Hi.
My DS is 9 weeks old and I have never had a supply problem until today. As he has had many feeding problems (was premature) I have regularly had to express after a feed to comp feed him. Today he has been quite unsettled, and I put it down to the fact he has had the runs so I thought his tummy might be a bit icky. At the last feed he fell into a deep sleep half way through the first side so I decided to express the other side - and got a total of 30ml!!! Only two days ago I was able to express 200ml during the day (we had to bottle feed him and I expressed as we only had a short amount of time to feed him). Is it possible for my supply to disappear that quickly? My DS has a milk intollerance so I can't give him formula. Luckily I have a lot of EBM in the freezer - so have a back up supply.

What are the best ways to increase supply QUICKLY. I think it may have something to do with the fact that DS has been going between 6-8 hours overnight lately, but has still been feeding around 2 hourly during the day.

Plase help

TASH

Me 27
DH 29
DS 14/04/05

<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://lilypie.com/pic/050516/99df938.jpg" alt="Lilypie Baby Pic" border="0" /><img src="http://lilypie.com/baby1/060414/0/3/1/+10" alt="Lilypie Baby Ticker" border="0" /></a>

Hi Tarshy,

Have you been drinking lots of fluid and not having much caffiene etc? I found that my supply dropped off if I had any coffee. I would make sure that you get up and feed him during the night for a night or two and go and see your local GP if you have to, to get some maxalon (can help increase your supply). My supply was never that great I had to comp feed from the start just about, it freaks you out when you can only get such a small amount when you express, I've been there! Hope things 'pick up' for you!

Cheers Leia.

Hi Tarshy,

Its highly possible that your supply hasnt diminished at all!!

I found in the early days with my DS, I could sit down and express a whole bottle of milk, any time I felt like it. Then one day, I sat down to do it, and I couldnt. I was only getting 20mls max. I was frantic with worry about supply, so went to see my ECHN who assured me that to start having a supply issue so far down the track with breastfeeding was VERY rare and that my body had probably just settled down and was producing EXACTLY what my baby needed. Thats how the system works apparently.. Heaps in the beginning and then it settles down.

The lady above also mentioned eating the right things and getting heaps of water and this is all very good advice. Make sure you have a full water bottle in the kitchen or lounge (or wherever you spent most of your time..) and keep sipping it. Before you sit down for a breastfeed, make sure you have it handy and sip it while your feeding. I found on the days when I drank heaps of water, that I had a much easier time feeding.

If your baby is getting sleepy at the breast, try and wake them with a nappy change or burp half way through. If they dont finish their feeds at feed time, your supply will be affected, so its important to make them finish. I know how hard it is sometimes when they just wont wake up, but its also important if you want them to have longer sleeps during the day and not just catnap. Try and make sure they drink from both breasts at every feed.

Finally, if you are really worried about supply, go see your ECHN or GP and get them to reassure you that all is well. Half the battle with breastfeeding is having confidence in yourself and your ability to feed your baby. Too often people think their supply is down or the baby isnt thriving and switch to the dreaded formula long before they need to. Six to eight wet nappies per day is a good indicator along with steady weight gain.. If these things are both correct, then you are doing fine.

Good luck with it, I know how scary it is sometimes.

SuzyK

Me 27
DH 27
DS 30 August 2004

BFP 23rd May 2005!!

http://www2.fertilityfriend.com/home/87c64

Yep, as Suzy said, maybe your supply is fine and DS is getting what he needs so much faster now? Also around 3 months you start to lose that 'full' feeling as your supply seems to settle down, so maybe you have that on the early side? So don't panic yet...

Along with the fluids, try and get at least one nap in during the day - that really seems to help

Hope it all sorts itself out for you soon, it can be so worrying (which doesn't help the situation either!)

Thanks for your tips. I should have mentioned that I usually drink between 4-6 litres of water a day as I find I'm constantly thirsty and have been eating lots of fruit/veggies. The only difference to my diet recently has been I have had to eliminate dairy (including chocolate :gasp:). Last night after the feed (which was largely unsuccessful so I comped him with EBM) I was only able to express around 50mls, where as I usually express anything up to 220mls after that feed as he goes a while. I started taking fenugreek last night - but that can often increase asthma symptoms and I am an asthmatic so I have to be careful.

Any more advice?

TASH

Me 27
DH 29
DS 14/04/05

<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://lilypie.com/pic/050516/99df938.jpg" alt="Lilypie Baby Pic" border="0" /><img src="http://lilypie.com/baby1/060414/0/3/1/+10" alt="Lilypie Baby Ticker" border="0" /></a>

I also tried fenugreek but it gave me - and my DS - a really upset stomach and lots of windy poos, even though he barely gets 20ml of breastmilk at each feed. It didn't really help my supply at all either. You could try posting this also in the Feeding Your Baby thread. Good Luck !

