Lots of questions - can anyone help?

[hairband]

This breast feeding lark is not how I expected!
I posted the other day about 5minute feeds and got lots of helpful advice - so thought I would pop back with a few more questions that have arisen!

1. Low supply issues.. coming up to 6 weeks (though one week gestational age as baby was premature) and there has not been as much milk. So I have been expressing, to stimulate supply but not sure when the best time is.. too soon after a feed and there is not much left... too soon before a feed and there is not much to give.. any tips?

1. Baby posseting after feeds and constant grizzling - could this be reflux?

1. Baby crying a lot unless held.. is this normal?

Feeling exhausted due to lack of sleep. Trying to express for dream feed given by husband to get sleep at night, but does not always work - eg last night was trying to express to get more milk for dream feed; or feed times fall at 9pm then 12pm.. we tried to give some formula in the end but baby would not take it as had just had most of a bottle of EBM.

Sorry if this post sounds a little disjointed - am feeling pretty sleep deprived! Could do with any words of wisdom and just general moral support. Hubby is supportive but also feeling sleep deprived (though he has had MORE sleep than me!)

x

[catinthehat2]

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[BertieBotts]

Hello, will try to answer a few of your questions.

1. Possibly related to the 6-8 week growth spurt. You shouldn't have to express to stimulate supply, just feed as much as the baby wants to which will stimulate you.

Also remember that milk is constantly being produced so if you express just before a feed, there will still be milk for the baby as it is made "on demand". I always found it difficult to express after a feed but this is because the pump isn't as effective as the baby at removing milk - it doesn't mean there is none left.

1. Sorry, not much experience here - sorry for basic question but are you winding him?

1. Totally normal Have you tried using a sling?

As for sleep problems - the best way I found was to feed lying down so that I could get some rest as well. If you read up about it and set your bed up for safe co-sleeping it won't matter if you fall asleep feeding, which is much safer than accidentally falling asleep e.g. in a sofa or chair. You could get your hubby to put the baby back into its cot when the feed is finished if you don't like the idea of co-sleeping.

Good luck! Hang in there - it does get easier I promise.

[PortAndLemon]

1. Is there a particular reason you believe/know you have low supply issues? Generally the best thing for low supply is just to feed the baby more, potentially feeding on three or four sides on each time (so feed on side A, swap to side B, then back to side A and then back to side B again)

1. Could be reflux or could just be within the bounds of normal baby behaviour

1. Yes, pretty normal. Will your baby settle in a sling?

[hairband]

Thanks all - have just got 50mls out which is more than I got yesterday so hopefully things will improve... will try to get him used to the sling, so far he has resisted but worth giving it another go.. and will keep an eye on the posseting, reassuring to know this may be normal!

[BertieBotts]

Which sling have you got? Also remember the amount you can express is not neccessarily related to your supply. Glad you are feeling a bit better though

[PortAndLemon]

Yes -- I breastfed DS to 3.2 and am currently bf DD at 16 months, and have never ever been able to express 50mls. Yet DD has always tended towards the spherical so I know I've never had supply problems (it's also perfectly possible to have a non-spherical baby and still have no supply problems; just that I would have liked to see anyone who looked at DD try suggesting with a straight face that I wasn't producing enough milk because I couldn't express anything worth mentioning).

[hairband]

Have got a Babasling. DH has got the baby in it now and he is being quiet! Yay!
Did not know that supply and amount you express is not related.. this BF lark sure does mystify me!
The other thing getting me down is that my NCT group seem to be finding it easy. Only 2 other babies born yet - one feeds 3hourly, the other feeds constantly, is massive and mum says that the baby is making BF easy for her.
Whereas I am being woken up constantly and feeling shattered and deranged as a result. I know it is meant to get better but it doesn't feel like that now!
Anyway happier now that everyone has said on my other thread not to throw away the EBM I spilled a drop of water into! x