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Infant feeding

Breast feeding medication and loss of supply

7 replies

Xena · 16/07/2006 19:15

I've posted abit about this before but I need some more advice so will start again DS2 13wks breast fed exclusivly until 8/10 wks (can't quite remember) when I started topping him up on bottles, mainly because he fed all afternoon 1-3pm and that was ok because dd2 has her nap then, but at 3.30pm ds1 and dd1 need to be collected from school and he would scream all the way and want to be fed again as soon as we got home (it gradually increased as these things do untill he was fed about 40% bottle). Anyway he wasn't over keen on being bottle fed and it gave him wind etc and I thought about 1 and a half weeks ago that I would try to increase my supply back up to fully breast fed again. It seemed to go well at first but now it seems to be going back the other way my supply is right down.
Now firstly when my blood results came back the other day I was v anemic sp? so am on 600mg of iron aday
My throid levels are way too low and so my thyroxine needs to re adjusted appt tomorrow to discuss this (I take quite a high dosage anyway)
Thirdly I take warfarin as I had a DVT
and fourthly ds2 has appt at local hospital on tues for a kidney scan (he had a urine infection that they didn't look at the results of for 2 weeks . and on weds has an appointment at kings for his liver tests (all down to prolonged jaundice)
anyway I need to sort this out either my supply increases or I've got to give up
any advice?
p.s. he is happily putting on weight weighs 15lb+

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MrsAnthonyKiedis · 16/07/2006 20:03

Hi Xena, have no idea ( well could have a stab but don't want to tell you the wrong thing) so will gladly bump this for mears, tiktok and other wise people to see it. Hope you get some replies

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Xena · 16/07/2006 21:14

Thanks, anyone around now?

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mears · 16/07/2006 21:20

Why do you think your supply is low?

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Xena · 16/07/2006 21:26

he isn't as satisfied? To increase my supply back up I was feeding him first then topping up reducing the amt of formula got him down to 5oz but now he isn't settling

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Xena · 16/07/2006 21:34

I managed to express 3oz after feeding him last night at 11.30pm he woke at around 4am and I fed him and he settled but when he woke at 7am I fed for a good 45mins then he had the 3oz of ebm and then when not settled I offered him 3oz of formula but he still didn't settle until he had 3 more oz.

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mears · 16/07/2006 21:45

Xena - babies will often such whatever is put in their mouths - if that happens to be a bottle with a teat they will suck the contents. It doesn't mean they are actually hungry. Perhaps he is going through growth spurt and is wanting to feed more frequently. It is not unknown for 13 wek old babies towant to feed constantly, mainly because they like to be in contact with the breast. I found that sometimes feeds went on for ages. I always fed from one side until baby spontaeously let go. I would wind them and then offer the other side and let them feed until they let go. If they didn't settle, I just put them back on again and so on. I would have periods of very frequent feeds which was natures way of upping the supply. Feeds would then space themselves out again. I never offered EBM or a bottle of formula.

Anaemia can affect supply but your Hb would need to be pretty low. Thyroid problems could also affect supply but I have to say I am impressed that you could express 3oz off after a feed. That tells me you have plently of milk. Sounds more like a confidence problem. I would keep him away from top-up altogether and try 'shoogling' him in the pram to sleep if you feel he has been breastfeeding long enough.

Do you take him off to change breasts or do you let him spit the nipple out?

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Xena · 16/07/2006 21:58

No I wait for him to spit it out.
thanks you have reassured me (I was awake expressing as I was watching dd2 who had a temp of 102 I'd given her calpol and was waiting to see if it was working. its been a stressfull 24hrs, but her temp is staying down now even without calpol)
I'm sure it is a confidence thing the longest I have fed any of the others was 12wks so I feel abit out of my depth now but abit silly for asking for advice when he is our 4th
I haven't ever given him formula between 7pm and 7am and have got him back into waking between 11 and 5 (which he wasn't) to maintain that part of it, he feeds well at 2pm but its the rest of the time that goes abit pair shaped