Am i crazy?? I am bf my 2nd little girl. I had supply issues with my first and ended up using mothers milk tea which worked great. With my 2nd dd she has latched on great and is a great eater. I am not concerned yet that she is not getting enough because she is gaining fine, wet and dirty diapers are good. BUT i swear my supply goes up and down every few days, like every 3-5 days it's either great or almost gone. Am i crazy or is there anyone else experiencing this??? There are days when my breasts are very full and she drinks plenty of milk and sleeps well. Then there are days when my breasts feel empty and i can tell a difference in active swallowing. She gets frustrated and pulls off, isn't content as usual and doesn't sleep well, and wants to eat every 2 hours or less. It's obvious she wants more milk. I am trying not to supplement with formula or use mothers milk tea for the next year. I have some more milk plus herbs left over that i am taking. Today is my 3rd or 4th day but she again is acting unsatisfied. When there is more milk she eats off 1 side and doesn't want the other. When it seems low she eats off of both breasts and sucks hard and never seems satisfied. What is going on? IS it possible that once my milk supply increases she sucks less time and then my body stops making so much because my breasts are not getting enough stimulation?? Even though she emptys them?? That is the only thing i can think of. What do i do? Feed her every 2 hours everyday no matter what? I have a 2 yr old as well so that is gonna be tough. Please help!! I just want to get our shedule to be somewhat consistent and help my dd not be frustrated so much. She works so hard to get the milk she needs and then it dissapears and we start over! One more time.....am i crazy??
Also when your baby is wanting to eat all the time how to you go anywhere with the toddler?? Right now i feel i can barely take her outside in the yard because i know the baby will be up soon to eat again. Are there days where you didn't make it outside? What did you do with the toddler all the days that you barely leave your house? I guess i'm just frusterated with our lack of a consistent schedule, with the breastfeeding. She is only 8 weeks old but i thought it would get easier. It seems to be consistent and easy for a few days then we start all over with the fussiness and eating all the time. I hope I can keep this up, i really want to breastfeed at least 6 months. Any advice?? TIA
"I am trying not to supplement with formula or use mothers milk tea for the next year."
Why?
Wouldn't it make sense to supplement with formula on the days she is not content?
Just saying....if she's not eating/getting enough, how is that good?
Good luck! Hope you work it out.
I'm experiencing this same thing. I supplement with formula so it doesn't stress me out as much but there are days when she nurses great and barely drinks the formula, then days when it seems my supply is down and she gets mostly formula. I don't know what the deal is but I do know that when I drink TONS of water it seems to be up. I mean like 90 ounces of water a day. But with a toddler, who has time to stop for a drink. And yes, there are many days we don't get outside to play. In Texas right now you have to get out early or it's too hot. Sometimes we scarf down our breakfast and get 30 minutes in before baby sister wakes up, sometimes we don't make it out at all. This sounds awful but the t.v. has become my best friend. I was never a mommy who stuck their kid in front of the tube but with a baby..what do you do. As long as it's something educational, I cut myself some slack, knowing that this time won't last forever. You are not alone. Good luck!
As a mom of 3, I remember having days where it seemed like ALL I got done that day was nursing :)
They do have growth spurts, which will make them want to eat more at different times. But not getting enough rest and not eating/drinking enough can also affect your milk supply. It also could be something unrelated to being hungry that is making her frustrated - she could be gassy, early teething, etc. It's not unusual for a nursing baby to nurse more than every 2 hours sometimes though, because breast milk is so perfectly digestible.
It is good that you aren't supplementing, because if you are having supply issues, that will only make them worse.
I think also, when we had just one baby, we were content to sit and nurse them often, because we weren't chasing around a toddler. But when you have another child to take care of, it can make it seem like the baby is more demanding, you know? It will get easier! Have you tried a sling? That is how I got out of the house with multiple children easily. I would sling the baby, and they would be SO content , I could focus on the other kids.
And when you do have to nurse, take that time to read a story to your toddler, have them color next to you, or utilize a tv show.
