Enough milk?

[MJ]

My DS used to sleep from 7pm till 5am then have a feed and sleep till 7am. :sleeping:

The last few weeks he has been waking 3 or 4 times a night and only a feed will settle him - could my milk supply be getting low causing him to be hungry at night?

I'm so tired and would love my 10 hour sleeper back!!!

[Pinky McKay]

Hi MumMon,

You havent mentioned your baby's age - there may be various reasons he is waking but perhaps he is having a growth spurt. How is feeding going during the day? Is he old enough to be distracted during day feeds? Is he sucking well? Are you extra busy during the day so his night feeds are actually better? How is your on diet? Are you drinking caffeine?(this can affect younger babies quite significantly) Are you taking oral contraceptives - the mini pill can affect some womens milk supply?

If your baby is having plenty of wet nappies, think, what comes out must have gone in. The extra sucking will boost your milk supply - the more your baby nurses the more milk your breasts will make. You could try some extra skin to skin contact to help boost your breastfeeding hormone levels - usually ths will help with milk supply too. And follow your baby s feeding cues - if you space out feeds during the day he will need to wake at night for extra food.

Meanwhile , eat sensibly yourself; drink according to your thirst and take an afternoon rest.If you are extremely tired it can be worth having a medical check - get your iron levels and thyroid function checked as these can affect energy levels too.

Baby sleep patterns arent always related to feeding so it is worth assessing what else may be happening -from diet to your baby's day and his developmental stage -rather than lose confidence in your ability to breastfeed. If you need reassurance check with your baby health nurse, an ABA counsellor or a lactation consultant who can helpp you look at the whole pictiure -including your baby.


Pinky

[MJ]

Hi Pinky, Thanks for getting back to me. Harry is 13 weeks old. Feeding during the day is going really well and he lasts about 4 hours during each feed. I seem to have more milk during the day and by 6.30pm (last feed for the day) my milk seems empty and then its full again by 2pm.

I have a great diet and am not on the mini pill nor do I drink tea/coffee...

Could the fact that he only has 2 one hour sleeps during the day have anything to do with his night waking all of a sudden??

Thanks ...