Why am I having trouble breastfeeding when I’ve been doing fine for the past 4 months?
I’ve been breastfeeding with no problems at all for the past 4 months. All of a sudden I’m having trouble with my “let down” reflex. It is very stressful to try to feed a hungry baby and not be able to. My son seems to get very impatient with this problem too. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I end up giving him formula and pump what I can. My stress level has been elevated here lately, but not more than right after he was born. Also this seems to be a bigger problem in the evening and at night. What is wrong with me? Is there anything I can do to help this? I don’t want to quit breastfeeding yet.
Stress (such as worrying about your let-down not happening, or overall stress in general) can cause you to not let-down. As can diminished milk supply, fatigue, or lack of proper nipple stimulation. In my opinion, what might be happening here is a combo of a couple of things. Firstly, it’s happening at night more often because your supply (and everyone else’s) is generally lower at night time (with supply being highest in the morning)…then, because you’re noticing an issue or a change, you’re worrying about it and causing stress on yourself which may just make the problem worse. Your body has adjusted to baby’s demand at this age, and you may feel like your supply is overall lower, when in fact you’re just not over-producing milk like you were in the beginning. When your breasts are full or engorged, you will get a quicker let down. Once your production slows a bit, that let down reflex may take longer.
Some things you can do – 1. try to relax and clear your mind when nursing. 2. Pump until you get a let-down and THEN nurse (this is if you have a pump and have no problem letting down for the pump), 3. Change nursing positions and ensure baby is latched properly.
I used to have a hard time letting down while pumping at work, but found that it happened quicker and easier if I took a book in and read it while pumping. Having my mind on something else relaxed me, and helped my body to counteract the stress I was feeling due to having limited time and space.
You shouldn’t have to quit nursing at all..if none of the above helps, consult a lactation consultant.
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