6th month gs

[First Time Mom]

Hello ladies,

My dd is coming up to 6 months and I've heard that this growth spurt is a big one. I want to ensure that I have enough supply (I don't pump) and I thought that by the time she hits the gs and wants to suck more it will take a few days for my supply to go up and thus be too late. I started to add one cluster feed 2 days ago in hopes to increase the supply prior to her needs but she's not taking much and now has green poo so obviously is only drinking the fore milk for this extra feed. Should I buy a pump? Has anyone ever started to pump this late in the game? Or have any of you exclusively bf without pumping long term?

[Marisa's Mom]

I wouldn't worry about having to pump, your body will adjust. The human body is truly amazing! I exclusiely breastfed. I only pumped briefly in the 1st month while I had nipple issues (inverted nipple while trying to get into breastfeeding), while I had a breast infection in one breast, and after she decided to self-wean (to slowly ease my body into making less milk).

[RachelC]

Marian,
You're body will adjust to the demands of your dd.  For us, the 4 month gs was tough, but the 6 month was not too bad.  For the 6 month we just added a feed overnight when she woke and fed more on demand during the day.  The 4 month was tough as she wanted to eat all the time and wasn't getting anything.  But, my body got into the swing of things and made more milk.  I have read that the growing part of the gs happens after the milk increases.  Trust that your body know what it is doing, as does dd.  She'll let you know what shen needs and when she needs it.  Have you started solids?
~Rachel

[First Time Mom]

Thanks, I was just worried as she only gained 9oz between month 4-5 and I never noticed a gs or change in her eating at 4 months. She's on 4 hour easy but I feed her whenever she's hungry earlier (not often but sometimes in the afternoon). 2 weeks into her forth month she started to sleep throught the night so this eliminated a feed which I was hoping to keep for a while. I've just started her on cereal, didn't care for rice cereal so today we tried organic barley and she ate it. I'm only giving the one spoon of dry w/ two spoons liquid for now and only 1x a day, don't want to get into the real solids until 6 months, I also gave it an hour after her 7am feed as I don't want it to impact her bfing. Am I being overly cautious?

[RachelC]

I think you are doing fine!  I would continue to hold off on solids until 6 months and the feeding 'schedule' you are doing (1 hr after bf) is great.  The fact that she is gaining is a good thing, and as long as she's happy I would stick with what you are doing.  She probably made up for the dropping of that feed in the middle of the night.  I wouldn't be concerned unless you see a change in her tempermant or number of diapers, or if she stops gaining weight.
~Rachel

[First Time Mom]

Thanks Rachel, it's amazing how much pressure I get to add formula and start solids, I want to continue as I'm doing just wanted to be prepared for the gs.

Thanks as well Smksf, it's good to know I can do this long term w/o getting into pumping. I even have a wedding coming up in a month and I'm the Maid of Honour, bride has a hotel room booked beside the location and has offered it to me to use and I will be using it to go and feed dd! I already "mapped out the feed times" for the day around the ceremony.

[Samuel's mum]

previous poster is right - The increase in feeding that we call a 'growth spurt' isn't the actually growth spurt itself. The baby is feeding more to increase your supply to prepare for when she will need more. It's all very clever. Nature gets the baby to develop its own milk supply. You certainly don't need to do any pumping. Just make sure you're prepared to be flexible with scheduling. I hardly ever used a pump after about 6 months and never very regularly even then.

[Marisa's Mom]

Thanks Rachel, it's amazing how much pressure I get to add formula and start solids, I want to continue as I'm doing just wanted to be prepared for the gs.

Do what you feel is right. There is no rush to get into formula or solids. I know many babies start solids as early as 4 months. I let my DD decide what she wanted. She didn't show interest in solids until her 10th month. And she decided to self-wean a few weeks after her 1st birthday. I did not actively try to get her onto solids, I just gave her a bit of cereal every few weeks to see if she was interested, and to get acquainted with the spoon, but her primary source of nutrition was always breastmilk.

I even have a wedding coming up in a month and I'm the Maid of Honour, bride has a hotel room booked beside the location and has offered it to me to use and I will be using it to go and feed dd! I already "mapped out the feed times" for the day around the ceremony.

Cool! I'm glad you will manage nursing for the wedding, and that the bride is so understanding.

Although I was never part of a wedding party while nursing, I did attend a wedding as a guest when DD was 6 1/2 months old. I just made sure I wore a 2-piece top/skirt outfit that allowed me to easily nurse. I was worried at first, but had no problems at all.

[Gippie]

previous poster is right - The increase in feeding that we call a 'growth spurt' isn't the actually growth spurt itself. The baby is feeding more to increase your supply to prepare for when she will need more. It's all very clever. Nature gets the baby to develop its own milk supply. You certainly don't need to do any pumping. Just make sure you're prepared to be flexible with scheduling. I hardly ever used a pump after about 6 months and never very regularly even then.

