Has my breast stopped working? And what can I do?

[BeanoNoir]

Got desperate with lack of sleep and amount of time spent feeding and mix fed for about a week. Have stopped now and ebf again, since thurs morning.

But now one of my breasts is really soft and small and none of the veins are prominent anymore, it is not changing size at all ever. I have been trying to feed ds from that side lots and lots but it doesn't seem to be making a difference. The other side is massive.

I'm worried if I keep feeding more from small side but it's broken then I'll be reducing the supply from the good side. Can I get my breast back to how it was before? I'm really worried and it looks awful.

Please help, I've tried with a hand pump and can only get drops out. Should I get an electric pump? I really want my breast to go back to how it was. I really regret giving ds the bottles now.

Bump?

Hello

I hope someone with proper advice comes along soon. I recommend you phone the NCT breast feeding helpline tonight for some help.

It is possible to feed from one side only. I've fed 2 babies for a total of 3.5 years and only one of my breasts produces milk. I'm a bit lopsided though!

I hope you get it sorted. Good luck!

How old is your baby ?

16 weeks old.

Is there no way I can get it back? Earlier when he was crying I felt the tingle in both nipples. I'd be devastated if the mixed feeding had made this breast stop working. Also I have done entire feeds with it e.g last night he had only that breast as his last feed and then slept for three hours. Surely it must be producing milk???? I just can't believe how 'prepregnancy' it looks and feels and it's not changing at all

At that age, it would be really unlikely that you've killed your supply. Just keep feeding frequently and you'll get things back on track. Boobs do lose that full look after a while once the supply is calibrated.

I've just had a little go at hand expressing and milk was coming out, spraying and dripping. So does that mean it's ok? I don't understand why it looks like it does. Will they even out? Is the other one bigger at the moment because I'm using it less? Will it shrink and this one grow to match it?

Is this one the normal one and it's the other one with the problem?

I am aware I sound a bit ridiculous. I'm surviving on tiny snatches of sleep in bits in the night and have a 2 year old as well as baby, so am a bit on the edge about a lot of things. This has been worrying me and I think I'm maybe obsessing over it a bit? I've been in tears about it tonight and just want to know that all is ok.

It's hard work having 2 little ones and everything seems twice as hard when you are tired.

Just keep feeding from both sides, alternating which side you start with on each feed and everything should get back to normal.

Please get some proper advice soon though to reassure you that everything is fine.

Aw Beano, you do sound a bit worried and panicky about this . Sleep deprivation makes everything seem worse doesn't it.
Everything does sound fine-offer both breasts at each feed and things should even up. Breasts that are overfull will send the message to reduce milk supply so just respond to your baby's cues and all will be fine.

Is there anything you can do to get some help or support at home? If you're not already, would co-sleeping give you some more sleep?

Health visitor is coming this morning to help me, and parents in law are round the corner and amazing. So I am making sure I'm getting some support. Just finding it difficult at the moment but also trying to enjoy because I know time will fly and I'll miss them being this small. I've just had 3 hours sleep in one go, which is the longest in ages, so hopefully things are getting better.

Thanks for reassuring me.

Thank you. I got ds weighed the day I gave him his last ff, and the next weigh in at my local children's centre is 2 weeks later, so I'll make sure I take him to that and see how he is.

Currently feeding now and tried him on small side for as long as I could and now he's on big side. I'll try to relax and see how we go. Just want to even up! But tbf even if I do I'm sure I'll just find something else to obsess about!