Paranoid About My Milk Supply

When I am feeling like I am not making as much milk, I guzzle a couple classes of water and they fill right up. :o) However, breastfeeding women should be drinking water all day long. I am guilty for forgetting to do that. It REALLY does help!

Having had mild supply issues myself, my best piece of advice to you is to drink water CONSTANTLY, way more than you think you need. It increased my supply a lot, and when I did not continue to drink the water, my milk supply immediately dropped.

WE all worry to some extent - but it will be fine- I promise - . So, I'll tell you a story from 35 years ago. My oldest was 7 months- and against ALL ordinary ways back then- I was successfully breastfeeding her - ( one of the nurses in the hospital when she was born- came close to convincing me that she was starving- but thank GOD the head nurse came down- in answer to my question and said '''you baby is sound asleep-starving babies do not sleep-you will hear NOT ONE MORE WORD - and golly, I didnt) lolol

ok, here's the story- baby is 7 months- we are in a horrible auto accident- by the grace of --- Lisa and her Daddy were not hurt- but I was - ( in hosp for 3 days with varaious fractures) - so - I wake up the first morning- and the doctor is coming in with a syringe '''''what's that for? '' I ask-
'to dry up your milk - no way you can go back to nursing- so we need to dry it up''' he says. I say ''' I dont WANT to dry it up -- please take that away''' ''''' you wont be able to NURSE''' he says angrily --- to which I reply - ''then there's no reason for a shot - I dont want it''' I had no problem what so ever going back to nursing - and she was weaned at 15 months --- It'll be fine- welcome to a really super village.

Blessings,
J.
aka old Mom

For starters you do not sound crazy. You are wanting to do the right thing for your baby. It is good to write down or say outloud to someone what you're unsure about and ask for help. As you said, "it takes a village."

Your concern seems similar to my anxiety over being able to do things. I'd say, "I can't do that." I wasted too much time feeling anxious and unable.

One way to rid ourselves of negative thoughts is to tell ourself "no" (in an audible voice if necessary) and reword your statement in a positive way. Like you're already doing when you say that you know you have enough millk. Just get rid of the worry that you won't by telling the worry "no" or "get away" or some such statement every time that thought rises to the surface. It takes time, sometimes longer and sometimes shorter, to retrain ourselves to think positively.

The idea is to work on doing this everytime the negative thought comes into your mind. A suggested phrase to use is, when you think or feel that you don't have enough milk to say, " I feel anxious that I won't have any milk but I know that I do." Say, "I do have enough milk" over and over. By saying that you're anxious you're acknowledging the feeling which will help you feel less anxious about what you are feeling and doing.

If you are a christian here are the two phrases which have helped me feel more confident. "God is in his heaven and all is right with the world." Since obviously, not all is "right" with the world, I had difficulty for many years to believe that. Then I realized that everything happens for a reason. We mature and learn when we have negative experiences. I apply this statement to myself and don't look at the world situation. Nations can learn from their mistakes too. Sometimes or I should say often it takes years or even generations for the country to catch on. For me the purpose of this statement is to accept my responsibility to honor God and myself.

Another one is "God is in me" which triggers the sense that he provides everything I need.

Here is one that my parents, aunts and uncles said often and it's not religious. "Will it matter in a hundred years?" That puts things in perspective when I am faced with the prospect of deciding on something that is not important in the long run.

Going to the gym is important. It will affect the world in a hundred years because being fit and feeling confident affects how your children learn and how they feel. This goes from generation to generation.

Of course you should drink enough water. If you feel that you're not drinking enough drink more. That way there is no desision to mull over. For everyone it's 6-8 glasses of liquid a day. If you want to intellectually know if you should drink more water. (The water can be in coffee, tea, or flavored." I think that you would need more liquids when breast feeding but I don't know. The minimum amount is the amount your body needs to be hydrated. Your body will give to the baby what he needs which may mean that you get dehydrated.

In the past few years i've learned that being fully hydrated prevents head aches, muscle pain, ability of the brain to efficiently focus and make good decisions, etc. The symptoms of dehydration are not easily recognized until one is seriously dehydrated. Thirst means that your body needs more water. I am thirsty now so I know that I've not had enough liquids in my diet today. I'll drink a couple of glasses of water when I send this. It will take several hours before my feeling of thirst goes away.

