Milk slowly dissapearing :(

[0_Sara_0]

:no:
I breastfed exclusively almost up until my little girl was 5months. She was so unsettled for for about 3weeks, she'd drink and drink but still cry afterwards, she started refusing my breast and just getting so upset the more I tried. One day she almost went for a whole day without drinking. I eventually bought her some goats milk formula, her first f/feed she drank 200mL's and there was no looking back from there. She was so much happier, I must have been starving her :no: .

It started as 1 feed at night, then a feed at lunch and night then slowly increased because my supply just dissapeared more and more even though I was breastfeeding her as much as I could.

To build supply I tried blessed thistle tablets and fenugreek (but stopped the feugreek after a few days as this really upset her tummy, she became really windy.) They didn't work. I've tried expressing heaps. When she was younger I used to be able to get 100mL, once I even got 200mL!! But I've never been able to get more than 30mL and usually less since.

She is now just over 6months old and has a breastfeed in the morning followed by 150mL formula so don't know how much milk is actually there. And a breastfeed in the arvo. Sometimes she will have one in the night if she won't settle. At other times she just refuses to drink.

Do you think I might have more success if I hired an electric breast pump to build supply, even if I could just feed her it then in a bottle I wouldn't mind? Any other tips to boost supply? Should I just give up and be happy she is healthy and happy now? She is also on 2 solids a day now and drinks a little water. I try not to think about it cos when I do I feel like such a failure. Why did my milk just go away?

Sorry about the long post, just had to get it all out.

[Tam-I-Am]

Sweetheart, its actually fairly unlikely that your milk supply went away. Babies can be so hard to interpret - but its fairly normal for bubs at around that age (ie 3 months onward) to have a day or two, up to a couple of weeks, of breast refusal. It probably had absolutely nothing to do with your milk, but with a developmental stage that your baby is going through. I know how heartbreaking it can be - It happened to me with my girl for 2 weeks :eek: - the thing is, I was really lucky because it happened just after I'd had a general anaesthetic - so the cause and effect was pretty clear - I knew what I was dealing with!

Given that you'd successfully and exclusively fed her for 5 months, its unlikely that, in the absence of illness, AF returning, or something quite traumatic happening, that a well-established milk supply would just dwindle.

Have a look at the following article:

Here (http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/refusal.html)

If this sounds like what your bubba is going through, or went through, then yes, you can rebuild your supply and feed her without formula again.

if not - then I'd suggest seeing a lactation consultant to find out if there's a different underlying cause....

Hope you work it out :hugs: and don't forget - not matter what - you're an awesome mummy!

[0_Sara_0]

Thankyou for that site :)

But it just makes me feel worse :gloomy: Well sometimes I think that and other times I feel that I did the right thing cos as soon as she started the formula it was like I had a different baby.

And actually yes all the problems started around when I got AF back and pretty stressed and lack of sleep cos partner does afternoon shift it is pretty hard to get enough sleep.

I've never thought I could get her to go back to b/feeding exclusively even though that would be awesome, I'd just even like it if she was at least 1/2 1/2. The formula is $30/tin, it was wonderful when she was just b/f!! And that it is much better for her.

Anyway, thankyou :wave:

[Jelly Baby]

The exact same thing is happening to me at the moment. I had been b/f my son for 5 months but he too was crying at each feed.

I introduced him to a bottle and he's loved it ever since. I can tell my milk has slowed down because my breasts don't feel full and I don't even feel the let down like I used to.

I was hanging on to the night feeds for a couple of weeks but last night after his 2am feed he was awake again at 4am so I tried the bottle and he drank every last drop - not even sure whether he got any breast milk at the 2am feed.

Without the demand it feels like the supply has disappeared. I too have taken a whole bottle of Fenugreek and tried expressing but can't get much out.

It's been making me very emotional because I wanted to hold onto the night and early morning feeds at least but he doesn't seem too interested in the breast anymore. :no:

[Tea Lady]

Have either of you contacted the ABA - they have trained counsellors that you can ring for free who will help you (and they know alot more about breastfeeding than most of us bubhubbers do!).

Good luck with it... :hugs: :hugs: :hugs: