Milk Supply Going Down

I had the same problem when I went back to work a few months ago, and saw a lactation consultant. She recommended Fenugreek, which is an herbal remedy, as well as Mother's Milk tea, both of which you can get at nutrition stores. The tea tastes like black licorice, which I didn't love, so I put milk and sugar in it, and it was much better that way.

I've also had two other friends with supply problems, and they also use the Fenugreek and Tea. I think it works differently on everyone, because they can take just a few capsules/day and it doubles their supply, while I had to take 9-12 capsules of Fenugreek/day just to keep my same supply, however I had supply problems from day one, so maybe that's the difference.

Hang in there, I can empathize with all of the extra work pumping requires. Best of luck.

http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_fenugree...

Just to get just 4 oz I used to drink 8 -10 oz water or any fluid. I remember samolina used to help increase the milk supply.

Hi B.,
I hope that you are doing well.

I am a mom of 9 month old twins & have been pumping since they were born. Have you tried More Milk Plus by Motherlove Herval Company? It is a 100% Vegetarian Herbal Supplement which contains Fenugreek (a key to increasing milk supply). It's available on-line at motherlove.com and The Pump Station (locations in Santa Monica & Hollywood). It's a bit pricey, however it really helps to increase milk supply.

I also found that eating a lot of protein & drinking plenty of water & juice helped as well.

Take Care,
S.

Dear B.,
More advice to add to all the others....
Often when moms pump at work, their mind is busy with thoughts of work and all the other responsiblities related to family needs. Try to focus and think about your baby when pumping. Stay off the phone and computer! Look at a photo of her or close your eyes and imagine she's at the breast. Take an item of clothing she has worn and hold it close to your face (nose). Your brain will pick up on her scent even if you don't notice it. It's not just a physical response but an emotional connection too. I used these techniques when I was working as an LC in the NICU with moms who needed to pump for months before they could nurse and these simple changes can really make a difference. Good luck

Does your baby sleep though the night? I had a "supply" issue when I was pumping full time at work when my son was four months old but it ended up not being a supply issue at all. Is your baby nursing a lot (or at all) during the night?

I'm going to post a link to an article I discovered on kellymom.com and it was a total life saver for me. It just saved my sanity because I would have been devastated to stop breastfeeding at only four months old. I hope this helps you and answers some questions for you.... Also, on kellymom.com you might want to read over some of the articles about delaying solid foods. Those were also very informative.

good luck!

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/4mo-sleep.html

anyway, i wanted to add... about the article... if you find that this might be your problem, we had to make our baby's bottles smaller during the day. we slowly decreased them about a half ounce at a time. it caused some issues with our child care at the time but it was worth the struggle. my pumping output was decreased in half (like how you describe) but my son was getting his milk mainly at night instead of day time since he stopped sleeping through the night. and that was such a huge relief because it wasn't a supply issue at all! Just a timing issue!!! feel free to email me if you want ... ____@____.com

when i had my first child i got a kidney infection about 3 months after he was born. i called the lactation nurse at the hospital and she told me to go to the health store like gnc... and get an herd called fenugreek and brewers yeast and take it as it says on the bottle i did and my milk was back in full swing about 24 hours later. good luck and let me know how it goes.
C.

HI B.,

I HAVE A 15 MONTH OLD BABY GIRL AND I STILL B/FEED HER SHE HAS BEEN A 100% B/FEED BABY. When my milk supply was going down I used FENUGREK it works really good and it helps get your milk supply right back up. I will also tell you my mothers secret on how you can really getting b/milk supply back up. All you got to do is drink as much a su can take of this home recipes.

1. Latin (MEXICAN)hot chocolote (LA ABUELITA)the ones that come in tablets.

put 3 cups of milk in to a pot to low-heat ones it hot add a 1/2 of the chocolate tablet to the hot milk and sugar as you like move it back in forth for about 10 min on low-heat. Drink as much as you want 6-8oz 3 time a day is good. You can have it with bread cookies ext. let me tell you it works 100% you can make up to 4oz or b/milk per breast.

2. Oatmeal with milk (AVENA CALIENTE)

Put 3 cups of milk in a pot in med-heat about 10 min or so or until it gets hot. Then add the 2 cups of org oatmeal then add sugar as you like. move it back an forth until it boils just a little. let it cool down not much and drink it 3 to 4 time a day. 6-8oz is good

NOTE: you can also put this recipes together and you will get milk like there is no tomorrow.

Well I hope this work let me know and good luck.
you can always e-mail me if you have any questions. ____@____.com

M. P

B.,

Right around 5 months is where it seems like if you are going to have supply problems, that is when you have them. I've heard it is when your milk supply switches from hormonally driven to supply & demand driven. I don't know what type of pump you are using, but you'd do best if you have a reasonably new pump that is at least as good as a Medela Pump In Style. It is best to double pump with some sort of a hands free system (I have an Easy Expressions Halter that I got off ebay but the Easy Expressions Bustier seems to be easier to find). I belong to a yahoo group called PumpMoms. I'd highly recommend that you join. You will get all sorts of tips and advice. Some things that may help you: making sure you are eating a fairly balanced diet with enough protein and fat, eating oatmeal, drinking plenty of water, pumping more (more sessions or longer sessions or both), double pumping, their are herbs, medications and all sorts of other things you can try. You should also look over your pump to make sure you aren't having an equipment failure. If you do have a Medela Pump In Style there are white membranes that attach to the yellow valves that attach to the horns. If you haven't replaced those, you should. They wear out and it reduces the suction. If I can help, email me ____@____.com. I pumped for my older son until he was 16 months old and I'm still pumping for my younger son and he's 7 months old. I've done LOTS of pumping.

:-)T.

Its hard to say but some moms find that during there cycle they do produce less milk. A lactation consultant at my job takes an herb during her cycle to avoid the dip. But unless there was a change in birth control then the baby around 5 months old may decide she is going to wait for mommy. You may notice lots of nursing in the evening and throughout the night. Then on weekends more normal patterns every 3 hours. Either way your body matches what she is requesting. As she is getting older you have the option of doing pace bottle feeding which is bottle feeding 1 oz at a time trying to stimulate the slow flow of the breast as well as introducing the solids which it sound like you have. So I guess its not a clear answer and it also depends on your nursing goals as far as herbs teas etc.

Also the type of pump matters. Usually if they are made by the bottle companies avent, evenflo, gerber etc....The motor dies slowly. Good pumps dont have to be expensive...Names like madela, nurture III, and ameda are great.

You can consult your physician, however I was advised to take an herbal vitamin called milk thistle.
Best of luck to you and your baby

I struggled with milk supply loss and It saounds to me like you may have to pump more offen but for les time. So try to pump 5 times and pump for 10-15 minutes and see if that helps. She still needs milk and will take more milk at one time but less times a day once she is on solid food like jar baby food. I know the small amounts of cereal for my son was never enough he became very hungry fast and so I would give him more cereal just with a little more water so I can save the milk. Water is fine for a baby her age and saves milk for other servings. When I began feeding my son baby cereal I was told by the dr to give it to him 2 times a day. maybe she can do one more cereal feeding a day. Give your body a chance to catch up again. Good luck. I hope I have been helpful.

Have you had alot of stress lately because if you stress or dont get enough sleep or rest it can decrease ur milk supply. I only feed my son breast milk for 3 to 4 months because I started to dry up due to alot of stress and bearly any sleep, even though i drank plenty of water it just stopped coming. So try to relax and ask your husband for help afterwork so you can rest

When you are pumping your supply will continue to decrease. You need to pump while you are nursing during the first morning feeding. I use the handheld Avent pump and pump one side while the baby feeds on the second - then when I switch sides I switch the pump - it takes a bit of manuvering, but eventually you and the baby will get the hang of it.

The other thing you can try is to drink malt. - They told me beer or near bear, but Ovaltine has a lot of malt too if the baby can handle the chocolate.

I also used to drive home and nurse the baby during my lunch break - that really helped so I didn't need to pump so much.

Hi B.,

I struggled with supply for pretty much the whole time I was breastfeeding. There are so many reasons your supply is fluctuating. You can support your supply with More Milk Plus - you can get it at Henry's, Jimbo's, or other organic type grocery stores. It's a bit expensive, but it really works. It's a tincture that you put into your water and it tastes pretty foul, but worth it for peace of mind. The teas are good too, but not quite as effective, at least for me.

