Does water help?

....Just wondering...
DD2 is 5 weeks. So far, weight gain has been great, she does seem to be
eating enough, but lately, maybe the last week or so, I've noticed that
she's doing the same thing as DD1 did... She'll eat, and then it's almost
like she gets angry and frustrated. She'll try to suck a bit, but then kind
of shakes her head around, but it's almost like she's looking for a nipple
to suck, even though it's right there. DD1 did the same thing, which is why
I'm now getting a bit concerned.
I've heard, though, that breast milk is something like 90% water. I do try
and drink as much water as I can, but I have to admit, I'm a Pepsi junkie.
I do, however, *try* and drink a big glass of water, at least, before I
drink anything else (like before a glass of milk, glass of juice, and I try
2 glasses of water before cracking open a can of Pepsi...)
Would drinking A LOT of water help with milk supply? Like, grab a glass of
water before AND after each glass of milk or juice, limit the junk (like the
Pepsi) to one can every 2 or so days, with 2 glasses before and 2 after each
can? Each time I walk into the kitchen - grab a glass of water... Carry
around a water bottle...

Would this help at all? I'm just getting scared that what happened with DD1
will happen with DD2 - and I don't want that. DD1 started to lose weight
around 4ish months - although I really can't remember now, exactly... And I
really do think that with DD1, the supply just wasn't there for some reason.

So, does or will water - and lots of it - help?

On 2006-11-30 11:58:20 +0800, "xkatx" said:

...Just wondering...
DD2 is 5 weeks. So far, weight gain has been great, she does seem to
be eating enough, but lately, maybe the last week or so, I've noticed
that she's doing the same thing as DD1 did... She'll eat, and then it's
almost like she gets angry and frustrated. She'll try to suck a bit,
but then kind of shakes her head around, but it's almost like she's
looking for a nipple to suck, even though it's right there. DD1 did
the same thing, which is why I'm now getting a bit concerned.
I've heard, though, that breast milk is something like 90% water. I do
try and drink as much water as I can, but I have to admit, I'm a Pepsi
junkie. I do, however, *try* and drink a big glass of water, at least,
before I drink anything else (like before a glass of milk, glass of
juice, and I try 2 glasses of water before cracking open a can of
Pepsi...)
Would drinking A LOT of water help with milk supply? Like, grab a
glass of water before AND after each glass of milk or juice, limit the
junk (like the Pepsi) to one can every 2 or so days, with 2 glasses
before and 2 after each can? Each time I walk into the kitchen - grab
a glass of water... Carry around a water bottle...

Would this help at all? I'm just getting scared that what happened
with DD1 will happen with DD2 - and I don't want that. DD1 started to
lose weight around 4ish months - although I really can't remember now,
exactly... And I really do think that with DD1, the supply just wasn't
there for some reason.

So, does or will water - and lots of it - help?

It could do. But her behavour is common in babies with thrush, it's
like they want to suck but have a sore mouth, so keep going on and off.
Check out her mouth for signs of thrush, but the other thing it could
be is just her waiting for letdown. Does this happen through the whole
feed or just at the start?

If she's not totally frustrated, then just keep her there until she
settles into the feed. Concentrate on relaxing yourself so that
letdown can happen more quickly. If she's really freaking out that the
milk isn't there, try expressing a little to stimulate letdown before
putting her to the breast. But one way or the other she has to learn
that SHE is the one who controls the milk.

Any excess water that your body doesn't need will be excreted. If your
body decides to use it for more milk, you should see results in a day
or so, but generally the body takes whatever you have to make the milk.
Have you tried fenugreek capsules? They worked wonders for me.
Instant melons within 6 hours, I'm talking, especially after a sleep.
Sleep is necessary for milk production, too... as is night feeding.

Good luck!

Jo
--
Woman, Wife, Mother, Midwife

I believe there is a theoretical risk that too much water can actually
reduce milk supply, but numbers quoted for that are something like 12 large
glasses, so it's unlikely that you could even manage to drink that much,
particularly when you are not used to it. Also, every drink of something
such as pepsi, or coffee acts as if you've drunk one less glass of water, so
it's entirely possible with consumption of other drinks that you really
aren't drinking enough.

It could of course be something entirely different, as Jo says, thrush is a
possibility (though not sure how common it would be for baby to have it and
mum to be asymptomatic). She may also not like the position, you could also
try instantly switching breasts as soon as she gets antsy at one.

