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Infant feeding

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

Is it normal to have a couple of days of low milk supply?

8 replies

lunavix · 09/10/2006 08:31

Everything seems a bit of a mess today. Two or three nights ago, dd refused her bottle of ebm from dh. I feed her on demand all day/night, but I express first thing in the morning and he offers her a bottle around 10pm. In the end, practically hissing and spitting, shetook a couple of oz, but i had to settle her by bfing. then during the night she woke once as normal. The next morning I could only express 3oz (I try not to feed her from one side during the night as then I can usually express around 5oz in the morning. But I'd had to offer her that side.)

That night she refused to take any ebm from dh, but then took it from me (as in, let me bottle feed her). She woke once during the night as normal.

I expressed 4oz that morning. For most of that day she slept (usually has a couple of good alert periods) that night dh and I decided to offer formula as I have a course saturday and I havent managed to get a store of ebm. as shes not happy taking a bottle, Id rather she was offered ebm all day than formula which she isnt used too.

Again, I had to give her it, but shed fed nonstop until 10pm, then had 3oz of formula. She woke during the night once.

Yesterday she slept all day again. _For the first time I didnt express, didnt have the time. I tried feeding her all evening, (she cluster feeds a lot) she was fretful and didnt appear satisfied. eventuallyy dh took her off me at 10pm offered her formula she took 5oz, threw up 1oz, and slept until 6am.

So obviously I missed a night feed, aso I woke up hoping to express a decent amount and struggled to get 2oz. Shes been feeding almost constantly this morning and seems unsatisfied again.

Is it normal to have a few rubbish days?

In an ideal world I'd be able to express enough to give her a bottle at night and freeze some but it seems I cant. I'm worried if I dont freeze what I express she might be really unhappy Saturday... but I don't want her to have formula.

OP posts:
lunavix · 09/10/2006 08:38

Obviously the sensible thing to do would be to bf on demand until my supply is happy and returns (ie no bottle ) but I'm worried she'll be desperately unhappy saturday with a mix of formula and bottles imposed on her...

OP posts:
lunavix · 09/10/2006 08:40

I forgot to add, she's weeing lots but only has done one poo a day for the last two or three days. I know it could be constipation from the formula, but I think it started before we first offered her formula.

OP posts:
mears · 09/10/2006 08:59

Lunavix - the more anxious you get about expressing, the less milk you produce. There is plenty of time to express EBM between now and Saturday. I never expressed a whole feed at a time except when I actually missed a feed at work. Aim to express 1-2 oz at a time a few times throughout the day. It will soon mount up. Even if you express just before a feed you will still have enough to feed your DD.

Remind me what age she is now?

lunavix · 09/10/2006 14:35

6 weeks

I've decided to miss my course on saturday, I don't want to be away from her that long and have another few courses and seminars coming up anyways.
And I don't want her having any formula.

I'm struggling expressing during the day - I work 11 - 6 most days, and she starts feeding around 5/6 which is on/off till 10! So most days the early expressing is the only chance I get.

She's definately fussing today, I couldn't have totally cocked up my milk supply over the span of three days could I?

OP posts:
mears · 09/10/2006 16:57

Not at all. She is probably just having a usual 6 week growth spurt and wanting to breastfeed more. That is totally normal.

Do you work near to home? Can she be brought to you for some feeds? That might help in the longrun.

mears · 09/10/2006 16:58

Are you back at work already?

lunavix · 11/10/2006 22:22

Yes I am, I work from home - but due to the nature of my work I can't express during the day.

OP posts:
MissyBabee · 12/10/2006 14:16

lunavix,
i know how worrying low milk supply is. when it first happened to me i thought it was the end of the world!

if only i'd known about MN, i could have asked for advice. But I did call my HV who rang back and told me not to panic, to drink loads and loads of water, eat loads and loads of reasonably healthy food and to relax, rest if possible.

i did all this, and it did come back!

also, i read in a book by someone we're not allowed to discuss that if you try expressing little and often, it INCREASES the supply. it does. you can get your milk back. Do not panic!

HTH

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