How do I know when the milk is dried up?

[christess]

She (2.5) cluster nurses at night. recently it has become very painful whenever she nurses. I was wondering if the milk has dried up and here attempts to get satisfied is a waste of time.

[StillSingingMom]

Lots of things could be going on there.

Your little one could have a cold, a sore throat, an ear infection. Sometimes those things change a nursling's latch, which can be painful.

If you haven't been menstruating regularly, you could be heading for a period, which would lower supply; some nurslings respond with a vacuum-like suction, in an attempt to extract more milk.

Or, if you were pregnant, you could be drying up.

If the latch is slipping, you can fix that. If you are drying up, your nursling will most likely figure out that nursing is not going to provide milk. But in general, women don't just dry up as long as they continue to nurse. There would be a reason for that, most likely.

[Kotahsmom]

The milk I have recently pumped and refrigerated is starting to go sour. It smell horrible and the baby refuses it. I pump it, store it in the back of the fridge, and use it within 36hours but as soon as it is warm it goes bad! Anyone have any idea why it is doing bad!?

[crystal555rose]

The milk I have recently pumped and refrigerated is starting to go sour. It smell horrible and the baby refuses it. I pump it, store it in the back of the fridge, and use it within 36hours but as soon as it is warm it goes bad! Anyone have any idea why it is doing bad!?


I noticed as my son got older my milk would spoil more quickly than in the beginning. I could only speculate that this was due to less antibacterial properties being there.

Sterilize you pump parts. I used microsteam bags by Medela. If it is going bad this is due to bacteria which can be quite persistant and resistant to even the most thorough cleaning. Lethal levels of heat are required (boiling water or better, this is why I liked the steam bags. Steam is hotter than boiling water.)

Good luck!