Cheers

Anne

"Notchalk" wrote in message
...
On 2006-11-30 11:58:20 +0800, "xkatx"
said:

...Just wondering...
DD2 is 5 weeks. So far, weight gain has been great, she does seem to be
eating enough, but lately, maybe the last week or so, I've noticed that
she's doing the same thing as DD1 did... She'll eat, and then it's almost
like she gets angry and frustrated. She'll try to suck a bit, but then
kind of shakes her head around, but it's almost like she's looking for a
nipple to suck, even though it's right there. DD1 did the same thing,
which is why I'm now getting a bit concerned.
I've heard, though, that breast milk is something like 90% water. I do
try and drink as much water as I can, but I have to admit, I'm a Pepsi
junkie. I do, however, *try* and drink a big glass of water, at least,
before I drink anything else (like before a glass of milk, glass of
juice, and I try 2 glasses of water before cracking open a can of
Pepsi...)
Would drinking A LOT of water help with milk supply? Like, grab a glass
of water before AND after each glass of milk or juice, limit the junk
(like the Pepsi) to one can every 2 or so days, with 2 glasses before and
2 after each can? Each time I walk into the kitchen - grab a glass of
water... Carry around a water bottle...

Would this help at all? I'm just getting scared that what happened with
DD1 will happen with DD2 - and I don't want that. DD1 started to lose
weight around 4ish months - although I really can't remember now,
exactly... And I really do think that with DD1, the supply just wasn't
there for some reason.

So, does or will water - and lots of it - help?

It could do. But her behavour is common in babies with thrush, it's like
they want to suck but have a sore mouth, so keep going on and off. Check
out her mouth for signs of thrush, but the other thing it could be is just
her waiting for letdown. Does this happen through the whole feed or just
at the start?

I haven't seen any signs of thrush. It's actually more towards the end that
she does this. To me, it almost seems like she does eat just fine, but come
the end, when I can actually feel like I'm nearing empty, that's when she
gets like this.

If she's not totally frustrated, then just keep her there until she
settles into the feed. Concentrate on relaxing yourself so that letdown
can happen more quickly. If she's really freaking out that the milk isn't
there, try expressing a little to stimulate letdown before putting her to
the breast. But one way or the other she has to learn that SHE is the one
who controls the milk.

Maybe it does have something to do with relaxing... Last night in bed, I
layed down with her beside me, and it was alright. I do know that during
the day, though, I'm probably far from sitting down and relaxing. I'm not
sure how I could do this, as during the day, I'm running after DD1 or
hearing complaints or something from DS. It's kind of hard to just
concentrate on relaxing and taking it easy while feeding DD2... I don't have
a place, really, where I could put DD1 to 'relax' with DD2 to feed. Any
place that is alright for me to just let her go loose while I feed just
doesn't have a place for me to sit back, and I really don't see how there
would be room to add a nice comfy chair, or something. I felt the major
letdown last night, I know.

Any excess water that your body doesn't need will be excreted. If your
body decides to use it for more milk, you should see results in a day or
so, but generally the body takes whatever you have to make the milk. Have
you tried fenugreek capsules? They worked wonders for me. Instant melons
within 6 hours, I'm talking, especially after a sleep. Sleep is necessary
for milk production, too... as is night feeding.

Well, I've heard of this fenugreek stuff, but I'm certain it was only on
here. I haven't tried it, but the melon comment made both DH and I laugh.
Where could I find these capsules? Are they by perscription or are they
more like a herbal supplement? I've never come across them, and if they
could work, I would give it a shot. Pharmacy? Corner store? Herbal store?
Maybe I'll try that today, if they're available and fairly easy to find
around here.

Good luck!

Thanks! I really don't know if the water idea will help. If I can find
this fenugreek capsules, and they're safe, they'd probably be worth a shot.

Jo
--
Woman, Wife, Mother, Midwife

xkatx wrote:
"Notchalk" wrote in message
I haven't seen any signs of thrush. It's actually more towards the end that
she does this. To me, it almost seems like she does eat just fine, but come
the end, when I can actually feel like I'm nearing empty, that's when she
gets like this.

You could try switching to the other side. My other thought was, if
she's getting bottles, it could be bottle preference. If that's the
case
then cutting out bottles completely is usually the cure.


Any excess water that your body doesn't need will be excreted. If your
body decides to use it for more milk, you should see results in a day or
so, but generally the body takes whatever you have to make the milk. Have
you tried fenugreek capsules? They worked wonders for me. Instant melons
within 6 hours, I'm talking, especially after a sleep. Sleep is necessary
for milk production, too... as is night feeding.

