Sudden Trouble Breastfeeding 10 Month Old

I've read most of the responses and agree with many of them but wanted to give you more proof of what others are saying.

My son is 10 months now and has only had breastmilk (along with solid foods). I pump twice a day at work and get barely enuf for the next days daycare bottles (about 3 ounces each side twice a day) plus I try to pump a little more at nite before I go to sleep. However, even with this little bit I get from pumping, he seems to get enuf from me when he's nursing. When we're home, he nurses between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 hours apart so I know he's not starving. If he were, then he'd nurse more often. And its true that we dont pump as much as the baby actually gets when he/she nurses so dont worry too much about that. As long as you're still able to nurse her at nite/in the morning, you're doing just fine.

AND I swear that Mother's Milk Tea(I got mine at any GNC store, Dartmouth Mall has one) helps. I used to drink it 3 times a day, and I saw an increase in my supply. (Had to add honey because the taste is a bit bitter, but it works)

Good luck and don't stress about it. She's almost a year and you can start whole milk then!!! I also am doing my best to stay away from formula because I only have a few weeks left until he's a year old.

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M.,
I am so sorry you are going through this.

Yes stress will affect your milk supply. I have found that the more you worry about how much you are producing, the less you will produce. It's a vicious circle.

Please call a lactation consultant and get their help before you make any decisions about supplementing. Not all doctors are "up" on breast feeding and how to help.

There is a tea you can drink that will help your supply - ofcourse I can't remember what its called right now! I've had several friends benefit from it.

And the more you nurse, the more milk you make. Your body will produce what your baby demands. At least in a perfect world.

Woman do struggle with supply and things do happen where their supply dries up or what not - but before you decide if that is the case with you, please call a lactation consultant and get some expert advice.

Good luck!!! I know this must be so stressful for you.

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Around this time my milk supply slowed as well. I took breastmilk supply vitamins (sorry can' think of the name now, but I am sure someone else will mention them). They worked so well, I just decided it wasn't worth the effort. My daughter decided she was done as well. We switched to soy milk until one year, then went to whole milk.

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get in contact with your local le lecha league, they are your best source of information for breastfeeding issues! my best reccomendation: keep nursing as much and as often as you can!. its all about supply and demand, the more she nurses, the more you will produce. there is absolutely no need to supplement with formula, in fact this will decrease your milk supply even further!. Also try mothers milk tea,
More Milk Plus (a supplement found at health food stores like whole foods) or fenugreek seed in capsule form, these help increase milk supply. Good luck!

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M.,
First congrats on bfing!! You are doing a wonderful job!! The other mom's have mentioned so many great things. I will tell you that I supplemented our first son, and regreted it. We stopped that and i worked hard to only bf. Our 2 since then have only been bf.
Eating oatmeal everyday helped me increase my supply. I also used mother's milk tea (which also comes in capsule form). And I pumped the one side that didn't seem to produce as much. It took a week to get that side to produce more, so please don't get dicouraged.
As for your little girls weight. If she is happy, healthy and your gut says not to worry, don't. Our first son was below the growth chart till about 1yr old. And he is "normal". I do get discouraged finding drs recommending formula so quickly.
Also, you could contact your LaLeche group near you for more support. If you are open to it, you might find some one who has an over supply and would give you some bm till you were pumping more. Just a thought.
Good Luck and keep up your greating parenting!!
M.

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First don't listen to the doctor because what you are experiencing is normal. there are times that I have pumped and barely got a drop when I used to almost fill the bottle.
If you aren't drinking enough fluids that will affect your supply and yu can take fenugreek tablets eat oatmeal or drinking nursing tea to help build your supply. I have found that during my period that I also pump less.
The stress of having trouble breastfeeding will also affect your supply.
I wouldn't worry tooo much since you said that you only work 2 days and are home with her most of the time. My daughter just turned a year and I stopped pumping as much as i used to pump(long story). I put her to the breast before and after naps and sometimes she'll nurse for a long time other times just for a few minutes. And I let her nurse throughout the night.
Good luck and just keep offering her the breast when you are at home. My daughter also started drinking less because she's more interested in food and everything else that is going on around her. I try not to worry about my supply because i do want to keep breastfeeding her, but worrying at this point won't help me or her.