~~Sharon~~

Me 32
DH 33
<a href="http://kotanishi.blogspot.com/"> DS Spoffoth 01/06/05</a>

I thought my milk supply was a bit short a few weeks ago too. After reading some old posts on EB I upped my water intake and also started drinking Sustagen and both have helped heaps.
Good luck
Wendy

Oh yep, I forgot about Sustagen - helped me too, but I have to cut back as it upsets my stomach.

Also, one of the best ways is to swap sides! It tricks you boobs into upping the supply....
You feed for say 5-10 minutes on one side, then same on the other side, and then go back to the first side.

If you keep doing this at each feed it should build up your supply pretty fast, if you are sure it is actually an issue.

A friend told me that fennel tea is meant to work like magic, but I never tried it.

Fenugreek is useless. In my opinion anyway. Im also asthmatic and I wasnt even aware that it could affect the symptoms - needless to say, it didnt affect me at all. No extra milk.. no extra symptoms.

The other thing you can do, if you are VERY concerned, is see your GP for some Maxalon (sp?). Apparently it can really really boost your milk supply very quickly..

Like I said earlier, just because you cant express the same amount as you used to, doesnt mean there is less milk. Your baby is so much more efficient at getting milk from your breast than any pump on the market.

I really hope you sort this problem out, breastfeeding is fantastic and its such a shame to see so many Mums give it up before their baby is ready due to supposed supply problems. Half the battle is confidence. See your Dr if you are worrying heaps though, as this can affect supply too.

Good luck,

SuzyK

Me 27
DH 27
DS 30 August 2004

BFP 23rd May 2005!!

http://www2.fertilityfriend.com/home/87c64

If fenugreek doesn't agree with you, nettle tea and fennel seeds also are good for increasing supply.

Me - 31
DH - 35
Maxwell born 30/3/05

The MCHN just left and we managed to (finally) settle DS. She agreed there was a problem, as he normally settles really well after a feed (even if only for half an hour or so). Not sure why the problem has arrisen though.

TASH

Me 27
DH 29
DS 14/04/05

<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://lilypie.com/pic/050516/99df938.jpg" alt="Lilypie Baby Pic" border="0" /><img src="http://lilypie.com/baby1/060414/0/3/1/+10" alt="Lilypie Baby Ticker" border="0" /></a>

Hi Tarshy,

WOW, there are a few of us with this poblem.

DS was born 5.5 weeks prem. It took about 4 days for my milk to come in. When it did, it was fine, being so little he didn't need a lot at that stage - about 60 mls a feed so I was producing enough EBM to sustain him.

We brought him home after 10 days in the SCN, and I have inverted nipples & needed a breast sheild to feed. To cut a long story short, after 4 weeks and he & I getting frustrated (I wasn't producing enough hind milk - the stuff with the fat in it that satisfies them - which is why he wouldn't settle after a feed). So now he is a formula fed baby & doing really well.

We have had the odd bad night, where he has been unsettled, but for him, switching to formula was the best thing as we know exactly how much he is getting at each feed.

It's a ltlle bit more time consuming than just "flopping out the boob", however, DH likes being able to give DS his early morning feed when he comes home from night shift & I get a few more hours unbroken sleep.

I read that your little one is lactose intolerant.. Weyth (S26) do a lactose intolerant formula if you ever get stuck. But speak to your MHCN before you try this. We initially had a problem ith DS having an unsettled tummy when we swithched from EBM to formula.

Which may have been part of being prem as he took a few days to tolerate EBM feeds in hospital.

Regards
Gina

Hi Tash,
I hope you are both feeling a little better.
My one bit of advice is,
'Have Faith In Yourself'
The most important thing is bubs putting on enough weight? The real incidence of women suddenly losing their supply or "drying up" is realy small.
Its a term that gets thrown around way to often.
This is my opinion and many others in the medical profession.
Breastfeeding is bloody hard, but totally worth it!!!
I had times when I thought that I didnt have enough milk and would ask my MCHN and she would reassure me Everything was fine. Sometimes these little babes just have a few bad days when nothing makes them happy.
Sound a bit like me!LOL
I had so much milk with my first child and I leaked all the time, milk was gushing into his mouth and he would gag. Then give a couple of months it settles down and in the begining I would express if engorged and get heaps of milk and then soon enough I would be lucky enough to get a few mL.
Then with my latest addition I have had no engorgement and hardly any leaking.
They become like BF expert, my DD is down to about 5mins each side during the day.
I will stop rabbiting on now.

Cheers
Aimee

This message was edited by aim007 on Wednesday, 22 June 2005 @ 8:41 PM

Just wanted to put a vote in for fenugreek, it worked well for me but I was taking up to 9 tablets a day the dosage on the bottle does nothing. Blessed thistle is the other herbal rememdy that may work. However as the other girls have said it is most likely just your body settling into feeding. If you are really worried try Australian Breastfeeding Ass. in Melbourne the number is 98850653 or try the website for other states http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au

Good luck.


Married to Phil
Mother to Samuel 24/4/01
Ethan 6/10/03 and
Audrey 12/4/05