Supply diminishing...I Don't Want to Stop BF Yet!

You are NOT done nursing, so perish the thought. Make sure you are getting enough water, nurse on demand whenever possible and contact a local La Leche League to get more information to attain your nursing goals. You can go to a meeting, talk to a leader or someone can come to your home to help you. Just don't give up and always there is help a phone call away. Is there a lactation specialist where you delivered? They can be of help as well. Try pumping while nursing or right after. You CAN get your supply back up and go on to a long and healthy nursing career. I had lots of trouble early on and then went on to nurse two healthy girls, tandem nursing for a fully year. It is a window of opportunity that has a life long positive impact on both you and your baby.

Good luck and hang in there!
J.

I went through this exact same thing- slowly my pumping sessions went from decent results, to sometimes as little as an ounce or two. Very frustrating! I eventually quit because my line of work didn't work well with pumping. However, I did want to share something that I didn't do- you can go to a bottle of formula a day plus your 10 oz. I am not sure of your work schedule- but can you sneak in an extra pumping session?

You are doing an amazing thing by pumping and working, that is a huge sacrifice!

My child's pediatrician gave me a prescription for a medicine (that I had to get from Canada) call domperidone (I think). It worked wonders for me, and I know she prescribed it to many working Mom's.

Don't worry - you're just in the 6 month slump! I got out of it about a month ago, as my little girl is just over 7 months old now. Your supply should start to improve, but if you're concerned you could certainly try some safe supply boosters. Fenugreek is popular, although I haven't tried it. Apparently you're taking enough when your sweat & urine smell like maple syrup. :) I've heard it can take a couple of days to get a noticeable boost. You can also google for a recipe for lactation cookies - probably the yummiest option. They incorporate flax meal & brewer's yeast (available at health food stores) to boost supply & the effect was immediately noticeable for me. They only affect lactation in women who are already lactating, so your husband could safely eat them!

You might consider talking with daycare to find out how they are feeding your daughter. Many breastfed babies bottle-feed very differently than formula-fed babies. This seems basic (and I hope it's not insulting), but do they know they can reuse an unfinished bottle for the next feeding?

Two great resources are kellymom.com and workandpump.com. They have great info about pumping, boosting supply & bottlefeeding breastfed babies.

Good luck, and congratulations on making this far!

There were several times while I was breastfeeding/pumping for my two kids that my supply would drop. I got some Fenugreek from GNC and took it to bring my supply up. It worked really well. I did 2-3 pills a day until my supply came back. Also try eating oatmeal and drinking a lot of fluids. Also pump more often. Pump as much as you can at once and then try again 15-30 minutes later if you can. Good luck! I know how frustrating it can be.

First, relax! Your supply is fine. Your body is having a drop in hormones right now, so your milk supply is evening out. I know yhou need more for daycare, so there are a few things you can do. First, eat a bowl of oatmeal every day. For some reason, this makes milk supply increase quite a bit. Next drink water to thirst, don't overdo it, but drink water only whenever you are thirsty. A beer a day has been known to help too. If you want to try other things, get some Mothers Milk Tea, and you can also talk to a lactation consultant and ask about taking Fenugreek.

Try adding a pumping session while you are at home. If you can pump an hour or two after your baby goes to bed, or get up an hour before she wakes and pump, hyou will get that extra milk. In the morning, if you wake and pump before her, you will still have plenty of milk to nurse her for breakfast.

Just try to relax, and add an extra pumping session in when your baby is sleeping, and try one of the things above. You can easily continue nursing, your supply is fine. And remember that your baby can nurse out ounces more than any pump, so even if you have to supplement at dacare, yoiu can easily continue nursing when you are together. :)

If you want to increase you milk supply without taking herbal pills I would try pumping right after you baby has finished breastfeeding. You have already let down and the milk is flowing, you will be telling your body it needs to produce more. Try to pump for at least 10-15 min. Hope this help GOOD LUCK!!!

Hi C.,

Why would you stop breastfeeding altogether just because your supply is diminishing?? You've gotten some great advice on how to increase your supply and handle your situation, so I will add that breastfeeding does not have to be an "all" or "nothing" situation. My last few weeks of pumping, I was only producing enough milk to mix in with my son's oatmeal. (At that point, he was drinking formula in his bottles.) ANY breastmilk you can give your baby is great.

If you decide to supplement with formula, YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE. The sheer fact that you are breastfeeding while working is downright awesome.

Pumping is wonderful, but the cold hard fact is that pumping is not the same as your baby nursing. Many women experience less milk production when pumping.