Perhaps reading a book that include some of your concerns would help you feel less anxious. I didn't look at the sites another mother cited but they probably contain information that will help you feel less anxious.

At the same time you do need friends to talk over the many things about parenting. I love this site for that reason. I'm learning.

Another thought: Perhaps a mother's group would help you. Or check out other activities that you would like to do and let your redheaded man watch the kids.

Does your gymn privide child care? IF they do you can go anytime.

I am a mother of 8. I breastfed all of my children for at least 1 year. I did exercise and never lost my milk supply. You do need to drink more water and I normally just took a quick shower afterward to wash the salt off but if there was not time and the baby is screaming for food, the sweat never seemed to bother them either. So I would feed and then shower. I throughly enjoyed nursing. My baby is now 2 years and we are actually considering trying for another baby. :) Don't let your gym membership go to waste. Once you get there you will enjoy it and give you a little break away too.

A.

Hi B.,

I totally know how you feel. My oldest son had some health problems and we had a rocky road nursing so when my second came around I always worried that I didn't have enough milk. Of course I did have enough for him, but I still worried. The most important factor is whether he is having plenty of wet and poopy diapers. This is not a cookie cutter amount at his age as every baby is different, but as long as he is not constipated and is peeing enough then he is most likely getting enough. If he was not getting enough he would not be hydrated and he would not be having enough wet diapers.
Sometime between 6 weeks and 3 months our milk supplies usually regulate themselves to just what our babies need at the time. Of course, they are constantly re-regulating to meet baby's demand, but we won't feel so full and engorged all of the time. This is where most moms have a hard time because it feels like they do not have milk stored up when they really do. Try squeezing the areola and watch. I'm sure you have milk in there. Just because baby isn't gulping the whole time or even at the start doesn't mean there's not milk.
It really might be helpful to find an Independent Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) or a local La Leche League group to see. LLL is a great "village" in itself to offer support for breastfeeding and parenting.

Here are some online resources for you from the La Leche League website:
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/normal.html
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/enough.html
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/exercise.html
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBMayJun01p104.html
Here's your local group!
http://www.lllusa.org/web/KentWA.html

Hope this helps!

D. Rylander
A Blessed Birth Doula Services
###-###-####
____@____.com

In my experience moderate exercise did not affect my milk supply. I nursed two daughters until one year and trained for a marathon just prior to my second childs first birthday (before weaning). I made sure that I had plenty of fluids and was eating the right amount. The other thing is that exercise really helped with my anxiety and depression (MAJOR BONUS!!)

PLEASE go to the gym! Don't go all crazy (grin) but do move. Your body is only part of the picture here. When you exercise, you negate some of that "crazy" depression stuff. You only stand to gain...not weight, or milk, but some feel good hormones are definitely in order here.
I have had some similar issues, and ultimately, if you feel good physically, your head will have no choice but to follow suit.
Milk or no milk, that isn't really the question here...eat what they tell you to keep up a strong milk supply, exercise to your comfort level, and keep your chin up!
You're doing great.

Having nursed all 3 of my kids, the first thing I can say is "RELAX". Now run all you want, exercise, eat well, drink lots of water, if you wash your breast before you nurse each time, do it if it makes you feel better and if you're perspiring alot. While your sitting there in your favorite chair feeding your baby have a large glass of water at your side so you can be sipping away while he is. As long as you're nursing your son on a regular basis and he's feeding well, your milk should only increase with his needs. As he starts eating solids and not needing as much milk you will notice your supply will decrease slowly. During this time, if you wanted to pump, freeze and save for those times you're away and he needs a bottle it would help keep your production up and stable. Enjoy the time with your kids. They grow up way too fast. And relax!!!

As far as i know exercise has no impact on milk supply, but a huge impact (positive) on your mood and other health. Go exercise.
Drink lots of water, always, but, go exercise.
(I don't always shower between exercising and nursing. My kid doesn't seem to care, but, your's might. Only trying will tell. When baby was young i fed right before exercise so my milk didn't leak/make my breasts too heavy.)

