Letdown

[maldivemoment]

I've posted here previously about not experiencing 'letdown.' I'm still convinced my little one (now 9 weeks old) is not satisfied by my supply. I NEVER leak, find expressing almost impossible and don't ever feel the letdown that others do. Does this mean that if I don't feel it (letdown) then I don't get it? Even if baby pulls off, no milk squirts out! I've spent the past 9 weeks feeling like a fairly rubbish new Mum as baby doesn't ever have that smiley, drunk look after a feed that I hear other people mentioning! He will also very rarely appear content and go straight to sleep after a feed and on the occasion that this does happen he will waken and want a feed after about an hour or so. I've tried feeding him whenever he is hungry but at times this means I can barely leave the house!

So, my question is this - if baby doesn't appear satisfied after a feed am I right to trust my instincts and assume he's not getting enough? Also, we have occasionally given him a top-up of formula - 5oz- which he gulps and polishes off in record time.

As always, thanks in anticipation for your words of wisdom.

Shame this is worrying you, maldive.

None of the signs you share are significant in any way - lots of happily bf women experience a lack of physical evidence of let down. It is normal both to feel/see and not to feel/see let down.

Babies do sometimes want to feed an hour after the previous feed - again, normal.

Polishing off a bottle means nothing. It's normal and many babies do it.

Far, far more significant when it comes to assessing feeding sufficiency is the growth and health of the baby. What's happening with these aspects?

If you think your baby doesnt seem satisfied after a feed, feed him again

He may have two, three or even more breasts at a time - again, normal.

I'm not sure if they're words of wisdom, but I have to say it all sounds pretty normal to me.

Is your ds gaining weight and producing wet nappies? Are his poo's yellow and not green?

DS is still bf and he's 15mo. I have only ever leaked a few times, I have never experienced letdown and I don't get that much from expressing. It's just the way we are, it doesnt mean anything is wrong

He will gulp and polish off a bottle as feeding from a bottle takes little effort on his part and is like instant satisfaction.

If his weight gain and poo and wee output are ok, please please please trust your instincts.

Also I don't think it was until ds was about 12wo that he started to go a wee bit longer between feeds. It will happen! It just feels like it's never going to, but it WILL.

Maldive, just to say I never leaked, couldn't express to save my life and didn't have milk squirting out with DD1. I did get a pins-and-needles feeling for let down (not nice, wouldn't recommend it ). DD1 is a healthy, above-average-height 5yo now.

It's different for everyone, and even different between babies for the same person. With DD3 I leaked constantly, had to express (she was in SCBU for the first 5 days) and didn't feel any letdown.

They just do it to make us feel worried, I reckon

I didn't actually knwo what let down felt like until I realised what it was when DS was about 6 months Also didn't really leak and hated expressing! Leak more with DD but that's maybe oversupply.

Thank you all for your reassurance!