has stress caused my milk to dry up?

[foosfan]

Where to start...am completely nuts!
Ive just been prescribed fluoxetine again (I took it before I was pregnant) and am losing the plot big time.
If you can be bothered to read this here are my symptoms!
Obsessive behavior
Agression
Self hatred
Indecisiveness
Paranoia
Insomnia
Told you I was nuts.
My latest problem though is that my milk seems to have gone, my baby is nearly six weeks old and breastfeeding was fine untill I started to feel down again about a week ago.
Has anyone else experienced this?

IIRC, it won't have caused your milk to dry up but being stressed can make let down far more difficult.

You're not nuts though x

Oh yes I am (sorry panto season and all that!)
Boobs felt like rocks before and were massive now soft and floppy and Im having to top up my baby with formula.
People keep telling me not to get stressed or milk will go so obviously I get stressed about trying not to get stressed!
Marriage is going down th loo as well to top it all off.

Oh no you're not

Hopefully someone more qualified will be along shortly. A low supply is generally fixable though

Foosfan

I have suffered from depression and wanted to send you bucketfulls of support. It sounds as if you are in a fairly grotty place at the moment. Sending you very best wishes for climbing out of this place.

I had exactly the same experience as you, at six weeks with floppy boobs and major panic re breastfeeding. (I missed my mahoosive Pammy Andersons too!) However, I was advised afterwards that this just meant that feeding was properly established. The boobs were still producing the milk even though it didn't feel like it to me. Sit down in a quiet corner, with a glass of water. Keep on offering your little one the boob, and try to breathe deeply, and relax - if only whilst feeding. It may be that after a couple of good feeds your feeding patterns will be re-established and that will be one less thing for you to be anxious about. Then you can focus a bit on yourself.

Very best luck

Bump!

Fab advice from NQCY - at 6w your supply is beginning to regulate itself, and the huge boobs will be starting to calm down. However, topping up will decrease your overall milk supply as it is demand led. Take to bed if possible, cuddle lots, and feed whenever the baby seems interested. Even if it's just for comfort. Drink lots. Eat whatever you fancy.

Not putting down your situation at all, but women in war areas and famines continue to feed their babies, so you can feed throughout whatever life throws at you. Just put you and the baby first if possible.

Ta for advice...its back!!
Once again have big boobs and lots of milk.
What seems to happen is that it decreases and the baby sucks frantically for a day or so on both boobs and then it comes back, the problem is that when it comes back I have so much that she only feeds on one then it decreases again.
Ive tried expressing but when I do she seems hungry at the next feed.
Who would have thought it was so complicated?!

its the supply and demand thing fine tuning, keep going it all settles down and will be fine. i never leaked or had big hard bosoms after about 2months.

have you got some support from family or friends?

Yes loads and to be honest that just makes me feel more pathetic cos I've hardly had to cook shop and my mums even cleaned my house!!
Keeep thinking that there are loads of single parents out there without that support and they are happy so what the hell is wrong with me?
I have a beautifull baby girl so why cant I enjoy it?

foosfan please don't think you have to be feeling fantastic and prancing around! just getting dressed is a major achievement. you have plenty to deal with feeding and looking after a new baby, let alone your health problems.

take as much help as you can get, you aren't going to regret not cleaning the house when you look back in a few months.

Have you experienced this?
Have you come out the ther side?

foosfan; i've got pnd at the moment and it sucks, so {{{{{{{hugs}}}}}} to you. I'm glad your milk is back though.

Things will get better once you are settled on the ADs, but I just wanted to say that I've been siing the consultant psychiatrist at the neo-natal unit at our local [psych hospital, and was advised by them that the fluoxetine the GP put me on when I was at the end of my PG is not the best drug for BFing as it gets through in the milk.

They prescribed sertraline {Lustral} which is much safer.

I hope you feel better soon. x

Oh god really?
Doc told me it wouldnt affect her.
Thanks, I'll ask next time I see him.
How long have you had it?

ps, I'm coming out of the other side now, after AND and then PND, with many of the same symptoms you've described.

I trashed quite a lot of things throwing them at my DH when I was pregnant and we got into a physical fight on one occasion

Over the last few weeks I've had only the odd lapse of shouting or feeling weepy and crap, which my psych tells me is normal (having felt shitty for too many years, I'd forgotten what normal is)

also your supply starts to regulate itself to your baby's demands better around this time.

I threw a garden chair at my DH...can't believe I managed to lift it!
Like you have suffered for years due to, I'm told, a hormonal imbalance.
Whats normal anyway?!

did that answer your question?

if not, I've had depression on and off for a few years, due to various life events piling up (unexpected bereavement/diagnosed with lifelong medical condition/mum diagnosed with lung cancer/two miscarriages).

I struggled through all of my pregnancy and finally sought help at 33 weeks. Bub is now six months, and I've been advised another few months before starting to cut down. Is there a neonatal service in your health authority? can you ask for a referral? My recovery has been helped enormously by this service.

and you're not completely nuts.

are you talking to your DH? does he realise just how debilitating PND can be, and that your behaviour isn't really all your fault?

another thing that has helped me is CBT which I've been doing with the mental health nurse attatched to the health visiting team.

I'm not sure if all these services are standard though, but here in Leeds the MH resources are fantastic.

sorry for all the questions

no ff i haven't. but having a new baby is difficult and stressful anyway, so anything which adds to that means you really have to be kind to yourself.

breastfeeding network have a advice service which tells you what medications do/don't go with breastfeeding. drugline here also various info leaflets for you to check.

He is trying but I can understand how hard it is for him.
I will talk to the doctor as I havnt been offered any counselling but to be honest I usually say I'm fine even if I feel like driving the car into a wall.

Have to go now the parents have arrived fo a visit(and I suspect to check I'm not in the car with the garden hose!)
Hugs and thanks to you xx

and you x

oh, and be honest with your GP. I think we're all guilty of not wanting to be seen to be loopy, but if they don't know how bad it is, you won't get the right help.

What helped me was DH coming with me and telling the GP just how bad it was.
xx

This may have already been said, in which case I am backing someone up.

If you are stressed you may not be looking after yourself right, which can have an effect on your milk.

By now your body has gotten into the swing of things which can make you feel like you are drying up because you don't have masses of spare milk when you aren't actively nursing.

If you are stressed you won't be getting (as the MWs at the hospital I was in said) "broody" and in the mood which can effect let down.

Around now your LO may be gearing up for a growth spurt which can mean a LOT of time on the breast - I've done 45 minutes in every hour for three days when she was younger! It doesn't mean you don't have milk, although a lot of people do believe that.

Make sure you are getting plenty of water and extra calories (breastfeeding requires eating for two). When you are nursing look at your baby, appreciate the beautiful little thing in front of you, try to let nothing else matter for that time.

I know it sounds like one of those things that's easier said than done, but it can be done. Tink is now almost 17 months and we are still nursing! I never thought I would be able to do it for long (self esteem issues) I set targets - 6 weeks, 6 months, a year and now to see where we go from here. I am glad I have had that relationship because it has helped me with my PND and "babysitting". Being able to do something for her that we both enjoy is amazing. It will get better, honest!

Thanks for the kind words x
Well done you for going on for that long...if I can reach 6 months I'll be happy.
You were up late last night, or do I mean early this morning, what day is it again?!