Breastfeeding problems with 9week old - advice please before I go completely mad.

[Fidgetsmum]

Help. Please! Can't afford to pay for a lactation consultant and will leave a message for Claire Kedves tomorrow. And I will go to a breastfeeding cafe but wondered if I might get some more immediate advice.

Ok. 9wk old boy. Brilliant feeder from day one. 9lb14oz at birth (at home, 3hr labour so no birth issues) and he only lost 3oz in the first week. Always fed well, puts on weight well and is 75th centile for weight consistently.

BUT. About a week ago, he started to play up on the right breast. He would feed well then towards the end, rather than just slow his sucking, he started just mouthing and sometimes fidgeting. I fed my daughter (now 3yrs) until she was 16 mths and remembered her doing something similar (although she did it when she was much older) so felt confident that it was just a phase, perhaps caused by his cold, and that within a couple of days it would pass.

About four days later, I realised that his feeds from the right breast had got shorter and shorter to the point where he was perhaps only having 2 minutes of proper drinking and the rest was just mouthing - you know, sort of pretending to do it properly but not actually taking any milk. I started expressing to get the flow back but so far, I've failed to increase the flow. Where once I was happily producing 5 - 6 oz from the right one, I can barely get 1oz.

Then two days ago, he started to do it on the left breast too. Hence the panic. I took him to the GP yesterday and there's no ear infection or anything that could be seen. He of course has started his jabs which might be making him feel poorly.

SO. I've got two questions: 1) I really need to increase the milk flow and am doing more skin to skin contact and eating well, resting (as much as you can with a three year old). I'm also expressing. How do I make sure that my expressing doesn't get in the way of his feeds? I.e. if I express, how soon will they be up to capacity again - I don't want his measly feeds on the boob to be even less rewarding than they currently are. 2) how can I get him to go back to being happy on the boob and back to his brilliant latch and feeding ways?

Sorry - a massive post - but I'm completely desperate and have never experienced my boobs 'not working'.

(and I know I can resort to Formula and many do, but it's just not for me if I can help it).

Thanks in advance, lovely EDF ladies.

[Saffron]

Isn't there a sort of 'lull' in milk production around this time for a lot of women? I've read a few different schools of thought on this, but no definitive research, except to say that it's completely normal. You and your baby can work through it. It might even be that this is a break between growth spurts, so you LO isn't really that hungry. Pumping shouldn't interfere with his feeding. As long as a woman is lactating, her breast is never truly empty. As long as you're drinking enough fluids, everything should be ok.

Many women give up breastfeeding their babies early because of *perceived* lack of milk supply. However, if you are healthy in all other ways, you will make enough milk. And if you consistently, gently encourage your baby, he will get everything he needs from you.

Deffo go to the bfing cafe and get in tough with the people at Kings... but in the meantime, don't panic at all. In fact, you sound like you're doing a great job! xx

[Fidgetsmum]

Thanks Saffron. Kind words indeed and I will definitely persevere.

[Fuschia]

With regard to expressing, you won't affect what is there for him, as the milk you feel in your breasts when you're full is the sugary foremilk.. the milk you produce midfeed when you no longer feel engorged is the high calorie fatty stuff.

It's possible that he is less hungry or has got much better at feeding.. my DS1 suddenly stopped feeding for long feeds and cut right down, and in fact little 12 week old baby F is now often having feeds of 5-10 mins whereas before they were all 30 mins plus.. he still does that at bedtime but sometimes in the day he is very fast, and i'm sure he hasn't taken a full feed.

Don't judge what he's getting by what you can express. What sort of pump do you have?

Does he seem content after these "very quick feeds followed by long chomping" sessions? Is hs estill gaining weight?

[Fuschia]

Def see Clare K if you can.. she is lovely!

[Saffron]

Oh also, your 'let down' can change as your milk supply becomes settled. Where you once might have had a slow let down and baby had a leisurely feed, you might now find your let down is more rapid. As baby grows, his suckle also becomes more efficient. The combination of rapid let down and efficient suckle for some mother-baby dyads can mean that feeding times come right down.

There are so many variable with breastfeeding. You can really drive yourself to distraction (I know I did)!

xx

[Fidgetsmum]

Thanks Fuschia. He's still sleeping fine in the evening/night and I guess if he was ravenous, he wouldn't settle? I've got a Medela Swing, and have also borrowed and Almeda double pump so very good pumps. I just know there's nothing really in the right boob and that's scary. I'm taking him in next week to be weighed again to check. Neither boob feels full at all and letdowns are much more infrequent than they were before he started all this. And he definitely doesn't seem content straight after the feeds, but if I don't put him back on, he'll distract himself with something else after 5-10 minutes.

[Fuschia]

He can still be getting enough even if you don't feel full or feel the letdown. There is no reason why your supply would suddenly drop, though it is chicken and egg, if he really wasn't latching, that would affect supply. But if he is sleeping OK, I doubt that.

He may be beginning to teeth... a viist to a cranial osteopath would probably be useful

[Fidgetsmum]

Thanks everyone. I've taken the morning to just lie skin to skin and feed but no change. Shall persevere.

[DaisyBailey]

Have you tried phoning the BreastFeeding Helpline?:

08444 122 949

They will put you through to a trained counsellor or you leave a message and they call you back. They're usually very good and a great way to get some help until you actually get to see someone.

DB x

[reneet]

I remember being told that worrying does not help as well (Its hard not to worry though), something about stress affecting let down, its therefore important to get relaxed. I definitely think getting in touch the breastfeeding helpline or any BF professions is a good idea, if nothing else it will give you peace of mind.

[Fidgetsmum]

Thanks everyone. Lots of skin to skin and rest and I'm up to 2 oz out of right one. Getting there slowly but surely.

[Saffron]

When I was expressing milk, I found the MotherLove herbal products were really helpful to increase letdown.

I think this is the one I used:

http://www.motherlove.com/product/3302-More-Milk-Plus-Alcohol-Free.html

xx

[supergolden88]

My son did the same around the same time (to coincide with first set of jabs). He started taking long gaps between feeds and feeding less and less. He also cried and fussed whenever I tried to breastfeed him. I too went into a panic as my milk was drying up.

I think the baby was going through a phase of eating less but he was also suffering from very gassy tummy (hence the crying) which the GP diagnosed and suggested we use infacol with every feed. That seemed to help. I expressed often to build up supply and drank mothers help tea (you get get in at Health Matters) which may or may not have helped but at least you feel as if you are doing something! Lost of breastfeeding at night helps with supply (but does not help YOU as you will be even more tired).

I now try to leave 3/4 hours between feeds to make sure he is hungry and not snacking. Even a small 'snack' would ruin his feeds.

Best of luck

[Fidgetsmum]

Thanks very much Saffron and Supergolden. Supply still low, but better. I'll definitely go and get some Mother's Help tea tomorrow. I was drinking it, then ran out and haven't replaced. And we're already using infacol for a few weeks as the same thing - very gassy - and it certainly has helped the burps.

More importantly. Once or twice a day, he now has a proper feed on the right one. SUCH a relief. He won't be getting much but at least he's helping to increase the supply.

Thanks EDF again. I was in a crappy panic and didn't want to stop breastfeeding and slowly but surely, with all the advice here, we're making our way to recovery.