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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Help help help - no milk

40 replies

Bundleofjoy · 13/03/2007 22:59

Hi

I was really ill with a sickness etc bug last Friday. I couldn't keep anything down and didn't eat very much at all over the weekend. I have an 18 week old who up until then was exclusively breast fed. I gave him a top up bottle on Saturday and he took it ok. Sunday seemed ok with just breast milk. Today he has been really crabby (v. unlike him) and sleeping loads. I gave him a top up bottle before he went to sleep again. I've just got the breastpump out for the first time ever and have produced no more than a tablespoon in total from both boobs. Aaaaargh. a) I've starved my little boy and b) is that the end of the road or can I do something to get the milk going again. I've eaten LOADS today and tried hard to yesterday. Any advice would be much appreciated.

OP posts:
recoveringmum · 13/03/2007 23:02

did you drink tons of water? are you well rested. those reaaly affect your milk supply. if its the 1st time you tried that might be another reason

moondog · 13/03/2007 23:02

bundle,what you can pump bears no relation to what a baby can suck out.no way will your supply have diminished after b/feeding for so long.just put the babe to the breast.

Ceolas · 13/03/2007 23:02

You need to breastfeed more. The more he sucks, the more you produce. I know you're worried about him not getting enough, but giving bottles as a top up just means you'll produce less.

And the pump is nowhere near as efficient as your baby. Don't worry about only getting a little amount. Is there any way the two of you can take to bed for a day? Loads of skin to skin and frequent feeds?

Keep going. You're doing brilliantly.

Original poster
Bundleofjoy · 13/03/2007 23:12

I have put him to the breast lots and lots of times and he tries bless him and then pulls off after lots of mouth action and very little swallowing. Up until last week he was a fantastic feeder. Very little fuss and straight to it. He also used to go down beautifully at night. Now he just cries a hunger cry. I had to give him something as we tried to settle him for two hours (usually don't need to settle him at all). I am so sad about it. I love bf. I'm trying to drink loads but I still feel sick. Has anyone been here and got it back again. I know worse things happen at sea but I'm really heartbroken.

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Original poster
Bundleofjoy · 13/03/2007 23:13

Forgot to say that baby was ill at the beginning of last week (same thing) which meant that he didn't feed very much. I had engorged breasts and hand expressed. Would that have caused it too?

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moondog · 13/03/2007 23:15

Ah,so you have expressed.....
It's most odd.
Probably just a little nursing strike.#Just keep trying and stay calm.The baby doesn;t need formula anyway.Ordinary milk (or no milk at all) is fine.

madamez · 13/03/2007 23:15

Fennel tea and fenugreek pills are supposed to boost the milk supply (and certainly won't do either you or LO any harm but (at the risk of getting flamed here) please don't mind too much if you have to go on to formula. Please don't let him stay hungry in an attempt to make him take breastmilk. I couldn't feed my DS myself which I was a bit sad about bit he's 2 now and thriving so it's OK.

recoveringmum · 13/03/2007 23:17

dont think so. that sounds like it was the right thing to do.
best thing is goto sleep and next feed you will have plenty of milk

Original poster
Bundleofjoy · 13/03/2007 23:25

Sorry I suppose I did express (just for my own comfort). I meant that I used a pump for the first time tonight. I had a reasonable amount of milk (or so I thought) first thing this morning but really very little afterwards. I know that he will be fine but I wanted to make the decision not have it forced on me.

Sorry I guess this is turning into me letting off steam. Thank you for your help. Things always feel worse at this time of the evening. x

OP posts:
traceyn · 13/03/2007 23:26

please don't give up my, i had problems and found that i was pumping too hard !! this made my nipples really sore, making things worse. try putting a couple of warm flannels on your boobs before expressing and make sure that you can see your baby, to activate the let down reflex. first thing in the morning is the best time to express, and relax if poss. your baby will be getting more milk than it seems, my daughter only has quite short feeds but is putting weight on steadily, have you seen you HV lately ?.

welliemum · 13/03/2007 23:26

Bundle, I think I remember tiktok saying more than once that it doesn't matter what you eat or drink, it makes no difference to milk production.

So it's not something to stress about, just that eating and drinking well will help you feel better.

Maybe when he was poorly last week and not feeding much, that caused you to produce less milk, and now that he's feeling hungry again your milk supply hasn't quite caught up yet? Because if that's so, it should all come right in the next couple of days anyway.

welliemum · 13/03/2007 23:29

Oh, and I'm rubbish at expressing even when I know there's plenty of milk.

