Milk supply down? (x-post)

I nurse on demand and everything has been going ok- I just have a couple
questions..

First, I alternate sides and keep her on each breast equally (I try to!),
but it still seems my left breast produces significantly less than my right.
Is this normal and what can I do? I am trying to pump the left side
frequently to see if that in addition to the regular amount of nursing
increases the supply there- by regular amount of nursing I mean I am not
supplementing with bottles of expressed breast milk even though I have been
pumping some- I am storing for something in the future. Rachel is a slow
thorough nurser- I like to just nurse her on one breast and let her nurse
30-45 minutes, and pump the other side anyway so she gets hindmilk. I notice
that she cries on the left breast after 10-15 minutes, and when I check
(squueze or try to pump) I can't get any more milk out. I don't have
anything like this happen on the right side, and she nurses contentedly
until SHE doesn't want anymore (not until the breast stops having
any)......?? Should pumping extra times on that side daily help this?
When I tried out the double pump, the left side produced half as much as the
right side in the few minutes I pumped...

Also, it seems like for the past 2-3 days only, my milk supply has decreased
noticably.....I am nursing Rachel on demand still. But for 2 days in a row a
few days ago she received one 4-6 ounce bottle of expressed breast milk
each day (so, 2 bottles, about 5ounces each, over 2 days total)-- but has
nursed a LOT as well, every 2-3 hours. I do not normally give her expressed
milk yet, I AM pumping but it's in addition to her nursing, and I am not
giving her bottles except for those 2 which I did so I could leave and run
some errands for a few hours each of the 2 days. I became engorged while out
both times, and came home and nursed her until she was full, then pumped
soon after. BUT.......it seems like Rachel has not been nursing as long
because my milk is not as plentiful and she has to eat less, and then I try
to nurse her again soon. Is there anything that could be causing my milk to
decrease some? Or is it because Rachel is hungrier and so it seems I have
less milk because she's eating more and I haven't cuaght up yet? I wouldn't
think pumping would have anything to do with this because I only had her
given the 2 bottles and that's been it, and the pumping is secondary- it's
AFTER she has nursed all she wants, during one of her longer stretches of
napping without waking up to eat etc. She is being nursed as often as ever.

So do I need to start worrying and do something now to make sure I don't
start having a problem with my supply? (Btw, Rachel gained another 6 ounces
this past week and had made it to 8 pounds, 3 ounces).....diaper output is
still plentiful but seems to be a bit more liquidy than seedy...)

Jill

Jill wrote in message
. com...
I nurse on demand and everything has been going ok- I just have a couple
questions..


So do I need to start worrying and do something now to make sure I don't
start having a problem with my supply? (Btw, Rachel gained another 6
ounces
this past week and had made it to 8 pounds, 3 ounces).....diaper output is
still plentiful but seems to be a bit more liquidy than seedy...)

I produce more on the right side-it also leaks more so if I go really long
time then I get more engorged on the left side though.
You'll find that she'll have growth spirts and need more frequent nursing,
and quiet times when you'll get rather full :-) Don't worry about not having
enough as long as she's feeding happily and coming off by herself and not
wanting to continuously feed, if you're demand feeding. Unless she's really
dropping on the weight charts I wouldn't worry about her weight.
Sounds like you're doing fine.
Debbie

Jill wrote:
my left breast produces significantly less than my right.
Is this normal and what can I do?

Normal. Same thing happened to me. I nursed more on the slow side, but
it's still slower than the other. I think for a couple of days I
started every feeding on the slow side, then switched when she wouldn't
nurse anymore. Nothing to worry about.

Also, it seems like for the past 2-3 days only, my milk supply has decreased
noticably.....I am nursing Rachel on demand still.

My guess is that her needs have increased, not that your supply has
decreased.

she received one 4-6 ounce bottle of expressed breast milk

5 ounces at once is a *lot* for a month-old baby. Caterpillar took an
ounce or two if I was gone for a few hours at that age.

it seems like Rachel has not been nursing as long
because my milk is not as plentiful and she has to eat less, and then I try
to nurse her again soon.

I can't parse that sentence. She's nursing less, so you think there's
less milk? I vote for she's getting more efficient, so doesn't take as
long to get a full meal.

You mention she's nursing a lot followed by "every 2-3 hours" - I just
wanted to make sure you knew that every 2-3 hours isn't a lot; I'd call
it slightly less frequently than average.

Phoebe

"Welches" wrote in message
...

Jill wrote in message
. com...
I nurse on demand and everything has been going ok- I just have a couple
questions..


