Milk Supply is Pretty Much Gone...HELP!!?

Question

I just started breastfeeding on Dec. 15th when my daughter was born..which is not a long time...On Christmas I wound up having a lot to drink and stayed up for most of the nite and then slept the whole next day and didn't pump my milk...Yesterday (2 days later) I pumped and now I only have a few drops coming out and my breasts are a lot smaller..I'm afraid I will not be able to breastfeed anymore now because of this...If I keep tryin to feed my baby will my milk start to come back or am I done considering I havn't been breastfeeding very long....?????

Answer 1

This is the most common worry for new (and experienced moms too!) especially since breast aren’t see though and don’t have ounce markers on them.

You CAN'T nurse too often--you CAN nurse too little. It is normal for newborns to nurse every 45 minutes to ever 2-3 hours. They have tiny stomachs (only about the size if their little fists) and breast milk is fully digested in approximately 90 minutes!

Studies show each woman has a different storage capacity for milk, which means each woman delivers a different amount of milk at feedings. “It was also noted that the women who had larger storage capacities often nursed at longer intervals, whereas women with smaller storage capacities nursed at more frequent intervals. Breast size was not always a good predictor of production or storage capacity, and all of the women had the ability to produce plenty of milk over 24 hours. What varied was the amount of milk that could be delivered at one feeding. “

Infants, thrive best when allowed to feed as they indicate their needs. NURSE ON DEMAND!! At the very least, this should be every two to three hours during the day and every four to five hours at night for a total of eight to 12 feedings every 24 hours. Calculate the time between feedings from the beginning of one feeding to the beginning of the next. Most feedings usually last 20 to 40 minutes, but do not watch the clock during the feeding. When your baby is a newborn nursing sessions can sometimes seem to last so long that you barely have any time to get anything done before the next session begins. This is normal and it will not last forever.

DO NOT TRY TO PUT YOUR BABY ON A FEEDING SCHEDULE. A study found “ that many women experience success in schedule feeding their breastfed babies during the first couple of months. However, these women have an unusually high rate of milk supply failure around 3-4 months”


During the 1st 6-8 weeks, he will perfect his nursing skills so that he will need less time to consume the same amount of milk. Keeping him near you at all times will help you to be aware of his early hunger cues (rooting, fussing, etc.) so that you can feed him without allowing him to work up into a hungry, stressful cry. Minimizing your baby's crying in this way will also be less stressful on you and the other members of your household.

Do not supplement with formula-this will make mom produce less milk!!
Don’t use a pacifier -a study has documented that pacifier use is associated with a shorter duration of breastfeeding, while another study found that mothers who utilize pacifiers for their infants frequently exercise a higher degree of behavioral control while breastfeeding, often leading again to shorter duration of breastfeeding overall.

Also, if he is comfort nursing there is nothing wrong with that, that is part of breastfeeding, bonding and comforting your child. Babies also require nearly constant human contact for proper development. A newborn baby has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and the security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three. - Dr. Grantly Dick-Read

Under 6 weeks you are still building your supply, the non-nutritive sucking helps to make sure you have enough milk.

Newborns simply love to be touched and cuddled. The skin to skin touch helps you and your baby bond, comforts your baby when she is upset or uneasy with gas or colic problems. Hence, touch is a critical part of growth and development

DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS
Get plenty of rest
Eating oatmeal daily works for some woman
Fenugreek supplement 3 capsules 3 times per day

The time between feedings will eventually stretch out and feedings will become part of life rather than your whole life! ;) Your baby will establish more of a feeding pattern, which will make life more predictable. The patterns that he establishes, however, will be his patterns and will be appropriate to his unique emotional and physiological needs. And these patterns will change as he grows.

Don't worry, just nurse your baby on demand and make sure he has at least 6 wet diapers/day and you're doing fine!

