I have been breastfeeding and bottle feeding. Can I loose my breast milk?

Question

During the day I bottle feed my 3 month old son because I am in school. When I come back from school I will feed him for about and hour...I basically breastfeed when i can. I would say at 3-4 times during the day but at night I only breastfeed but I feel I'm losing my milk. I don't leek like I use 2. Before I had to wear breast pads, now I don't need 2. I can tell i still have milk, but can I be drying up?

What can I do to make sure I don't loose my milk? I want to breastfeed until he is about 7months.

Answer 1

leaking is not a sign of "loosing milk". leaking is what happens when your TOO full. your baby is not drinking the excess you supply when you first get your milk in because newborns don't drink more than 2 to 4 ounces. and when you were leaking you were producing more than that..thus the leaking. your breast milk supply synconizes with the demand from your son...if you feel your not making enough...you can start pumping during the day (on lunch break or something) to help increase the amount you have.
there is also an herbal supplement that helps, (can't remember the name) ask your OB/GYN. mine recommended it to me when my flow decreased.

Answer 2

Are you pumping when you can't nurse your son directly?

If not, your production probably is going down. Your body only produces as much as you tell it that it needs to produce. So if you are giving your son some formula, your body will adjust to making less milk.

BUT! Don't judge whether or not that's happening by just the leaking or whether you feel engorged. Your body may also be learning how to deal with milk production better.

I quit leaking around 8 or 9 weeks, and I've been nursing for almost 10 months -- with pumping when I'm at work since 9 weeks. I also seldom get engorged any more, even if I go 4 hours without pumping or nursing, during the day.

FWIW, I had to supplement a few oz of formula per day (mixed with pumped breastmilk) for the first month or 2 that I was back at work, and once in a while since then. But for at least the last 3 or 4 months, I haven't had to supplement at all.

Check out KellyMom.com for lots of helpful info on this.

Answer 3

The more you bottle feed the less milk you will have, but your body will figure out what you are doing. For example if he is bottle fed during the day and breastfed at night your body will learn to make the milk at night. You can pump during the day if you want to increase supply or help provide him with bottles of expressed milk for during the day.

Not leaking is just a normal side effect of your baby getting older. I stopped leaking around then, too, and I nursed exclusively. Still had plenty of milk and kept nursing my daughter for a long time after that.

Answer 4

own selection hun. in spite of feels best for you. you should attempt expressing your milk with a breast-pump? i'm awaiting my first in 2 and a 1/2 weeks and that i'm nevertheless undecided. i ought to in my opinion want to ascertain my infant has breast milk for no less than the first few months. I have F-cup boobs evidently so i'm worried about how they are going to cope to boot lol. So i have further a breast-pump, steraliser and bottles, and that i'm deliberating alternating between both reckoning on how painful it really is. do not enable each person else impression your selection. in case you want to breast-feed, breast-feed and if it seems it hurts too a lot then change to bottle-feeding. both way, you're infant will be wonderful!!

Answer 5

You should be nursing or pumping at least 6-8 times daily. Your supply may not diminish, but as his needs grow larger, you will no longer be able to satisfy them. I would definitely start pumping a couple of times i(at least once) if you can. A good manual pump is the Avent Isis. That'll probably be all you'll need. There are some things that you can eat and supplements you can take to boost your milk supply as well. And breastfeed as much as you can on the weekends. Try to supplement as little as possible on the weekends.

Here is a link to some more information:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal_galactagogue.html

A couple of things that have helped boost my supply are A&W Root Beer and a couple of servings of oatmeal a day. Good luck hon.

Answer 6

You can, however it is normal for your breasts not to be has hard as the used to be. Can you pump at school? That is the best way to keep up your supply.

Also many babies sleep 8 hours at night without feeding, so if yours is going 8 hours during the day but still having 10 or more feedings you are probably fine. However supplimenting with formula is always dangerous as the baby is eating less breastmilk overall which, in some women, cause problems.

There is more info here:
http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal_galactagogue.html

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Edited to add:
You can take herbs and other steps as decribed at the link above to keep your supply up.

Answer 7

As your body adjusts to your baby's schedule and nutritional needs, you will not have the feeling of full-ness and leaking like you did in the first months of your baby's life. Your breasts will continue to produce milk as long as your baby is nursing. Breast milk is produced by a supply and demand method. If your baby demands it, your body will supply it. If it is at all possible to pump, even once during the day, this will aid in your milk production. However, it isn't necessary. Breast feed him whenever you can and you will have plenty of milk.

Answer 8

As long as you continue to either pump your breast milk out or breastfeed your baby your milk supply will stay active. Once you stop all together you will dry up.

Answer 9

You are drying up. Your milk supply will only come in as often as it is used.
Its like the supply and demand. For example, the more people come in a store to buy eggs, the more eggs are ordered. If people stop buying eggs or not as much, then the supply of eggs will decrease because of lack of demand.

Your breast milk is naturally equipped the same way.

Answer 10

Your body will produce milk as your baby needs. So if you are breastfeeding less, less milk will be produced. The only way to keep your supply up, is to try and pump when you are away from your baby, otherwise your body will produce less. However in most cases it will not fully dry up unless you completely stop bf.