Also, if you haven't tried Fenugreek, it's an herb that is good for boosting milk supply. :)
If you would like to talk, I am also a certified Lactation educator, so feel free to email me offline!
B.
You are not crazy and it happens. You are busy with the first child and to make milk, you have to be eating right, drinking fluids, and relaxed. The added tension keeping up with a toddler will cause your flow to decrease. Also, practice having her feed from both sides equally, if she does on one side, do the next side next time. The more she nurses, the more the flow comes in. If your infant is sleeping, then do inside stuff with your toddler, but when they are both awake, take them both outside. I would put the baby in the stroller and put hood over it or if you have a playpen. If you have to, pump at nights when it is calm so you can have a little more come in. If all else fails, you may have to do both breastfeeding and formula :-((. Good luck.
Hey congratulations on 2nd dd and breastfeeding! 8 weeks was a huge growth spurt for both mine, and my son nursed every 90 minutes for 2 weeks then (and again at 12 weeks and 4 mos). Perhaps your breasts are "stairstepping" up to the plate:) At that point, I was drinking around 1 1/2 gallons of water through the day -- left 8-10 oz next to my nursing chair so I would gulp while he was -- and ate extra protein and veggies to keep my energy and "factory" working.
I totally understand your feelings, but remember RE your toddler... you need not "go anywhere" -- 10 minutes is like an hour to that age (you remember waiting for Christmas?:) ) and you can go right off your back step and have fun.
Bubbles and paint and chalk and eye-spy and batting balloons with paper plates and all those other small but exciting and unique-to-her events will be great now that its Summer -- she has no memory of last year's weather and even better, you can include her as the "big girl" to help you with HER new baby sister AND get her "10-min-feels-like-an-hour-with-Mommy" as well:)
Have fun and try to enjoy both your children's unique experiences -- these are all firsts for them too:)
have you tried to put her in a sling when you're outside with your toddler? They have products like HotSlings that are designed for nursing moms, you can nurse discreetly while your toddler plays outside. I BF'd my first babe for 17 months, and i WISH that I hadn't been so adamant on not giving him any formula. I spent the first few months of his life in complete misery because I was beating myself up for not being "good enough" because he wanted to nurse every hour. I'm 7 months pregnant now, and I will not do that to myself again with this next baby. Formula is not poison, and if my baby is needing to nurse constantly to the point where I can't give my toddler attention, then she will be getting a bottle every now and then. I hope this helps--and I really hope things get better for you! Good luck, Mama
She's very likely in a growth spurt, and that extra suckling does stimulate you to make more. Depending on how old she is, your supply might be switching to being more demand-driven, rather than hormonally driven. Eat a lot of oatmeal, and add flaxseed or Brewer's yeast (not regular yeast--go to Whole Foods or an herb shop and get Brewer's yeast) to it. Sprinkle the yeast on everything you eat. Make cookies and throw in a couple of heaping tablespoons of the yeast. That'll help.
You're right about not wanting to supplement. If you give her formula, then your body doesn't know to make up for that feeding unless you're pumping, and then what was the point of the formula? Babies also tend to like the ease, so she might begin to snub the breast and you'd become more dependent on the supplement. Supplementation CAN hurt (or destroy) your nursing relationship.
Go to kellymom.com and read about this. Kellymom.com is an invaluable resource for breastfeeding moms. You're doing a GREAT JOB, and keep following your instincts! Since this is your second, you know that it does get easier, especially once you get your supply really established. If you feel like she's working and not getting much, you can also do a few breast compressions (directions on the site) to get her started.
I used a sling with both mine, actually. I had a Hotsling, and I wore my son EVERYWHERE. It's the easiest thing in the world since you can just latch her on and go about your business. And yes, there were days that I barely did anything but feed the baby. :) Mostly, though, I'd pop him into the sling and my daughter and I would take off. He'd nurse or sleep most of the time, and when he wanted to look around he could from the sling.
You can do this! Good for you choosing what's best for your daughter.