I don't know why people are often so paranoid about their milk supply. As far as i can tell, most people who worry about it, have no evidence to suggest it is a problem. But without evidence (aside from a happy baby!) to suggest that it is not a problem, people worry.

I think if this is something that is really hanging you up, though, its worth talking to a lactation consultant. Or go to la leche meetings. Most likely they'll say everything is fine, but, these people can offer you a lot of affirmation, support, and suggestions about details.

It's totally normal to worry that you don't have enough milk or that they are not getting enough milk. Unfortunately, even the medical community perpetuates these fears and many times convince mamas to bottle feed so they can "measure" what they are taking in. You are starting to get to that point where you don't get as engorged or feel the let downs as much and I remember by 4 to 6-months my breasts were so used to the process that I barely noticed it anymore and I started taking Fenugreek (along with almost every other mom I know) just to make sure I had enough milk. We had to supplement from day 3 on (that's another story) so it didn't help any.

As long as you can hear him swallow, he's having enough wet and poop diapers, and he's gaining weight, you don't need to worry. :-)

As for exercising... I would start off slow, drink plenty of water and let your body adjust. If you hit it hard right from the start, you can shock your system, so take it easy and build up. I would put in a call to your doctor/nurse and ask for what they would recommend for starting out. You could also check with your gym to see if they have trainers that have experience with nursing mothers.

Don't worry about having sweat on your breasts. I had to sleep in the recliner with our little girl the first few months of her life. I have huge breasts (at the time 44I, yes, that's an I !!!) and would let her nurse and sleep all night while I held her football pose. Well, sometimes we would be quite sweaty, but she never minded at all.

You don't ever want to completely wash the natural oils your aureolas and nipples secrete, so wash with only water. You're built to have more oils while breast-feeding to help lubricate your nipples (so they don't dry or chap) and so they baby knows your own unique smell. If you're feeling extra sweaty and don't have time to shower, you could always just wipe off with a damp washcloth before nursing. :-)

I'm glad to see you got many wonderful responses. This village really is great!! You're doing a great job, mommy! :-)

well here's to our beautiful redheads!! Keep exercising! The increase in metabolism is only good for you, your peace of mind, and your milk supply. Drink up a storm, my friend, water, juice, milk, try chocolate almond milk (yummm), tea, foods high in water content, you'll be fine. The more you drink, you'll find you have to pump to keep it all for your good use. Of course you're not crazy, and sisters come in all kinds of packages. Mood disorders are so common, 95% of the U.S. population deals with them, whether anxiety, depression, you name it. And with infants, you're wise to nurture yourself, and exercise helps that incredibly. Hope this helps at all,

Best from a mommy and M.D.,
K.

I know exactly what you mean! I've done the same thing and my daughter is now 13 months old and still nursing like a champ! I think it's a normal thing to be worried about it-you hear lots of stories about how hard it is to keep it going, especially if you are going to be pumping, etc. My best advice is to drink lots of water and find yourself a good mantra, like "My breasts produce plenty of milk for my baby" that you can say whenever your mind starts doing the back and forth. Also, when I returned to work part-time, my mid wife had me go on Lactaflow from Wise Woman Herbals. Sometimes just doing something like taking some herbs can help defeat those negative thoughts. Good luck!

I have the same anxiety when I breastfed my baby. In the beginning I always pumped to make sure I have enough milk... then some days I got lazy and didn't pump (because it seemed like I have enough)... then I got panicked and start pumping again when I don't know whether the baby is getting enough. Breastfeeding then pumping was so tiring, it seemed like that was what I did all day. Now I laugh at it, but I know many moms who went through that too. Anyway, drink a lot and pumping are great to keep the supply going.

I trained for Hood To Coast, starting a week after my first baby. I had plenty of milk. I exercised a lot, and drank a lot of water. Other than that, I ate pretty healthy. I also suffered a lot of depression, anxiety and misery during that time. This time around, zoloft is going to be the first thing I take! Anyway, you aren't crazy, you are just being a good mom, concerned for your baby! You are doing just fine. I think the exercise will make you better overall, and that is better overall for you and the kids, and your husband.

