SUDDEN LOSS OF MILK OVERNIGHT??

[thealicesmum]

Hi all - I'm a newbie so not sure of all the abbreviations used yet so bare with me!

My 8.5mth old has been developing sleep problems due to being fed/rocked to sleep and just starting to wake out of habit so for the last couple of nights we have tried the 'rubber band' method of letting her cry but still comforting her vocally and occasionally rubbing her back to let her know we are still there but not physically getting her out of the cot. I have also stopped feeding to sleep so she learns to settle herself.

However, although she has woken up a couple of times and taken about 30 mins to settle, it so far seems to be working. My main problem is that today after day 2, I obviously woke up with engorged breasts from not giving her any night feeds. She drained both boobs this morn, but since I have not had any let down when feeding her and seemed to have dried up already? I have tried to express this evening to encourage my let down but nothing.

Is it possible to dry up this quickly?

Also, my bf baby won't except a bottle/beaker/cup. If I have dried up, are there any tips of drinking vessels I can use to give her fluids? Panicking a lot!!

thealicesmum - don't panic!!

Have you given her the breast today? Was she contented afterwards? How can you tell that your milk has dried up?

I never feel any let down for what it's worth, but the milk is still there.

It is unlikely your milk has dried up, but Kellymom is a great place to read up on what may be happening.

Expressing is not a good indicator of supply. Your baby will be much better at inducing let down than a pump. As long as she is having lots of wet and dirty nappies she is getting enough.

Please don't worry - lack of sleep makes things seem worse. Lots of rest also good for milk production!

Yes how do you know? My milk has reduced to the point that my breasts feel normal again but she still feeds well so I know she is still getting something. I doubt it would stop that suddenly. Well done for feeding so long. If you have dried up you can congratulate yourself for that. x

You wont have dried up.It would take a major trauma to temporarily halt your supply.

She is just suckling and not actually swallowing at all. She is also gagging on the nipple because there is only a trickle and it obviously catches in her throat.

Normally I would feel quite a forceful let down and she would have to guzzle to keep up. At her 2pm feed today, I didn't feel anything and she just suckled and started to get sleepy which is a sign to me that the breasts are empty. This also happened at 7pm night feed. She was very tired at both feeds and went straight to sleep but now I'm worried she will wake hungry and I don't want to give in as I'm making progress with the sleep problems!

Surely the fact that she started to get sleepy at her feeds just showed you that she was sleepy rather than your breasts were empty?

agree with rainbowinthesky

Try and trust your body's ability to produce milk. If you are feeding on demand/cue then you should be fine.

Incidentally studies have shown that rest, extra water or food will not increase either the quantity or quality of your milk.

Your 8.5 month old hasn't been developing sleep problems because she's been doing the perfectly natural thing of falling asleep at the breast (breast milk contains natural sleep-inducing properties for this very reason!) she's doing it because it's a normal developmental stage. There is a big sleep regression at around that age that can cause even the most settled babies to suddenly wake again.

It sounds to me like your breasts have simply adjusted to meet the new 'demand'. It's quite normal for women who've previously felt let down to start not feeling it, like it is normal for women who've not felt it to start feeling it.

I agree. I used to feel let down but don't so much now. DD is 10 months and she only has first thing in the morning and just before bed. Again try not to worry as you have got this far.

You're probably producing on demand. I'm still doing 2 feeds at 20 months (she won't drink any other milk). I can't feel a thing and my boobs returned to normal months ago. You'll find your baby will feed a lot faster as well.

Hi there

Sorry to shamelessly hijack the thread (and apologies for the spelling but I'm a bit upset!) but I'm experiencing something very similar. My daughter is 8 months old and this week we've both been hit with the sickness bug. I'm also fighting PND and then yesterday - sickness finally gone - my boobs looked utterly pathetic, like empty bags. Daughter has been feeding - or so I thought - but just not stopping - I couldn't get her to let go and I started to think maybe my milk has gone. SO tried a bottle (which she has NEVER accepted before) and she wolfs it down. I can't find anything about milk stopping this quickly - any ideas anyone? I really wasn't prepared for this and feel absolutely devastated.

OP, your problem does sound like the 8/9 month sleep regression to me, not a feeding issue.

There is a great book explaining it called The Wonder Weeks by two scientists who researched all the developmental spurts up to 13 months.

They say:

"Your baby may start sleeping less well. Most babies do. She may refuse to go to bed, fall asleep less easily, and wake up sooner. Some are especially hard to get to sleep during the day. Others at night. And some stay up longer both during the day and at night."

They also say:

"A fussy baby can also be a very restless sleeper. Sometimes, she may yell, toss and turn so much that you think she is having a nightmare."

The developmental spurt causing this happens at about 37 weeks (or between 36 and 40 weeks). The fussy period often begins at 34 weeks (or between 32 and 37 weeks). It often lasts for 4 weeks, but can be from 3-6 weeks.

There?s useful information about it here, here and here.

You have my sympathies as we're in the middle of it here.

MrsJeff, it could be that she is feeding more often to increase your supply which is why your breasts feel more empty than usual. If you let her keep on feeding as often as she wants, your supply will catch up with her demand. I can't see why your milk would 'dry up'.

If it's just at night that she won't let go, I'd say it's probably a sleep issue not a feeding one - needing comfort (I know other mums who've had that problem at night, but had no issues with bf).

Hi Angeldog

Thanks for the reply, but unfortunately this hasn't just been happening at night, and as she's weaning it's not being caused by increased demand either. I have seen bits about "trauma" and illness impacting supply but can't get much detail so it's a bit sketchy as to whether this could be the problem. Will drink lots of fluid and try again though.

Sympathy here too re the night waking regression thing - it's kind of reassuring (?) to know it's a normal stage for them to be going through!

Babies can increase their demand for milk even after starting solids, if there's a growth spurt. Milk should be the main form of nutrition up to 12 months, so if they need more calories, they'll generally look for it from milk first, then from solids (they're very clever! :))

It's often not till around 9/10 months that babies work out that solid food fills them up and satisfies their hunger.

The developmental spurt can also affect the way babies feed as well as how much solids they'll eat (as well as mood and behaviour).

The book I've got which describes babies' behaviour in the run up to developmental spurts speaks of some being less interested in food and drink (both solids & milk) and / or wanting to bf all day long.

Have you seen the Kellymom info on milk supply issues? There
s info on how to check whether your supply is likely to be low, and how to increase it if it is.