If I have had a good breast milk supply, but suddenly find it dwending, what could be some possible problems?

Question

My baby is only a month old. Until the past few days, I have had a very good milk supply. I have not changed my diet or excercise, nor am I stressed.

I am using a breast pump due to baby having certain health conditions.

The birth was vaginal.

No, my boyfriend is not stealing any, my husband would be upset. (Not that I would let him have any). Besides, I have not been cleared to have sex yet by the doc.

My husband is my boyfriend. *smiles*

exclusively pumping with medela pump with no birth control yet.

Answer 1

This happened to me with my first child. Sometimes the child's demand increases before your supply can catch up. You can build your supply back up, but you need to pump in between nursings to do that. It may take a couple days to catch up.

Answer 2

Is your baby content after BF? If so, it could just be that your milk supply has adjusted to the baby's needs. But if baby seems fussy and unsatisfied there are a few things that could be interfering.

1) Are getting enough liquids? Make sure you drink water (it has no calories!) while BF. You shouldn't be feeling thirsty or be getting constipated, those could be sings of low water intake.

2) Are you sleeping face down? Pressure on the breasts also interferes with your milk.

3) Did you just get your period? It is a bit unusual to start menstruating this early, but it does happen.

4) Could you be pregnant? Same as above. BF is not a method of birth control.

Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. You can ask your pediatrician or a lactation consultant (check out your local chapter of La Leche League) for some other pointers if your milk supply doesn't pick up again. Good luck and congratulations.

Answer 3

This happened with all 3 of my children aaround 6 weeks. I got frustrated and gave up, but my doc suggested pumping between feedings to stimulate production. Good luck. I was told that by 4-6 weeks the baby has gotten every benefit from breastmilk over formula, beyond that age it's the same as a good formula.

Answer 4

Let the baby nurse as much as possible from both breasts; the suckling will draw up new supplies of milk.

Once your milk stabilizies, it isn't a sloppy mess all the time. If the child is suckling and content, they're getting enough.

Make sure you drink lots of water, though. Dehydration is one thing that can cause milk to dry up.

Answer 5

Breastmilk is supply and demand. If you want to produce more, you have to pump more (add a few more sessions into your day of pumping).

Just don't be a quitter, your baby is the one who needs the milk.

Answer 6

Is your baby feeding properly? I had a similar problem with my daughter. It turned out that she wasn't latching on properly so was finding it difficult to suckle. This mean't that she was only drinking the fore-milk before falling asleep with exhaustion! They need to get to the hind milk, as this will then tell your body that it needs to produce more.

Speak to your midwife/Dr to see if there are any breastfeeding specialists who may be able to give you some assistance.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Have you taken some medecines of late. Increase the input of Milk in your diet. A glass full in the morning and evening. It should work if not consult doctor.

Answer 8

I had this problem when nursing my son. Don't stress or get upset about it. Just increase your water/fluid intake and it should help. It did for me.
Don't give up! You're giving your baby the best start you possibly can.
Good luck, Mommy!!!!

Answer 9

i think of the perfect element is for some feedings enable the infant to feed off you or pump first to get milk out and then enable the infant to suck on you to enhance the provision back. I actual have situation with my grant pumping besides i attempted the fenugreek pills, mothers organic and organic teas none that stuff worked for me.. I word i pump extra the cases after my daughter sucks on me for awhiel.. so liek my days off she feeds off my breast and my monday decrease back at paintings is the day i pump the main yet to maintain it going i feed her interior the night when I get off paintings and for the morning feeding earlier i circulate away for paintings.. so as that facilitates shop it going. I spoke with lactation representative and that they mentioned utilising well being center grade pump will probably get extra milk out (i havent tried it as a results of fact renting one is like 80 dollars a month) i exploit the medela pump in form pump yet looks to be doing ok.. my daughter sleep for the period of the night so pumping in the time of day i'm some million feeding too short for her so i pump center night to make up for it. verify you pump each 2-3 religiously to assist the provision youll get extra that way i found out whether its in basic terms one million oz..extra thats an ouncemore than if i waiting longer i discern.. I additionally word when I pump center night i glance to pump extra desirable than in the time of day... i examine someplace that the hrs between 2-5am are ideal for generating milk oddly... i does not change pumps do the electrical powered pump for the quarter-hour.. then placed infant on breast

Answer 10

If I read you right, are you exclusively pumping?

What kind of pump are you using?

Are you on hormonal birth control?