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Hi M.~
I'm so sorry you're having this difficulty! Yes, in my experience, both stress & hormones can affect milk supply. Here are my sugestions: Give yourself a few weeks before supplementing with formula, unless your baby indicates that she's really not getting enough to eat (fussy all the time, nurses & fusses, changes in bowel movements or wet diapers,etc...). In the meantime, try to increase your milk supply by drinking Mama's milk tea (fenugreek)& lots of water, eat super-healthy too. Try practicing relaxation techniques (deep breathing, muscle relaxation, whatever) while nursing & pumping. But most importantly, nurse your baby as often as she'll let you. Get as much skin-to-skin contact as possible (hard to do in the winter - I end up taking baths with my baby all winter long & sleeping semi-clothed). Get as much baby contact in general -- sleep next to her, carry her around in a sling, whatever works. But most of all, nurse alot & don't panic. You may also want to contact your local La Leche League, I'm sure they;ll have lots of great suggestions. Good luck!

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You've got a ton of good responses and advice. I had a similar situation though I have been working outside the home since she was 12 weeks old full time so she does take a bottle of expressed breast milk. ANyway, I would always nurse her as much as possible when at home. When she was around 9 months she cut out all daytime nursing - she'd just turn her head away when I offered her the breast.It was right aroudn the time she started wanting to feed herself foods rather than be spoon fed - she liked eating cheerios etc, things she could pick up. SO we would nurse right before bed and first thing in the morning. Of course, I still pumped duriing the day but my yield was extremely low - maybe 3 ounces total. THen she cut out the nightime feed abot ta month and a half later.. THen right around a year - about two weeks after her birthday - when I sat down to nurse her in the AM she looked up at me and said NO and turned her head away. ANd that was that, no more nursing. I introduced organic cows milk at 1 year, she happily drinks it from her sippy cup (I use a NUBY with a soft spout to make it easier for her at first). I still pump AM and PM becuse I think it's very healthy for her to get my milk - but it's a total of about 2-3 oz I produce in those two sessions - and I feed it in her sippy cup or a bottle. I used mother's milk tea from when she first started refusing until she was about 15 months old but have stopped.Proper hydration and diet are useful in maintining milk supply too, but it will dimish as she nurses less.

Hope that hels _ you are in part of a natural process and shouldn't stress about it - she is getting what she needs and the more solid food she takes in the less she relies on the milk for her nutirion as she approaches her first birthday. SHe'll soon be eating everything you do! Best to you!

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My son is six months and I also work away from home 2 days a week. I don't think comparisons are usually helpful but I think it's pretty good if you have been consistently getting 6 oz with just one pumping session! From what I've read, when you drop a pump, your supply often goes down - sounds like that didn't happen for you. And your period can definitely affect supply - for some people, I think it's substantial.

And although that does seem to be not a lot of milk, if she is happy while you are gone, and her growth percentiles are basically average (was your doctor looking at the CDC charts or the WHO charts - the WHO (world health organization) are based on exclusively-breastfed babies, which tend to grow more in the first few months and then slow down.

You mentioned that she hasn't taken a bottle - does she get breastmilk while you are at work or does she do most of her nursing at night? If that's the case, and it's not new (meaning you've been back at work for a while), I'd worry even less because it means your daughter is regulating for herself.

So that said, here are my thoughts and my experience, if you do want to try to increase your supply (remember that your pumping supply is different from your nursing supply - the baby seems to be almost always more efficient). From what I've read (check out pumpmoms yahoo group if you want lots more ideas and advice), stress definitely plays a big factor -- no one really seems to know why, but for many moms, worrying about your milk seems to make it slower. I've definitely experienced that, and before/during pumping, I take deep breaths and try to relax and it seems to really help. I know it sounds totally new-agey, but it seems to have worked for me.

About 1 month ago, my pumping output also seemed to drop and it made me nervous b/c I'll be increasing my hours at work at some point. It was around this point with my first son that I also had a dip -- it never really came back, despite trying just about everything except for dom (more water, oatmeal, gatorade, hospital-pump).

