SO ill and milk seems to have GONE overnight?!?!? Is this the end?

[annary]

I am so upset. I have suffered the most horrific bronchial illness, treated with anitbiotics. I am coming out of the worst of it now thank goodness...but at a great cost! My milk seems to vanished! How did this happen?  My three month old lo gets very restless at the breast after a feww minutes, so I have had to supplement over the last three days. Boohoo!
I am trying to pump 10 minutes after each feed (sometimes not possible if #1 is needing me....) drinking gallons of water and breastfeeding herb tea.............any thing else i should be doing? Is this the beginning of the end for me? 

[LucyA]

{{{hugs}}}

I had a stomach bug when DS was about 11 weeks, and my milk also seemed to disappear. He would cry hungry an hour after feeding then feed for ages. I pretty much stayed in bed for a couple of days and just fed him as much as I could - I finally mastered the art of feeding lying down! After a couple of days my milk was back to normal, and I went on to feed DS for nearly 18 months.

Is there someone who can come and help with #1 so you can concentrate on feeding #2? The very best way to stimulate milk supply is by having baby at the breast a lot. If baby won't feed because there's not much milk, then pumping as much as possible is the next best thing.

Other supplements you can try are fenugreek and blessed thistle - I'm sure there's a FAQ about supplements.

Good luck and {{{hugs}}}

[annary]

Thanks! I will try to feed as often as possible, but the poor mite gets so frustrated at the breast....Time is so precious as life has a fairly hectic pace round our house........I feel so emotional abnout the thought of not being able to feed for my planned 6 months that I will work really hard to get over this thing. I will cut right back on the supplement formulae bottles and sacve them for those moments when he is really upset........ps Does feeding pattern change a bit at three months? He seems strangely contented after a short feed, and my breast feel very soft is this normal?!

[lisi's mum]

This is completely normal at that age - your milk adjusts to the supply and demand system and they get an efficiency kick so feeds shorten. My dd 1 specialized in 3 minute feeds.

Lucy gave you very good advice. Maybe you could add in skin on skin time for the two of you to help motivate him to feed. Drink as much as you can. Were you / are you taking anything for the bronchitis? I seem to remember some cold medicines can damage supply. Pumping (ugh!) and yes, fenugreek and blessed thistle combined ( 3x3 capsules of each) help

Hope you feel better soon!