11 week old DD frustrated at the breast. Anxious re milk supply!

[SallyMischievo]

I have posted several times about my constantly hungry baby (the last post was here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/breast_and_bottle_feeding/2309709-Almost-ten-weeks-and-still-feeding-constantly). Over the last two or three days, DD has seemed to be growing frustrated when feeding. A few minutes in, she will unlatch and hit, and paw at, my breast. This will happen a few times and she will eventually start whimpering or crying. The only way to help her seems to be to transfer her to the other breast. I'm worried that my milk supply has depleted as my boobs feel softer and I can now sleep on my stomach again! I also no longer have to express a little milk off before feeding, (I used to have to as the milk flow would overwhelm her and drench her face and sleeve and she would be glugging to keep up!). She has dropped her night feed in the last couple of weeks and now sleeps 7 or 8 hours in one stretch, also seems to have been going a bit longer between feeds over the last few days. Please help me understand what could be happening as I thought the constant feeding would have established my supply! How can I go about increasing it?!

The behaviour you describe and the way your breasts have changed all sounds normal. Switching to the other breast when the baby indicates she's 'done' with the first breast is normal - it's what most mothers do, I would say :)

Softer breasts are normal with several weeks of established breastfeeding. What happens is this: the fat that gives our breasts their shape when not pg is replaced by milk producing tissue which is not as bulky. Your supply has settled down, and that is normal - it would be really unusual if you still had to express off the first flow.

A call to any of the breastfeeding helplines will help you talk this through, I think, because you may need convincing :)

Think about why you are lacking confidence.

If your baby is continuing to thrive, then you don't have a problem with supply, on what you have said here :)

I agree with everything tiktok said.

It sounds very normal but I remember the exact same panic myself as I had a heavy supply at first and when it calmed to normal I assumed I was running dry! Initially my DS only needed to feed off one boob at a time but ended up wanting both each feed .

It may be now your supply has calmed your let down has slowed too and as your DD isn't used to it is getting frustrated it's not coming out as quickly.

As has already been said, as long as you are getting wet/dirty nappies and your DD continues to gain well I would suspect your supply is fine.

Such a stressful time.

Thank you so much for your advice. That makes sense. Phew!