Well, I've heard of this fenugreek stuff, but I'm certain it was only on
here. I haven't tried it, but the melon comment made both DH and I laugh.
Where could I find these capsules? Are they by perscription or are they
more like a herbal supplement? I've never come across them, and if they
could work, I would give it a shot. Pharmacy? Corner store? Herbal store?
Maybe I'll try that today, if they're available and fairly easy to find
around here.

It's herbal. A health food store or a high end grocery store (Whole
foods
here in the states) might have it. Frankly, Target might carry it. I
used
to drink Traditional Medicine's Mother's milk tea (I got mine at Whole
Foods). Drinking a cup of that an hour before I nursed or pumped
helped.

An easy thing to try is eating oatmeal. Some women have alot of
luck with that .

Mary W.

"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
...
I believe there is a theoretical risk that too much water can actually
reduce milk supply, but numbers quoted for that are something like 12 large
glasses, so it's unlikely that you could even manage to drink that much,
particularly when you are not used to it. Also, every drink of something
such as pepsi, or coffee acts as if you've drunk one less glass of water,
so it's entirely possible with consumption of other drinks that you really
aren't drinking enough.

12 large glasses would be an extreme amount for me. I've also heard that
junk (Pepsi, coffee) doesn't help much, so maybe the cutting down even more
would be worthwhile - even just for myself! In moderation, I would assume
it's alright, but if it's a little more than once in a while, maybe an extra
glass before and then after would kind of cancel out that -1?

It could of course be something entirely different, as Jo says, thrush is
a possibility (though not sure how common it would be for baby to have it
and mum to be asymptomatic). She may also not like the position, you could
also try instantly switching breasts as soon as she gets antsy at one.

Yes, I see no signs of thrush with her or me. I do try switching when she
gets like this, and I'm going to keep trying different positions for her.
Last night, I did try the football hold way, and I lay down with her on her
side beside me at night. I picked up a nursing pillow from a girl friend
the other day (I had given mine away not long ago) and I just need to run it
through the dryer to freshen it up a bit after it was in storage for nearly
a year... Is there any other ways for position as far as how DD lays or how
I hold her or sit/lay myself?

Cheers

Anne

"Mary W." wrote in message
ups.com...

xkatx wrote:
"Notchalk" wrote in message
I haven't seen any signs of thrush. It's actually more towards the end
that
she does this. To me, it almost seems like she does eat just fine, but
come
the end, when I can actually feel like I'm nearing empty, that's when she
gets like this.

You could try switching to the other side. My other thought was, if
she's getting bottles, it could be bottle preference. If that's the
case
then cutting out bottles completely is usually the cure.

Her consumption of EBM in bottles is few and far between. It's basically
whenever I am not around or there's a chance I might not be... I had a
meeting last Monday night, and for this meeting, I was unable to take her
with me, so I did leave her with her dad at home with a bottle in the fridge
just in case. He did give it to her, and then she did nurse again in a few
hours just before going to bed. I have also given her about 1oz or so in a
bottle after nursing if I am going to be out and about, thinking it might
hold her off just a little longer to just top her off after feeding. The
bottles, though, are very few and rare, as I dispise washing bottles...
They're just such a pain! lol

Any excess water that your body doesn't need will be excreted. If your
body decides to use it for more milk, you should see results in a day
or
so, but generally the body takes whatever you have to make the milk.
Have
you tried fenugreek capsules? They worked wonders for me. Instant
melons
within 6 hours, I'm talking, especially after a sleep. Sleep is
necessary
for milk production, too... as is night feeding.

Well, I've heard of this fenugreek stuff, but I'm certain it was only on
here. I haven't tried it, but the melon comment made both DH and I
laugh.
Where could I find these capsules? Are they by perscription or are they
more like a herbal supplement? I've never come across them, and if they
could work, I would give it a shot. Pharmacy? Corner store? Herbal
store?
Maybe I'll try that today, if they're available and fairly easy to find
around here.

It's herbal. A health food store or a high end grocery store (Whole
foods
here in the states) might have it. Frankly, Target might carry it. I
used
to drink Traditional Medicine's Mother's milk tea (I got mine at Whole
Foods). Drinking a cup of that an hour before I nursed or pumped
helped.

A did a quick google, and found some info on
http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/fenuhugg-print.html
I guess I could have (fairly) easily answered my own question! That site
says that it's fairly inexpensive, but I'm wondering what that means if it's
coming from a health food store!
I've never heard of Whole Foods, and the closest Target to me would be about
a 6 hour drive south down to the States (since I'm in Canada) so rather than
going around to every Walmart and the like, I think I'll just hit the health
food store I know is at the mall. As long as I'm not looking at something
like $100 for an amount that will last a week, I'm sure I can manage it.

