Hi, I posted this on Baby but someone suggested it might be worth putting it on here so sorry if this is the second time you have read it!

Neve is 4 weeks old now and has started a pattern of being wide awake between 10.30pm and 3.15am she cries on and off and will not let us put her down. Sometimes I can see that she does have a bit of colic but not always and we do give her Dentinox in the eveniings to help with this. Because I am breastfeeding she feeds tend to be all over the place which makes it tricky to try and give her a big feed at around 10-11pm as she often won't take it. I also have noticed that early morning I have lots of milk but that it tails off during the day, last night we gave her a bottle so I could check how much she was from me in the evening and over a two hour period I could only express 50mls (tried this morning to test and got almost 200mls). So we have been giving her the odd bottle at night which she finishes and then comfort sucks on me until she goes to sleep. Am expressing a lot to try and up my milk supply but this doesn't seem to be helping.

I know she is too young to be in any kind of routine but with her sleeping and my sporadic milk production I feel really really disorganised and that I am making a bit of a mess of it all. I can't help thinking that something I am doing is preventing her sleeping?

Any thoughts or advice would be very gratefully received.

Lottie, I have no advice, sorry, as I am just muddling through myself. I am expressing and feeding that to Daniel in a bottle, and have huge problems understanding how much he needs and how much I can produce at different times of day. All I wanted to say was not to beat yourself up about it. You are doing your best, and all credit to you for trying. x

First thing, Don't worry! As far as I know everybody produces more milk in the morning than in the evening. It's because you are rested (although it doesn't feel like it!) and your body has been producing milk while you rest. You should find that as long as you make sure you get plenty to eat and drink that your body catches up with the demand but this can take a few days. One thing you could try that I think Gina Ford suggests is expressing milk in the morning when you have 'spare' and then using that to top up at night, give lo the breast first so that you are still building up your supply and then give the expressed milk afterwards so you know that she is full. I also think that she might just be being a tiny baby! Millie was very similar, she was always awake between about 11.30 and 2.30 and was quite content until we tried to put her down! I used to feed her when she woke up and then we would take it in turns to sit with her (an hour each) and then I would feed her again and she would go back to sleep. Sometimes they just need a bit of time to sort out the difference between night and day.
Good luck
Kerry

how much you can express has no reflection on how much ur l/o takes. its not often women can express enough for a full feed in one sitting. its just your body trying to keep hold of your milk for the baby. just because ur full in the morning it doesnt mean that your l/o cant get just as much in the evening. when your supply has settled your not suppost to have full leaky boobs, thats just at the start when your body goes crazy so it doesnt mean that it wont be enogh for your l/o. and if for any reason you think your not producing enough milk then you should just feed more. if you put baby to your boob whenever its hungry your body will catch up and make enough milk. hope this helps.

sian x

bedhead is right, you always have more milk in the morning than in the evening when you have been up all day and busy so it's not that you have a sporadic milk supply it is normal. Siandonna is also right that milk supply is based on supply and demand so the more you feed and/or express the more you make. You sound like you are doing really well and I am sure you have enough milk for lo which you will know by her puuting on weight and doing enough wet nappies. She is still a little too young for a routine, it is nothing to do with your milk. I have always expressed from one side in the morning and at 10 months still express 2 oz first thing. I do it because I was nearly forced to give my 1st baby formula due to slow weight gain so I have to have spare frozen milk but apart from her needing 1or 2oz which she was cup fed for the first few weeks she hasn't needed any of it since so now I give it to the milk bank. 200 mls is a great amount to express and as with feeding the more you express the more you get out. You should feel really pleased with yourself! x

Thank you ever so much for your replies and reassurance, I definately think things are improving on the milk front and although she is still completely nocturnal she doesn't seem to be colicy anymore - phew! Its lovely to be able to come on here and ask questions and have a bit of a moan!

You may not want to do this but I breastfeed my daughter but i also give her 1 formula feed per day and she sleeps really well most nights, she is now 12wks and sleeps from around 8pm to 6 or 7am most nights

Dont worry about it, Your milk isnt fully "regulated" until after 6 wks either, while you and baby get used to feeding, and there is nothing wrong with giving baby formula occasionally she's got to eat after all.

Hi Babyboos - whats cluster feeding and how do I do it?

Hi Lottie, cluster feeding is giving your baby lots of feeds close together {possibly a few hours before bed} feeding hourly. My lo still does it sometimes and shes five and a half months. Al x

thanks, will give it a try tonight