Original poster
Bundleofjoy · 13/03/2007 23:31

I'm not getting him weighed this week as it will just put pressure on which I don't need.

Isaac has always been so consistent with feeding and is a really active but content baby. As much as I want to carry on bf I'm not going to if he's going to be hungry and unhappy as a result. Let's hope you are right about the next couple of days turning it around again. Oh dear ... those weep inducing hormones are never far away are they?!

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lemonaid · 13/03/2007 23:33

Really, it's almost certainly just a blip. He's been ill and you've been ill, so your supply may have dipped slightly, and he's been off colour so doesn't really want to make the effort right now. He's 18 weeks, so breastfeeding should be pretty well established and you can build things up by just feeding him more (and not giving topups unless you really have to). He'll almost certainly catch on again.

BTW, I could never express more than a tiny amount and am still bf DS at 25 months, so it doesn't mean diddly squat in my not-so-humble opinion.

traceyn · 13/03/2007 23:33

i have to go back to work in three weeks and leave my baby at a day nursery, don't know whether to go onto formula milk or to express. hope that she won't mind the bottle, is'nt it hard knowing whats the right thing to do !

Original poster
Bundleofjoy · 13/03/2007 23:34

Welliemum - are you? Just with the pump or rubbish by hand too? When I've expressed by hand before I've very quickly half filled a bag. Thank you for your support. I'll let you know ...

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NormaStanleyFletcher · 13/03/2007 23:36

Ok - don't worry at all - my DD is nearly 7 months and has been feeding all blardy evening, because she has a cold and needs comfort not food.

Even if you had completely stopped feeding for a couple of weeks, people still manage to get supply back, so do not worry about having to get your milk going again - the more that LO feeds, the more you will produce.

Expressing, unless you have been doing it for a while, or are V V good at hand-expressing, is not going to show much. I had engorged breasts that squirted at the slightest hint of a baby, but when i expressed, it was pathetic little crocodile tears.

You are doing really well.

Tiktok, hello?

Jenkeywoo · 13/03/2007 23:37

Is there any way he could be feeling poorly now which is affecting his feeding? Teething? A sore mouth used to make Heather pull off and fuss feeding a lot. You've done a great job so far and I hope this is a mini blip because breastfeeding does get more and more easy and so rewarding. Hormones are crap aren't they? look after yourself and don't worry about getting him weighed if it will cause you more stress, you know if your baby is doing ok. Good luck and best wishes

lemonaid · 13/03/2007 23:42

Oooh yes, on top of possible teething also worth getting him checked for an ear infection -- when DS had one of those the only symptom we'd get until his eardrum burst was his not wanting to feed much (or at least trying and pulling off).

welliemum · 13/03/2007 23:42

Bundle - hand, hand pump, electric pump. Hours of sweating for a teaspoonful of milk.

If I was a dairy cow I'd have gone to the knackers long ago.

But both my dd's were exclusively bf at 6 months, active and thriving.

I bet you'll be fine and that as lemonaid says, it's just a blip. I think by 18 weeks you've really fine-tuned the supply and don't make any extra, so if the supply drops for a few days you really notice it. But on the good side, the system is running well so it's easy to wind up the volume (as happens with growth spurts).

Original poster
Bundleofjoy · 13/03/2007 23:48

That's true actually. The supply is pretty fine-tuned these days (not much need for breastpads anymore) and up until last week he always came off satisfied. He is genuinely trying to feed again now though so I don't think that anything like being unwell is stopping him. He wolfed the bottle down when I eventually gave one to him. Glug glug glug! I then felt terribly guilty for holding out so long. I think that you do generally have to go with your gut as a mum don't you. Sometimes your own wants and emotions (ie wanting to feed him myself) get in the way.

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NormaStanleyFletcher · 13/03/2007 23:53

Forgot to say - as long as he is still producing the usual wet nappies and dirty nappies?...?

Go on - share stories of poo

Original poster
Bundleofjoy · 13/03/2007 23:56

Yes ... he is still my lickle squidgy bum! Oh dear what has happened to my sanity? Maybe it will come back with my milk supply if I rest for a day or so! I must be a bad mother but I can never tell you whether he has wet nappies. They just don't register with me (not quite as visual now are they?!)

OP posts:
NormaStanleyFletcher · 14/03/2007 00:01

Ahhh - well you should use washables, then you know. Oh - and go to bed

welliemum · 14/03/2007 00:07

Squidgy bum - is that the medical term for "satisfactory output" then?

Agree, go to bed, things are always worse at night.

Good luck for a great morning feed tomorrow!