Urgent, I run out of Breastmilk!

[airhostess]

Hi, I'm shattered and I have zero Breastmilk left and my baby who is a very big boy is getting upset. Should I give him formula? He's 4 mths and been exclusively bf, ?

Feeds
0930 15 min feed
2230 15 min feed
2320 dummy in
0012 30 min feed
0059 dummy
0105 dummy
0120 feed
All sound normal? I'm doing my best not to let him sleep on me, partner has work tomo so can't let him make any noise, which isn't helping either x

My 2 at that age would be 7ish, 9 ish, 11 ish 1 ish then 3 ish , 4ish, then 6 ish then up at 7.

So looks normal to me!

All sounds very normal, if you're worried about the supply still you could try breast compressions. (Google- dr jack Newman breast compressions).
Though as others said the frequent feeding is most likely growth spurt.

When mine was this age a few months back he'd be frustrated at the breast but I don't think it was lack of milk. He was just distracted as more aware of world around him and he was seeing/interacting with his surroundings in new ways. I feel this led to frustration as he was hungry, tired etc. but too distracted and stimulated to focus on meeting his own needs. Keep breastfeeding, your baby will be fine! And don't forget breastfed babies often weigh less so dont be alarmed if he doesn't gain weight as rapidly as the centile chart dictates.

I just find this sort of thread so frustrating! That smug, patronising, oh you've got enough milk, just try harder harder harder. If you're not up all night with a baby on your boobs you're a bad mum, you're not trying hard enough.

There's a middle way, OP! It's easy! Your supply is established. Just introduce a bottle. Mix feeding is great, it works fine, I've done it with both my babies. They were the happiest babies on the block. I kept my sanity, they stayed full. My supply didn't dry up (what TOSH!). One bottle a day, at 6.45pm, just before bed. Dad can do it. You can rest. Baby is full, happy and goes off to bed with a full tum. One bottle a day. Perfect compromise.

Much of the backlash against BF is because BF advocates refuse to entertain any sort of practical compromise. If mix feeding was more promoted (especially after babies reach 3 months or so, and BFing is established) I think babies would be BFed for longer. Better for everyone.

by the way I had wonky boobs. One just didn't work right. Both my babies HATED feeding off that boob. I've since talked to a couple of friends who had the same problem. Both were instructed that the problem was theirs. They weren't trying hard enough, it's in your head, your boobs work just fine.

Fact is, sometimes boobs DON'T work right. We're all built differently. Plenty of lactating animals have faulty equipment. It would be nice if Kellymom and other sancti-mommy sites like that would actually admit that, so that normal women don't take on the message that it's all their fault if their babies are still hungry after feeds.

Several people on this thread have already suggested mixed feeding, exactly as you have.

Lots of people have pointed out that nothing in the OPs post suggests anything other than normal breastfeeding behaviour. That's not smug, patronising or sanctimonious, it's women giving their experience of breastfeeding to the OP who asked if it was normal. It is also true that there is a correlation between mix feeding and stopping breastfeeding sooner than the mother wanted to.

It would be nice if discussions around feeding could be had without insults flying around. It doesn't help anyone, and your point could be just as strongly made without it.

Wish I could like that last post.

What is unkind about it? Unkind to whom?

It's also 4 month sleep regression and both if mine started to feed each hour overnight as a bad feeding to sleep habit. Fed for 2 secs, back to sleep. That's a diff issue?

Tackled by not feeding to sleep and bit feeding every time they woke up.

Not feeding everytime

I agree with fenugreek - dc2 just going througj this - I did give in and give her formula and it made her fussier as it's bothering her tummy. So now I'm just latching her on as much as I can..