A lactation consultant that I had at the start told me that the key ingredient to look for in tinctures and teas is blessed thistle. It's the stuff in More Milk Plus that really pumps up your supply. You can also get blessed thistle in plain herb form and make your own caplets of that mixed with Fenugreek, but I was more comfortable with a pre-mixed solution, plus it can be hard to find blessed thistle.

When you have your time off on weekends or in the evenings, you can also try to nurse your daughter more often. She is the best tool to pump up your supply. Try taking a bath with her to wind down and nursing her in the bath, it might help both of you relax as you settle into your working and daycare routines.

Good luck! You're doing everything right, keep it up, it is so worth it.

I went through the same thing and spoke w/ my doctor, she told me I needed much more stimulation. That in actuality I needed to pump about 5 times a day for atleast 20 mins. Also, you need to make sure you're still eating the extra calories needed to produce mile, I noticed that when I went back to work with both of my daughters I was so busy concentrating on working so I could leave and be w/ my girls that I wasn't eating as much as I should have been. Needless to say I started pumping more and made sure to eat. . it helped. There's also teas at Whole foods and trader joes (since there are none around here I laughed at my Dr. when she told me this) that can help stimulate your milk flow. I didn't try those but a friend of mine did, she said they helped.

Good luck!!

This is the unfortunate fact of breast-pumps: they just don't mimic nursing well enough to keep a good supply going. You may have to pump longer or more often, or you may need to try another pump. Fenugreek does work, but you have to take 3 caps 3x per day. That's a lot of pills. I never noticed any benefit from the tea, but others swear by it. In either case, the key is consistency. You can also try nursing more often when you get home, if your daughter will allow it. Being a working mom is hard, especially when you're trying to keep breastfeeding.
Another hindrance to a good milk supply is stress. All those stress hormones can impact your milk for the worse. If your job is stressful, or if the milk supply worry is really getting to you, that may be contributing. Try to relax as much as you can. You're doing a wonderful thing for your daughter by making the effort. Keep it up, and kudos to you!

Hi B.!

You can try some Mother's Milk tea. It can *really* help to boost your milk supply, as well as getting plenty of water in, and plenty of rest. Unfortunately, since pumping isn't the same as breastfeeding ( to your breasts ) it often doesn't have the same result. Do you have a picture of her that you look at while pumping? That visualization will often help. You can also contact your local LLL chapter for help. : )

Hope it all works out! You're giving such a great gift to your daughter!

Christy

In the book - New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding (American Academy of Pediatrics - I got from my Pediatrician) www.aap.org
I have read that your milk volume also depends on the needs of your child. The more the child is hungry, the more often she feeds until your body catches up with 'noticing' that she is eating more and more often. In the same way you have to mimic that behavior with how you pump. So to increase the milk your body will make, pump more often and longer time periods, each time you pump. Even though nothing may be coming out, if you keep doing that, like a child would, your body will adjust to make more milk.

With my second child I had to go back to work full time after her 3rd month and I pumped at work too. I was able to continue the pumping and feeding regularly at home until she was 11 months. I noticed that sometimes, I wasn't making enough and she had to be supplemented with formula. So, I would pump longer and more often. Since you're at work, it's harder to get more time to stop and pump so maybe try something like first thing in the morning at work, then your usual break time, once before lunch and again at the end of lunch (1 hour later?) then again at an afternoon break and again just before you go home? You probably won't see much difference at first but I think over a couple days there could be a difference.

I used to pump at my desk with the door closed and continue working on my computer while I pumped so that I wouldn't get bored or loose too much time. If you have the luxury of doing that, then you won't feel like it takes a long time.

All the best,
J.

hi B.,
i have this tea that my friend got me. its called organic nursing moms from yogi teas. it works really good. it kinda tastes like black licorice, but it works really good. mdrink like two cups a day and you will notice a big difference. im not sure where to get it, but i know whole foods has a similar tea called mother's milk.

good luck

Good for you for sticking with breastfeeding! Breastfeeding is "supply and demand," so it may be harder to maintain your supply now that you've replaced a few feedings with pumping (which isn't quite as effective at keeping your milk supply up). Good work on staying hydrated. Also, you may want to look into galactogogues to help boost your supply - fenugreek taken as an herbal supplement is one and oatmeal is another to try. There are some great resources online - check out the articles on breastfeeding at www.kellymom.com. Good luck!