So do I need to start worrying and do something now to make sure I don't
start having a problem with my supply? (Btw, Rachel gained another 6
ounces
this past week and had made it to 8 pounds, 3 ounces).....diaper output
is
still plentiful but seems to be a bit more liquidy than seedy...)

I produce more on the right side-it also leaks more so if I go really long
time then I get more engorged on the left side though.
You'll find that she'll have growth spirts and need more frequent nursing,
and quiet times when you'll get rather full :-) Don't worry about not
having
enough as long as she's feeding happily and coming off by herself and not
wanting to continuously feed, if you're demand feeding. Unless she's
really
dropping on the weight charts I wouldn't worry about her weight.
Sounds like you're doing fine.
Debbie


In both my breastfed babies, I noticed that the growth spurts happened about
every 3 weeks until 3 months old and then spread out a bit. Whenever I'd
get really frustrated because they never seemed to get enough, I'd check the
calendar and it was just a hungry-growth spurt period. Do you notice if
it's worse toward the end of the day? My supply went down unless I napped
in the afternoon. Be sure to drink enough, too.

Leigh

In message , Jill
writes
So do I need to start worrying and do something now to make sure I
don't start having a problem with my supply?

All my knowledge is still theoretical in this area, but I've been
reading what I can about breastfeeding.

As I understand it - no, you don't need to start worrying. It's
apparently common for one breast to produce more milk than the other.
(Mothers of twins are advised to alternate which breast they give to
which twin at each feed, for just this reason.) The person in this
thread who told you that it's normal for babies to go through growth
spurts when they need more milk is quite correct according to everything
I've been reading.

As to what to do to make sure you don't start having a problem - Make
sure you get enough rest, food, and fluid, and try to avoid getting too
stressed out. There are two ways to cope with the growth spurts.
Either feed her more often for the few days that it takes for your
breasts to catch up with the increased demand, or prepare for it in
advance by expressing some milk at every feed so that your breasts are
producing more than she needs anyway, which means that when she goes
through a growth spurt you can handle it easily just by cutting back on
the expressing for a bit. Which one you choose will depend on your
personal circumstances - when I give birth I plan to go for the second
option because I'll need to restart work when the baby is a few months
old and it could get pretty awkward if the littl'un goes through a phase
of feeding more often every few weeks. But if you're staying home with
the baby, you might find option 1 easier. Either can work - it's just a
supply and demand thing.

Also, see if you can get in touch with a breastfeeding counsellor if
there's one in your area (contact your midwife or doctor or the La Leche
League) to get further advice from someone who knows more about it than
me.


All the best,

Sarah

--
"I once requested an urgent admission for a homeopath who had become depressed
and taken a massive underdose" - Phil Peverley

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 14:38:39 +0100, Sarah Vaughan
wrote:

In message , Jill
writes
So do I need to start worrying and do something now to make sure I
don't start having a problem with my supply?

All my knowledge is still theoretical in this area, but I've been
reading what I can about breastfeeding.

Good grief, I got all confused and thought I was still in afp there!

Welcome, Sarah!
--
Linz
YB: 7.5 months, 8.7kgs - 19lbs 3oz, 66cm

In message , Linz
writes
On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 14:38:39 +0100, Sarah Vaughan
wrote:

In message , Jill
writes
So do I need to start worrying and do something now to make sure I
don't start having a problem with my supply?

All my knowledge is still theoretical in this area, but I've been
reading what I can about breastfeeding.

Good grief, I got all confused and thought I was still in afp there!

Welcome, Sarah!

Thank you, and hello again!


All the best,

Sarah

--
"I once requested an urgent admission for a homeopath who had become depressed
and taken a massive underdose" - Phil Peverley

"Jill" wrote in message
. com...
I nurse on demand and everything has been going ok- I just have a couple
questions..

First, I alternate sides and keep her on each breast equally (I try to!),
but it still seems my left breast produces significantly less than my
right.
Is this normal and what can I do?

Yes, it's normal. Just go with the flow. Your DD will probably take that
breast more readily when she is asleep or very sleepy. I have the same
"non-problem" :-) The only thing odd is that, since the right breast has
been nursed from a little more over the last 18 months, it has become a
teeny bit larger and now matches the normally larger left breast.

Your DD sounds as if she's going through a growth spurt. If the baby is
sucking all the time and acting hungrier, and if your breasts seem emptier
than usual, it usually signals a growth spurt. Your production will soon
match her demand and all will be well.

Beth