where's my milk gone??

[alice&bump]

im so upset, i think my milk's going. katie's been feedin like every hour for the past few days, which i thought as down to a growth spurt, but now i think my milk's drying up

i never get that full feeling anymore, i know your milk regulates itself and only makes it when you need it, but i used to wake up really full so i could feed katie then express like 4 oz, but now they dont even feel full when i wake up

we're going out on sunday and leaving her with my mum for the first time and i'm trying to express asmuch as i can for then, but it's not happening this morning and last night i expressed for about 1/2 an hour and only got1/2oz, i used to get 5or6.

i'm just so scared i'm not going to be able to feed katie enough, last wek she only put on 3oz nd its normally 6

 

[Serene123]

You don't get that full feeling anymore because your body is only producing what she needs. My boobies haven't felt full for a longgggggg, long time but I know there is still lots of milk in there!!

Instead of over producing milk your body is only producing as Katie asks for it because your body now knows how much she does/doesn't need. If that makes sense?

Your milk supply is becoming established.

 

[marley2580]

If she's having a growth spurt your milk may not have caught up with her yet. Also it can become harder to express once your supply regulates. Milk does not just dry up without any reason, particularly when you've been feeding well for a while. Re her weight gain, weight gain slows down as they get older and more active - Kaya's been the same weight for the last 6 months. I'd suggest drinking loads and maybe even have a Guiness, it can give you a wee boost.

 

[Ragirl]

I second what Toria says. If you want to increase it, you need to increase demand. Continue to feed her and then pump afterwards- even if you don't get anything, keep pumping so your body gets the message to make more. I'll be posting a separate thread on this in a minute- so stay tuned

 

[hypnorm]

Expressing never worked well for me unless i did it first thing in the morning, any thing else wouldnt prodice much at all.

 

[alice&bump]

thanks guys, i think i've just been worrying myself too much! my mum said i was silly for worrying that she'd only put on 3oz, she was 12lb5at 8weeks! am thinkin of trying fenugreek just for this week so i can get enough for sun night?

 

[Serene123]

Noooooo there is no need to use fenugreek if you don't need it! It will hurt if you start over-producing.

 

[Mrs_Nesbit]

I've always had a weird problem with expressing. Hardly get any joy with manual pumps. Sometimes think it's some mental block. I have tonnes of milk thats happily got at by babies, but my body seems to go *ooh thats not a baby, I'm not squirting in THAT!*

I shall start trying to express sometime this week, but if I still get no joy with a manual, I'll try forking out for an electric jobby.

 

[alice&bump]

i've been expressing after every feed today so hopefully i'll build it upagain lol, she was on my boob literally for an hour earlier and i can see bits of milk comin out her mouth now so i know she's gettin stuff now

 

[Foxxy]

The best pump for ur breast is ur baby. For me it's definitely so. May be it's the same for u?

 

[alice&bump]

i used to get loads, but i havent done it in ages, uesd to fill a bottle! am defo sure katie's havin a growth spurtnow tho, she fed for over an hour at lunch time and then from 4 til 9 she fed every hour for half an hour!!