Hi B.,

I had the same problem with my milk supply when I went back to work. In the instructions of my breast pump it said to have a picture of your baby to look at to help. That didn't work for me but maybe it will work for you. I believe the milk supply gets low because you are not pumping as much as your baby nursed. You may be pumping the same amount of ounces she ate but she probably would nurse more than 3 times while you're at work. I really don't know the answer that is just my guess. My auntie told me to drink beer because the yeast in the beer is supposed to help you produce more milk. I never tried it so I don't know if it really works but she said she had a friend that tried it and it worked for her.

i've been breastfeeding for 10 months; and i have had trouble with my milk production too. i returned to work after six weeks and pump three times a day. i tried fenugreek, reglan and finally had success with domperidone. my ob/gyn gave me a prescription for it but i could only order it through an on-line international pharmacy from england. i did a ton of research on it and learned that it has no side fx and has really really helped. i really don't understand why the fda hasn't approved it yet.

I had surgery when my 2nd daughter was 5 months, i was in hospital 2 weeks and completeley dried up. i got a hold of le leche league and they helped so much. ended up we supplimented what we had to and i put her on the breast as much as she would let me day and night and my milk came back!!!!!! she refused to take a bottle after that again, lol. Fenugreek at the sunrise natural food store is what they had me take too ti help increase milk. i think the suppliment and constant nursing, it worked!
With my 3rd!!! i was stressed and could not relax and she could not wait, i lost my milk :( (by this time i had implants and could still nurse but i think my supply was less than would have been without them)

People may not agree with me on this, but I had to take a pill called reglan to get my milk going real good with my 1st son....Its a stomache med but the side affect is lactation. It works great.

Good luck!

B.,

I went through almost the exact same situation about 7 yrs ago with my 1st child. Speaking with other nursing moms, local nurses and lactation consultants helped. I got info regarding herbal remedies/dietary supplements to help increase my milk supply. I used two items - 1) Traditional Medicinals herbal dietary supplement ORGANIC MOTHRE'S MILK herb tea and 2) Solaray dietary supplement FENUGREEK (trigonella foenum-graecum).

The 1st item is a caffeine free herb tea that promotes "healthy lactation". The 2nd item is an herbal supplement in capsule form. I used both items, with the approval of our pediatrician, and realized a marked increase in my milk production within 3-4 days. Both items can be found at most whole food stores.

I am now the mother of a 7 week old baby girl. My 2nd daughter had an amazing "growth spurt" at week 3 and I was not producing enough milk to keep up, so I relied upon the herbal remedies I used with my 1st child - they didn't let me down. I have also passed that info along to a good friend who had her daughter on the same day as my 7 week old and it worked great for her, as well. I hope it works for you!

Hi B., I had the same problem with my first child when I went back to work, I was so tired from working it was hard to motivate myself to pump as much as needed and thats the key. As your child gets older they need more milk so you have to pump more. I took fenugreek as suggested by others but beware for the syrup smell that your body sweats out. Its a little nasty but worth it.

This sound weird, but its true> Try having a beer, there is something in it weather is be the hopps or yeast or somthing helps your milk production. I had that problem this morning, so I tossed back a beer, which I am not fond of, UGH, and already I was about to fill up a 4oz bottle again :)

Kind of a personal question, but have you gotten your periods back since having your baby. Not very many people talk about it, but I definitely noticed decreased production during that week each month when I was pumping. Then the next week it went back up.
The Mother's Milk tea and oatmeal really do help too.

Hi,
This happened to me with both of my boys. My Dr. told me to keep a picture of my child with me while I pumped at work...but this did not work for me. I eventually had to switch to formula and just breast fed as much as would come out at night. I think the only way to get more milk supply is pump more often, but that is usually not possible at work. My 2nd child - I did not work and the same thing happened again...I even tried pumping more often - but my milk did not come back. I had to switch to formula with him too. Someone suggested to me to get a more powerful pump which I did not try.
Both of my boys (now 10 and 3) are just fine and I was happy I was able to breast feed for the first 5months for both of them.