That has to be one of the most interesting things I have read in a long time - WOW!!!   I have a question that is along these lines.   

DD is 5mo2wks.   She has three teeth and I sense more are on the way.   Her AM feed and DF are GREAT - she nurses really well.   I pump at work (twice) and then come home by 4 to feed at 5ish.  We give a bottle of formula before bed cause my suppply seems low and DD gets frustrated.   This all works out very well for us.    On the weekends I go back to all nursing and I seem to have lost some confidence in my nursing cause I am SO used to "seeing" what I pump and "knowing " (from DH) what she takes in the bottle.   When it is the weekend and I feed her, she may only nurse a little and then stop and with her new teeth she LETS ME KNOW she is DONE with a *bite* (ouch).   I find that I am insecure with the short feed and then continue to offer the breast WAY more than I should and run my great EASY schedule out the window - at least the nicely spaced E times. 

Questions -
1.  If I feed her 4 hours apart and she takes next to nothing - what should I do next?  Do I feed in an hour or wait for her to "tell" me what she needs?
2.  Could the weird feeds be the teething?  I DO notice that when she cuts teeth that she eats considerably less.

I want to continue to nurse through the summer - when I am off of work and I hope things will smooth out.  I am just getting nervous that there is not enough for her.     I feed her EBM when I am at work and perhaps the faster flow makes me "look bad" when I get to nurse cause it IS later in the day and things are slower.   

Argh?   Any thoughts are appreciated.

Stacey

[daisymelan]

Stacey,

I would imagine she behaves like that on the weekends because your supply is down a bit.  Your body is not required to produce the same amount during the week so it has a hard time catching up on the weekends.

How many feeds does she get while you are away during the day?  You said you pump twice so does she only feed twice?  Also, do you pump the same amount as she would take at each bottle?

Some babies bite while teething and others bite because there is "little" left in the breast. 

You will be able to go back to full breastfeeding in the summer because your body will adjust back to those demands, but it will take a littel bit to up your supply.  You will just have to pump after each nursing session to increase it.

[Gippie]

Jodie,

Thanks - that makes sense.    I pump twice and get what she needs for those feeds.   Should I pump MORE throughout the day to increase my supply - I can BUT I did not want to cause I thought it would leave me "empty" for when I go home and she wants to nurse.   OUr AM and Df feeds are great.   The 2 that are done when I am gone is all EBM and then I come home and nurse her - even if she at just a few hors ago - she cries - and it is almost like she HAS to nurse when I get home to be sure I am home.  It works and does not make any waves with life - so we go with it.   I give her a bottle at night and then nurse her and the DF is a normal BF.   

To increase my supply.  Should I pump more often in the work day?     If I pump and don't get much - will that still increase the supply?   If I did do that then she would get a great feed when I get home and perhaps another instead of the bottle.    I will return to full BF in 5 weeks - but until then I have to deal with this.    Last question.   If I sustain what I am doing will I be able to increase back up when I am out of work or is it forever "damaged"?   Last LAst Question.  I am lucky (not) to have my period back and it ended two days ago.  I DO notice a supply drop - is that normal?

Thanks!!!
Stacey

[daisymelan]

Hi Stacey,

If you get what you need by pumping, then I would think that is ok, but if not, then I woudl add an extra pump.  Even if you aren't getting milk, it will help increase the supply.  You may even want to pump after you nurse her when you get home, that will help increase your supply even more.  Your body adjusts to the demands so what you ask of it, it will eventually start producing.  Just make sure to keep your water intake up high!!!!! 

In 5 weeks when you start bfing full time your body will start making milk full time.  Don't stress about it one bit because it will happen easily.  It may take a week to get the supply up to what you need it to be, but it will get there.  Again, maybe just pump after each nursing session to help start it. 

Supply does drop during periods, so that is completely natural.  You may even notice that she wants to nurse a little less cuz it may taste a little differently to her.

Hope this all helps!

[Gippie]

mmm...it does!  Thanks.  I am noticing that since I have been giving her a bottle and then nursing - it has increased my supply a little.   Doing it that way helps her be satistfied and not frustrated at the breast.  I imagine that in the summer I will BF full time.  It was also my plan to wean in the summer so I could do it slow, but I am stressed just thinking about it.   

When solids are well established and you nurse AM/PM and in between meals - does the baby just end up taking what they need?  Do you make sure the amounts of the solids are controlled so that they dont fill up on the food and save room for the milk?

I am a few weeks from there.  We do dinner right now and it works out great. 

Thanks for the help!!!

Stacey

[daisymelan]

Solids are a whole other battle!  LOL

I always offered breast first and then an hour later I offered solids.  That way they are getting what they need in the way of milk and only filling up on what they need for solids.

And quit stressing!  That's a milk killer!

LOL>.....  so much easier said then done.