[CawMama]

So, everything was going along really smoothly. Ds was finally starting to sleep entirely through the night (from 9pm to 6am). About a week ago, I started getting some menstrual like cramps, ever since, he hasn't slept through the night again. I mean, he is up at 12 am, 2 am, 4 am and 6 am.

Last night, I went out, and dh put him to bed. So he gave him a bottle of milk (6 oz.). He was out all night long. So, that leads me to believe that he just isn't filling up before he goes to sleep. I've heard that your supply is the lowest in the evening.

So, what can I do about this? Would it mess things up if I pumped 6 oz. or so in the am, when my supply is at it's highest, and feed that to him right before bed in a bottle?

I don't want to be greedy about my sleep, but it was sure nice to sleep that long in one stretch.

TIA

 

[alegna]

I would NOT add a bottle to the equation. I would let him nurse a TON in the couple of hours leading up to bed time (encourage more nursing) to get your supply up.

-Angela

 

[annarosa]

how old is ds ?
basically adding a bottle will only lessen your supply at bedtime not increase it - drink much more and nurse much more - that is the only way of increasing your supply

 

[CawMama]

He's 4 months.... I have been letting him nurse a ton before bedtime. He usually goes at least once an hour from 5:30 until he goes to bed. He's been doing that for a couple of weeks now. It wasn't until the cramps that this all changed, as far as him not sleeping/getting enough.

Could I drink some tea or something that might help?

 

[TurboClaudia]

transitioning from getting that long stretch of sleep to having shorter stretches of sleep is one of the single hardest things about having a baby. this is from my experience and from the experiences of many, many friends.

definitely keep nursing as often as he wants to in the evening. your supply is lowest at the end of the day, but it is also highest in fat, which can make it stay in baby's stomach longer because of the timed release with fat digesting enzymes into the small intestine. by using pumped milk from an earlier time in the day, you might be introducing a different food rhythm for his body. (i.e. it may be higher in protein and cause him to be more awake because protein wakes up the brain more, or something similar)

drinking mother's milk tea might help to increase your supply later in the day. i would try drinking it in the mid afternoon to see if it works for you. also, be sure to drink lots of water and fluids all throughout the day. this was really hard for me to do when our first child was born, but i kept trying, so just be aware of it and keep trying to drink whenever you think of it.

it could also be a growth spurt or it could be early teething fussiness. you might consider getting some homeopathic teething remedies like Hyland's Teething Tablets of Hyland's Camilia gel. if one of those doesn't appear to help, try the other one. homeopathics are very specific to symptoms and sometimes require some experimentation to find the right remedy for your child.

~claudia

 

[SabbathD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carrin Could I drink some tea or something that might help?

Traditional Medicinals or Yogi - they both make a nursing mothers tea. Eat lots of oatmeal, and try not to stress. Drink lots of liquids.