Desperate dor help! Do I need to wean early? Really don't want to?!!

[happynewmummy]

Hello. I have a 22 week old ds. I had gastroenteritis last week and I feel my milk supply has decreased. I got some good advice from a thread I started to increase my supply, but it has nearly been a week now and there is no change. Tried increased feeding, expressong after each feed (even nights!), taking fenugreek and drinking lots! DS seems fussy and unsettled not long after a feed and gets frustrated as he can't seem to get anyting else when I put him on the breast again. He is producing nappies but slightly less than before. I am so desparately worried about this - I wanted to ex. bf until he was 26 weeks (I really love it!). Any advice on what I can do - either to increase supply or otherwise? Does this mean I need to wean him early? ~please help = I'm usually a calm and rational person - this has really put me in a turmoil.

Don't worry - your milk supply will increase, you've been doing all the right things. I don't have more advice than you've already received, I just wanted to say that it'll be ok.

Some of your ds's frustration may be that he feels your tension - I've had that while bfing before. I haven't seen your other thread. I'll have a quick look now.

Ok I see tiktok has already given you advice. How often are you feeding? I think the only thing I can say is that yes, sometimes we are ill and get these dips, but our bodies can recover. It's almost like going back to the early day of bfing and as well as the physical aspects of getting your milk supply up again, you have the emotional stuff too: all that anxiety.

I'm on my second baby now (bf dd until she was 18 months, ds is now 12 months and still going strong) and over the past few years I've had the occasional week of green poos and stressing about my milk / feeding techniques, but it always worked out in the end. I don't know if that helps at all. But well done you for doing so much - I don't know if I'd ever had expressed in the middle of the night!

Thank you allthetwinklystars. I am feeding every 3 hours on average - but whenever he wants it. I worry that the milk doesnt have time to replenish. Can milk supplies really take this long to recover = all the books/literature sats 24-48 hours?

When you say he is fussy, are you sure it's hunger? Could it be wind or (eek!) teeth? It is classic growth spurt time, so feeding more frequently and getting grump (DS1 was a right grump when he was growing quickly). Is he putting on weight?

I was going to say the same as Effie, are you sure it is because he is hungry? Mine all went through stages when they got quite cross and fussy around feeding and it always seems to time in with a growth spurt. My suggestion would be to trust your body, you have done all the right things so, unless you see real signs that ds is not getting enough (such as sustained weight loss), you probably just need to relax.

Yes, I know that is the easiest thing in the worlkd to say and the hardest to thing to do!

His weight has kind of levelled off around 15lb but I think that is normal for bf babbies?? Is 22 weeks a growth spurt time? It's good to know other babies have been grumpy I keep thinking it is just me! Tiredness is a cruel emotion! How long does a teething phase last, as his grumpiness has been for over a week - could that still be teeth? Thanks for advice!

happynewmummy - sorry, maybe I'm missing something but nothing you say makes me think you have an issue with supply. Weight is normal, nappies are normal,and the frustration you describe in your baby could be about something else!

Your breasts don't need 'time to replenish' - the more often milk is removed, the more quickly replacement milk is made (think of a fast food restaurant - the more quickly the customers come, the more quickly the kitchen works to ensure the food is there instantly when the customers want it!).

If you are at the tail-end of a dip in supply then feeding often will fix it. You certainly don't need to drink lots of water or express after each feed for this to happen, and funugreek is at best an optional extra

Yes it could sitll be teeth, sometimes they niggle away, of and on, for ages before they break through. It is not just the cutting that can be difficult, it is also the time whenthey are pushing down through the gum - when you can't realy see anything to "prove" it IYSWIM.

Yes, leveling off is normal for bf babies, which is why you should look for a sustained loss. A lot of people find their baby stops gaining for a week and they are being screamed at by medical professionals to wean post haste when, really, the baby would have started gaining again by itself shortly! This is one of the reasons a lot of people are against weighing to regularly.

If your baby is going through a growth spurt then your body will be increasing to meet the extra demand right now - as this has timed in with you being ill it will probably feel to you that it is taking a long time. However, in reality, you have spent, say, 48 hrs recovering your supply after illness and then under a week adjusting to his increasing demand as he grows. This does not sound unusual to me.