I'm doing three things differently this time. When I'm at work, I'm trying to fit in a third pump session, which gets me 2-3 extra oz. The two bigger things are that I'm pumping every single night. I used to hate doing this but it's now part of my routine and I either watch TV or read blogs while I do it - which make it easier to leave the pump on for 30+ min (as long as it doesn't hurt). I also take shatavari about 2 hours before pumping at night and I've really noticed a difference - sometimes, it seems like I can actually feel my breasts filling up. That evening pump (extra time, shatavari, consistency - not sure which it REALLY is!) has allowed me to freeze extra, which has helped with my stress.

Hope those are some helpful tips - I'll end my ramble with remembering to trust your baby and your body. As someone else recommended, it could be worth following up with a lactation consultant if there is a good one in your area (do be sure to ask about her experience with evaluating supply and knowledge of pumping). It might also be good to follow-up with the doctor to find out if there is a concern about your baby's growth or if it was based on the amount of milk. That will help you evaluate the appropriate approach.

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First try to stay calm and not get ahead of yourself. Stress can definitely contribute, as can lack of sleep.

You have your period? That can decrease supply and my first few periods post partum I had a lot of discomfort nursing! A LOT. It gets better. DD was nursing a lot more frequently because of the dip in supply.

Just because you think your DD is not getting milk out, that is definitely not the case. The milk is coming out even if you think it feels like an empty bottle. It isn't. There comes a time after the first several months when we stop feeling full but that does not mean the milk isn't there. The act of your daughter sucking causes more milk production.

It is often the case that pumping will yield less than breastfeeding, so seeing so little doesn't mean that is what she is getting when she nurses. You are right that supplementing with formula will further decrease supply. You need to do what you are comfortable with. Since you seem opposed to formula, you should try to boost your supply first and get as much educated advice as you can (lactation consultant and LaLeche League) so you will be happy.

As others have suggested there are things that will increase your supply. Oatmeal is like a wonder producer for me. Seriously!! Mothers milk tea is great. Try those and nurse nurse nurse as much as you can. Your supply should pick right back up.

Call your local LaLeche League group. The leaders can be very helpful and supportive. They are moms who have breastfed babies and want to help you be succesful with your breastfeeding. They have training and deal with a lot of moms with issues, so please avail yourself of their experience and expertise.

Ane please stop telling yourself you are not producing enough milk for your baby. You need to give your body the right messages. Eat some oatmeal and tell your body to produce more milk. Really!

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Hi,
My milk supply got really low when I went back to work. I was so stressed and overwhelmed. I was worried about daycare. Several things I did helped. I started taking phenugreek (herbal supplement), drinking mothers milk tea, eating oatmeal for breakfast. I also increased my pumping to a minimum of 15 minutes. You may need to add some pumping sessions into your days home. I usually pump 1 hour after my baby's morning feeding and 2 hours after she goes to bed. This way I have a stash for her and am ahead of the game. I have not had to supplement. Also if you started on birth control this can also decrease your milk supply. It did for me so I had to stop. If your baby is eating solids, gaining weight and seems happy then go with what is working. It seems like no one is ever happy. Some kids are too chunky and they think you nurse to much, others too small. Babies can get much more milk from us than the pumps can. Try to get some rest and do things that help you relax. Stop worrying about not having enough milk. If your baby was hungry she would wake more to eat. Babies will do what they need to to survive. Good luck!

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Hi M.,

My daughter was Failure to Thrive starting at 6 months (which means she dropped down to a very low % on the growth chart and sometimes lost weight). I'm sure my milk supply was low, though I've heard that sometimes pumping amounts can be lower than a nursing child, simply due to the strength of suction and the experience. I'll tell you though, even though we supplemented and went through multiple stages to get her back to health, I breastfed her through the whole thing! Maybe she was only getting a few drops, but we were bonding and it was very important for us. I nursed her until her 3rd birthday and could still produce some drops when I squeezed my nipple at that point, so I know I had some milk, if not alot.

Regardless of what happens with your milk supply and even if you have to supplement, as long as Anjali wants to nurse, I encourage you to continue, even if just for the emotional connection it creates.

Good luck!
~L.

