for the past, like, 2 weeks, whenever Mya eats (she's 5 months now) she cries and cries when the milk is gone. I try latching her back on to get her to suck so that it makes more milk, but she doesn't want it at all. As soon as she realises theres no more milk left, she freaks out. And she eats very frequently, like every hour sometimes during the day, and she is starting to wake up to eat around 3 am and she was sleeping through the night before. It doesnt seem like I'm making enough.. I took some dayquil when I was sick and I saw online somewhere that it can reduce the milk supply, could it have reduced it permanently? I don't want to supplement with formula, but she seriously freaks out and I feel bad. It may be a growth spurt, but it doesn't seem like more milk is coming in, it's just staying the same. What should I do?
give yourself some time. If you have a breast pump, try pumping when she isn't feeding to increase your supply. I don't think you can permanently decrease your supply... if fluctuates constantly as long as you are bfing. My supply increases and decreases, even depending on time of day. So, yeah... try pumping. Make sure you are eatting enough. There are also some tea-type drinks that are supposed to increase your supply, but the ones I've tried taste like dirt.
SOUNDS LIKE A GROWTH SPURT TO ME TOO. JUST oops sorry caps, keep nursing her as much as possible. drink a bunch of water and eat healthy foods. take her off any solids you may have her on so that she wants to nurse more. nursing, as you know, is a supply /demand relationship.
I haven't started her on any solids yet, and people are telling me that I should start her on cereal because she needs more to eat????????? she also isn't sleeping very much during the day, either. she has a little cold but she doesn't have a fever or anything. could she just be wanting to nurse for comfort if she isnt feeling well? or if she's teething, cuz i think she may be teething, also.
Eat oatmeal every day, the slow-cooking kind, not quick or instant. Oatmeal really helps with bringing up your milk supply. How old is she? What time of day is she fussiest?
The sudafed in Dayquil in most cases shouldn't cause permanent reduction of supply. (In fact, I don't think there IS sudafed in Dayquil or Nyquil anymore.) It could be serveral things, a growth spurt, in which you nurse the baby more and more, even if they ask to every 10 minutes, until they are satisfied. It could be an overactive letdown, in which your milk lets down quickly and violently, and some babies get upset when that strong first let down is over. There is an article in the "Stickey" section of this forum with info on these things. http://hipforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2572058&postcount=2 It could also be Nipple Confusion. This happens when a baby gets as little as ONE feeding with a bottle and then "forgets" how to nurse correctly. They will often pull away and scream when the letdown is over, or go to the breast for a few seconds, suck viciously and then pop themsevles off and scream. The ONLY cure. THROW AWAY the bottles. Some babies can go "back and forth" between bottle and breast with no problem (although when bottles are started before 6 to 12 weeks, Nipple Confusion is almost a given) and others will get Confused with just a few ounces from a single bottle, given just ONE time and it may take a while with absolutely NO bottles to stop this sucking disorder. The good thing about nipple confusion is that it is preventable AND treatable. Clue One: Men DO NOT "bond" with infants by feeding. Your baby's daddy does NOT (and should not) be "giving a bottle to bond with the baby" it does not benefit the Dad's relationship with the baby (especially if he is to blame for the failure of breastfeeding, by insisting and then causing Nipple Confusion, which if left untreated, ends the baby's right to breastfeed) and it NEVER benefits the baby. Ever. If they did bond by feeding their babies, nature would make sure they would have working mammary glands, and they certainly do not. NO ONE should be feeding the baby except you, if you have to go to work in order not to starve, then the baby can be fed your milk with a baby feeding cup or spoon or medicine dropper. A baby who has had nipple confusion should most likely never be introduced to a bottle again. I beleive Kellymom.com has instructions for cup feeding. Even premies can do it. OR she could just be fussy. It could have NOTHING at all to to with your milk supply. Cereal is a terrible idea. (for the baby, but Oatmeal for you is an excellent idea.) It contains no absorbable nutrition, it fills the baby up, and most babies do not even have the enzyme Amylase, to digest starch until between 6 months and a year old. No baby needs any solid food until AFTER their are at least six months old. "cereal" does not make babies sleep. It only gives them a tummy ache, and some babies will sleep a while to block out the pain. Your baby looks way too young to need any solids at all. When she does, fruit is the best thing to start with. But, only after at least 6 months.