An easy thing to try is eating oatmeal. Some women have alot of
luck with that .

Oatmeal? I might have heard something about that... DD1 has a bowl of
oatmeal and a bowl of yogurt for breakfast every morning... Maybe I should
try that? Is this slow cooking oatmeal or instant oatmeal, or does it
really matter? Neither oatmeal or the fenugreek capsules should be
harmful - and I did read that these capsules have been tested with very few
side effects to the mother and none to the baby, so that does make me feel a
bit better... And also hearing that others have used it does as well! I
wonder if this is more of an unknown thing around here or just something
that your average doctor or nurse wouldn't or doesn't recommend (due to the
scientific stuff, or something?) because with DD1, I had tried almost
everything - including a very expensive Medela (Symphony, was it?) that is
only available to rent and not buy, and it came along with a $100 credit
card deposit and it was something like $60/month.
I'll pick up some oatmeal for myself since DD1 has hers and I'm not crazy
about the flavors she loves, and once I'm out, I'll hit the health food
store! That sounds like a plan lol
And, as always, thanks!

Mary W.

xkatx wrote:
...Just wondering...
DD2 is 5 weeks. So far, weight gain has been great, she does seem to be
eating enough, but lately, maybe the last week or so, I've noticed that
she's doing the same thing as DD1 did... She'll eat, and then it's almost
like she gets angry and frustrated. She'll try to suck a bit, but then kind
of shakes her head around, but it's almost like she's looking for a nipple
to suck, even though it's right there. DD1 did the same thing, which is why
I'm now getting a bit concerned.

DD did the same thing at about 6 weeks, adding in some screaming there
too, just as we'd finally gotten down the whole BF thing well... I
thought it was thrush, but my midwife saw her and said no. I thought it
was food allergies (ie dairy from me), so I cut back but not completely
- was going to go completely when after 2 weeks she stopped doing it.
No idea why, I went back to eating my usual dairy and she had no more
issues. It was just a frustrating 2 weeks....


I've heard, though, that breast milk is something like 90% water. I do try
and drink as much water as I can, but I have to admit, I'm a Pepsi junkie.
I do, however, *try* and drink a big glass of water, at least, before I
drink anything else (like before a glass of milk, glass of juice, and I try
2 glasses of water before cracking open a can of Pepsi...)
Would drinking A LOT of water help with milk supply? Like, grab a glass of
water before AND after each glass of milk or juice, limit the junk (like the
Pepsi) to one can every 2 or so days, with 2 glasses before and 2 after each
can? Each time I walk into the kitchen - grab a glass of water... Carry
around a water bottle...

Would this help at all? I'm just getting scared that what happened with DD1
will happen with DD2 - and I don't want that. DD1 started to lose weight
around 4ish months - although I really can't remember now, exactly... And I
really do think that with DD1, the supply just wasn't there for some reason.

So, does or will water - and lots of it - help?

Sure water helps, helps you stay healthy too. Drink up! (I already
drink loads - it's pretty much all I drink). Oatmeal helps too. On the
mornings I eat oatmeal I always pump a couple of ounces more per
breast. I also drink Mother's Milk Tea, but honestly don't find much
effect. I just like it and I can't have caffeine, so I continue to
drink it.

xkatx wrote:
...Just wondering...
DD2 is 5 weeks. So far, weight gain has been great, she does seem to be
eating enough, but lately, maybe the last week or so, I've noticed that
she's doing the same thing as DD1 did... She'll eat, and then it's almost
like she gets angry and frustrated. She'll try to suck a bit, but then kind
of shakes her head around, but it's almost like she's looking for a nipple
to suck, even though it's right there. DD1 did the same thing, which is why
I'm now getting a bit concerned.

Both my daughters did something like that -- can't remember whether my
son did as well. In our case it didn't seem to be thrush or lack of
milk -- just a weird behavior thing that I never did figure out the
reason for, but that they eventually stopped doing, thank goodness.

Have you tried burping her when she does it? I think some babies get a
pain in their tummies when they have gas, interpret it as a hunger
pang, and then try to cure it by eating more, and get mad when the pain
in the tummy gets worse.

--Helen

At 5 weeks, I would say that behavior indicates the baby needs to be
burped. Or in the case of my 2nd, belched. Breastmilk is mostly
water, but water is the "cheapest" component of it. Are you consuming
enough calories?

Re fenugreek, O Experts please tell me: can you use the seeds or do
you need the flower or leaves? (Fenugreek seeds are a common spice in
India and are available at many Asian groceries. Their odor reminds me
of maple syrup.)