>I am writing with the eager approval of the mother.
>
>Experience nursing mother had her 4th child born January 22, 2011 
>weighing 8 lbs. 3 oz. Mother recalls that Baby weighed 11 lbs plus 
>at 2 months.
>
>Difficulties began Sunday, May 23. Family had attended 2 birthday 
>parties the day before and returned home quite late. Mother 
>exhausted. Awoke Monday with lumpy right side, painful to 
>breastfeed. Saw MD on Tuesday; treated with Sulfamethoxazole w/TMP 
>DS for mastitis. Baby reluctant to feed in infected side.
>
>Mother called me saying she had lost her milk; she could not pump 
>more than drops. I suggested that perhaps the milk was difficult to 
>express due to plugged ducts; described how she might manually 
>express to help remove them. Baby reluctant to take that side but 
>does some times. I assured her she could feed the baby on one side 
>but that baby should nurse on infected side as often as possible to 
>keep milk moving. Also suggested lecithin, yoghurt, acidophilus 
>and/or probiotics.


OK - I start from the premise that milk does not disappear.

I wonder if the problems began with the stressful weekend of parties 
and travel and the excitement and fatigue of all the family (I note 
she has 4  children). The baby's apparent reluctance to feed may have 
been over-excitement, stress, and maybe the baby's way of protesting 
'hey, I am here! pay me attention! Calm me down!'  and they both just 
needed to chill somewhere quiet and reconnect with each other. 
Instead there have been visits to the doctor, pharmacist, some 
pssobly frantic expressing of milk and some possibly frantic attempts 
to 'get' the baby to the breast.....all of which have made the 
situation worse, not better.....and lo and behold.....

>
>By Friday, May 27, baby reluctant to nurse on either side.
>
>
>Mother perceives she has lost her milk. Mother reports that she 
>doesn't experience fullness any more


Lack of fullness is *normal* in established bf/

>; that baby feels lighter, and thighs are not as firm.


Sorry, this has to be imaginary....though respectful as I am of 
mother's perceptions. She is looking hard and finding 'stuff'.


Baby is now on a nursing strike, is my guess - usual measures apply 
to resolve this, don't need to repeat them here.

The other possibility is that this mother has had an underlying 
supply issue, from the start, but the early and more than adequate 
weight gain in the first 2 mths would not support that.

What do others think?

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

-- 
http://www.heatherwelford.co.uk

http://heatherwelford.posterous.com

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