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HI....well I kind of had the same problem but mine started at around 4 mths. My son breastfed well for quite a while and never seemed to be without or even hungry. Up to four months he probably got formula about 3 times at night when I was either out or drank alcohol. He never had a problem with it and loved the bottle. When I first started breastfeeding I was able to pump a good amount out. Maybe 4-5 ounces out of each breast but at about three months when I pumped I maybe got 3 ounces out of one boob and if I was lucky 2 ounces out of the other. I really couldn't undertand what was going on and it was really fustrating because I was trying to save up for when I went back to work. Then when I went back to work I would pump and only get about 1.5 ounces out of each breast and that was waiting like four hours before I pumped. I was getting very fustrating and started really stressing out about it. I talked with my doctor about it and she said that the baby gets much more milk then when you pump and pumping really doesn't come close to how much a baby can get out of you....I then started taking the Fenugreek pills to help increase my supply because I really wanted to continue breastfeeding but that really only gave a couple extra ounces and I was unable to save up enough milk for him to eat fully the next day while I was at work. You really have to decide what you want to do because if you are stressing out about it your milk supply will definitely decrease. Stress is number one for decrease milk supply. You really should be drinking alot of fluids as well. I started stressing so much about it that I started to really feel like I should really think about what to do. I decided that four months exclusive of breastfeeding was better than none so I just switched to formula. If you have been nursing 10 months exclusive you shoudl be really proud. That is great but if it is going to stress you out it is not worth it to continue. Also there could be something else going on as well. My son had thrush in his mouth and I had it on my nipples so it started to really hurt when feeding and my nipples got kind of infected, at four months, so I think that also contributed to my decrease in milk. Honestly, it was so much easier just switching to formula than stressing about it. I was lucky because my son loved the bottle. And also, he was in the 75% for weight up until four months and when he went to the his four month appt he went down to 25%!!! So I think too he maybe wasn't getting as much as I thought though he never complained of hunger. So anyway, with formula and now food, he is 6mths now, he is getting back up there with weight. I think he is much happier and so am I. Hope this helped....
C.

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This may sound strange to hear especially that you are having your periods.
I have a 8 1/2 month old and was exclusively breastfeeding her, she would also pull on my nipples, ouch (which i thought was just teething) however I never could get much more than 3 oz at a pumping, which she would only take if I was gone.
Well it turns out that im pregnant and I thought that she was just clingy... I was able to ween her, which I found BF soo convenient. Anyhoo she wont take a bottle now to save her life but will eat w/spoon.
Maybe this will help you, I felt the circumstances a bit strange I was always told that a baby just knows and will stop feeding, that didn't happen and had to ween.

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well, stressing out about your supply certainly isn't helping, so try not to worry too much. i know, easier said than done.

a lot of women experience a temporary decrease in supply right around the time their period begins each month. usually it's just a dip for couple of days, then supply goes back up.

eat oatmeal every morning, stay hydrated (very important to get enough fluids), and maybe take some fenugreek. that, along with nursing nursing nursing nursing and your supply should take care of itself.

and definitely don't judge your supply by the amount you are able to pump. your baby is way more efficient at transferring milk than the pump is. i barely get anything when i pump, but i have plenty of milk.

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Good morning..how tired are you? Sometimes when I nursed ( for over a year) it seemed like less was coming for me too, but if I was at work and missed a feeding it totally doubled up- so I think you only make exactly what they need- Example 2-3 ounces each side EQUALS 6 ounces! I also NEVER got much milk at work- I got maybe 6 ounces for a 13 hour shift! And I drank a lot too. Hard to squeeze that stuff out sometimes..So dont panic. My advice is to eat good, dont stress and drink A LOT of FLUIDS- coffee does not count. Water, juice, milk, soy, decaf tea, no junk. Always have a glass of water out with your name on it! :) ALSO the hospital you delivered at will ALWAYS be happy to have their lactation consultant call you for questions. Call the maternity ward and get the number of their Lactation Nurse. You will probably get a lot of support- maybe even a visit there..Good luck! From one mom to another...get some rest too :)

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M.,

Sorry for your stress. One question is when you say it hurt when your daughter nursed last night - did she come off the breast and cry? Did she pull at the nipple? If it just hurt you and she seemed content then I would worry, I believe she is getting milk. But if she is coming off and fussing or pulling hard at the nipple she is telling your body to make more milk.

