whats gone wrong - please help

[mad4mainecoons]

hi all,

my 4wk old DD has a funny time nursing over the weekend. she would not latch on properly for a lot of the feeds and mostly just snacked. she did feed well at night though so i just kept feeding her on demand and thought it would even out.

but today she has just fed and fed! normally she will have a feed and sleep for an hour at least but today she has hardly slept at all, has been wanting to feed all the time, but then being difficult to latch or pulling off and getting all upset. my breasts feel empty and it seems as though she cant settle because she is hungry.

so what have i done wrong? why have i got no milk today? poor little angel, i really feel for her and she is getting sooooo cross with me . i just dont know what to do now, do i give her some formula just to settle her for the night (she has never had a bottle up to now) or just persevere, but i feel like im starving her!

any words of wisdom gratefully recieved

You're not starving her, chuck, and please don't feel bad. Its probably a growth spurt - just keep feeding. Breastmilk works on a demand-based supply system; the more she suckles, the more milk you will produce.

Are you eating and drinking enough? That can affect you supply.

This is normal - as last message said a growth spurt or 'frequency day'. It means she needs to up your milk supply so she sucks more frequently for 24-48 hours and then your breasts will produce more milk per feed. This is just how it works and you're doing the right thing. Just bed down for a couple of days and give in to feeding her whenever she needs it, even if every hour.

In a couple of days, she'll have a big sleep and go back to a more regular pattern, I guarantee it.

It takes us all by surprise: best thing is park on sofa have people bring you tea and cake and do nothing else till its over! Good luck - it can be tiring but it's essential to keep the supply up.

Growth spurt! Get into bed and snuggle with baby, this will pass.

Your milk hasn't gone, you never stop making milk. It's probably just as quickly as you are making it DD is drinking it!

If you give a bottle you will be telling your breasts that you don't need to make XX ozs of milk (XX = however much DD might take from a bottle).

Try breast compressions to see if that helps settle DD.

Good luck.

Yep, sounds like classic growth spurt.

Check out this link below for some tips.

www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html

As tempting as it may be, don't give formula as this will confuse the natural supply and demand system.

You would have to be severely dehydrated and malnourished for it to affect your supply. That said, keep your strength up and get yourself comfy on that sofa for a few days!

thanks ladies,

needed to hear that. will not give in to formula wielding DH then .
hopefully it will get better soon.

Men just want to 'fix'. Giving formula 'fixes' the problem of hunger but doesn't solve the underlying issues why baby is hungry. Get him to put his fixing urges to good use and fix you a cup of tea and a snack whilst you solve the hunger

mad4 just wanted to let you know you're doing a fantastic job and share with you what my mum said to me when I went through the same thing at 4 weeks and my DH kept on about giving formula. "Some mens lack of enthusiasm for breastfeeding is because they cannot do, they did not invent and they
cannot improve on it and they do not understand how we can accomplish it without their help". hang in there it gets better my dd is over 5 months and is still bf.

Mad4 if its any consolation my mother was exactly the same and still is with the formula. If you can stick it out, it honestly does get easier.

With everyone else - growth spurt, both my dc's (dd now 4 months)did it and got really frustrated waiting for that "change" in the milk - - you think once you've gone from colustrum to milk thats it but it's an evolving process to give what they need thats what makes breast milk best for bubba, DH just wants to help you - you'll all get there fine, it's honestly not long to persevere with.

hello,

just wanted to pop back and say thanks soooo much!! just as you said it did get better and we have had a really good day of settled feeding today .

so ill know now to keep smiling ang keep going the next time it happens

thanks.

My DD slept for the best part of 2 days after her 3 week growth spurt, then smiled for the first time the following day