Losing Milk?

[flutterbudget]

I think I may be losing my milk! DS has been extra cranky about the non-preferred side for a few days and as of last night I can't hand express even a drop from that side. I've always been lousy at hand expressing, and a drop was all i could ever expect really, but now not even that. The "good" side doesn't seem so great either.

I'm expecting AF any day, but that hasn't caused a big dip since my first one PP well over a year ago. Definitely no chance I'm pregnant and haven't done anything weird or taken any medications. I ate oatmeal this morning and I'm trying to drink extra water. But what gives?!?

DS is almost 29mos and isn't ready to give up the last three or so sessions yet. I have had trouble off and on for several months with his latch getting weird and feeling icky. Not hurting, but just uncomfortable and unpleasant. But its only sometimes and not regularly.

Do you think I can fix this? Do you think I'm just freaking out too much? This is not cool!

[hibana]

hugs, mama!

No advice, but at the same age dd started losing her latch which made me start losing supply. Her latch got so irritating that I had to stop nursing her to sleep (which made all 3 people in the bed miserable). We were still able to nurse during the day and if she woke up in the night- for some reason her latch wasn't as bad during those times. My milk lasted (in reduced quantity) until right around her third birthday. When there was no more milk, she stopped asking.

Maybe try to nurse more often? Is there any way you can work on his latch? That icky feeling can become intolerable.

[flutterbudget]

His latch is much more often bad at bedtime as well. I've wondered why that would be, but haven't been able to figure it out. I have tried to correct it, but it seems like if I call attention to it it only gets worse. Like he can't latch right if he's thinking about it maybe? And it does get intolerable sometimes. I get so frustrated and impatient. When its like that I have started putting of that nursing session until he can barely keep his eyes open so it will be short. But other times we are fine.

It seems like it got a teeny bit better as the day went on, at least. Maybe we can try to nurse more often, but he is a busy little guy and a lot of times when I offer he just says "nope" and goes on with what he was doing. I feel like he might be ready to wean in the next several months at some point, but he's not yet and I hate the idea of it being taken away from him.

[etsdtm99]

hi Amy!!

sorry you're having trouble with this.. DDs latch was 'off' from about 18 months on and i never could get it corrected because she really only nursed to sleep and i couldn't exactly stop her and have her open wider or whatever when she was almost asleep.. .. it got bad the same time her top k-9s came in.. (i'm dreading this now because DS's getting those teeth) I remember someone at LLL mentioning that thigns like oatmeal & herbs etc. don't work as well when you are nursing a toddler.. also, when DD was about.. 22ish months,i weaned her from the "non-preferred" side because it hurt so much more on that side.. there is no reason at this point that you HAVE to continue to nurse from both sides if he doesn't want one of them.. other than the potential lopsidedness that may result

[flutterbudget]

Hi Staci!

I'm meaning to post on the local board, but I've been so busy and I figured maybe more readers here...

Anyway, I kinda doubted the oatmeal and such would help as much now. Hormone levels well established and all that. But I thought why not try. The thing with the "non-preferred" side is that the one he likes is the bigger producer, the other has always been more comfortable for me. Ah well.

As far as his latch goes, I can't tell what's wrong with it. Everything looks the same, but feels wrong. Sometimes. Its weird you should mention it being related to teething, though because I can't stop this child from chewing on everything lately. But he already has all his teeth including the second set of molars. I forget, but isn't it supposed to be a couple years before more teeth???

I do think its gotten a little better though. Maybe I was just dehydrated or stressed or something? It just really freaked me out.

[etsdtm99]

aw that stinks about the comfortable one being different from the better producer.. i never really knew which one produced more for sure..

after the 2nd set of molars they should be done until the adult teeth come in as far as i know ..

either way, hope things stay better!