worried about low milk supply and weight gain with 6month old

[teena111]

Am EBF my 6 month and one week old DD.. Started her on 'solids' about 2 weeks ago as she definately needed to and was ready. From 4 months till 6 months she only put on 10oz, doctor didnt seem worried, she is meeting all developmental milestones, is a happy bright and VERY active 6 month old little girl! She is on 2 'meals' a day now, porridge for breakfast (about a tablespoon) and a tablespoon or more ish for 'lunch' of pureed veg or fruit. Both which she downs very quickly!

She is always BF before each meal and always feeds about every hr and half to 2 hours in the day, and always drains the boob. Recently in the evenings I have noticed that I have hardly any milk left. She only wakes up once a night but it has been earlier and earlier each night and I think its because she doesnt 'fill' up as I have hardly any milk. If the milk was there I know she'd drink it..
I know once solids are established she should be getting about 600ml of milk a day. Am worried she doesnt get that at all. Also I weighted her at home today and she hasnt put on any weight from the last weigh 2 weeks ago..
what should I do? Increase 'fatty' solids even though they arent supposed to be the main form of nutrition? She seems so hungry, but I think that's mainly because I dont have enough milk? She wont take a bottle so maybe try formula in a cup? It doesnt seem like the more i'm nursing the more i produce.. I have never had a problem with supply before at all/...

any advice welcome!

I'd be tempted to say, if you have ruled out anaemia and hydration for you, and you've ebf for 6 months, its likely to be your supply is ok and moved to supply on demand, not that you have run out of milk.

You mention very active. Is she crawling? I'll get out DS1s red book when I've got DS2 to sleep, but suspect he put on minimal weight from 6-12 mths - he certainly didn't move up a clothes size.

Just a thought- mine really loved weaning and filled up but didn't take much milk initially. This led to lots of waking up in the night. I now make sure she has a food milk feed before any solids and if she doesn't, she doesn't get much in the way of solids. Milk is still primary food at this age.

Try that and see if it helps? Also foods for milk supply are oats, red bush tea, brewers yeast and fenugreek.

Compressions help during feeding too but I suspect they are feed on demand so the supply has settled down to reflect that. 2 weeks isn't very long and the chub up so much pre crawling then burn it off that I'd try not to worry too much.

I would give higher calorie/nutrient solids - the foods we traditionally give as weaning foods (bland carbs and fruit/veg) aren't necessarily the best complementary foods to milk anyway.

Protein rich foods, avocado, full fat dairy, nut butters etc are all good.

Only waking once in the night is very good going for an EBF 6 month old, so she obviously isn't starving.

She isnt crawling yet no but does not sit still.. alwasys rolling around, trying to get at things, trying to move from one side of room to another on tummy with much effort! Its that she ahsnt put on weght since 4 months. I know they slow down alot from 6 months, not 4...??

I always breastfeed before food and after!! she used to feed every 4 hours but now its much more frequent.

Has she moved down the weight centiles at all?

You can't drain a boob, there is always milk there - it's a river not a pool that needs filling up. Chances are that your supply is now so well established that you don't feel full any more.

My DD is exactly the same age as yours, bfeeds every couple of hours in the day and recently has been waking two or three times in the night, so your once is pretty good! She is following her line perfectly weight wise so I've no worries at all about supply.

Is your DD following her line? That's the important thing, not how much she has put on.

OK, from 4-6 months, we doubled from 3.5kg to 7.5kg. At 1year old, we were 8.5kg.

My growth charts suggest a kg weight gain (for boys) between 4 and 6 months, and your DD is significantly below that. Might the HV be of more use than the GP?

when I say drain the boob i mean 'empty ' it, as in she does reach the fatty hind milk. I know its impossible to say but her feed before she goes to bed she must get no more than an ounce or two. She feeds for maybe a minute, and my breasts are v soft and feel f empty at this time of day.

I dont see how I can be giving her the recommended 600ml a day amount for the next few months?

