Is my baby getting enough milk?...

[Spink]

Sorry - this is a really long one
In the last couple of weeks, ds's feeding has completely changed. He is 20 weeks. Used to feed every 3 1/2-4 hours, for 10 mins each booby. (I used nipple shields from about 8 weeks cos of bleeding nips and no one being able to tell me what I was doing wrong - several bfcs told me we were 'textbook' for positioning and latch - one of those things I guess). Anyhow. Always seemed to have plenty of milk. I expressed from quite early on, for dh to do an eve feed, and used to get 5-6oz in about 20 mins.
SO. About 2 weeks ago this all changed. Ds had been getting more and more distractable during feeds, looking around and coming off the boob. He started refusing the nipple shield, though feeds on the naked boob, which has been painful but bearable. He now tends to feed for a max of 10 mins in total, prefers the right side, and at times refuses the left boob completely. I noticed that I can't express so much now - about 4 oz total. He also started waking in the night wanting feeds. I decided to feed him every 3 hours to try to give him enough during the day so that he doesn't need it at night.
I am worried that my milk supply is going and he isn't getting enough milk. He is still putting on weight but not very much - 3oz in the last 2 weeks. Hv suggested starting weaning but I want to think about other options cos I've heard it is best to start solids as late as poss?
At around the time that his feeding changed, a few things happened - I got my period, dh started a job that means he is away from home a lot, and I came home from a month staying with my parents (overseas).
Anyone know what is going on? and what can I do?

Is he happy most of the time? Active? Wees and poos? Then you don't have a problem.
Babies often start waking again at this age, it's because they start learning more about the world. They also get more efficient at getting the milk out (hence quicker), and a pump often can't compete.

I think you can just keep doing what you're doing!

Yep, he is pretty happy and active. Pooing every 3 or so days, as done for the last 8 weeks. And weeing lots too..
Thanks for the reassurance.. the hv tutting over his weight and suggesting baby rice worried me. Maybe I'll hold off with weaning for now and trust he knows what he is doing

Babies often get easily distracted at this age. Feeds may be shorter lasting because you are feeding directly and not through a shield - shields are well known for extending the legth of a breast feed. At 20 weeks your milk supply is well and truly established. By feeding him when he wants, your milk supply will be maintained. i expressed milk regularly for a milk bank and also because i went back to work. The amouints i expressed varied greatly, so this is perfectly normal. Weight gain also drops off at this age.

Just carry on as you are and try not to worry. Don't get him weighed on a fortnightly basis either - scales generate anxiety IMO

Try feeding him more regularly. If you feed every 3 hours , then feed every 2. He mighgt not wannt it but it can help to overcome the looking around stuff
If he is generally well and nappies are fine then all is well. They often go through this fussy stage and will get over it in time
Keep going spink - you are doing really well
x

My ds of exactly the same age is doing exactly the same thing with the same issues re weight gain. Really interested to read the advice and be reassured that this is very normal behaviour.
My very sensible hv felt that continuing with the breast feeding and to try and hold out with the weaning as the baby is happy was the best way forward.

Spink - everything you say in your post is normal.

It's normal for a baby of this age (and often younger) to feed for much shorter times. They are efficient, you are efficient, and they get what they need in less time.

It's normal for the weight gain to slow and even plateau a bit.

It's normal for you not to produce as much for the pump now - many women find this happens even if they have positively gushed into the pump before. Milk supply is less overly-generous when it is well-established - it can be made to go back to this state if you need it to, which you would simply do by feeding/expressing more often, but you may not need to.

It's normal for babies to start waking in the night again. It does not mean your milk is going.

It's also, sadly, normal to have an HV who seems to think that solids is the answer to a non-existant problem Solids will not give your baby more calories, and in any case, he doesn't need more calories!

He's doing fine, you're doing fine - I hope the painful nipple clears up, too.

thank you - I was hoping you'd say these kinds of things. We'll keep going as we are, then. It's annoying, the hv weighing thing. I hadn't been for 6 weeks, and hadn't thought about it at all, and then went twice in three weeks, and came out thinking we had problems, and fretting..