Yes babies can be grmpy - I had one who was more grumpy than happy and I thought it was all my fault, got depressed etc. As she has grown it has become clear that her nature is such that she seems grumpy but really is not. It is just her way!

Have you tried oatmeal? I had lots of supply issues and this was suggested to me... try a big bowl of porridge or some oatmeal cookies (or even oat cakes) I definitely noticed a difference (perhaps it was psychological)

Another thing I found, the more I worried about my supply the worse it got, so as hard as it is you have to relax about it. As tiktok says it sounds like you haven't actually got any problems if your ds is producing wet nappies and his weight is ok. The unsettled nature may be something totally different.

I'm probably going to get shot down for this but when I had my worst supply problems and I was stressing about like a loon I found a glass of wine in the evening made all the difference. It chilled me out a bit and because I was more relaxed my milk supply definitely increased. The most notable day was my friend's wedding, I'd had a couple of drinks, ds had slept in his pushchair while we were at the reception, we'd had a lovely time and really enjoyed ourselves. The next day I had buckets of milk and after feeding ds for an hour I was still able to express about 10oz in 20 mins which was unheard of for me.

HTH

Once again thanks for advice. Tiktok - I used to be able to expressabout 120ml a day (for when I return to work). I now cannot express 10ml a day. Is this a sign of decreased supply due to my recent illness (as this is when it decreased) and my breasts never seem 'full' anymore, when they used to. I do worry unneccessarily (especially since having ds!). Do I need to disregard these 'signs' and just trust my body to fulfil ds's needs?

Thanks headfairy - I know you are right about relaxing - I'm a real stressball! My milk supply did seem better after a day with friends when I wasn't 'thinking' about it all day! Why is it that I can tell everybody else to calm down and relax - but doing it yourself is the hardest thing in the world!!

HNM, your breasts no longer feeling full is a sign that your body is now producing the right amount, not too little IYSWIM. Feeling full means that, either your dc has not fed for a long time or your body is producing more than it needs to. If the supply level is now right for his needs then you should not have the full feeling anymore.

TBH, nothing you are saying sounds alarming to me at all, although I am happy to be corrected by those who know more than me!

Hi my DS is the same age, and 15lbs, and the hospital (he goes every 6 weeks for check ups for severe reflux) said giving him baby rice is fine. DS was starving and I felt my milk had reduced. Fed every hour for ages and it seemed to build back up abit. HV suggested weaning at 20 weeks when I said he was waking in the night and starving. I wasn't sure though but the hospital said it's fine and may help his reflux (it hasn't yet). I only give him a couple spoons a day though and all the usual feeds. He is sleeping abit better again. DS can sit on his own, hold his head and a spoon and seems 'ready' for solids also. I also really wanted to get to 26 weeks but it's not too far off and I had to trust our Paed. Good luck, hope you can get there with just excl bf but if not speak to a doc and see what they advise.

KingCanute is right, you stop feeling full once your supply is 'right' and your breasts usually stop feeling hard and remain soft most of the time.

Expressing is no indication of anything other than how much you are able to express!

Try feeding every 2 hours to increase supply.

Fussy & frustrated 22 week olds who latch on and come off looking peeved are probably just irritated by the need to feed (or you trying to make them) when they would rather be playing, testing their bodies etc. It's really normal so that doesnlt make me think you have supply issues (though I definitely wondered when it hapoened to me!)

AS for expressing, when your supply is really established as yours is, it is not unusual to be abnle to pump less as your body is making what your baby needs and not extras. Happened to me too - v annoying!

happynewmummy, I found the key to relaxing was to do something to distract myself. I used to watch old episodes of father ted which always makes me roar with laughter, the milk just flowed and flowed when I did.

Hi again happynewmummy, just wondering how you're doing - it was the middle of the night when I read your OP.

As SOH said, you stop having that 'full' feeling once your supply is right - lots of women worry this means no milk but it doesn't at all. Just keep feeding! If you ds is fine weight and nappy-wise, you should be ok. Give yourself another week and you'll probably find yourself more relaxed about it as you see that your ds is fine (if you don't already!). I hope that helps, you've had some great advice here. Good luck and I hope it's all going really well now!