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I am 31 and not having any issues w/ bf. I don't know anyone who could not produce enough milk in my age group, so I can't answer your question. Why do you think that you won't be able to produce enough milk?

I was 32 when I had my son and he's now 8 months and I produce milk fine. You should be fine.

It's just a fear... probably as useful to have as any other fear, which is not at all. But it's there. I guess it's because I've read accounts of women wanting to & not being able to. Just wanted to know if that was rare, what causes it, what to do to prevent it if anything... that kinda stuff. Thanks.

I was 34 years old when I gave birth the first time. I had no problems b___stfeeding. I think most mothers who say they cant probably did not realize that it takes up to 5 days for milk to come in. Or if they say that they did not have enough for feeding, they probably did not not allow their milk to fill up again before next feeding. I would recommend that you take a b___stfeeding cla__s at the Hospital or at least find a local la leche league office for more information. It is hard work. Sometimes it is difficult for the baby to latch on in the beginning. But if you are patient and really want to b___stfeed, you can do it.

Thanks KFish. I've been reading about b___stfeeding, but nowhere did it mention that it takes that long for milk to come in. In fact, some sources suggest that a mother b___stfeed right away -- that is, as soon as her baby is born -- because she can. So what does a woman do for five days then? I'd really rather not have to give my baby formula if I can help it. Thanks again.

a bird- I will tell you about a few things to expect, bc I think there are some things about bf that you can't find in books easily, etc. I would have liked to have known these things so I would have been more prepared and would have had known what to expect. First of all, it is akward and painful in the beginning. And I don't mean for a day or two. It can be a few weeks or more until you feel really comfortable with bf. You may feel really frustrated in the beginning- that is okay and normal. My son is 7 weeks old and I still have to fight w/ him to latch on properly at times. Secondly, your milk will not come in for a few days, and when it does, it is really uncomfortable. That is normal. Do not freak out if you don't have milk pouring out if you b___bs right after delivery. It takes days, maybe even a week, for that to happen. The first milk that comes in is transitional milk. It could take a week or two for the mature milk to arrive. Until any of your milk comes in, colostrum, which is the very nutrient dense yellow stuff, is what you baby will get from you the first few days or so. I guess one tsp of colostrum is nutrionally equivalent to 2-3 oz of formula, so baby doesn't need a lot to get adequate nutrition. My parents kept asking me if he was getting enough food and if he should get bottle-fed until my milk came in. (The answer to that question is "no," by the way. ) On the flip side, the hospital staff may give your baby a bottle if his/her blood sugar is low or bilirubin is very high. They gave my son formula his first night there b/c his blood sugar was very low. That was the only time he got it. They usually do not have to give formula for the bilirubin (it causes jaundice in newborns)- bf is just as good in helping eliminte it from the body. This leads me to the next thing- let the hospital staff know you are bf so they don't give your baby a pacifier or bottle, b/c believe me, they will. You don't want the baby experiencing nipple confusion and preferring the bottle over you. (See the thread about the gal who feels like a failure- she got a lot of bad advice at the hospital.) The only way to build up your milk supply is to nurse, nurse, and nurse some more. That means every 1.5-3 hours which is about 8-12 times a day with a newborn. You will feel like all you do is nurse. You will not get much sleep at the hospital either, as the will wake you every 2-3 hours to feed your bub. That is why they say to sleep when baby sleeps and to take whatever help is offered to you. Otherwise you will breakdown after a few days, like I did. Luckily I have supportive family and my mil came over to help for a few days. It was great to just sleep for 3 hours uninterrupted after days of sleeping sporadically. (I sleep 6-8 hours a nigh tnow, so that not sleeping thing does not last forever.) Last two things- you may think that you are not producing enough milk. If baby has 5+ soiled diapers and 7-8+ wet diapers a day, is eating at least 8 times a day, and is gaining weight, then you are producing enough milk. Lastly, they have growth spurts where all they do is eat eat eat. It does not mean you do not have enough milk. They eat a lot to increase your milk supply, which will happen after a few days of baby manga- manga-ing. Please don't think I am trying to scare you or discourage you from bf. I just think people deserve to know what they are getting into when they bf. Two books that I have found really helpful are "The Nursing Mother's Companion" by Huggins and "Spilled Milk" by Andie Steiner. The first is a practical guide and resourse for bf mothers. It is great. The second is a book my friend got me. It has great stories about bf mothers- good and bad. It offers a healthy dose of reality with humor. It has been a good read during those late night feedings. I think having and reading both books before you have a baby will help you mentally prepare for what is ahead. Also, if you can sign up for a bf cla__s at your hospital, that would be helpful too. I wanted to go to one, but procrastinated on it an then my baby arrived three weeks early. Anyway, I hope I didn't scare you and I wish you lots of luck for the remainder of your pregnacy and for your labor and delivery. If you have any more questions, keep 'em coming. We are a nice bunch that want to help on this forum and over on the infant care forum too. Again- best wishes to you. :)

wow Christy! Thanks so much! I'm not at all discouraged from b___stfeeding. I knew it wasn't going to be all roses. Your experienced advice is great! I'm actually going to print it out & keep it for when my little love is born in a few months. Thank you again!

Your welcome. I just felt a little blindsided when I started bf b/c, even though I knew it was going to be tough, there was so much I didn't know. Again- best wishes!