Breastfeeding for 4 Months but Starting to Dry Out...

Hi, my son is almost 5 months old now adn I ran into a very similar situation about a month and a half ago (so did my friend with a baby the same age!). We just felt like we weren't producing milk (boobs not getting hard- not getting as much when/if we pump, etc)... Chances are you HAVE enough milk- it is very rare that a woman can't totally take care of her baby. It is normal for your breasts to "figure it out" and not have to get hard anymore- they know how much the baby needs based on how much he/she eats.

Also the age of your daughter is when they start being very aware- which could be why you say she is fussy. My little one didn't want me talking during feedings (to distracting), would turn his head (with my nipple still in his mouth- ouch) when there was a noise in the room, started playing with my hair/ necklace/ clothes while eating, and refused to let me put something over his head (while nursing in semi-public places). She could also behaving a growth spurt and her needs temporarily have increased- your body will adjust in the matter of 2-3 days if that is the case.

They totally get beyond this. As long as the baby is wetting 5-6 diapers a day and having (somewhat) regular poopie diapers she is getting enough. Your 4 month apt is coming up- you'll be able to see if she is gaining weight normally. Moms and husbands are tough- whenver the baby makes a peep- she's hungry. I went through what you are- and my baby still hasn't had rice cereal- or anything other that breastmilk and he is 20 lbs at 5 months and F-I-N-E! My breasts never (very rarely) engorge anymore...Relax, your body will take care of your baby.

If you're not ready to have your daughter wean, then by all means investigate what you can do to boost your supply. However, maybe your supply is just fine and the difficulties are something else, a nursing strike, teething, etc... I struggled with supply issues that were honestly hampered by well meaning grandparents who told me everytime my child cried that he must be hungry. They managed to deplete all my pumped milk and break open some formula when I went out for 3 hours once - we were up all night with an uncomfortable baby after that. Trust your instincts, obviously grandparents don't always know, especially if they're unfamiliar with nursing. That said, I had success boosting supply by pumping for 10 minutes after my baby nursed. Just a thought also, my period returned after about 4 months. I never heard of this problem from others, but I noticed that when I was menstruating I produced much less when I pumped and my son would be frustrated when nursing.

Hi L.,
You know, I had the same thing happen but in a shorter time frame. With each child I was able to breast feed longer than the last child. But I still dried up by about 6 months. I tried everything, even had a lactation nurse coming round to help me out. Pumping made it worse (didn't stimulate production enough). If you're happy to pump and if you respond well to it, I'd go for it. The longer she can get 'the real thing,' the better. If you have enough milk, freezing it is an easy way to have it on hand at Mom's house for those 'snack' feeds.

If your milk does dwindle, don't fret -- formulas are fantastic these days and seem to get better all the time. Bottom line, while there's no substitute for real breast milk, formula is pretty darn good.

BUT -- her behavior also reminds me of reflux symptoms, just a bit. (Three of my kids had it, two still do.) It's probably not, but gosh, just run it past your pediatrician at the next visit?

Good luck! :-)

It's been my experience with my one child now 4 years old who didn't take to the breast...that this was about the age that I had to start adding a small amount of rice cereal to his bottles to keep him content. If she is fussing during the feeding and not lasting longer than 2-3 hours she is a hungry baby (not starving like mom says but quite possibly use to the bottle that gives more milk and faster than the breast). Of course it's only been happening for a week so you just don't know if it's something that will pass but I am sure you know that if she doesn't nurse regularly you won't make milk. You have a few options...you could nurse a baby every couple hours that should be sleeping sleeping through the night, you could do some extra pumping and mix in a little rice cereal to extend the time between feedings, you could just pump without adding anything to ensure you still make milk or you could start formula and go from there. This is optimally your preference in regards to how much time you can devote to feeding while considering her appetite. If it were me I would try to pump and add cereal twice a day or start formula and add cereal if needed. I'm no doctor but my son needed more than just milk/formula at this age and I gave it to him and he was and still is a very healthy child. Good luck.

I had the same problem when my son was 4 months old. Had been back to work for a month and started to get less and less milk each time I pumped. At the same time, he went from sleeping 6 hour stretches at night to 2-3 hours. I met with a lactation nurse who suggested the following: drink more water, eat oatmeal and pump for 10-15 minutes after I fed him whenever possible. My milk supply was back up to normal after 3 days. I gave this advice to a couple friends who all had similar results.

Whatever you do don't give up!! The other responder was right about your breasts "figuring it out." The only time I get hard is when he sleeps for 9 hours overnight. Then I feel like someone snuck in and gave me implants in the middle of the night. My son eats about every 1.5 hours. He is just a hungry baby and remember that breastmilk is a natural food and it burns up faster in their system because there isn't something in there that the system struggles to breakdown. There is so much unnatural stuff in formula.
As far as pumping, I find that it actually has a counterproductive result. Only your baby can stimulate you to make more milk. I use the pump for relief if he hasn't woken up in the morning and i can't stand it any longer.
My son made a drastic increase in his food needs between months 1 and 2 and I thought i"m not making enough milk. So I started drinking Mother's Milk Tea by Traditional Medicinals. It is an herbal tea so it doesn't have caffeine.
When my son starts to get fussy I will burp him. He has a tendency to get all excited about the breast... you know how some guys can be! ;)

Hope that helps!