Breastfeeding Woes

it sounds like you are doing the right thing to me.. if he isnt getting enough he would definitely let you know! i have a 16 month old son who gets his main source of nutrition from nursing , he only eats a little bit of baby food daily.. if he isnt getting enough, everyone knows!

from my experience - pumping actually decreases my supply. i only do it if he is really sick and isnt eating or is in the hospital..

the 54th percentile for weight is actually a good place for him to be hanging out! my son is in the 0.02 percentile for weight and i think he is doing great! every child is different, dont let the dr freak you out! i listen to drs all the time quoting by the book, what they dont know though is my child..

I am nursing my 11mo son. He sometimes does not want to eat either if he hears noises or see movement. He does like to play with my knecklace and I've seen nursing knecklaces that is made of large beads that the baby can play with. Also drink lots of water. I can't stress how important that is to your milk supply. As hot as it is your body can't keep up. Your milk is mostly water anyway so because your body is tired or hot it takes more for you to replenish the milk for the baby. Keep pumping so you keep producing. And just know that any milk you give your baby is still better than not at all. At 6 mo is he eating cereal and fruits, veggies. At this stage you should be giving your baby at least 2 servings a day. Also if your baby is teething he will probably not want to nurse. All kids go through this no matter if they are breastfed or bottle. The pain and pressure of the new teeth will cause them to not be as interested in eating.
Good luck.

I think everyone worries about their breast milk. I still do from time to time. I did take Fenugreek with good results. I honestly don't think you're experiencing anything abnormal though. Don't worry. Just keep feeding your baby & he'll take what he needs.

Hi K.,
At 4 months, I stopped nursing my son and went to 100% pumping. I felt like he wasn't getting enought either. He'd do the same thing, seem distracted after nursing for about 3 mins. Then, he'd be very hungry in 3 hours. It took a little while but now he eats 6 oz (he used to only eat 4) and he goes about 4-5 hrs between bottles. I still pump every 3 hrs. Some days my milk is more watery looking than others.
Do you drink A LOT of water? Like at least 8-10 glasses a day? I drink about 100 oz a day.
I took fenugreek but can't tell a difference.
I give my son a formula bottle in the middle of the night, or I wouldn't have enough milk. I figure that way, if it tastes different he might not notice.
Good luck!

I had problems the first four months due to having shingles right after I got out of the hospital. I went to a lactation consultant because the bottle feeding ruined my baby's sucking power for a while. I took fenugreek capsules - got them at the health food store, and used a hospital grade pump (they're usually stronger than store-bought - you can rent them, you just have to buy the tubes).

I'm so glad I saw the lactation consultant (I was in CA at the time), because we're still breastfeeding at 16 months, and it was PAINFUL for the first 3.5 months of his life. Perhaps your Ped or Ob/Gyn can refer you to someone.

Good luck!

Hi K.,

You're doing a great job!! And, of course, you've got the mom attribute of worrying down pat - LOL! I took fenugreek and it did help to boost the supply. I think I took 2 pills 3x a day. If you want to continue b/feeding only, I would suggest you don't supplement with formula unless, of course, there's a real growth issue. 54th% just means he's average - nothing wrong with him!! If you supplement, you will continue to decrease your supply - pumping can't keep it up at the same level for some reason. At least, this was my experience. When I went back to work, I pumped and I could never get it backto where it was. As far as the consistency, I think the watery version is how it's supposed to be. Your body automatically does what the baby needs. He's in a different stage now, so your milk is changing. You sound like you're doing everything right as far as taking care of yourself, so you don't need to worry about that. If you can talk to a lactation consultant, that will help you ease your worries and get some good advice. Even though he's 6 months, you can still call the nursery at your hospital and have them put you in touch with the lactose consultant - they live for this stuff!!! A good book is "The Nursing Mothers Companion" and, I've never talked to them, but I hear that La Leche is a great resource too. They have a website with contact info. Good luck and hang in there!!!

I have to say I am so glad you said your son pops off and gets distracted easily. Mine does the same thing. Even if someone is in the room not talking, he wants to stop and look at them. The problem with this is that he takes one big suck and then pops off so I spray him and myself everywhere. Its kind of a pain. I would say your breast milk is better than no breast milk (even if it is watery). Also, make sure he is eating some solids. That will help him stay fuller longer. My son is 5 months old and strictly breast fed (and eating solids now). He is doing good (besides the getting distracted easily). I don't know how to stop that problem.