Why?

[Kazamataz]

So an other thread got me thinking.
There are a number of mums who have had problems with breastfeeding.

I was just wondering does anyone know why is it that some women just don't produce milk?

If this has personally happened to you whats your story?

Unfortunately Asher was born at a stressful time.

I breastfeed till 6 months but then was forced to have my wisdom teeth taken out (it couldn't wait any longer) the stress of the operation not to mention the stress of life dried my milk up.

Then for some reason at 10 months my milk came back, but I'd already given my pump away and Asher wouldn't suck so it disappeared again.

I mentioned all that because I don't want it to seem like I'm down on bottle feeders I am one!
Just curious, if it's meant to be "natures way" why doesn't it work for everyone?

[punkbaby]

I mentioned all that because I don't want it to seem like I'm down on bottle feeders I am one!
Just curious, if it's meant to be "natures way" why doesn't it work for everyone?

I am too with my 2nd bubs and i still dont know why. Here i am having a trouble free BF relationship with my first bubs, my second comes along and i thought that i wouldnt have any problems, 4 months of BF and having a baby that constantly screamed 24/7 (no exageration he just wouldnt settle) i gave him a bottle and finally got a good nights sleep! So i kept him on it. I dont know why i couldnt feed i dont know what happened but it just wasnt working! My 3rd bubs and my 4th were fine on the breast.

I am not down on bottle feeders either, i have been there too!

THe only issue that i do have is that there is such little support for those that want to BF and want to try and unless you have a pro BF CHN or GP the minute a baby is unsettled etc or not gaining weight according to the books they say "top up" "bottle etc", this upsets me after hearing about it and see it so often on here.

There are times when i have nearly stopped BF thankfully i have had lots of support and i know that whatever is going on is totally normal. Mind you its really hard at times, my now 1-yo and 3yo never took a bottle or a cup they constantly had me, my 4th is doing the same, i would love to just have a day off from her hanging off me but nope all she wants is me as much as i love it it does get testing at times with sore boobs mastitis constantly coming back, cracked nipples, sitting up all night with a baby permanently attached to you so its not all easy :)

A happy baby makes a happy mum a happy mum makes a happy baby :) at the end of the day as long as a baby is getting fed, no matter what method thats all that matters :)

[Nowhere]

i didnt produce milk because miki could not suck at all, I did try expressin but each time i wsa lucky to get a ml after expressing for up to 4 hours, the action of the breast pump was not enough to make my milk come in, and miki sypmly could not suck, at the time she was nasogastric fed, then IV fed, then nasogastric fed, then fed oraly for a short time with us sqeezing the bottle into her mouth, that failed she was then nasogastric fed again untill 9 months we then reatepmted bottle feeding and even some solids that failed DREADFULY we then went back to nasogastric feeds, then gestrostomy feeds all of wich failed so no we are on jejenostomy feeds and they are working

so for my little monley J feeds are best

So yer with us it wasnt just a case of breast feeding not working nothing does, the reason for milk not comeing in was that she couldnt suck and the pump sucked unfortunaly not literaly lol

[our little treasures]

I am not sure why some don't produce enough milk but I know it is a very small amount of women that cannot produce milk..

I nearly dried up recently after having my gallbladder removed I got myself very upset about the whole thing but I kept feeding her and my milk flooded back:D

I can understand why some may just stop as it was tiring and stressful but I wanted to keep the BF relationship.

I agree with PB with the lack of support. I asked so many times for help with keeping my supply and they brushed me off. One nurse said you have made it to 9mnths it doesn't matter.. It wasn't until one of the nurses walked in and saw I had been crying before I had any help.. They called the birthing unit and I got a lot of help then!!

[shelle65]

This is from the ABA website:


Diana West says, ’For a long time, it was assumed that mothers who worried about their
milk production just didn't understand how breastfeeding worked, and that all they needed was
a little education and reassurance to get breastfeeding back on track. While it's true that most
mothers can make enough milk, we are now learning that there are definitely mothers who really
aren't making enough milk, and for a variety of reasons their numbers may be rising. We're also
discovering that there are more causes for low milk production than we once realized.

