Where's my milk gone???

[katiek]

I have a lovely 2 week old little girl and have been BF since her birth. Up until now my boobs have been pretty plentiful as far as milk is concerned, she has fed from one boob per feed only but just this weekend she has demanded both and since then my boobs almost feel normal again. I have no hardness or leaking and when i express ( i have been expressing enough for 1 feed per day my hubby feeds her this at night) i can't seem to get much to come out at all maybe 15mL?? This time last week I had no trouble getting 50- 80mL expressed at all.

What is happening? Is my bubba going thru a growth spurt? I thought it might be a bit early for this. She seems to be content after a feed but I can't say I notice a feeling that my boobs are being emptied like i was feeling last week. They just feel quite soft!

Bubba has also been a little more fussy when latching on too - not sure if this indicates anything??

Thanks for reading

Kate

Mum to Ashley Jade - 2wks old

[mama2cierra]

id say it would be a growth spurt so just keep it up with both sides

At one stage and for quite a while i was feeding Cierra 20 mins each side b4 she had had enough !! It was very time consuming and I couldnt get much done for myself or the house in between


on another note....one of my friends had a simmilar thing happen in the 1st month of her daughters life and she ended up weaning her to formula bcoz her supply was too low for adequate growth. I hope it all settles itself out soon!!!

[mama2cierra]

the breasts tend to get back to being soft after the fortnight proceeding the birth , not like big hard melons anymore if you know what I mean hehehe
but they will still make the same amount of milk for your baby
dont worry :)

[cosmic]

Kate, I don't really have a definitive answer but it is actually at about 6 weeks that your boobs stop feeling so hard normally - that is when your supply has pretty much sorted itself out. I was told by a lactation consultant that up until 4 weeks, your supply is hormonally driven and between 4-6 weeks is when you start producing based on bubs needs and your boobs adjust. Hence from about 6 weeks you stop getting the hardness, leaking etc.

I'm not sure at this very early stage it's a great idea to be expressing one feed per day. You really need your baby to be doing all the drinking to get supply well established. I'd hold off on the expressing until after 6 weeks, and maybe just make it one feed per week? Your baby is much more efficient at getting milk out than a pump is, and expressing isn't going to get your hormones doing their job either I wouldn't think (? Don't quote me - that's just my logic which has not basis in any actual fact but seems to make sense :D).

If you are concerned I would really speak to a lactation consultant. But you know your baby is getting enough to drink by the number of wet nappies, that she is settled and happy, has good skin tone, bright eyes etc, not by how much you can express in a pump which is often NOT a good indicator of what bubs gets when she drinks.

Hope that helps. Let us know how you go.

[katiek]

well i figure all must be ok as she seems happy after a feed and she is having about 6-7 wet nappies a day plus about 2 dirty ones .... but i am a bit concerned that im having all these probs being able to express a decent amount for her

[mama2cierra]

i was the same with x-pressing

baby is the best at getting a good latch and getting sufficient milk. sometimes i wouldnt trust the breast pump at all in knowing how much milk I was producing.

It terms of leaking mentioned above I used to lactate and leak till I stopped BFeeding Cierra close to her 1st bday and it was messy. everyones boobs are different I guess

[katiek]

OMG i dont know what i'll do without hubby doing his night time feed ... im so exhausted as it is!! I think i will literally go insane. A midwife suggested expressing to me and she told me to express small amounts during the day and do one last express before i go to sleep at night so that hubby could relieve some off the strain off of me. ATM i am getting a 4-5 hr sleep before i get up to feed her again at 2am. This 4-5 hrs is what keeps me from going nuts!


Kate, I don't really have a definitive answer but it is actually at about 6 weeks that your boobs stop feeling so hard normally - that is when your supply has pretty much sorted itself out. I was told by a lactation consultant that up until 4 weeks, your supply is hormonally driven and between 4-6 weeks is when you start producing based on bubs needs and your boobs adjust. Hence from about 6 weeks you stop getting the hardness, leaking etc.

I'm not sure at this very early stage it's a great idea to be expressing one feed per day. You really need your baby to be doing all the drinking to get supply well established. I'd hold off on the expressing until after 6 weeks, and maybe just make it one feed per week? Your baby is much more efficient at getting milk out than a pump is, and expressing isn't going to get your hormones doing their job either I wouldn't think (? Don't quote me - that's just my logic which has not basis in any actual fact but seems to make sense :D).

If you are concerned I would really speak to a lactation consultant. But you know your baby is getting enough to drink by the number of wet nappies, that she is settled and happy, has good skin tone, bright eyes etc, not by how much you can express in a pump which is often NOT a good indicator of what bubs gets when she drinks.

Hope that helps. Let us know how you go.

[cosmic]

Katie, I know exactly how you feel. My 11 week old still wakes up a couple of times a night and it is sooo exhausting!

I think the middy who told you to get hubby to do a feed had your best interest at heart, but her advice is not what you would be told by a lactation consultant or the ABA. Most experts in breastfeeding will tell you not to introduce any artificial nipple until BF is really well established (usually 4-6 weeks). There is a different sucking action involved with bottles and it can cause problems if introduced too early. It sounds like your bub is having no problems going from breast to bottle, but you never know - it could be that she isn't working as efficiently at the boob because of having a bottle.

Like i said - I'm no expert. Just offering some things I've been told. Hopefully all is fine with you and your bub. :)

[ziggie]

Kate, I don't really have a definitive answer but it is actually at about 6 weeks that your boobs stop feeling so hard normally - that is when your supply has pretty much sorted itself out. I was told by a lactation consultant that up until 4 weeks, your supply is hormonally driven and between 4-6 weeks is when you start producing based on bubs needs and your boobs adjust. Hence from about 6 weeks you stop getting the hardness, leaking etc.

I'm not sure at this very early stage it's a great idea to be expressing one feed per day. You really need your baby to be doing all the drinking to get supply well established. I'd hold off on the expressing until after 6 weeks, and maybe just make it one feed per week? Your baby is much more efficient at getting milk out than a pump is, and expressing isn't going to get your hormones doing their job either I wouldn't think (? Don't quote me - that's just my logic which has not basis in any actual fact but seems to make sense :D).

If you are concerned I would really speak to a lactation consultant. But you know your baby is getting enough to drink by the number of wet nappies, that she is settled and happy, has good skin tone, bright eyes etc, not by how much you can express in a pump which is often NOT a good indicator of what bubs gets when she drinks.

Hope that helps. Let us know how you go.

I agree!!!!! This happened to me too, but not until about 5 weeks, and I rang the Aust. Breastfeeding Assotiation coz I was so worried, and they told me that my boobs were just settling down...
And I agree about the expressing too... although your DH is very kind to be doing it for you ;)