seems to have swapped his days and nights the last 2 days, and is sleeping most of the day and feeding every 2 hours at night now.......

 

[leighbaby]

Your LO will be growth spurting every other day for the next couple of months, so will have tonnes of feeding frenzies - day and night, just encourage the day feeds in light, with noise etc and make sure the night feeds are quiet and dark - then he'll get over this hectic night feeding phase (hopefully!). When we sleep we do most of our repairing and growth - so all that growing while he sleeps will make him starving - which is why he'll feed so often too!

 

[A3my]

Dont worry, thats normal too my son was like that for a few weeks. Hang on in there, your LO will learn to feed more in the day soon