In a message dated 11/2/99 12:01:35 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:

<<  I just got a phone call from a mom with a 2 monther or so.  She got
a cold last Fri.  Has been eating, and feeding her baby as per normal.
She says she hasn't been drinking very much, but under her usual
circumstances that doesn't matter.  Her milk today is gone.  No fullness
between feeds, the baby is fussy and doesn't get enough.  She's scared
because this happened with her last baby and she couldn't get it back.
Anyone got ideas? >>

I might suggest to the mother that the baby may have (and probably was)
exposed to the same cold germ that made the mother sick and the baby wanting
to nurse more than usual or being generally fussy may be Nature's way of
spurring the mom's body on to do the work of beating back the germs.  A baby
fighting off an illness may nurse like crazy, it does *not* mean there is "no
milk" there.  The mom can think back to the day that she started feeling
unwell herself - did her throat feel scratchy? did she feel run down?  If so,
her baby may be feeling the same way, and responding by increased need to be
nursed and to be held.
  I also would not necessarily expect a mother of a two month old to continue
to "feel full" in between feedings, as by this time breastfeeding supply and
demand would have been pretty well established.  Mother's body is in tune
with baby's; during illness, that synchronicity can be interrupted.

Illness of the mother aside, I wonder hormonal birth control (after that 6
weeks postpartum check-up!) was just started and resulted in a decreased
supply.

Lisa Jones, LLLL in Wellington, sunny south Florida, USA

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