Is my milk supply running out?
Question by Karen B: My baby is nine weeks old. Over the last 3-4 weeks, breastfeeding has just gotten easier and easier – except for this week.
Since my daughter was 4 weeks old I have been expressing around a third of her meals to make life easier and she switched between the bottle and breast just fine.
Over the last few days, my breasts have been very soft and feel empty. She struggles with her feeds, and fusses like the milk either isnt there, or isnt enough to make her happy. When I try to express a meal for her instead I cannot get more than 30ml from both breasts together!
Please help, I do not want to give her formula. I have been trying to increase my supply by expressing between meals and feeding her more frequently – but she still seems hungry!
Any ideas?????? Thanks.
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breast fed babies are usually very hungry alot of the time- lol- like non stop feeding. If u are pumping and milk is coming, then she is gettign fed. Listen for her swallowing and all. Getting stressed can make ur supply diminish so yes, its possible that u are losing your milk. Just keep expressing, and speak to a lactation consultant. good luck hun
Just increase pumping, when you are nusrsing for all feedings when the baby wants to increase supply they suckle more, which make more milk flow within a couple days, you just need to increase supply, let her nurse more & pump more your body will catch up. Lots of Luck!
see your doctor there is med to increase milk supply and in the mean time heat and massage help circulate but you may just not be able to produce enough I know I had to stop both times at 5 weeks
Visit a lactation consultant. They can help you alot with this plus you can get nursing moms tea at heath food stores it is high in blessed thistle and fennel which are good for increasing your milk supply. Are you staying well hydrated and feed your body can not make milk if it isn’t well nourished. Also baby could be going through a growth spert and that if why she seems hungry alot more. Don’t loose faith hang in there it take 3 days to make changes in your milk supply find you a La Leache League in your area to join for the support of other moms. Good Luck and keep taking great care of your baby.
The exact same thing happened to me. After about two and a half months that I had my daughter my breasts didn’t feel as full, just soft and empty. I tried expressing- no luck. You know what though? She never would take a bottle and here we are two months later, my breasts still feel soft but my daughter is excusivly breastfed. She’s even chunky for her age. My doctor said that not letting down while pumping is your body’s way to preserve milk for your baby so while you still have a ton there, it just won’t come out. The reason they’re soft is because you are not engorged anymore and your milk supply has regulated itself to where it makes just what is needed for your baby. Keep nursing, you and your baby will be fine! Perhaps she’s crying because she’s full and you’re trying to make her nurse when she isn’t hungry. Or maybe she just needs to suck, or she’s tired. Anyhow, see a lactation consultant just in case but my guess is everything milk wise is fine. Best of luck.
Don’t give up!! Sometimes it helps to pump while you nurse…
Just keep pumping and nursing every 2 -3 hours. Drink lots of water!
I went to a couple of La Leche League meetings and they can help you. I also would call the lactacion consultant at the hospital where I delivered.
Congratulations to you!!
Slow down on the pumping. It’s a bad way to gauge your supply because the pump isn’t as efficient as a baby in getting milk.
You see the amount that’s pumped and get stressed. Stress can hurt production.
Take a weekend, maybe just a Saturday. Get a big jug of water and some snacks. Have a book close by. Crawl into bed with your girl. Let her nurse whenever she wants. Sleep whenever you want. Just rest, nurse and be with your baby with no distractions for a day. Nursing frequently is the best, most efficient way to increase your supply.
Check out the link below. It’s one of the best breastfeeding information sites out there.
First off, you need to take into consideration what you are doing and what you are eating, these can have dramatic effects. Secondly, the best option is for you to call your physician,or if you don’t have one hospitals usually have a nurse hot-line number where they will be able to provide better advice. You certainly don’t want to be under feeding your baby, so if diet changes (higher calorie intake, getting all your required nutrients, etc.) don’t make a timely difference, you should get some type of medical advice, because there are several causes for low supply. Anyway, congratulations and good luck.
Never measure your milk supply based on what you can pump!!
You are going to have some oversupply and some undersupply until your body adjusts to your baby. She’s only 4 weeks, she could have nipple confusion since you are using a bottle. You may have to try different nipples until she finds one that is more like yours. Bottles are easier to work, she has to put in very little effort to get milk from a bottle where when you breastfeed, she has to use her tongue and create a latch and suction. The more you let her nurse, the better your supply will be. You could possible just not produce enough milk, but you don’t have to give up nursing. Call your doctor and let them know that you are having supply issues and they can call in a prescription of Reglan or domperidone. If you would rather go the natural route, you can try fenugreek or more milk plus. You also need to remember that babies have growth spruts and during these sputs, your supply with change.
I don’t know if this would be a concern for you, but when I went in for my postnatal checkup my OB/GYN put me on bc pills. I didn’t really question him about it. I told him that I was nursing and I asked him if the pills would affect that. He told me no, that the most that it would do would be bring my production down for a couple of days, but if I kept exclusively nursing everything would be fine. He lied. Needless to say, within two weeks I was completely dried up and had to switch over to formula because my son wasn’t getting anything. I didn’t even get engorged. I was pis#@$ off as was my family dr. when she found out at my son’s six week check up. So if you are taking bc pills stop and talk to your Dr. again. Other than that the only thing that I can tell you is to continue feeding on demand, try resting and drink LOTS of water. Being properly hydrated has a lot to do with how much you will produce. Best of luck to you.
One tip…Hydrate!! make sure you eat three healthy meals (which i know can be difficult with a new one in the house) and drink plenty of water.
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