Does illness affect supply and let down?

[NickyEds]

I'm a bit poorly-nothing serious just a cold, fever etc.Dd (12 weeks) has been very fussy at the breast yesterday and today. I can normally feel the let down in the boob she's not on IYSWIM but today I can't feel it. Dd will often have a bit of a fuss doing the little sucks before the letdown but then does long gulps after that and calms down but today she's been fussy and a bit...frantic throughout. Any thoughts would be most appreciated-I've got a bit of a grumpy baby.

Does she have a blocked nose too?
Have you taken anything for the cold? I think some cold medicines can affect milk supply (the ones that are supposed to dry your milk up).

Both of mine started having weird fussy periods from about that age though. Dd in particular would go on little milk boycotts and I'd have to feed her whilst she was just waking up to get her to relax and cooperate.
The lack of letdown "pain" might just be your supply regulating a bit now that she's a bit older.

Thanks. She'd had a bit of a blocked nose for a week or so but has been feeding ok ( but sounding a bit like a piggy!)until yesterday. I've been taking paracetamol but I think it's decongestants that are meant to dry your milk up???

The let down I feel isn't painful, just tingly and it disappearing is making me worry that she isn't getting enough milk.

Sometimes, a fever or other illness in the mum can affect supply for a day or so - nothing more than that though.

Paracetamol is safe to take when bf and will not affect supply.

Not feeling let down is not significant.

It could be your baby has a bit of a cold, too.

OTOH, her behaviour could be one of those things that all babies go though from time to time -nothing to do with supply or feeding.

Things will almost certainly right themselves soon :)

I think it's normal to lose the sensation of let down at about 3 months as your body gets better at producing milk on demand so you aren't always so full in between feeds.
Maybe try breast compressions to see if that makes her a bit more satisfied?
Best way to up your supply is to feed feed feed so you could try and plan a few quiet days in if possible and offer feeds as frequently as she'll take.

Thank you Tiktok- just had a paracetamol-panic! It's just a worry as she's normally such an efficient feeder. I'll just keep on (she's been feeding more frequently than usual)and see how we are tomorrow.