There is a tea that can help with your milk supply. It's called Mother's Milk tea. You can get it at Whole Foods or Wild Oats. They may have it at Ralphs. I've never checked. You can also take Fenugreek. It's an herb that is used to promote lactation. I did all of these things to keep my supply up.

Hang in there, your experience isn't uncommon. I nursed 3 children. With my son, I worked full time, and continued nursing til he was 18 months. I, too, found pumping diminished my milk supply. However, I found that my production continued to be sufficient for his needs in the evening and mornings. He started eating more solids during the day when I was working, and continued nursing when I returned home (even through the night). Breast feeding is amazing, your body will adjust to the individual needs of you and your baby.

Hi B.! :)

Yeah, pumping can do that, unfortunately. I can recommend one thing and that is eating a lot of oats. (Cheerios, oatmeal, oatmeal cookies etc) I have to be careful to this day because I get a LOT of milk coming in if I eat oats. lol Everyone I've recommended it to so far---also had good results.

Good luck!
M.

have you been to the dr? there may be some illness causing low milk. have you tried pumping more? I know it sounds crazy, but I had a friend who had a problem with milk supply, and her dr told her to drink one beer a day. i guess the yeast in the beer helps produce more milk.

I was never successful at pumping, but I would imagine that your body is responding to a decreased nursing time/desire during the times you do nurse her. I was told try pumping for 10-15 minutes after I gave my son his evening "drink". If she's taking less at night, pumping when she's done may help you let down the rest, and produce a little more. Even if you only get 2-3 oz, it will give you more to offer during the day while you're at work. You may also choose to do the same before leaving for work in the morning. Also be sure that YOU are getting enough calcium. I have heard that you may drop production levels if your body doesn't have enough stored calcium. I was also told that your milk changes every few months, so you may be in a transition stage right now. Perhaps you're pumping less, but it has just as much nutrients and calories.

If worst comes to worst, keep doing what you have all along, and add 6-8 oz of formula a day. I have always been a SAHM, but even with nursing him on demand, I still had to give his 8 oz a day by 8 weeks. I couldn't keep up with the demand, even without having to worry about a pump. Using formula doesn't make you a failure of a mom, or an unsuccessful breast feeder. You have to provide what your child needs, even if it has to be the 2nd best thing for her. I nursed my son for 17 months and rarely had to provide more than 12 oz a day none breast milk. You are doing great, keep it up and hang in there! :O) ~J

Hi B.,

I used Mothers milk tea and also fenugreek when I was breast feeding, not at the same time.

Mothers Milk tea can be found at Safeway or your vitamin/health food store, fenugreek I found at GNC.
I started with the tea, but discovered the fenugreek came in capsules and was more cost efficient.

I stopped using them around ds 12 months because you will notice a major increase in your milk supply and of course you will not be needing as much milk as you do now.

These supplements should help you when you are needing to pump.

Good luck~A.

I haven't read all the replies but I know eating oatmeal helps and I know there is a tea called Mother's Milk Tea, I heard this works too. Do you pump at the same time everyday, even weekends? I remember the lactation consultant saying that is important to do it at the same time and even on weekends too. I know in the morning is when pumping works best, I can't remember why, do you have time to pump in the morning like after your shower?

If your baby has slowed down the nursing sessions in the evenings that may also bring your supply down. One more important thing I remember is to relax and don't look at the pump when you are pumping. Remember as long as there is demand there will be a supply so hang in there. You may want to contact someone from your local laleche league to see if they have any other advise.

I have been breastfeeding 12m DD and taking Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea. It`s great...

Dear B.,

I shouldn't even be answering your letter because I don't know from personal experience, but I can give it a good guess and you can check it out with mothers who really know.

For one thing pumping is artificial - and the milk production is prompted by the nearness of you and the baby - and the time of day that is usual to breast feed. Why don't you just ask the doctor for a recommendation for a formula and then slowly get her used to the formula before your milk is not coming around at all. Maybe your body is ready to stop breast feeding, maybe maybe. You have given her a great beginning. Good luck, C. N.