As for your milk supply -has your diet changed at all? Are you taking prenatal vitamins still? Are you eating and drinking enough? Are you under a lot of stress? These things can change your milk supply. If you daughter doesn't mind just sucking at the breast I would suggest letting her - it should help get more milk. As for pumping well, I know different size flanges will help or hinder the amount of milk you get. The thing about pumping is that it is just a machine where as your daughter nursing - she knows how to get more milk.
If you are still worried and things aren't improving call the ladies of La Leche League. www.llli.org They will have answers for you.

Good luck and try not to stress. Hold your daughter and even let your sleep on your chest or side nurse her for a nap or two to see if she can ramp up your supply.

L. M

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the more you pump, the better, and three oz really isn't a lot, especially since breast milk is digested faster and easier than formula. don't beat yourself up if you have to supplement, you made it 7 months :) and also, the more you stress about, the more you will lose. i would see if you could try to pump more at work and get your supply back up.

my daughter is smaller too, she is 2 1/2 and weighs 30 pounds.

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I'm sure others have suggested this, but I just wanted to mention what worked for me.

I was in a situation where I couldn't reduce my stress or get more sleep, although both would have been very helpful. What helped me was increasing my water consumption and fenugreek supplements. I highly recommend them and hope they can help you too.

Good luck!

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Dear M.,
Try getting up a half hour earlier than usual for 3 or 4 mornings. Use Very Warm Damp handtowels to massage both your breasts; both sides from back under your arms where the milk gathers and high up on your chest and under your breats; gently but firmly towards the aureole. Do this for about 10-15 minutes keeping the towels warm. This is a technique that is often used at the very beginning of breastfeeding and it will help with the let down and stimulation of milk production.(Don't actually stimulate the nipples.) Don't pump. When Anjali wakes at her normal time; make sure her diaper is fresh and you have walked around with her, talking and playing for a bit to stimulate her appetite and making sure she is awake, then settle into your favorite quiet spot to breast feed her - no other distractions. She may very well be getting ready to shift into either just one before bedtime and one morning feeding or just one or the other. Assuming that she is eating some foods that you prepare for her, start teaching her to use a tippy cup with her regular food meals with whatever you think is best for her to drink, fresh juiced vegetables with some apples juiced in (and a drop of agave nectar if it's too tart)is wonderful for her, perhaps some goat's milk or if you plan to try organic cow's milk. Forget the bottle; it's not important to start a habit you will end up having to "break". She is probably curious enough to have fun with the tippy cup and she doesn't have to be an expert to get some fluid from it. Many babies only need to nurse for the first year. And you have obviously done a great job so far because your little girl is thriving and healthy. If you shift into just one or two nursings a day, you can do both without pumping at all and you can both wean away from it gently......... enjoy this special time together; it does end quickly. You will both be happy with your special time together and your experience will become more stress free again.
PS: My son naturally weaned this way until we were down to just the morning feeding and about 2 weeks after his first birthday he just looked up at me - as I settled him in one morning for our one daily breastfeeding session - and he said, "No, Mama." That was it. He was a tippy cup expert by then and eating almost everything we ate; although I made great use of a portable baby food hand grinder...... so he could manage appropriately.
Hope this helps,
J. F

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Please, please don't start formula. Pediatricians often don't know squat about breastfeeding. I would talk to a lactation consultant or La Leche League leader. But I am certain the stress is affecting your supply. And three ounces is PLENTY. I am nursing a 4 month old, and I only get three ounces pumping BOTH sides!!! There is no magic number with pumping, because pumps are less effective than babies, and your child is probably getting a lot more than three ounces. Trust your mama instinct and don't let your doctor worry you. Also, did you know that the growth charts are based on formula babies and actually put out by formula companies?? Check out www.kellymom.com from breastfed baby growth charts and everything else you need to know about breastfeeding. If you are interested in increasing supply naturally, you can try oatmeal, Mother's Milk tea, fenugreek supplements - lots of things!

