>I have a mom with a 4 month old baby, exclusively breastfed up to this
>point.  Baby was started on rice cereal about 2 weeks ago.  Doing
>wonderfully on that.  Mom experienced tendonitis during pregnancy and is
>still having problems with it.  Her doc prescribed Ibuprofen last Wednesday
>to take for pain.  She took this for three days but it seemed to make her
>dizzy and nauseated so she discontinued use.  On Friday, baby began to get
>fussy and irritable and has continued to today.  Mom doesn't feel her milk
>coming in hardly at all now and knows baby is not getting enough evidenced
>by fussiness and nursing only 5 minutes on each breast at a feeding.  Also,
>when formula was given, baby ate all 6 oz. and was content afterwards.  What
>would be the reason for her drying up?  The Ibuprofen would be the only
>thing obvious but I was not aware that it affects milk supply.  Pregnancy
>might be another suggestion but she took 2 pregnancy tests last week - both
>negative.  Any idea what is happening here?


Lots going on here....

How much rice cereal is the baby having?  Seems early to start (though
mothers here are officially advised to wait until 4-6 months and many
don't...)...could be reducing supply. If there is a supply issue, this is
where to start, alongside the possibility this baby is having formula too
(more than that one single bottle).

However, it is normal as bf gets established for the breasts to feel less
full or even not full at all, and for babies to fuss after a few minutes at
the breast - they get what they need quickly and effciently and then want
to get on with something else more interesting!  Many babies of four months
don't stay as long as five minutes on each breast...they're done in a
couple of minutes.  You don't say how often the baby is feeding.

It may not be significant at all  that the baby was contended after the
formula - some babies drain a bottle just 'cos it's there, and yes, they
may well be full and apparently content afterwards....

Also, babies do go through periods of fussiness. Could be all sorts of
reasons for this - sore mouth, minor feverishness, just a mood change....

So -  from what you've told us, I don't know if this is drying up,  but if
it is, then the best way to get the milk back is to drop the cereal and the
formula (or at least reduce it), and feed more often.  Someone else on the
list (or the archives) may comment about the meds, but Ibuprofen is
prescribed for bf mothers here.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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