Is my supply going to go in the future due to lack of early feeding?

[noblegiraffe]

Not sure if anyone will know, the internet hasn't been very forthcoming.

I have read that scheduled feeding with big gaps in the early days can cause problems for supply later down the line, and also that night feeds are important for establishing supply. People also talk about newborns feeding and feeding to establish supply.

My DD is 8 weeks old and has never been a manic feeder. She was a sleepy baby and in the first couple of weeks it was a real struggle to get her to feed every 3 hours (I know it should be more than that even) and was often more like 4. She has never fed for more than 10 minutes and usually refused the second breast. Since the first two weeks she has fed every 2 hours in the day, but usually only one side and under 10 minutes and has been doing longer stretches at night. Last night she slept for 8 hours without a feed and when she woke, she only took one side and wasn't really hungry. My boobs didn't feel full either, as you might expect without a feed for that long, although I have no worries about my supply at the moment.
Her weight gain has been fine, she's following the 25th line.

That's a bit rambling, but as she hasn't done any of the things that are thought to be important for establishing supply, does this mean I'm going to struggle in the future?

I think you'll be fine.

My DD1 did feed more in the night than your lo, but she would only ever take one side and she was such a speed feeder. Honestly at times it wasn't even ten minutes. Maybe not even five minutes. She just gulped what she wanted and stopped.

But my supply was fine and I fed her till she was 20 months.

I wouldn't say so, no. All the early stuff matches your supply to the baby's demand and it sounds like your dd is getting what she wants.

It's not a complicated physical process (afaik). More milk removed, more milk made. Long gaps tell your body that less is required, short gaps that more is required. I don't think there's any sort of "memory" though, or any action that happens in the early days that affects things several months on.

8 weeks is totally normal for your breasts to feel less full. Just means they're getting the supply/demand thing right.

Sounds like you're both doing well to me

I'm feeding 14mo DD as we speak. She fed a lot at night (terrible sleeper) but was a one-boob, ten mins sort of baby for a long time. So long as you are prepared for feeding-extravaganza clusters at times (try Wonder Weeks for details) then your now-established supply will increase as she needs it.
Good luck!

It sounds like your supply is established just fine. Don't worry though if she increases feeds suddenly at any point - she will go through growth spurts and if you just respond your supply matches up with those very quickly and adjusts again when the growth spurt is over.

My DD was the exactly the same as yours in the first couple of weeks and also started doing 7-8 hours stretches regularly at about 8 weeks (I thought i was going to be lucky and have a baby who slept through early on but hasn't proved to be the case, at least she's only waking once a night atm rather than the 4 times she was doing a couple if weeks ago!). Anyway, she's now 8 months and still following her 25th% line, feeds about four times during the day and once at night, enjoying weaning and my supply is very plentiful. In the first six months she just fed for longer each feed or more frequently (never really both) when she was having a growth spurt and my supply soon responded.

No issues here. Your supply will adjust for your babies needs

I couldnt bf dd for her first six weeks as she came almost 13 weeks early. I had to express and initially got v little at all. Were still feeding now 19 months later.

I believe that your babys milk intake needs stay about the same from month 1 to 6, so if you've already established enough for her at month 1 you should have enough to go on iyswim

if this was true then every mother who has to pump for their baby at the start due to prematurity or illness would have supply problems later.

I pumped for the first 3 weeks as DD was premature, scheduled 3 hourly and only once in the night. then DD was sleepy for another 4 weeks and only fed 3 hourly if that and not for long each time and one boob only.

she is now 5 months and my supply seems fine.

Thanks everyone, that is reassuring :)