I've been exercising regularly for the past 7 months and my 14 month old still loves mama milk! She's growing and thriving and my exercising has had no noticable impact on it. She even eats immediately after class and still gulps it down. You may notice a decrease in your milk around 4-6 months, but don't let that discourage you. That's when your body finally gets adjusted to what your baby is eatting and it's just stabilizing, but your milk isn't going away!

Of course, anxiety and stress affect breast milk production. You need to keep yourself calm and drink Healthy nursing tea to increase your breast milk supply.

There is always something to worry about. :) I read in many places that if you exercise too much your supply can go down. I actually had a friend dry out from exercising too much. You just need to make sure to not work out too hard is all - I ran once a week and didn't run too hard and I walked ALOT. Best of luck!

I was also one of the milk supply obsessed... I would breast feed my son, pump, and top him off with a bottle of breast milk. I guess I was lucky as he never was "nipple confused." I had to see the amount I was supplying him to not feel anxious I was starving him. There are a few supplements you can take to increase milk supply, and a tea called "mothers milk" found in health food stores. I hope it helps to know someone else worried about the same things.

Well, I think your mind is getting the better of you. La Leche has just started meetings again in Salem. Going to a meeting might help ease your mind and meet other moms. There is one next Friday. I will be there!

http://www.lllusa.org/web/SalemOR.html

I have read the other wonderful responses and don't have much to add other than please try not to think/worry about "not enough"...say to yourself over and over "I have plenty of milk to feed my beautiful baby all the time". Your mind is very powerful and will create what you focus on! I worried at times too but I swear by a great book called "So that's what they're for" It is a great (& humerous) guide/resource. I would also agree about the sleep thing...that is when my body would build up its supply so I tried to nap/sleep as much as possible. You are also lucky to have such great help around the house too! Also, does your gym have a pool? Swimming is awesome exercise especially after having a baby. Best wishes!

Hi B.. I had twins and struggled with my supply the entire time that I breastfed, so I understand your worry. I was pretty overweight when my boys were born but I couldn't worry about losing the weight while I nursing. It was super important that I eat enough calories and people definitely can decrease their supply by exercising. Drinking plenty of water is also key. The other big one is getting enough sleep at night. I know that is super hard, but that is the time of day when your body makes the most milk. I slept enough hours but the quality of my sleep was awful and I think that this is the reason that my supply was never very good. I pumped 6-7 times per day and took a lot of supplements to increase supply. I worked with a great herbalist who has a wonderful website and she specializes in nursing and pregnancy herbs. www.herblore.com her name is Pam Caldwell and she does free phone consultations and will work with you to develop a plan to keep your supply stable. I took a lot of fenugreek and other nursing herbs. I pumped for a year and then I stopped. After that, I could focus on losing the weight and I lost 55 pounds in 1 year. It just wasn't worth it to me to jeopardize my milk supply to try and lose the weight. Some women lose weight just from breastfeeding, but I was NOT one of those women. Hang in there. you are doing amazing things for your baby by providing breastmilk. way to go!!!

Oh mama! You are doing such a wonderful thing for your babe by giving the best start in life - your milk. And you're not alone here, there's a virtual "village" right here, and more!

My 10.5 month old is still loving the boob and I exercise nearly daily! Even after a hot, hour long sweaty run, there's plenty of milk and she doesn't seem to mind the salt. Remember, your milk tastes different depending on what you eat - which is why some people hypothesize breast fed babies are less fussy eaters later on -they're already used to different tastes.

Also, exercise does not decrease your supply, unless it's extreme.

I remember getting paranoid at several points in the last almost year (has the time really gone that quickly?) about my supply, but it's always been there to meet the needs of my growing daughter. Remember, it's all supply/demand, and if your baby is having plenty of wet diapers, is gaining weight, meeting milestones, baby is getting enough milk.

a previous mom referred you to La Leche League; here's another place to get great info about breastfeeding: http://www.kellymom.com. Check out the forum pages at http://forum.kellymom.net. Lots of moms are right there, going through the same things you're concerned about. Also lots of experts are there to help get you more information. It's been a source of constant reassurance for me during this wonderful journey of breastfeeding and motherhood.

Good luck you to, and great work!
A.