BF & left side gone and I'm losing weight quite quickly and other stuff

[nicetomeetyou]

Hello

I have an 11w old and a 17 mo and I have managed to BF this time quite well. The left breast has dried up - it wasn't too good on that side last time - even expressing was always poor whereas right side goes well. Will I have problems as baby gets bigger and wants more food if I am just using one side?
Also I have lost weight quite quickly - almost back to prepregnancy weight of about 56kg - just not getting the chance to eat, drink and rest enough - has anyone found their milk dried up as they lost weight - I know lots of women throughout the world Bf on an inadequate diet.

I am finding baby is feeding for 2hrs and more solid in the evening (but then going through from 10pm to 4 or 5am) so should not complain but I would like by 5-6 months for her to be on a bottle - I am struggling to find time/energy to express but don't want her to refuse a bottle by then (have tried with a bottle a couple of times and she evently took with some reluctance the EBM).

thanks for any thoughts

anyone?

hi there,
there is a really good helpline i have used and got excellent advice from.
its the NATIONAL BREASTFEEDING HELPLINE

0844 20 909 20.

you go through to someone local who is qualified.

i also only use one side now and dont have any problems really. (but my baby is much older) except that i can have one really big boob and one small one!

but i find if i squeeze my nipple there is still milk in the small one, so are you sure its "dried up"?

good luck. try the helpline.

what makes you think that the left breast has dried up?
it's quite unlikely that would happen, and expressing is really no sign of how much milk you are making

i think it would be worthwhile either calling one of the helplines or seeing if there is a baby cafe (www.thebabycafe.co.uk) in your area that could offer help

I'm not an expert, but I think it's quite possible to feed from one side only - given that it's quite possible to feed twins or triplets! However, as others have said - what is it that's making you think it's dried up completely?

BF can make you lose weight fairly fast - when I was feeding DD2 I weighed 7.5 stone (which is less than 50kg I think), which is the lightest I have ever been, and was still making loads of milk.

My left side was rubbish too and I eventually gave up on it and just fed from the other side for the rest of the time I fed.

I'm sure I read on here that in some countries (maybe Japan?) they only feed on one side, something to do with clothing I think.

I finally stopped with the left at 8 months after no end of problems with it (thrush, blood blisters, less happy baby, and loads of leakage), and 3 months later still feeding 4x day on the right, really well. And both breasts are the same size.

Losing preg weight not really a problem - maybe just drinking more water would help? I keep a bottle or pint glass in most rooms so I can have a drink when I pass.

Following friends' advice, I offered a bottle a couple times a week from 8 weeks to keep ds used to it, and when I was ill - usually ebm but sometimes a formula carton when I hadn't expressed enough. At 6 months he'd been 98% breast-milk-fed.

Sounds like you're doing just fine!

Hello

Thank you. I am just struggling at the minute. I am quite tired even though baby is sleeping most nights 10-3 or 10-4 and I have had a couple of 'shaky' spells where I have really felt I needed food. The left side is a bit painful and the milk just doesn't come out well and as baby has fed so well from the right side it has withered with lack of use.

I am trying to decide whether I should supplement with formula and get to the point when she is 5-6 months where she is completely on formula. With 2 very small children I feel I need to balance sitting and feeding for what seems like ages some days and for 2-3 hrs each evening and being drained and trying to keep 17mo amused. I am struggling to get the energy & time to express what with the faff of then resterlising the pump etc.

Have you got some fruitcake? IME it is much easier to bf with regular helpings of fruitcake!