I had major supply problems and I have never been able to find out why. Unfortunately with the "one-size-fits-all" approach to advice that I got from most GPs, midwives, MCHNs and lactation consultants, they couldn't tell me why, and to be honest weren't particularly interested as they didn't seem able to admit or accept that their standard advice wasn't working.

Out of the millions of professionals I saw, only ONE offered a possible explanation, and that was that the problems I had birthing the placenta (took 2 hours even with the injection) had affected my milk coming in. But then that didn't explain why I couldn't build my supply up with constant feeding and expressing.

Anyhoo, sorry to get off track a bit, I think my answer to the op is that I don't know why some women don't produce milk, but it is a real problem and the old "they just didn't get enough help" is kind of doing mothers a disservice as it means we aren't trying to get to the bottom of the real problem. :thumbsup:

[~Temet Nosce~]

I suppose its like (just using this as an example) walking. We all have legs, we are all meant to walk, its a natural thing to do. But some people cant walk, for whatever reason. Their legs just dont/wont/cant do the right thing.

[PinkBinkie]

I waited for big boobs with both my pregnancies and didn't get them :no: With my 2nd bub my milk took ages to come in, poor little darling was starving and it seemed that she was always attached, very difficult with a toddler running around! So I supplemented her with formula and she was happier and I was happier. It must have been so exhausting for her trying to get milk from my boobs. So I continued some bf until she was 4 weeks old and at that point I stopped bf completely. I never experienced full breasts, engorgement, the feeling of my milk coming down etc.

[Sarahmum24]

I don't know why either? But it is true, some women don't produce enough or none at all like me, after i had my second child I proceeded to BF, baby was screaming, so a nurse came in to help, she said there is nothing there, and she asked whats wrong with me, i was in shock and very upset so I didn't get to BF, so I FF and at the time I felt a little guilty, less of a woman, but now I know I did the best thing for my baby, there was nothing else I could do. With my 3rd I BF him, my milk started to dry up at about 8 weeks, so what I did is I got my partner to stimulate my Boobs, and for some reason it really helped.

[CorbinSethLincoln]

I had the quantity just not the quality:crying:
With my second boy he kept falling asleep all the time on the breast, i ended up getting mastitis and a bit of PND.
I found a recipe for cookies that are suppossed to help, im going to try them when i get pregnant agin. I found them in a forum. Flaxseed cookies.

[Kazamataz]

Well I guess the answer is there is no answer :laughing:

Everyone is different, Thanks for your responses ladies.

Its incredible the lack of support for both sides BF or FF.
The person who was asked by a middie what was wrong with you? Thats just crazy and rude.
Some people are ridiculous :thumbsdown:

[WorkingClassMum]

I had enough milk with DS that I could have bathed him in it. I could express so easily. In fact sometimes I could put DS on one side and a bottle on the other.

DD was born screaming. She screamed and screamed. The MHN said she was hungry - and I kept trying to feed her. Even as a little baby she thrashed and fought the boob, and screamed and screamed. The GP said perservere - his wife BF 11 kids. The lactation consultant said keep on trying she'll get the hang on it. I was going insane. One day I feel asleep in sheer exhaustion and mum gave her water in a bottle - she guzzled it and brought it all back. The hosp said there's nothing wrong - just keep trying. I had milk leaking all over the place - I was so full all of the time. I'd even express some off to relieve the pressure and tried bottlefeeding EBM.

It was Saturday night - she'd screamed for nearly 12 hours - and I hated her, I hated feeding, I had mastitis because she wouldn't feed. I was sick and tired and nearly suicidal.

I still had PeptiJunior left over from DS - I didn't care - it was slightly out of date, I gave her the Pepti Juinior and we both slept for nearly 12 hours.

I saw my Dr the next day and demanded a script - he could only give me a script for two tins - I didn't care

Two weeks later I finally got into see the Pead Allergist/Immunologist - that was the first time I'd learnt that DD was intolerent to what I was eating!

The sheer hell I went through with DD (I was ready to abandon her) should stand as a lesson that even women with the best intentions can fail through no fault of their own.

I did not get the support or the education or the specilist care that we needed. My baby suffered 6 weeks of hell, failing to thrive and non-stop screaming, colic, reflux and projectile vomiting.

By the time I knew to stop eating wheat and dairy etc it was too late.

[Hokey Pokey]

I think lack of support plays a big part :yes: