Hey all,

Mia is now 14 weeks old and the last few days i have noticed my milk has started to dry up, Mia is really restless after a feed and i end up topping her up with formula as she is still starving!!!

i have tried feeding her more often but she doesnt seem interested, she just cries and fusses around then gets herself into a state! And she has been really refusing my right breast!!

I am trying to express as much as i can but i am lucky if i can get a ounce!

i really want to keep on with the breastfeeding, but right now i dont see how its possible! I feel really sad and i dont know what else i can do!

any help would be very much apreciated!!!

Thanks!

Kate & a fussy Mia 14 weeks 2 days

xxx

You should try youp local LA LECHE support group
they are their for advice and support of breastfeeding mothers
also its Fennel drink that helps produce more milk
but it will take a day or two
and it does not harm the baby..
good luck x

this happened to my mate an she got some tablets off the doc an they worked!

tc x

I do not know what your eating is like but i found what i ate made a huge difference to my milk quantity and quality.

Having a high protein breakfast makes a difference to the amount of milk you get at night! Tuna and pasta are also very good ways to bring in milk. When my little girl was around 7 weeks my milk seemed to dry up and i didn't seem to be able to satisfy her and i felt that she was on the breast constantly in an attempt to try and please her. I was told to have some tuna and pasta with veg - use a cheese or white sauce to bring it together or smthg. I had a good milk supply within half an hour of eating.

I hope this helps you. Just try and keep your protein intake high!

Hi Kate,

I'm combine feeding my little girl who is now 17 weeks. I have never from the start produced enough milk due to us getting off to a really bad start and was instructed after the first 4 weeks of exclusive BF by the consultant in the hospital (she was losing weight) to top her up with formula which I've done since.

I was worried that this would mean the end of BF - I felt really sad too but was determined to continue as much as I could for as long as possible. My milk has dwindled for sure but I still manage to BF her all day and give 2 bottles of formula at night. I use a tincture called 'more milk plus' - you can get it here -
http://www.expressyourselfmums.co.uk/details3.asp/ProductID/275/more-milk-plus.htm

I think it really has helped me to keep going and I'm hoping to continue until my duaghter is at least 6 months old.

If you do have to keep topping up with formula then aptamil is supposed to be similar to breastmilk but a better formula apparently is Babynat (it's organic and imported from France). I'd have used this but my baby is used to aptamil now. It's expensive but apparently better than the others.

Good luck,
Cherry x

hi there, sorry to hear u r having trouble. There is not usually any reason why u cant build your milk back up. Babies frequently hAVE GROWTH SPURTS AND DEMAND ALMOST CONTINUAL FEEDING for a day or so. Dont be tempted to give formula because bREASTmilk works on a demand and supply principle ie the more that baby demands and is allowed to suck, the more you will produce and it can take a day or so to catch up. Make sure you rest and eat and drink very well and let mia suck as much as she wants. Your body will catch up in a day or so, mia wont starve dont worry and then shell prob do this all over again in a few weeks time !
Also maybe you think your milk is drying up cos your boobs arent as heavy and firm/tight?? this doesnt mean anything, they are just getting used to their job and you are prob giving mia all your milk which is why you cant express any. Best thing to do is feed her yourself and then express afterwards, you wont get much but it will stimulate production.

I have to rush out got an obs appt but would love to hear from u.. pm me if u have any qs i had a really hard time bf my daughter in the beginning but it honestly turned out to be the easiest most fun and rewarding thing i did for her ( i wouldnt have believed it for the first 2 or 3 months tho )

last thing.. if you get online or to a book shop then this book was fantastic "breast is best" by dr penny stanway isbn 0-330-43630-9

hope this helps ??!!
Cheryl 36+3 and 2yr old Kaylah who was fed till 13 mths xxx

But there are various herbal teas which are meant to increase your milk. Here's a link to somewhere that supplies them:

http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/milkmaid_tea.html

Also breast compression may help with her feeding and expressing:

http://www.bflrc.com/newman/breastfeeding/compres2.htm

If you can bear it the night feeds are the ones which get your milk supply going. Waking Mia to feed more often at night may help but it's not exactly pleasant.

There is a 14 week growth spurt (along with all the others) so things may even out in a few days. None of the other growth spurts really seemed to effect Ivo but the 14 week one was murder, he went from sleeping through to up several times in the night.

Whatever happens you've done really well to get this far. Even a few days of breatmilk has benefits and 14 weeks certainly does.

The same kinda thing happened to me, i;m real sorry but i couldn't keep my milk flowing, i;m not sure if you can do anything to help your milk come through. I stopped breastfeeding at ten weeks cos Jakob kept refusing.
Good luck xx

I can't help you I'm afraid, as I bottle fed from 3 weeks, but as Erin is only 4 days older (i think) than Mia, I think you've done an amazing job getting this far. If it does dry up don't beat yourself up, 14 weeks is an achievement, but I really hope it comes back for you.

Love Emma and Erin 15 weeks tomorrow x