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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

does your liquid intake affect your milk supply?

18 replies

nattylou · 10/03/2006 22:30

I have not been drinking very much over the past 2 days, and although ds has been feeding really well, i noticed that today he has only had 5 feeds, as opposed to 7 yesterday and 8 the day before. He has also only been feeding for a maximum of 20 mins at a time with a good 10 mins of me trying to keep him awake and sucking, instead of the usual 35-40.

Could it be that I am dehydrated and that it is affecting my milk supply?

Also, my breasts don't feel as though they are filling up after each feed like they normally do.

Please help.

OP posts:
moondog · 10/03/2006 22:32

Well it's never a bad idea to keep topped up and that would apply more than ever when b/feeding!
Why are you not drinking??
You must look after yourself!

Original poster
nattylou · 10/03/2006 22:38

I know, its just that i had loads of stitches for a 2nd degree tear and also a labial tear so i have kind of been trying to avoid weeing if i possibly could. I know its daft and when i realised something might have been amiss today, i have drunk 2.5 litres so far, so hopefully things will be back to normal tomrrow - fingers crossed.

OP posts:
moondog · 10/03/2006 22:39

Ouch!!
Tried weeing in water? This helped me with the same horrid problem.
Or....pour water over your mangled bits as you wee.

Original poster
nattylou · 10/03/2006 22:40

Yeah. How hygienic is it to have a plastic measuring jug in the bathroom?

:)

OP posts:
starlover · 10/03/2006 22:41

oh much better to drink loads! it dilutes the wee so it's less painful

tiktok · 10/03/2006 23:34

5 feeds a day is not enough to build up and maintain a milk supply, natty - nowt to do with your fluid intake.

He does need to feed more often - usual stuff like skin to skin will help.

tiktok · 10/03/2006 23:37

natty - I have just searched and your baby is only 8 days old, right? You need to ask the midwife tomorrow about the lack of feeds, and give one of the helplines a call, too.

Forget worrying about your fluid intake - it's the baby's intake you need to be concerned about!!

5 feeds - diminishing from 8 - in a baby of this age is simply not enough - sorry to be blunt.

What are his nappies like? Several soft yellow poos a day by now is the norm.

teacups · 11/03/2006 11:10

Feel for you, nattylou. I would buy a cheap jug for bathroom use only Blush and tip it over your bits as you pee. You could also pee in the shower or even the bath to soothe your bits. Agree with starlover that the more you drink, the more dilute your wee will be and the less it will hurt. Not drinking enough made me really tired when I was bf, and you must look after yourself or it has a knock on effect on your family.

Agree with tiktok that you need to keep the feeds up with a very young baby. If it's practical, why not treat yourself to a babymoon. Take to your bed with your ds and have lots of skin to skin time, let him feed loads and your bf relationship will get much easier. Clearly, if you have other children, this is less easy but perhaps dp or a relative could take them off your hands for a while so you can rest and feed.

Good luck and let us know how it's going. Smile

suzi2 · 11/03/2006 21:40

Listen to Tiktok Smile But in general, I find that the more well fed and hydrated I am, the more settled my DS is. I just couldn't seem to drink enough in those early weeks. I was difficult to find the time but I used to down a glass of water before or after every feed.

Ladymai · 11/03/2006 21:53

I bf till DS was 11mths and I found that if I ate loads and drank loads my milk flow was great. Chocolate and bananas are meant to be really good milk producers?!

Your boobs might not be filling up as much as they did at the start because your ds isn't feeding as often. Is ds sleeping well at night, if so you might want to think about expressing once in the night, bit tedious but worked for me.

You might find as he's 8weeks? now that he doesn't want to suck for as long, my DS used to empty a full boob in 10 mins. Usually anything after 20mins is comfort sucking.

Good luck

chipmonkey · 11/03/2006 23:58

Now Ladymai, that is just an excuse to eat chocolate and you know it!Grin

Ladymai · 12/03/2006 09:19

Ooops, thats me sussed!! But I promise it did work!!

tiktok · 12/03/2006 09:40

Ladymai, natty's baby is 8 days.....far too soon to be feeding less.

Natty - where are you?

Ladymai · 12/03/2006 10:04

Oh 8 days! I thought I read further down it was 8wks?

Defo should be feeding more, if anything feed on demand. When DS was small he got fed whenever he cried, I think my entire routine for 6 wks was cry, feed, change feed change, sleep, change, feed etc.

IF you don;t think babe is feeding enough don't be scared to get a bottle of formula down.

Original poster
nattylou · 12/03/2006 10:19

thanks for all your advice. MW came yesterday and said that he was cluster feeding, and as long as we were getting wet and dirty nappies (plenty, every day)then there is nothing to worry about. He will find his own way. She also said that if he is feeding for less than 15 mins on one side, then the next feed should start on the same side so he at least gets the hind milk as well the "drink" foremilk. Everything seems to be ok now, but the real test will be on tuesday when he gets weighed. I'll keep you informed.

OP posts:
tiktok · 12/03/2006 17:29

Good you have seen midwife, natty.....did she not say a thing about 5 feeds a day not being enough, though???

koolkat · 12/03/2006 17:50

natty - at 8 days old my DS was doing something like 12 feeds in 24 hours.

Totally agree 5 feeds isn't enough for your baby this young.

Only advice I have is do drink lots of fluids yourself, but make sure you offer the boob to your baby more often. He needs the fluids and gaps that are too long won't be good for him.

Good luck Smile

beartime · 12/03/2006 22:47

also you can change his nappy mid-feed to wake him up so that he will eat more - I had to do that for ages cos mine was jaundiced and v. sleepy.

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