Not enough milk for 4 Month Old?

[cookiemonster527]

Hi there,
DD is almost 4.5 months old and has been an angel baby for the most part. At 4 months, our EASY schedule was something like this:
E 6:30AM
A
S 8AM-9:30AM
E 10AM
A
S 11:30AM-2:00PM
E 2:30PM
A
S 4PM-4:15PM CN
E 5PM
A
E 7PM (Tank up/top up)
S 7:30PM
E DF @ 10:30PM (STTN til 6 or 7AM)

She had been able to STTN for about 2 weeks. For the past couple days, I've noticed that my milk supply seems to have dropped (used to have some engorgement and DD loved the fast flow and could empty one full breast). She now nurses on both sides and sometimes seems frustrated as if there wasn't enough milk or the flow was too slow. And now she has been waking once at night (around 2:30 or 4:30) and emptying whatever is in both breasts (seemingly very hungry).

Although pediatrician has said to start solids, I wanted her to get more milk first since she was only taking 1 side, so was holding off on starting solids. Could she not be getting enough milk hence causing the night wakings? How can I increase my milk supply? Is it time to start solids?

[*Ali*]

It sounds like a growth spurt. Sometimes they can need more frequent feeds once A times start getting longer. Can you offer a top up feed before naps? I'd just offer more milk rather than start solids early.

Offering more frequently will increase your supply. You can also try eating foods such as oats which help boost supply.

It is also normal to stop feeling full between feeds as milk is made more on demand during feeds rather than mostly in advance and stored.

[cookiemonster527]

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to try the top up feeds before naptime and see if that works. Last night was way off the normal routine and had woken up 15 minutes after the DF only to be OT and cried for 1hr+. Then woke again at 4 and 6:30 to down more milk  I'm hoping we get through this growth spurt before any accidental parenting happens  ...

[15milner]

Dusting off my BF knowledge for 4 mths old (my boys are now 8 and 12 - been a BW all this time)

My bf counsellor said that at 4months, our body goes through a change - the hormones (I think) drop a bit, the production of milk goes from being 'always on tap' so to speak, to being on demand.  It gets 'used' to the amount of use and regulates a bit more.  Edited - the prolactin levels begin to drop and milk production will depend on how much baby is feeding. 

So at 4 months, baby may need to work a little harder at it.
There is a massive growth spurt at 4months and a developmental leap.

I remember at 4months going back to being very 'careful' about making sure that the latch was good, positioning was good and I went back to feeding in a calmer place - at 4 months my boys were more alert and wanting to look at the world and were easily distracted by sounds and what they could hear - so I stopped watching TV when they were feeding so that they could concentrate on what they were doing and not what I was doing.

This change in feeding patterns in a 4 month old is what often makes mothers think that they have stopped producing enough, and hence why solids were once introduced so early as the hormones etc weren't as well understood and it was believed that perhaps baby was hungry and needing more.  They just need 'different' 

Hope that makes sense.
Alex

[cookiemonster527]

Thanks for the information, Alex.

I knew there was a growth spurt at 3w, 6w, 3m and 6m but I had no idea there was one at 4m too! It seems like there's always a growth spurt to watch out for I'm sort of relieved to know that the prolactin level hormone drop is normal/regulating...it's a relief to not have the engorgement either.

DD woke up again last night at 8:30, 2 and 4:30 (thankfully sleeping until . She was full out crying with tears flooding down her little cheeks all those times...breaks my heart...had to nurse her down each time, nothing else worked. Not sure if this is the right forum to ask this question, but any chance her sudden wake ups are due to this developmental growth spurt as well? She's been picking up (or trying to anyway) everything she can get her hands on and it goes straight into her mouth. She's also been sitting up more (with support)...I didn't think this was much but perhaps this is the development leap?

[*Ali*]

Oh yes. Is there a wonder week around now?

[Scottishmummy]

There sure is- a big one from about 15-19wks - we're going through it too & it and it affects feeding. My DD is the same age and keeps popping on & off during feeds & is waking more at night too.
She's also vocalising more & playing more with her toys, so we're getting the nice side of it too 

[cookiemonster527]

I've heard about the wonder weeks but that's pretty much it. Can anyone tell me where I can find more information about them?

DD is eating much better now it seems. Still waking at 2:30AM but no complaints =) And she just rolled over today for the first time! YAY!

[Katet]

I knew there was a growth spurt at 3w, 6w, 3m and 6m but I had no idea there was one at 4m too! It seems like there's always a growth spurt to watch out for  I'm sort of relieved to know that the prolactin level hormone drop is normal/regulating...it's a relief to not have the engorgement either.

4mo is actually the Biggest one of the lot where the whole consistency of milk changes... I know a problem I had & know a few Mums with the same issue, that I expressed milk at around 3mo & froze it & tried to use it around 4.5mo & DS1 would have nothing to do with it, because the milk was not what he was used to.

[becj86]

Info re: leaps - http://www.thewonderweeks.com/the-mental-leaps-and-wonder-weeks/