low milk supply?

Hmm, how would I know if my milk supply went down? I have not been very
"full" and last night Meg (who will be 4 months old next week) kept me up
nursing abt 8 times -- is this normal? The last feeding a few minutes ago
seemed to be a lot of sucking on a floppy tit and not much swallowing. I'm
topping off the night with some oatmeal just in case and will drink plenty
of water. Any other suggestions?

-- Dagny

Hmm, how would I know if my milk supply went down?

Your baby's weight gain would slow or stop and she might get dehydrated. But
it's not really very likely to happen, you know. Certainly not just out of the
blue. I wouldn't worry about it unless you've been ill, very stressed, or
there's some other reason to suspect a possible supply or letdown problem.

I have not been very
"full" and last night Meg (who will be 4 months old next week) kept me up
nursing abt 8 times -- is this normal? The
For a 4-month-old? Yeah, very normal. I don't know if it's a growth spurt
that ought to be, but isn't, on the schedule you usually see, or if it has to
do with neurological development leading to sleep disruptions, but whatever it
is, many, many, many 4-month-olds do this.

last feeding a few minutes ago
seemed to be a lot of sucking on a floppy tit and not much swallowing. I'm
topping off the night with some oatmeal just in case and will drink plenty
of water. Any other suggestions?

-- Dagny


The usual for growth spurts -- rest as much as you can, stay hydrated, etc.
Plus, develop a consistent bedtime routine if you haven't previously done so,
and if the night waking continues for more than a few days, start thinking
about whether you want to do any sort of sleep training and if so what type.
:-)

Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo
EDD #2 6/8/04

"HollyLewis" wrote in message
...
Hmm, how would I know if my milk supply went down?

Your baby's weight gain would slow or stop and she might get dehydrated.
But
it's not really very likely to happen, you know. Certainly not just out
of the
blue. I wouldn't worry about it unless you've been ill, very stressed, or
there's some other reason to suspect a possible supply or letdown problem.

I have been very stressed, I developed PTSD from the birth a couple of weeks
ago and have been dealing with that. That kind of stress?

-- Dagny

Dagny wrote:

I have been very stressed, I developed PTSD from the birth a couple
of weeks ago and have been dealing with that. That kind of stress?


Stress tends to affect letdown, not supply, FWIW.
It's hard to say - PTSD is certainly, um, considerable stress (obviously),
but every woman varies as to how much or how little stress will have an
effect on the milk ejection reflex.
Kellymom's got some good suggestions on letdown cues:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/letdown.html#cues

One other thing - you're right at the time when milk production has
completely shifted from endocrine to autocrine control. A LOT of women think
they're drying up at this time because their breasts no longer feel full and
they might have a harder time pumping, but it's actually a sign that
everything's going perfectly and your body's fully into the nursing groove
: ) So you might want to take that into consideration.

Last, she could be starting on the teething road (though it'll probably take
some time before teeth get close enough to the gum surface to begin
erupting) - I suspect this is part of why babies often start being more
wakeful at around 4-5 months.

--
tristyn
www.tristyn.net
"i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
i do not think that they will sing to me."

"Dagny" wrote in message nk.net...
Hmm, how would I know if my milk supply went down? I have not been very
"full" and last night Meg (who will be 4 months old next week) kept me up
nursing abt 8 times -- is this normal? The last feeding a few minutes ago
seemed to be a lot of sucking on a floppy tit and not much swallowing. I'm
topping off the night with some oatmeal just in case and will drink plenty
of water. Any other suggestions?


My second baby had a giant 4 month growth spurt. That might be part
of it. She might be nursing for some reason other then hunger which
can cause a lot of not-nutritive nursing, acting kind of agitated,
frequent nursing etc. Things like teething or a impending cold can
cause this. Or she could be reacting to stress in you if that is a
possibility. When I went through periods of high stress my supply
was fine but the baby acted in a way that many people wondered. I
think it was baby feeling my stress and reacting with a little stress
of his own and trying to get comfort.

Lastly....when my period returned I had a monthly dip in supply. It
lasted 3-5 days and went away on its own. I never needed to
supplement. It felt different. The nursing was irritating, and hurt
a little, and it just felt different when they were actively sucking
but not getting much milk. Comfort sucking was lots of suckling but
not the suction. It is hard to describe. I've never had delayed let
down but I imagine that a seriously delayed let down might feel the
same way but that wouldn't necessarily result in a baby nursing more
frequently...just longer at each session.

Watch for signs of dehydration and monitor weight gain if you are
still concerned about supply problems. I think that supply problems
at 4 months in a non-supplemented baby are very rare.

--

Nikki

I have been very stressed, I developed PTSD from the birth a couple of weeks
ago and have been dealing with that. That kind of stress?

-- Dagny

Stress can interfere with letdown, so although it doesn't affect supply
directly, yes, that could be an explanation. Use whatever relaxation or
visualization techniques help you before you nurse to encourage better letdown.

Also, a mother who's stressed out tends to lead to a baby who's stressed out
simply because the baby picks up on the mother's emotional cues. This can lead
to increased nursing because the baby is seeking comfort and closeness with the
mother. Unfortunately, of course, if the mother reacts to the increased 'need
level' in the baby as just another stressor, a vicious circle ensues. As much
as possible, try to use cuddling with and nursing your baby as a stress
reliever (as your baby does) rather than another source of tension.

I don't know enough about PTSD to make any more specific recommendations. But
in any event, I hope it's reassuring that a true supply problem is very
unlikely. The endocrine switch that Tristyn described is a far more likely
explanation for your not feeling "full" and a growth spurt is the most likely
explanation of the sudden night waking pattern.

Holly
Mom to Camden, 3yo
EDD #2 6/8/04

Dagny writes:


: Hmm, how would I know if my milk supply went down? I have not been very
: "full" and last night Meg (who will be 4 months old next week) kept me up
: nursing abt 8 times -- is this normal? The last feeding a few minutes ago
: seemed to be a lot of sucking on a floppy tit and not much swallowing. I'm
: topping off the night with some oatmeal just in case and will drink plenty
: of water. Any other suggestions?

: -- Dagny

Hmm. This could be a growth spurt. Hopefully in 1 to 2 days, your supply
will catch up with her. Especially with the oatmeal!

Good luck,
Larry

"iphigenia" wrote in message
...
Dagny wrote:

I have been very stressed, I developed PTSD from the birth a couple
of weeks ago and have been dealing with that. That kind of stress?


Stress tends to affect letdown, not supply, FWIW.
It's hard to say - PTSD is certainly, um, considerable stress (obviously),
but every woman varies as to how much or how little stress will have an
effect on the milk ejection reflex.
Kellymom's got some good suggestions on letdown cues:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/letdown.html#cues

One other thing - you're right at the time when milk production has
completely shifted from endocrine to autocrine control. A LOT of women
think
they're drying up at this time because their breasts no longer feel full
and
they might have a harder time pumping, but it's actually a sign that
everything's going perfectly and your body's fully into the nursing groove
: ) So you might want to take that into consideration.

Last, she could be starting on the teething road (though it'll probably
take
some time before teeth get close enough to the gum surface to begin
erupting) - I suspect this is part of why babies often start being more
wakeful at around 4-5 months.

--
tristyn
www.tristyn.net
"i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
i do not think that they will sing to me."



Thanks everyone for helping -- I will look up autocrine.

-- Dagny