Seeking Moms - Ashburn, VA

Some babies are just crankier in the evenings. I would still recommend getting in touch with a lactation consultant before going to formula. Every mother worries they aren't making enough milk and in almost all cases, they are.

I have three children and were all breastfed for one year. it is extremly rare for a mother not to have enough milk. I wouldn't give them fourmla because your milk supply will decrease and eventually you might wean your baby much sooner. First month is tough and you need to be patient and things will get better. Also it would be a good idea to talk to the pediatrician
I hope this helps.

Hi W.,

My niece was like that. My sister in law have really huge bubbies and everyone thought she would have so much milk. Well, quite the contrary. The baby would cry all the time because she was always hungry. Pump out your milk for a little while in a bottle and then you can be able to see how much milk you are producing. My baby was drinking 4 ounces at 1 month.

Remember always drink lots of fluids- lipton tea they say really helps as well.

I would say yes, not enough milk. I had the same problem and I would top my baby off with an ounce of formula after nursing. If you don't want the formula, morning feedings there is plenty of milk - pump after them And save the milk from them. If you want to increAse your milk supply, vet the baby full happy and asleep, then pump for five minutes just to let your breats know you expect more out of them! On the flip side I didn't becuse the midnight feeding the baby will drop anyway and after the first baby that I chained myself to the breast pump, I decided not to sweat an ounce being needed at night. It was exactly what he wanted- sometimes just 1/2 ounce and he was instantly asleep. I found over time he dropped the midnight and my milk naturally increased at the 8 pm feeding. Don't beat yourself up over it. I did that with my first. No formula etc. This one I gave an ounce at night for two weeks - he went right to sleep, it was stressfree for me and I got more sleep, and he didn't need it for long.

I suggest going on www.kellymom.com. It's the best online resource for breastfeeding moms. I also suggest you get in contact with a lactation consultant. Your pediatrician should be able to refer you to one. I highly doubt it is because you can't produce enough milk. It would be strange for baby to only react at 2 times of the day to that. Does he seem to be gulping milk and having to come up for air? I would think that would signal an overactive letdown. I just suggest you talk to a professional to help ease the problems with your nursing relationship!

Too much milk would be more of a letdown concern, not like you are actually making too much for the baby. It would just mean that your letdown is so strong that the baby would be sputtering and sound like they are almost choking from the flow being too strong. I have read about babies who are just generally more fussy in the evening. You can check out the Dr. Sears website or Kellymom.com, they both have some really good information. I do remember my son being a little more fussy as the evening wore on, it may have even been that as the day went by me and my husband both had less energy and the baby could sense that we were tense and wore out and was kind of feeding off of our emotions. When they are that young it is hard to always understand exactly what is going on. Good luck and I hope some of those websites will help ease your mind!

Please don't get discouraged. You're both still learning. It takes up to three months to establish a really solid breastfeeding relationship. I personally wouldn't jeopardize that by supplementing with formula. Formula is much easier to get out of a bottle than breastmilk is out of a breast so supplementing could sabotage breastfeeding, especially if it's done at this early age, because it can turn baby into a lazy nurser.

I nursed my oldest for 2 1/2 years and I'm still nursing my youngest who will be 2 in Sept. so here's the best advice I can offer:

First, drink more water in the early evenings and let him nurse for as long as he wants, even if you feel like he's not getting anything. The more stimulation you allow him to provide to your breasts, the better your milk supply will be. Letting a baby nurse on an "empty" breast can induce a second letdown of rich fatty hind-milk, which is great for making baby feel full. You can help this along by utilizing visualization. I know that sounds corny, but it worked for me and I passed the tip on to my little sister when she was having trouble with her first and it worked for her too. Here's what you do: While baby is nursing, relax completely, close your eyes and allow your mental awareness to sink into your breast. Visualize milk flowing from the base of the breast down and out the nipple and also visualize that you are pushing it out with your mental energy. I know, I know, this sounds weird and new-agey. That's what I thought too, until I tried it out of pure desperation with my first son. It worked like a charm. I am now able to mentally induce let down whenever I need to. There's certainly no harm in trying it....right?

Also, some babies are fussier than others. My little one is much more "high intensity" than his brother was. He cried A LOT as an infant and his little body always seemed to be tense and carrying stress. I used a technique on him that I learned - but didn't have to use much - with my oldest. It's in four steps: Once baby has a full tummy, if he's still crying swaddle him snugly including a soft beanie type hat, give him something else to suck on like a pacifier if he'll take it, hold him in your arms and gently jiggle him with his head lightly supported so that it gently lolls back and forth and whisper "shh...shh...shh...shh" in his ear. This should sound like the heart-beat bears you can get for babies that mimick mom's heart beat as heard from in the womb. Incidentally it also sounds kind of like the surf breaking on the beach from a little distance away. The effect of this is similar to that an adult gets by swaying in a warm breeze in a hammock near the ocean. It's soporific for sure and you'll actually be able to feel the tension drain out of his little body until he's finally limp and peaceful in your arms.

I know these sound like really specific remedies when every baby is different, but I have yet to pass this advice on to someone that doesn't end up benefiting from it. I hope it helps you out and hang in there, it does get much easier. Two more months and you'll feel like a pro! :)

You make less milk in the evening and at night so often babies do not get quite enough to satisfiy them. Until I got my milk suppy up, I had to supplement about 1 oz of formula) because my son wasn't gaining weirght appropriately. If you have a pump, you can nurse, supplement with 1 oz or so of formula and then pump (you will get almost nothing) for 10 minutes or so for extra stimulation. This helps build the milk supply for some, but it did not work too well for me. What worked best for me to build my milk supply was fenugreek (herb you can find at GNC and it was recommended by the hospital's lactation consultant). Good luck and do not be afraid to supplement. I just had to for 2 months and then I was able to solely nurse. If the babies are full, they will not take the bottle so the baby will be the guid as to if they need to be supplemented.

I would look up your local La Leche League and call a leader to ask about your issue. From my experience: I wonder if you are eating something at dinner that might make the milk taste different? I was used to eating salads with dinner but had to cut out the cucumber, red pepper, and anything else that is known for causing gas. I didn't have a problem with it - - but it seemed to cause my baby to get fussy...

Or it could be a light case of reflux - many babies have that problem and it can be slightly worse at night. You might want to try keeping her upright for 30-60 minutes after feeding her. Your doctor could tell you more.