I also did not want to use formula, and through 4 children with a year or more of breastfeeding each, I didn't. there were days when I was worn out, yes. I would consider pumping a feed or two on the days you feel like you have too much. Then you would have some stored to give her if you felt she was not satisfied and needed more. If you pump just one feeding a day you will start to build up a back up which could be great if you are sick or have to take medicine for something, etc.
Sounds like you know the correct supplements to take and all that.
With my second child I got really good at breastfeeding where ever and whenever. I sling can be wonderful along with a proper nursing top. I could walk through the mall and feed the baby mainly hands free and no one would notice. :) admittedly, I live in the middle of nowhere so I was content to stay home a lot when mine were tiny, but I still made the occasional trips to the zoo and other places. With each child they have gotten toted about more and more. lol.
Take heart, this time is over very quickly, even though it seems so long when you are in the middle of it. Try to enjoy all that time with the baby. Someday you will miss it. In the grand scheme of things, a couple months is so short.
M.,
Just remember that your breasts will make as much milk as your baby needs. Since she is so little, she still may be having little growth spurts that make her hungrier at times and your breasts will almost feel empty and then they will begin to produce more to catch up to her needs. Then when she is not as hungry it feels like your breasts are fuller. Just give that little one a little longer, she will work out a routine. I had my second daughter six months ago and I remember feeling so stressed at that point, too. However, I listened to my friends who said to just remember to celebrate your little successes. I also chose one day that I took my older daughter out for music class, which is during our second daughters morning nap. She slept in the car and during the class, not as restfully as in her crib, but I felt like our older daughter needed that time to get out of the house and do something with me. I hope this helps. Hang in there!
all my kids are 2 years apart, and i nursed each till i was preggo with the next, so i feel your pain. i think you are complicating things. just feed the baby when she is hungry, try not to go more than 3 hours right now. 2 hours really isnt that bad. my youngest was nursing every 45 min at one point, it was rediculous. .... it will settle down in a month or so, the 3 month mark is when things usually settle and get more regular, you are setting that up right now. also, right now, she is having frequent growth spurts, which will affect how hungry she is. drink lots of water. eating oatmeal helped my supply dramatically. no caffiene. maybe on days that she doesnt seem to want it, you may have eaten something that affects the taste? try to think of your diet on those days. my kids almost never finished both breasts in one sitting. finish the first breast first, then switch. whether or not she finishes the second side, start on that side next time. try to keep it even. sometimes other things can make her favor one side, think of what you are doing/how you are sitting. i realized i tended to nurse one side more at night because i had my night table and my coffee table on the other side and always wanted that hand free for my drink/munchies. try to even it out. try not to pump or supplement much until the 3 month mark, just so you get your supply matching her demand. and if you do need to pump or supplement, try to do it around the same time each day. and regarding getting outside, cut yourself some slack. you are doing a great thing for your baby, and your toddler will be just fine. getting the hang of nursing in public and on the go will help a lot, but its not for everyone and its also not much help in a situation where you have to be on top of the toddler. you will figure out places that are easier for you, enclosed spaces with safe stuff where you feel ok sitting for a minute. ask other nursing moms near you where they go with the kiddies. i used to half-joke that i need a dog run with a bench. check out all the local parks and talk to other moms. inside your house, gates are a woooonderful thing for keeping your toddler contained while being able to sit with the baby, i never could have done it without baby gates all over the place. good luck, this will pass faster than you can imagine, dont wish or stress it away....
some people are dead-set against supplementing formula with breastmilk...i never even knew about it until her pediatrician brought it up..i did it with both of my daughters..i nursed the 1st one til she was 4 mo..got into a car wreck and had to stop cuz of meds..2nd one was til 8 mo..started to dry up around 6 mo..with work and taking care of a toddler, the well dried up..its ok and it will probably be less frustruating on your end..which could be a result of your up and down supply...
you can find plenty of things to do inside..coloring, reading...we actually moved their playfort inside to the spare room downstairs, so she could have some play time..tv is wonderful.we watch tons of pbs..and its only for a short time, and i dont think that your children will remember that you didnt take them to the park every day when they were little..
stop beating yourself up..you are doing a great job mom!! keep up the good work!
