Breastmilk Slowing Down

Hi, well I nursed 5 of my 6, and the ability is from supply and demand. The other factors in your life that cause a slow down are exaustion, and lack of nutrision. lots of liquid and fresh food. As a baby gets older they require less milk and more food so that plays in on the factor. It will become more for your bonding time and less for his nurishment.

G M,
Hello. I used a wonderful natural product called More Milk Plus Capsules (it was the only way I was able to produce anything really - that's another story), you could maybe find them at a health food store, but I got mine online.

I also tried Reglan (Dr. prescribed) and it helped a little, but not much. So, I would recommend the natural supplement route. Best of luck to you.
~ J.

Good Morning,
I have also been in your boat. My supply was never enough for either of my 2 boys. I took herbal supplements recommended by my lactation consultants. I took Fenugreek 3 capsules 3 times a day and Blessed Thistle 3 capsules 3 times a day. It made a HUGE difference in my milk supply. The Fenugreek is the main ingredient in the Mother 's Milk tea. It is also used to flavor artificial pancake syrup. It will make you smell very sweet like maple syrup. I was told if your spouse (or whomever) cannot smell the sweetness, then you are not taking enough. I know it sounds like a lot, but that is the dose I took. I found them both at my local GNC Nutrition store. You can also call your local lactation consultant for advice. I hope this helps! Keep us posted and God bless you and your family!

Hey, I have been the same boat having trouble with supply while home. I have a six month old. There are several things I have read and it says that the back up supply is the culprit... The more you use that, the less you make, unless you are pumping during the time you are supplementing. If she has to nurse more often then she does, but supplementing is only going make it worse because you are telling your body more and more, that you need less milk. Try not to do that while you are home. Also I have used the Mother's Milk tea everyday for the last 3 months and it really helps, i drink 2 cups a day. They have it at some Target's now, and i am not sure where you live, but the health food store on I-240 also has it(unless we bought them out of it :)). Just drink one cup at first and then see how it goes you will be amazed. My Dr said it was safe. There are also some other herbs you can try, but i had more luck with the tea than anything else. And of course drink more water, that always helps! Main thing dont give up! You can make it!

Hi! I'll second the use of Fenugreek. The same thing happened to me with my son (who is now five) and my twin girls (who are 11 months and still nursing!). I think around 9 months we just get busy and things are flowing so naturally...add in that babies are starting to get nutrition from other sources too and it just happens...a dip in supply. A few days of drinking more water and Fenugreek and I was back up and going strong with my supply. Good luck!

Yay for you! I just went to all formula with my 5-mo-old DD because with a crazy work schedule and not enough chances to pump during the day, it just dwindled. I noticed that fenugreek worked (health food stores, or check the spices in the local Indian market if you have one - cheaper!) and I also had some Nursing Support tea. I am like the other mom who never seemed to really have enough - so irritating!! I really wish I could've gone longer than I did, but I guess that is life. :\

The work days are affecting your supply. The only way to keep up supply is to continue putting out the demand. What I mean is to find other times of day to nurse or pump more often. Pumping is NOT the same as nursing your baby. I don't have a medical explanation, only experience. Nursing more often will help, even if it's through the night at this point. (You wouldn't want to continue nursing through the night long-term due to tooth decay.)

It's amazing that you have a frozen supply---KUDOS to you! (When my second child started sleeping through the night better and skipped nursing, I got up to pump so that my supply would remain the same.) Also, drinking more fluids, especially water, and avoiding caffeine (which you probably avoid already) because it dehydrates you. Document how often you drink and how many ounces for a few days; most people do not drink enough; nursing mothers must stay hydrated. Having a personal water bottle can help gauge your intake. Finally, a good health food store will have supplements you can take to help your milk supply; I have no experience with them so I can't vouch for them. However, if I were desperate I would try the herbal supplements. I hope this helps. God bless!

Are you going to be or already have your child in daycare? Maybe it is a sign that it is time to start weaning from breast milk to formula and then on to whole milk. I was going to nurse until at least a year, but ended up stopping at around 10 months. At this time I transitioned to part formula/part breast milk, then all formula, then part formula/part whole milk and then completely to whole milk between 10-12 months old. After all, my son was going to start daycare at 1 year old, and all they provide there is whole milk. So, it ended up working out really well this way so that he was completely on to whole milk for daycare. It also was a great way to dry up all of my breast milk without being too much of a shock to my body. Be proud that you have nursed this long! I sure was, and all of my friends are amazed that I even made it past just a few weeks...I went back to work when my son was 6wks old, working 8-5, and pumping twice a day. I was also lucky that I made an overabundance of milk compared to most, although in the beginning it was very frustrating because I soaked my shirts - no pad I tried other than wash cloths could do the job of holding up the leaking! Anyhow, congrats on your accomplishment and good luck!

Because your body produces milk in a supply and demand, you need to increase the demand...in other words, pump more. After nursing your baby, pump for about 10 min...even if nothing is coming out, especially on your work days. Your body will increase your supply. I never tried the herbs others have suggested but they sound great.
God Bless!
B.
(BTW I nursed 4 babies past a year and exclusively pumped for my first who was hospitalized)

I've heard that drinking a beer a day really helps the supply. My friends sister in law got sick and had to go into the hospital for several days and totally dried up. She read up on drining a beer a day, did it and her supply came fully back. When we took our breastfeeding class when I was preg. that if you wern't drunk the baby would not be affected (or just do it after you put the baby down for the night).

This happened to me. The only thing you can do is pump more often and for a longer time. You should use a commercial grade double pumper. It might come back, but never the way it was before. The more frequent pumping will signal your body to keep producing milk.