Have I lost my supply?

[brokenboobs]

DD is 4 months old and has been EBF from birth. She's held at about the 50th centile for weight until the last month when she's seemed very fussy and dropped to the 25th. I have had my period every month since giving birth and it seems to make her very fussy and my supply seems to dip lower. This week I started my period again and she's acting very hungry and getting hardly any wet nappies. I've tried giving formula but she's point blank refusing the bottle. I'm at a complete loss as to what to do and getting very worried.

Red book charts use WHO growth charts which are based solely on breastfed babies these days. So while there is a plateau at 4 months this should be reflected on the charts, and advice not to worry about a baby dropping centiles is well meaning but (in the UK at least) incorrect.

Your GP isn't necessarily the best person to advise on supply - although absolutely can tell you if baby is doing ok. Can you get to a breastfeeding support group? An NCT advisor came to my house when I was struggling with feeding DS1 in the early days. Stopping offering the breast when your baby won't take a bottle seems a bit risky.

Really, it's just not true that there is nothing to worry about if a baby drops a few lines on the chart.

I'd love it if this myth went away.

Current uk charts are based on exclusively and predominantly breastfed babies, and have been for several years.

A baby who drops two (not 'a few') or more centile spaces (that is, for example, from the 75th to the 25th or further) needs to be checked out. He may be fine. But there may be something going on, and if there is, it needs to be fixed.

It's a big deal if a baby is not growing as he should be. Babies need to thrive.

In OP's case, baby has dropped one centile space. Not a problem.

I stand corrected on the centile graphs! And will tell my HV to update her knowledge next time I see her.

Stressed and tired yes but not taking any medication. I have a lactation consultant booked for Monday. DH found both the baby and me in floods of tears with me trying to get her take a bottle while she just wanted boob. I told DH the only thing I could think to try is skin to skin and to get in bed so that's what we've done he's fielding the older kids. I'm going to try pumping. I don't think I am getting enough water so have order a 2L bottle so I can keep track during the day and ensure I'm getting enough. I'll also give fenugreek a go.

city - can't believe your Hv does not know what data the charts are based on. Seriously. They have been based on BF babies since (I think) 2010.

broken, if your baby wants to BF, then surely you BF him? Has anyone said to give him a bottle instead of BF?

Yes the GP did. That's why I was trying.

Just on a bit of tangent but does it make sense for the charts in the U.K. to be based on BF when so few do past a couple of months? It just seems odd.

2009 IIRC, DS had one of the last mixed charts in late 2008.

OP keep feeding any time she wants it. Even if she gets nothing (which I very very VERY much doubt, BTW!) it's all good stimulation. I think GP's advice to avoid the breast is awful TBH.

My dd2 dropped from just above the 50th centile to the 25 th centile, at 4 months, she was also fussing when feeding. My periods were back and I felt my supply dropped. i kept going as I had been, she's now 9 months and back where she was before. Just a blip I think, and coincided with her becoming more alert and active.
The one thing I did become conscious of was that in peace and quiet she was much more focused and seemed to trigger my let down more easily.
Sounds like you've had some great advice from tiktok, and my gp freely admits to not knowing much about breastfeeding.
Relax enjoy the skin to skin and the cuddles.

Yes it does, because even when bottle feeding it makes sense to try and emulate the BF baby's weight gain as closely as possible (even though this isn't really possible as babies gain weight at different rates).

Plus lots of babies are still breastfed past a couple of months, perhaps you are thinking of the exclusive breastfeeding stats? The rates for any breastfeeding stay up at about 34% by 6 months.

Why not give la leche a call OP they have a 24hr helpline run by mums who have researched based info (sadly many gps have little bf training and tend to go on personally opinion)

www.laleche.org.uk/telephone-helpline/

It really does not make sense to refuse the breast in order to insist on a bottle which makes the baby feel upset and less likely to feed. Please do check with the doctor about this,or think whether this is actually what he/she intended.

The charts show babies' growth as it is 'meant' to be. The old charts were misleading.

Just a thought but has your DD been checked for a tongue tie?

My DD1 was severely tongue tied and so couldn't breastfeed when she was born. It was sorted when she was a week old but for other reasons we ended up formula feeding. When my DD2 was born and breastfed straight away I assumed there was no issue there. It was only when her growth curve dropped from between 75th and 50th to 25th at around the same age as your DD that it was picked up. It was rectified and she bounced back to where she was within a few weeks and continued to be EBF.

Maybe something to ask the breastfeeding consultant. It was only a breastfeeding specialist that picked it up for us rather than the normal midwives.

She isn't tongue tied in fact she sticks it out in quite an impressive way but thank you for the suggestion. DC1 was tongue tied quite badly and I had DC2 checked as soon as she was born.

The GP is mostly concerned that she doesn't become more dehydrated a concern I share. I've compromised and am BFing as much as she'll take and syringing in some formula but she's doing her very best to spit it out. I'm staring at the pump and about to will myself to use it. I'm not a huge fan of the pump.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I'm going to give the hotline a buzz as well and see what they think. I'm just tired and upset that things aren't going well. I thought at post 4 months my supply was well established and we would be fine.

Hope you are getting on a bit better today broken

She fed at least every two hours if not more through the night and yet the nappy was just a bit wet after 12 hours? I can feel the letdown so what on earth is wrong?

broken see my previous tip: put a cotton wool ball or perhaps a tissue in the nappy. Good quality disposables absorb the wee too well to judge 😀

I'll try the cotton ball but the nappies used to be much heavier with wee. There has clearly been a change. I can tell she has done a wee because the nappy has a wet indicator that turns blue when wet.

I think I'm with Tiktok, I wouldn't set too much store by the wetness indicator, sounds gimmicky to me. The weight of the nappy changing is probably more reliable, but has she gone up a size?

Wet nappies/heavy nappies is a very imprecise thing....your baby is clearly urinating, and it just appears it is not as much as before. But the range of normal is pretty wide - you can't see the age and weight of a baby and say how much he or she 'should' be weeing. It changes as the baby grows, too.

It sounds as if you do need more reassurance - try your HV on monday?

OP, if you are worried about your supply and want to increase it this is what you can do to encourage a boost almost immediately...

1. breastfeed on both sides, then pump, then hand express on both sides for 5 minutes when the pump cannot extract any more

2. drink at least 2 litres of water today - preferably more.

3. eat oats, lots of them. Whether you eat them via porridge or flap jacks is not important at this point, eat as many as you can stomach

4. 10mg domperidone 3 times a day (providing you do not have any heart conditions) is very effective too

I really wouldn't offer a bottle at this stage, every feed missed risks your supply if you feel it is unsettled and may cause nipple confusion.

Love

EP mum who lasted doing this for 12 months

Have an un-mumsnetty (((hug)))