Breastfeeding/Supply Issue?

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Expert: - 10/22/2004


Question
Hello -

My daughter is almost 6 weeks old.  Sometimes towards what would normally be the end of a feeding, she will pull away and fuss.  She seems frantic for more, and will latch on again, get frustrated and pull away and fuss.  We go on like this for a couple of minutes before she seems to give up and either falls asleep or just stops trying.  Most times this happens in the evening, when I know a woman's supply will be at it's lowest, so I'm wondering if it's a supply issue.  Also, it seems to happen more on one breast.  I've tried to start on that breast, but it doesn't seem to be helping much.  I know it could be partly the 6 week growth spurt, but it was happening before this week.  Do you have any ideas on what the issue could be?  Any suggestions on how to help?

Thanks so much!

Melissa  

Answer
Dear Melissa,

First, congratulations for giving your daughter the best start in life by breastfeeding!

It's hard for me to tell what the problem is now. Have you asked a lactation consultant about it? I would suggest doing this. She can analyze what has been happening -- especially if you meet in person and she can watch  your baby nursing.

Do you have any problem with the breast that your baby doesn't seem to like -- like a sore that might make the milk taste funny?

To find a lactation consultant in your area, you can contact the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA). Email: ilca@erols.com. Phone: 919-787-4916.

Let me know how you make out. Good luck!

Sally

Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters.  

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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