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try to relax and drink lots of Traditional Medicinal's Organic Mother's Milk tea .....
http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisp...

that is a link. or you can find it at whole foods. Drink lots and take fenugreek and let your baby suck all day if you have to produce more milk. if ever i have been stressed or sick i have to do that. you can do it.. good luck

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Hi M.,
First of all, STRESS can definitely, absolutely effect your supply. Try to put that in check and you'll feel and do better. Also, you are going to get tons of responses about natural things you can take to increase your milk supply and I tried all of it, the tea, pure fenugreek, the pumping, the suckle-till-your-nipples-want-to-fall-off approach, water, stress, sleep.... you name it, I tried it. I was also told about a anti-nausea drug you can take which has a side-effect of increased breast milk, called Reglan. Personally, I was uncomfortable with the Reglan because I read too much internet and saw some other scary side effects because Reglan crosses the blood/brain barrier. I agree it is safe for the baby, but I wasn't interested in even the slightest chance of a neurological side effect for me. That's when my lactation consultant recommended Domperidone (or Motillium for generic) which is the same type of medication as Reglan but doesn't cross the blood/brain barrier and is safer for mom. I order it online from a Foreign Pharmacy and it comes from the Johnson & Johnson foreign manufacturer, Janssen-Cilag. I order it from this website: http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/general/motilium.html which I got from this website where I learned all about studies and risk and the like: http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/domperidone.shtml .

I was so worried that I waited to start using it until around 6 months, I wish I had started sooner. When my son was almost 11 months he started to eat finger food but I could still nurse him 3-4 times a day and would even leak when I go 3 or 4 hours between nursing. IT was GREAT!!!! He was so much more satisfied with the nursing and I had less "wear and tear" on my poor nipples, which were suckled out, let me tell you! Please read into it as a safe and effective solution. Good luck. Remember, any amount of breastmilk is better than no breastmilk. You'll do fine. There are alot of us out there just like you......... Oh, if you decide to try it, it took me ~2.5 weeks for it to really come in. 3 pills 3 times a day.

Your Dr. may be worried for calcium reasons if her weight is fine. Did he say why?

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First off relax. Stress can effect your supply. Your childs doctor is NOT a breastfeeding specialist so if you have concerns about nursing please find a lactation consultant or call a La Leche League leader. It is common for doctors to use formula standards on a breastfed baby. Formula and breastmilk/feeding are totally different.
You are the best judge of your childs health as you know her better than anyone else and would know if something was wrong. Is she growing, meeting milestones and happy? Does your gut feeling tell you that she is healthy? if so, She is likely just fine. Breastfed babies generally only take in 2-4 ounces per feeding (when at the breast) some feedings they may take more or less. You getting three ounces out of one breast is absolutely normal and fine. Your baby is way better at getting out milk than a pump so she is likely getting more out at a feeding than the pump is.
Please check out the la leche league website www.llli.org . Go to the resource section to find some reasurance right away. You can also find a local leader right off the website and you can call her to discuss this issue.
Offer her your breast frequently to keep up your supply. You may also want to consider going back to pumping twice a day when working if you are gone for a full 8-9 hours.
Good luck!
adding one more thing... Could you be pregnant? that can lower a woman's supply dramatically.

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Hi M.: So sorry to be replying late and I haven't read the other replies, so forgive me if this is repetitive. Stress and worry can definitely effect supply, so do your best to relax and even consider positive imagery to increase your supply. Also, try to spend a lot of time with your daughter and give her unbridled access to nursing. The more demand, the better supply. Drink lots, increase your protein and consider buying Mother's Milk tea and drinking several cups a day. Ultimately though, your daughter nursing a lot will help increase the supply. On a personal note, my 11 month old daughter was sick over this past weekend and she only wanted to nurse (no solids) and I noticed an incredible increase in my supply over the following days, so it really does work.
Sorry the pedi scared you. Certainly didn't help the situation...
Take care,
C.

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Hi,

I didn't read the other posts, so I apologize if I am repeating what others have said.

I exclusively breast fed my baby until I started solids at 6 months. When I pump I never got enough for a feeding, usually 2-3 oz per side, but pumping only gets about half of your milk.

