Why does it feel like my breasts are drying up? My son is 10 weeks and I have been breastfeeding the whole time. Lately I don't feel full!
2007-02-03 07:38:11 · 13 answers · asked by dbacker78 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
It might be that he's feeding less often, so your breasts don't need to produce as much and are adjusting to it. Try pumping your breasts every 2-3 hours to get them used to being emptied that often, and they might start filling back up. Or...you really are drying up. If that is the case, you need to continue drinking lots of water (my doctor told me 3-liters a day was preferable) and continue eating healthy. I have a cousin who swears peanut butter boosted her milk flow (it was the protein in the peanut butter), but I would call and ask your doctor/midwife and ask he/she what to do. Mine ended up giving me some medication to make it come back, but it didn't work. You might just end up having to use formula, which is just fine. More expensive, yet a lot more convenient. I hope you get to continue breastfeeding, though. Good Luck!!
2007-02-03 07:49:23 · answer #1 · answered by herefordsun 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hi. I'm sorry you are having such a difficult time. I can tell you from experience that you can get your milk supply up in no time and pretty soon you will have too much. Your baby will love that. I nursed both my babies. The first for 11 months and the second for about 7 months. I had an over abundance and they were always fat and satisfied. The first thing to do is relax. Your baby knows when you are tense and if you are tense the baby will be tense. Put on some soft music and think about how much you love your baby. The next thing to do is drink plenty of fluid. The best thing is water. Drink water while you are nursing to help the flow. And the next, but most important tip is to breastfeed often. The more you breastfeed the more milk is produced. Breastfeeding and milk supply works on the law of supply and demand. The more milk demanded, the more milk is made or produced. When your nipples are stimulated and milk is being pulled out more milk is produced. So keep on nursing even if it doesn't seem like anything is coming out. Oh, and the very last thing I want to share with you is to stop the supplemental feeding. I know it's hard to deny your baby a bottle of warm milk, but that reduces his desire to eat. You want your baby to be hungry so that he only feeds on breast milk. For now it may mean going a little longer between meals until he is very hungry and ready to nurse. If you are supplementing with a bottle the desire to nurse from you goes down. If you follow this advice step by step you will have a great milk suppy in no time. I wish you all the best.
2016-05-24 00:02:17 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is he nursing very frequently? If he is, he could be going through a growth spurt and during these times, your breasts don't get a chance to get full! Are you drinking enough water? You should be drinking aproximately 100 ounces of water a day. Increasing your water intake will go a long way in increasing milk production. Are you taking any decongestants or antihistimines? These types of medications are not advised when breastfeeding, as they can decrease your milk supply. Check out this webpage for some info that might help:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T022800.asp
2007-02-03 07:54:32 · answer #3 · answered by April 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your breasts just might not feel as full because your body is getting used to holding that much milk when he starts eating more you will feel really full again. Wait a couple of weeks as long as he isnt losing weight there isnt a concern. Good Luck Congrats on Breastfeeding.
2007-02-03 07:59:13 · answer #4 · answered by goodmommy22 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is possible for your child to need a higher amount of milk than you can supply, although this is rare. You need to try and geta routine of expressing milk as well as breastfeeding to try and increase your flow.
My midwife told me to rest up, although i surprised her by producing more when i exercised and walked more.
If you do run low then you can do part breastfeed/part formula feed, your baby is still getting the goodness from you teamed with the fullness from formula milk.
Good luck with everthing! x
2007-02-03 08:05:38 · answer #5 · answered by caz_rabbit_85 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's NORMAL to not feel full! This DOES NOT mean you have a supply problem. It means that your supply is regulating to meet his needs. Feeling engorged actually means that you either have too much milk or are not nursing often enough.
Is your baby gaining weight? Peeing and pooping? (And it's normal to skip days with the pooping at this age.) Does he seem content after nursing? Those are all signs that all is FINE.
It's important to note that the feel of the breast, the behavior of your baby, the frequency of nursing, the sensation of let-down, or the amount you pump are not valid ways to determine if you have enough milk for your baby.
2007-02-03 08:33:44 · answer #6 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Had the same problem. Was told it was because I was not relaxed enough and that there were things bothering me! Just having a new baby can be a big burden on you.
2007-02-03 07:55:08 · answer #7 · answered by Sue 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rehydrate and eat more you prob are burning to many calories and not producing enough milk and not drinking enough water.
2007-02-03 08:00:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hott shower and start pumping in between feedings, this will increase the flow.
2007-02-03 09:49:53 · answer #9 · answered by ~Emma's Mommy~ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As your body gets used to your sons feeding schedule your supply adjusts to accomodate his needs, definately doesn't mean they are drying up.
http://www.breastfeeding.com/
http://www.lalecheleague.org/
I suggest talking to a lactation consultant if you are worried .
2007-02-03 07:50:51 · answer #10 · answered by Abbeysmum 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