Tummy bug leading to milk supply decreasing - it will come back, won't it?

[Ladyem]

This has probably been done many times before, but I feel too ill to search for it. We've all had a tummy bug, ds (11 weeks) a couple of days ago, then DD (2.5 years) last night, then me today. While the children are recovering already I am still quite ill and not able to keep much liquid down. Due to this my milk supply has dropped this evening . I am bf ds exclusively and just want reassurance really that I'll get it all back once I'm better and hydrated.

Also, do I just keep nursing and hope he is getting enough? Or should I give ebm? (I don't have much of this at all) [wishing I'd started expressing more emoticon]

TIA

Get some Motilium 10 from the chemist. Should settle your tum but contains don peridone which increases milk supply.... hope you feel better soon

Hang on a second...your son is nearly three months old. Could it be that your milk supply is just normalising rather than dropping. Does happen around this point. If he is showing no signs of hunger you may well just be coincidentally hitting that point where your boobs are more efficient and don't feel as full (ie there may not even be a problem here).

ooo, thanks for that advice! DH went to chemist, told them I was bf and they gave him kaolin and morphine mixture, which I haven't dared take! Will send him to chemist again tomorrow!

thanks

Incidentally if you are vomiting OR have bad squits, get some rehydration powders from the chemists (send your DH with a note with this written on to be sure he gets the right thing). Take them every four hours, do not attempt to eat or drink anything other than those or water for 12 hours and the problem should go away.

wmmcc - that's a good point, I'm not sure as I usually have copious amounts of milk and a huge let down reflex (always causes him to splutter until spray has died down!) which up until this evening has been the same as always. Just coincides with me being dehydrated, so think it must be adding to it. I am feeling no let down at all, where as before it was always quite a painful reflex, and also he seems to only swallow every 6-7 sucks, whereas he would usually swallow every other iyswim! Am attempting some peppermint tea to rehydrate, which seems to be going down ok - so far!

sorry x-post!! have had both, although last bought of vomiting was dry (tmi ), so hopefully that's the end of it. hope the tea stays down and will have more water!
thanks!

Will also try the re-hydration packets! thanks!

I'll be truthful: I was quite badly ill with a sickness bug when my DS hit 6 months, and tbh my milk supply never did get back to its previous level. However, as said above, it may have been that this would have happened anyway, as my supply had been excessive in the early days, and DS was just about to start solids so it has been manageable. But I would try and take steps to restore normal service, in line with people's suggestions. I was ill for over a week and as I said, never quite got back to where I was. That said, I am still BFing now at 10 months, though just doing morning and night feeds, and the HV said that was still hugely beneficial for a baby of this age. So I'm sure whatever happens you will be OK.

Thanks eightieschick. This bug seems to be a 24 hour thing, so hopefully will be feeling much better tomorrow and start re-hydrating and eating a little. So sorry to hear you were ill for over a week how on earth did you cope with that? One day has been bad enough!!

I got massive D&V when pregnant and breastfeeding my daughter! I was hospitalised and stuck on a Hartmanns drip rehydrating me for three days. My supply didn't waver. There's a lot of points when your supply does appear to change - and sometimes during the month when the latch/letdown can feel more significant than others.

Ladyem, I hate to tell you this but when the letdown stopped being noticeable for me, it spelled a return to full fertility and I was pregnant within a few weeks. So be careful (not that you are probably feeling much like it what with the dry hurling and all ).

really, wmmcc!! better take note of that then!! No, not really feeling romantic tonight!!

So sorry to hear you were hospitalised with D&V bug. That sounds awful. May be you're right, then. That would be the preferable reason!! DS is asleep at normal time, so may be has has had enough! Yay!

I had to get my mum to come and stay, and basically she passed my DS to me when he wanted a feed, I fed him as best I could, then passed him back and went back to groaning and vomiting . I did actually still manage to feed him all week, without having to resort to formula, but where I had previously had an excess of milk, it noticeably reduced - but, as I said, I was still able to feed. Hope you feel better soon and are over the worst

ps thanks for all your replies, not stressing as much now!!

Actually, WMMCC's post has just made me think - it was the month after I had been really ill and hospitalized with norovirus that I got pregnant. So maybe there is some backlash from D&V type bugs that can make you super fertile... watch out!

crikey! eightieschick, that sounds awful. good to hear you were still able to feed. We've both been tucked up in bed together all day and I've just let him feed as much as he wants in the hope of keeping up the supply. He's not seemed to distressed and been giving me huge gummy smiles, too, which has made me feel better!!

Managing to retain peppermint tea, so hoping that's it for now!!

x-post again!! Blimmin' heck, better be careful from now on, then!!

I've had my supply drop when I had a tummy bug. It was back within 24 hours though. I just kept on feeding as required - DS was fine, the supply was fine.

thanks gptad! good to hear that it can be ok!! so seems whatever is causing it, we should be ok to continue. very happy now!

ps sorry for all lower case, getting v sleepy now!!

OK, so quick update! Feeling significantly better today and milk supply on the up - yay! Feeling the let down again, so must all have been related to the bug. Only thing is now he is permanently attached to my boobs! I suppose he is just making up for when he was ill, but am thinking he is also doing it for comfort. When do I know if it's hunger or comfort and does it matter?

Thanks all you lovely MNers for all of your replies and advice! xx