About a month ago (when my baby was almost 8 months old) I did my usual pumping and was getting almost nothing. i was convinced my pump was broken. I am talking about a couple of drops for 15 minutes of pumping. It was very distressing. Of course my husband looks it up online and hears stories of people who's milk just goes away. I didn't panic and I pumped, drank more and nursed more often. After about a week my milk was back to normal. A month later it happened again. Sure enough I haven't gotten my period yet, but I have started cramping. I looked it up and some people's milk supply goes way down sometimes for two weeks between ovulation and their period.

My advice is to rest, drink some mother's milk tea, eat oatmeal (that is supposed to help) pump more often. If you continue to have problems, seek a lactation consultant. My doctor has been absolutely no help in nutrition or breastfeeding issues.

The other thing is that she isn't that far from a year old when they can start cow's milk. I have a friend who's doctor recommended that she start cow's milk at 11 months and it made life a lot easier for her since she was having to pump a lot during the day to keep up.

Keep trying to get her interested in solids. I recommend making your own if at all possible so it tastes like actual food. It is really easy if you buy good frozen fruits and veggies (organic if possible), let them thaw and then puree or mash them. They are already washed, peeled and ready to go. Or throw a couple of sweet potatoes in the oven. But even that might not help, I am fortunate to have a daughter who will eat almost anything you put in front of her.

Keep up the good work!

Oh one last thing. As much as you may want to avoid formula, it isn't evil. If it is what your daughter needs and will reduce stress around feeding times, reduce your stress and help her grow then just do it and don't feel guilty about it. (I know, easier said that done) Feeding is one aspect of your relationship, don't let it become the soul focus of your time with your daughter. You have done a great job by nursing for 10 months. Maybe one bottle of formula a day would help with her nutrition and you can nurse the rest of the time for all of the other good reasons.

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Hi M.,
I can hear how sad and frustrated you are, and as a mom who nursed 3 babes of her own, I understand that sweet connection. Whenever I had challenges re: breastfeeding I contacted the amazing women at Lactation Care, in Newton, MA. http://www.lactationcare.com/

I also want to say that if, indeed, it is time for your sweet girl to move on to the next phase, give yourself and her a big squeeze. I believe that pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. You two accomplished something great, and will have many more beautiful moments to come!

Good luck, and be well.
J.

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Make sure you are taking in extra fluids and there is a supplement that you can take to help with your supply also try pumping inbetween feedings to get things going. I was never able to pump a lot if I wasn't at home because I just couldn't get comfortable but you may want to consider pumping twice while at work. The more you stress the more it will effect you so try to relax and try a few things to stimulate more milk. Good luck.

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How long is your work day? Pumping once for three ounces is probably not enough. My supply took a dive when I went from pumping 3 times at work to 2, and it never recovered. My 10 month old drinks 4 six ounce bottles a day now. How many times does your daughter go to the breast? Assuming you give her 3 ounces each time, do you think she's getting at least 18 ounces during the day? I'm not sure but I seem to remember the doctor saying that was the bare minimum that they need at this age assuming they also eat food.
It might be time to wean her. You're getting your period, your supply has gone down, your baby is showing signs of wanting more milk and her weight is down, etc. As a last ditch effort you could spend the next week pumping every few hours (even if you don't get anything) to stimulate your milk supply. It might help to get in touch with a lactation consultant. Bear in mind it doesn't always work (I pumped like crazy for weeks... it did little for my milk supply).
It's so hard to wean your baby, I can relate. I cried the first time my daughter took a full bottle of formula. I made peace with the fact that I can no longer provide milk for her but it took a while!

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Whenever my period was coming, my milk supply would virtually disappear and I would panic, which would make it worse. Eventually I started taking Fenugreek, which really helped. I was very fanatic about my son having only breast mile, and looking back now, I wish I had supplemented because he is 15 months, 33 inches but only 20 lbs. He's healthy and happy and always on the go, but a very picky eater and everyone considers him underweight. I was stressing about that too, but now I just make sure he eats and stays healthy because weight guidelines aren't for everyone. His dad was small, but now he's a big, strapping man. Best of luck.

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My heart goes out to you. I hope you can resolve this. I don't have any advice, as my babe is 7 months, but I have been worrying about this (because she seems to drink more than I can pump while I'm at work) and found http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/index.html to be a great resource.

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