She was ALWAYS above her line, as she gained so much weight in the first 4 months. She is now below her line, she should be around 15.8oz but shes only 14.5oz and thats been more or less the same since 4 months. She certainly isnt starving and doesnt look it either as like I said she gained so much in the first 4 months.

I'm not sure how worried I should be? If she is happy and bright and feeding?

Where did you get this 'recommended 600ml' figure from? There was a formula scandal recently in Turkey where Danone was telling bfing mothers that they needed to be giving their babies 500ml of breastmilk a day and topping up with formula if not.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/after-nestl-aptamil-manufacturer-danone-is-now-hit-by-breast-milk-scandal-8679226.html

The 500ml figure has been disputed as basically made up, so 600ml seems even more unlikely! Honestly, wherever you heard this figure from, ignore it. It is impossible to tell how much breast milk your baby is getting from you. Even if they feed for a couple of minutes, by 6 months they can be super efficient feeders and be getting enough from that. Also, breasts that feel soft and empty still produce milk.

Instead of worrying about numbers, be guided by your baby. You say she seems happy, healthy and alert. She is also very active. If she is sleeping ok, nappies are ok and her weight isn't plummeting down the centiles (I think you need to drop 2 centile lines before getting concerned), then she is fine. Maybe take her to get weighed (no more than monthly) just to keep an eye on it if you're worried.

The Department of Health recommends that bfed babies over 6 months old are given a vitamin supplement, so you should start that if you're not already.

I have read it on practically all websites when I have read about introducing solids!! Just google it! perhaps it refers to formula fed babies?? Where would I buy a vitamin supplement for a 6 month old/

Thanks. I'll go get her weighed in 2 weeks and see.

The 600ml definitely only refers to formula feeding, there is no possible way to measure or recommend an amount of bm that a 6 month old should be having. Just continue feeding on demand as you have been doing.

The vitamins can be bought from any pharmacy eg Boots, or from supermarkets. Some NHS areas sell them ("Healthy Start" vitamins) or give them for free for those that qualify, I think.

Yes, that figure would be for formula fed babies, where the milk has to be measured out and the temptation might be to cut down feeds too quickly. They also need the 500ml of milk to get the recommended level of vitamins that a bfed baby should be given in a supplement.

With breastfeeding, you just need to make sure that you give milk before solids (maybe an hour before) so baby doesn't fill up on solids in favour of milk. Baby will take what she needs, and your body will make enough to cope with the demand.

You can buy baby vitamins from the supermarket, just make sure you get drops suitable for a 6 month old.

OK so last night when I fed her before putting her to bed, she was just sUcking and sucking (NOT swallowing) on each breast and pulling off and whining then going back on. I had no milk to give her. After about 10 mins of this I finally felt a let down and she maybe drunk for about 30 seconds before the same happened. My breast were v small soft and floppy.!
She puts herself to sleep so I put her in her cot and she went to sleep. Only she woke up at 11pm (it was always 3am, then it moved to 1am then 12) and cried for food. I normally leave her for 5 mins to see if she goes back to sleep and the crying got worse so i know it was food and I know she was hungry as she'd had nothing before going to bed! This now means she is waking at 6am not the usual 7 as she is hungrier earlier and has now offset any 'routine' I had going for the mornin!

I am really worried as I have such little milk. It clear as shes waking earlier for feeding in the night. What can I do.

I guess I am so worried due to her low weight gain....

Feeding more often in the night just happens sometimes. Babies don't sleep through and then that's it forever. It certainly doesn't mean your milk is running out. My six month old has been waking much more often in the night recently, I think there's a growth spurt at 6 months and also I've put it down to the hot weather and being thirsty. My breasts feel soft and empty too, especially in the evening, but they have done since DD was about a week old.

If you do think there is a problem with your milk supply, then the best thing to do is put baby to the breast more often. But I do think that you are worrying unnecessarily - you say your six month old is very active, mine isn't, she sits in the same spot for ages sucking on toys. No wonder mine is putting on more weight than yours!