Feel like I've no milk

[Ironwoman123]

Daughter is 5.5 months EBF. She's a total bottle refuser which is fine, however recently she's cut down her feeds so much. She was going every 2-3 hours (nearer 2) but now she's just so not interested.

This has been for the last few weeks but this week just cut down lots. So much so that my boobs got engorged and a blocked duct and I had to unblock it which was very painful.

Now when she does eventually feed I don't feel the same let down that I did. Previously I could feel the milk gushing out and hear her gulping but now she sucks but I don't hear her swallowing the same way or the let down.

Why could this be? Just a stage? Could my milk disappear as a result and what happens if it does as she's a bottle refuser?

She's sitting and watching me eat and grabbing food if I'm near her eating so I do think she's interested in food.

When you say she's feeding less frequently, how long is she going between feeds? Is she bright and alert? Are you getting enough wet nappies?

Feeding less isn't a sign that you don't have milk. By now your supply with be well established. Also, it doesn't matter if she feeds every hour or every 3, she will take roughly 25floz in 24 hours. Unlike ff babies who have to drink increasing amounts of milk, your milk will change to suit her needs.

As for the food. If she's meeting the signs of readiness you could give her something to chew on. Have you read the MN info on Weaning and found the Weaning talk?

Just don't expect the feeds to reduce yet though. The current advice is to bf roughly an hour before offering solids and to gradually work up to 3 meals a day between 8 and 9 months. Some people find that eating lunch or their evening meal while baby sleeps helps

She was feeding every 2.5 hours during the day from 7am to 7pm. Now she's having roughly 3 feeds during this time.

She's kept her same 2-3 feeds during the night.

It just feels so unusual to me that I actually don't feel like I'm constantly feeding her. I knew it would reduce but it's been pretty constant since she was born.

I have tried her with some purée and finger foods in the last couple of days but I didn't want her to take even less milk as a result.

So far today she's fed at

1am
4am
8:30am

Usually she'd feed at 1,4,6,8 then every 2-3 hours but I think she'll take another feed around 1pm judging by the last few days.

I'll try her with some lunch around an hour after her next feed but then she will probably go to 6-7pm (bedtime before she has another feed which just seems like ages!)

She is a big girl however so maybe it's ok. She's on the 75th percentile.

The thing is except for during the night, she rarely cries for food. I offer her it whenever I feel she may like it but she usually refuses and even more so the last week or so.

Maybe I'm just offering it too much and I should wait until she requests. She's very alert, very happy. Lots of wet nappies. She poos every week or so.

If she's sitting up and reaching for food it sounds like she's ready for weaning.

visit your health visitors - they can weigh her and talk to you re. your supply and weaning

Sorry nacho but have to disagree. Unless the OP has one of those amazing but extremely rare HVs who know lots about bfing and are very encouraging then seeing them wouldn't be of much use. The red book also states that a baby shouldn't be weighed more than once a month and the OP hasn't given any indication that there is a cause for concern.

@Ironwoman123 if you want to encourage feeding, could you try some skin to skin, having a bath together may help but she will take the same s,out over 24 hours and you haven't given any indication that there is a problem.

Coukd you ring one of the Bfing Helplines and talk to a qualified BFC for some reassurance?

*same amount

Thanks everyone.

She's getting weighed tomorrrow so I'll find out if she's still following the 75th line.

Today in total she fed

1am, 4am, 8:30am, 11:30am, 4pm, 7pm.

So 6 feeds in total which sounds ok but very little compared to her usual 10.

But when she did feed she usually did on both sides (which she doesn't usually) so maybe her eating habits have just changed.

I also tried her with some solids at lunch time although most of it ended up on the floor (& highchair, hair, face, bib etc!).

My DS dropped feeds very quickly around this age. I think it was around the time we started weaning, or maybe we started weaning because of the dropping feeds, I can't remember. All I know is that he dropped about 50% of his feeds practically overnight and any attempts to get him to feed when he didn't want to made him very upset. He'd never been a particularly enthusiastic bf'er (never comfort sucked, or fell asleep on the boob, etc). In hindsight, I think his tongue tie made feeding not particularly relaxing or comfortable for him (he had a mild one that I didn't get snipped as a newborn as it didn't seem to be affecting his feeding).

Anyway, the short story is he was/is fine. He took to solids like a duck to water and never had any issues with growth or hitting milestones, etc. He's 16 months now and still isn't keen on drinking (cows) milk. He gave up bf'ing at about a year, even though I would have been happy to continue bf'ing for longer.

Ah thanks that's reassuring.

She's just woken for another feed which she's not done for ages!

Boobs change/mature around 6 months so you don't feel the same as the early days

Well she was weighed and she's still following the 75th percentile so I'm not concerned. Just feels so strange but I'm enjoying it.

Less feeding although I've noticed when she does feed she feeds for longer and usually on both sides which she didn't used to do.