i am really down with it all... what do i do?

[beforesunrise]

dd2 is 4 months and has been overall a relatively easy baby, esp on the feeding front. am EBFing but over the summer i was expressing and leaving a bottle for her which my mum would give her while i took dd1 to the beach. she drank fine from the bottle, and also bfed very well during the day. i could express 5-6 oz in under 15 minutes. she would only wake up once during the night.

now... she wakes up a million times per night. categorically refuses the bottle. and i can't express anyway, a trickle takes me ages. wants to suck ont he breast constantly, but i dont think she is actually taking much milk, and my breasts never ever feel full. oh and she wont take a dummy, so i have no hope of assuaging her sucking frenzy in any other way.

i am getting paranoid that i just dont have enough milk, and thats why she is so unsettled. i am also desperate for her to take a bottle, as i need to get away from my kids once in a while. in a way i am almost ready to give up, i am soooo tired. but on the other hand i was hoping to introduce formula very gently and gradually and the bottle refusal is really scaring me.

what can i do?????

16 weeks is a very very common time for a growth spurt, and for previously good sleepers to start waking up as a reasult

Her sucking constantly will stimulate more production from you, especially during the night as that is when your hormone levels are somehow inconveniently right to stimulate production more.

I would give it a little time for your production to catch up.

You are unlikely to be full if she is emptying you so often

thanks Norma. the problem though is that i dont think she is emptying me. she is sucking, but not really drawing milk if you see what i mean? she seems to need the comfort rather than the milk...

How do you know that she is not drawing milk? She may well be. Babies are much more efficient than any breastpump.

And it is all stimulation for your production.

Is she still producing plenty of wet nappies / usual amount of dirty nappies? If she is then she is getting milk

sunrise - this is something that you could talk through on the phone using one of the bf helplines.

Everything you describe happening could well be totally normal and not a sign of reduced milk in any way....so do call.

thanks guys, just been to baby clinic for bcg vaccine and i had her weighed... weight gain is fine, so obvioulsy i still have milk. i guess it must be the dreaded growth spurt....