signs milk is drying up????

[Clarella]

Hi

Ds is 6 weeks today - I had exceptionally large amounts of colostrum and my milk came in in huge amounts quickly - which was lucky as he was underweight due to being over due and poor placenta. we demand bf from 3 days and he put on weight very quickly indeed - approx a pound a week till last week. we were both poorly last week but ok now however I noticed yesterday my breasts don't seem as engorged. last night he went mad for the breast and fed for about 6 hours on and off and was very cranky. today he's been sleeping non stop - I've woken him fir feeds and he's nodded off each time.

I have an underactive thyroid which has been rather crazy in pregnancy - I'm on a little more thyroxine than pre preg (150) and getting tested this week.

is all this 'engorgment calming down' plus growth spurt .ir could my milk be drying up? my mothers milk dried up with my sister and I know it can happen with thyroid issues.
we do worry a bit about weight gain as he was so small for 42 weeks and labelled iugr :(
5.2 lb at birth, 8.9 lb at 5 weeks, our to be weighed this week.

thanks!

There is a big growth spurt at 6 weeks, which explains the mad feeding.

I don't think your milk is drying up at all - just keep feeding him when he wants it. Your supply has probably 'calmed down', which is why you're not feeling as engorged.

You are over-thinking things!!

that is what I thought though dh is v worried. he rang to tell me of a story about a friends wife's milk drying up and baby being sleepy. though has obviously just been googling and texted to say milk can lessen but comes back when mum is poorly and but I shouldn't do more expressing incase I mess up my fore and hind milk (bless)!!!

can't believe how much he's sleeping though - don't quite know what to do with self! slept though a nappy change he's the picture of health though having just had a bit of a cold.

Clarella, I can understand why you are worried, I have an underactive thyroid and was scared it would interfere with my milk supply too. It hasn't - my 24 week old squidge is still ebf and has put on weight well. So its very doable, obviously whilst still monitoring your levels and dosage.

The lack of engorgement and growth spurt frantic feeding are both explainable by being 6 weeks. Babies can sleep a lot, but do you feel that he's missing feeds?

Congratulations on your baby, you will get to the point when you can relax about the feeding and trust in it. I used to keep track of when my baby had last fed so I could offer if he hadn't asked. Now he's bigger I trust him to be able to let me know when he's hungry, and if he sleeps longer, I know he'll catch up with his food later but its happened gradually as he's gotten more robust and as his weight gain improved. :)

and tell DH to step away from google. Here and Kellymom are good places for sensible advice if you feel there's something wrong.

thanks spirited that's very reassuring :) he woke up a bit in the eve and guzzled and shouted as per usual :)

he's coughing and sputtering more than usual and a bit more reflux which kellymom says is more growth spurt stuff (though dh is convinced it's proper reflux!) very cranky.

I've been reading loads on Kelly mom but dh is quite funny about internet stuff (not sure where he got his info) he doesn't deem 'proper' - kellymom being American includes this!! he gets the nhs emails so I'm going to forward the ones that include kellymom links!!

congratulations on your not-so-little one too !

just out of interest did anything happen to your thyroid post baby? if anything I'm probably a little over medicated but feel well and cope well on only 3 hours (sometimes!) don't really want to drop down yet!!