is my breast milk drying up???? please help!!?

Question

i exclusively pump breast milk for my 3 month old. the past 3 days have been particularly hectic and i was only able to pump 2 times each day. now i am only able to pump little bits at a time. i am getting significantly less milk. is it too late?? what should i do? thanks for all responses.

Answer 1

You've been telling your body you need less milk, so now it's making less milk. Now you need to pump like a mad woman for a few days to try to recover the supply. :-) Remember that breastfeeding is all about supply and demand. The more you nurse or pump, the more you will make. Start pumping every 2 hours for no more than 20 minutes.

Massage your breasts and apply heat before pumping.

If the flow slows or stops, reposition the horns on your breasts. This may help you get a second letdown and stimulate different milk ducts.

Start eating oatmeal every day. Many moms report an increase in supply when they eat oatmeal.

Consider taking fenugreek. Read the link below first as there are a few people who should NOT take this herb. It's a very good supply booster. (But you HAVE to be nursing or pumping enough for it to do anything! you have to remove the milk from your breasts to make milk!). The typical dosage is 3-4 capsules 3x per day. You'll start to smell like maple syrup if you are taking enough.

Answer 2

I exclusively pump, too, and I do that to myself every weekend! I get so wrapped up in things that I forget to pump or I'm out and I can't pump. You can increase your supply by pumping more often for a good 15-20 minutes per pumping (I know..it seems like an eternity).

I'm not sure if you're able to do this or not, but I'm a stay-at-home-mom, so I set the alarm on my phone to go off every two hours...so I'm reminded to pump. It really helps, because otherwise, I would totally forget and my supply would plummet.

Also, I really have to commend you for what you're doing. As a pumper myself, I understand that it's hard work to pump because you're actually doing twice the work. You're doing a great job!! Keep up the good work.

Answer 3

You can get it going again- just put the demand on it and it should produce more milk- hook it up and pump more frequently- try pumping every 4 hours til it comes in better- -D

Answer 4

No, it isn't too late but you do need to start pumping and nursing as much as possible as often as possible. It may take a week to get your supply built back up but it's very important that you pump or nurse very very often.

Answer 5

Not to late at all, just pump freqently for the next couple days & youll be back on track.


http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html.



Increasing your milk supply
Milk production is a demand & supply process. If you need to increase milk supply, it's important to understand how milk is made - understanding this will help you to do the right things to increase production.

To speed milk production and increase overall milk supply, the key is to remove more milk from the breast and to do this frequently, so that less milk accumulates in the breast between feedings.

OK, now on to things that can help increase your milk supply:

Make sure that baby is nursing efficiently. This is the "remove more milk" part of increasing milk production. If milk is not effectively removed from the breast, then mom's milk supply decreases. If positioning and latch are "off" then baby is probably not transferring milk efficiently. A sleepy baby, use of nipple shields or various health or anatomical problems in baby can also interfere with baby's ability to transfer milk. For a baby who is not nursing efficiently, trying to adequately empty milk from the breast is like trying to empty a swimming pool through a drinking straw - it can take forever. Inefficient milk transfer can lead to baby not getting enough milk or needing to nurse almost constantly to get enough milk. If baby is not transferring milk well, then it is important for mom to express milk after and/or between nursings to maintain milk supply while the breastfeeding problems are being addressed.
Nurse frequently, and for as long as your baby is actively nursing. Remember - you want to remove more milk from the breasts and do this frequently. If baby is having weight gain problems, aim to nurse at least every 1.5-2 hours during the day and at least every 3 hours at night.
Take a nursing vacation. Take baby to bed with you for 2-3 days, and do nothing but nurse (frequently!) and rest (well, you can eat too!).
Offer both sides at each feeding. Let baby finish the first side, then offer the second side.
Switch nurse. Switch sides 3 or more times during each feeding, every time that baby falls asleep, switches to "comfort" sucking, or loses interest. Use each side at least twice per feeding. Use breast compression to keep baby feeding longer. For good instructions on how to do this, see Dr. Jack Newman's Protocol to increase intake of breastmilk by the baby. This can be particularly helpful for sleepy or distractible babies.
Avoid pacifiers and bottles. All of baby's sucking needs should be met at the breast (see above). If a temporary supplement is medically required, it can be given with a nursing supplementer or by spoon, cup or dropper (see Alternative Feeding Methods).
Give baby only breastmilk. Avoid all solids, water, and formula if baby is younger than six months, and consider decreasing solids if baby is older. If you are using more than a few ounces of formula per day, wean from the supplements gradually to "challenge" your breasts to produce more milk.
Take care of mom. Rest. Sleep when baby sleeps. Relax. Drink liquids to thirst (don't force liquids - drinking extra water does not increase supply), and eat a reasonably well-balanced diet.
Consider pumping. Adding pumping sessions after or between nursing sessions can be very helpful - pumping is very important when baby is not nursing efficiently or frequently enough, and can speed things up in all situations. Your aim in pumping is to remove more milk from the breasts and/or to increase frequency of breast emptying. When pumping to increase milk supply, to ensure that the pump removes an optimum amount of milk from the breast, keep pumping for 2-5 minutes after the last drops of milk. However, adding even a short pumping session (increasing frequency but perhaps not removing milk thoroughly) is helpful.
Consider a galactagogue. A substance (herb, prescription medication, etc.) that increases milk supply is called a galactagogue. See What is a galactagogue? Do I need one? for more information.

Answer 6

Check with your doctor. 3 months is a little early to be "drying up".