We have just recently come on holidays to UK from Australia with our six month old baby boy and have a question about how time zone changes effect supply. How long will it take for my milk supply to adjust to the new time zone or will it not happen atall. IE higher supply in the morning and lower supply in afternoon? We were at 11 hours difference to Australia when we arrived but with clocks changing it is now 9 hour difference. This means that if supply doesn't change my higher and lower times of the day will be completely different to Oz. Also I had been offering two top up bottles to the breast feeds in the afternoon and at 10.30pm (we have been doing this since he was just over 3 months old).
Should I change the times that I am giving the top ups to match changes to milk supply or keep to routine that we were in at home?
Also feeds have become quite painful when he latches on and is sucking but not sure if this is just because of his age and strenght of suck, my supply or what? This however had kindof started when I was in Oz so am not blaming this in trip. FWIW nipple is quite white in centre when he comes off. Pain used to be just when he went on but now lasts a bit longer. He also has developed a nasty habit of pulling off to look round but not releasing the nipple. As we are visiting relos for the entire trip it is going to be quite difficult to make sure we are in a quiet place when I feed him and even if we are he pulls off just to make sure he isn't missing something. (very cute but very very painful)!
I always fed on demand so travelling to differant time-zones usually meant that the demand was at odd times for a while but then it settled down into a more social routine.
The white on your nipple sounds like a concern - it often happens when your nipple is being pinched during a feed. Maybe you could pay a bit of extra attention to the initial latch and if bubs semi-pulls off then re-latch again correctly. If you just stick a finger in at the side you can usually pop them off the boob for a re-latch pretty easily.
I went to UK when my DD was 5 months old for 5 weeks, and was a 9-10 hour time difference at time (clocks changed over there while there) - I didn't do anything different to what I would do here (demand but about every three hours during daytime), the first two days she probably had a few more feeds and then I would say that I felt full in the morning and less full in the evening again. I would do exactly what you do in Australia with regards to the top up feeds. I thought that supply would work according to when you are getting most rest (e.g. fuller in morning because have had more rest overnight - theoretically anyway), so the quicker you personally adjust to the new time zone the quicker you will feel milk supply times reflect those in Australia. Is supply and demand and I don't think there is really a clock that milk supply follows, just your normal body clock and sleep times leads to more milk at times than others, so I would definitely just do what you were doing in Australia and make sure you get into UK time zone.
Hi,
Changing timezones make no difference at all to your milk supply. Our bodies respond to our baby's demands - not the clock. Siple recipe - the emptier your breasts are the more milk they make.
You will find, however, that the timezones mess with our bodies. It's common to feel jetlagged and out of sorts when you arrive in a new timezone. Babies often seek comfort at the breast in the form of more frequent feeds to help get over this stress. Doesn't mean you aren't producing enough milk - just that you are a bit out of sorts.
Get yourselves, including your little one, out into the sunshine - this helps reset our body clocks.
Re the sore nipples - take care with positioning and attachment. It may be easier now you are home, and without the recent distractions. YOur baby's age makes no difference to his sucking - breastfeeding is not meant to hurt
Barb if there was any sunshine here in England rest assured I would be out in it! Ha ha. Unfortunately average temperature has been about 5 degrees since we arrived and its rained every day!!!!
It looks like he is looking for some extra feeds to sort himself out. He woke 5 times last night which was a complete shock to my system I can tell you. Especially as he never really did that as a little baby.
Will keep an eye on his attachment - he is inclined to jump on and off but will try repositioning if he is hurting me.
I thought you were going the other way - you had been in the UK and were returning to Oz. Think of how different it must be for your little one - everything in his world turned upside down. New people - new sights and smells. But mum is his rock - and when your nipple is in his mouth he knows you are going no-where. Hope you have a lovely holiday - and just think - you get to do this all again in reverse when you come back!
Time zone changes
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