BF Advice

[Bumblebee]

Hello ladies

I know i dont post much on here but i really would appreciate your opinions/views. My 18week old daughter has been exclusively breast fed since she was born. I have loved every minute of it and have been very lucky as she was always a good eater and sleeper (slept from 8pm - 6.30am with 1 10minute feed in between and straight to sleep) and I have never had any problems with breastfeeding.

The last few weeks she has totally changed. She only feeds for a few minutes at a time but feeds so often during the day and wakes 5 or 6 times during the night for feeds. My health visitor told me to hold her out during the day, increasing the time between each feed and she would feed less at night. It didnt work, if anything she woke more for feeds. I am exhausted as she is feeding every 1 1/2 - 2 hours both at night and during the day. I thought it may have been a growth spurt but it has been going on for weeks.

Ive tried dreamfeeding and she has had some baby rice every day this week too but it hasnt made a difference. I even got so upset today that I went and asked the pharmacist at Boots to recommend formula to give her a top up at night or maybe one during the day. I dont want to introduce formula but I think she is not getting enough milk from me. I have tried fenugreek and that hasnt really made a difference. Is there anything else I could be doing?

Thanks

 

[Charlie:-)]

Im no expert but I have read that fenugreek can be used to increase your milk and if youre certain that youre not producing enough milk then I would try it, I thin Urchin may have started to use it or look into it also Laracomps has tried it.

I have also read that you can increase your milk supply by spending a day in bed with your LO and feeding as and when they demand. Again I read on here recently that someone did this and it worked.

Good luck, hope you find a solution.

 

[charlie84]

Hey hun

My little one has just recently started to wake again in the night for feeds after sleeping through the night since she was a few weeks old. At first i thought it was teething, well i think partly it was as she was irritable. But now i think its more of a growth spurt.
She is also feeding alot more in the daytime too. I am just letting her get on with it. I know its tough going from having them sleep through and now having to feed again in the night
Wouldnt worry about your milk supply not being enough hun, just let her have boob whenever she wants so your supply keeps up with her needs. Thats what i am doing with my LO.
As for what your HV has advised i dont agree but thats my opinion. I have always fed on demand and if i didnt my LO would certainly let me know, and i couldnt let her go without if she was hungry.

Let us know how things go

 

[purple13]

i don't agree with what your HV has said either. i think some babies just get this way and its something you have to ride out. i very much doubt that its your flow - you've just got a hungry baby!

connor eats every 1.5 to 2 hours and i let him feed on demand; there's no routine to it. its only the last 3/4 weeks that he's started sleeping at all during the night and even now its only for 4-5 hours, then he's back to feeding every 1.5 to 2 hours again. his weight gain isn't even that spectacular either BUT he's a very active baby, constantly wiggling, trying to crawl, not sleeping very much, wants to stand all the time etc, and using a lot of calories in the process he's still exclusively breastfed - i don't plan on weaning til he hits 6 months if i can help it, although it is reeeeally hard work having to feed him so often.

a formula top up is the worst thing you can do for your milk supply. stick with it hon, just let your LO feed whenever they want - that way you know they're getting enough. you only need to worry if they start losing weight.