Also avoid pseudoephedrine-- a decongestant. research shows that it can decrease milk supply by as much as 24%. (found in Sudafed, Actifed)

Herbs that can decrease milk supply: Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Spearmint, Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), Chickweed, Black Walnut, stinging nettles (not nettle - that increases milk supply), Yarrow, Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum), Lemon Balm, Oregano, Periwinkle Herb (Vinca minor), Sorrel (Rumex acetosa), dried sage

Some women have successfully used the strong peppermint candies (for example, Altoids® Curiously Strong Peppermints) for decreasing milk supply (a few per day aren't likely to affect supply, though).

Answer 2

First of all, take a deep breath. Your milk isn't gone. It takes a week OR MORE for milk to completely dry up, and that would mean not nursing OR pumping during that time.
Your supply may have dropped, though. Sometimes your body will percieve that your baby isnt requiring as much, and slow production. The good news is that if you can get back on a nursing/pumping schedule, your breasts should catch up and boost production in about 48 hours.
Also, stay WELL hydrated. Alcohol, caffeine and soda can really take a toll on your milk supply. Try to drink 64 oz. of water every day. Nursing takes a lot out of you, mama!
If you are still concerned about low supply, there are herbal supplements you can take to boost supply immensely. Fenugreek, Fennel, Marshmellow Seed and Blessed Thistle are all milk boosters. You might also try MOTHER'S MILK TEA (found at most health food stores). It's tasty and supports healthy lactation.

Hang in there! And go pump right now!

Answer 3

First of all, you don't state if you have been totally breastfeeding your baby since she was born. If you have been supplementing with bottles this whole time that will cut down on your milk supply. Breastfeeding is supply and demand. The more the demand the greater the supply. When you first have your baby your breast are engorged, this is why you are bigger right after the birth, this goes down. Your milk is not gone, even after babies are weaned a woman can express milk for sometime. You should not be drinking that amount while nursing your baby. Just encourage your baby to nurse and try to relax, if you feel the need to relax, have a small glass of wine just before nursing your baby, but no more. Nurse your baby more and cut out the bottles. If you must bottle feed make sure it is breast milk you have frozen. Try to pump more and stimulate your supply. Also contact a La Leche League in your area for more advice and help and encouagement. Don't give up all is not done. Good luck and the best to you and your daughter.

Answer 4

Oh, sweetie!

Don't worry! You can get through this. Probably the combination of the drying effect of the alcohol and the stress of not getting enough sleep did affect your milk supply. Also, if your baby wasn't nursing as much during that time, it would tend to reduce your milk.

But never fear, the milk production system is very responsive in the other direction as well! Basically, the amount of sucking your baby does (and you want to make sure your baby is latching on correctly) triggers your body to make more or less milk. It usually takes a day or two for the response, though. This can be frustrating for you and the baby, because baby will want to keep nursing and will not be getting full-but DON'T supplement! Nurse as much as your baby wants to for a couple of days, drink as much water as you can manage and try to relax. Stress can reduce your supply and also make it hard for the "let down" reflex to work.

Since you haven't been breastfeeding long, I would suggest looking up La Leche League in your area-they should be in the phone book or you can search on the web. It's a wonderful volunteer group dedicated to helping mothers breastfeed. Breastfeeding is completely natural and normal, but it is also a learned skill that both you and your baby must master. A La Leche League volunteer can come to your home or meet with you somewhere else and help you make sure your baby is latching on properly, and help you with suggestions to keep your milk supply up.

A few herbs that you can use to increase your milk supply (I nursed my own three daughters for an average of 4 years each, so I've been through it all!), are:
-nettle
-borage
-hops

Each of these has nutritive properties that support your body in keeping energy up and maintaining milk supply. You can make a very strong tea of them in a large container and drink throughout the day either warm or cold.

I would definitely do your best to get enough sleep (sleeping with your baby beside you is a nice way to be able to breastfeed through the night without having to wake up completely-and the baby loves it. Unless you are drunk or extremely overweight, you will not roll over onto your baby accidentally). And eat a diet full of leafy greens-salads, spinach, kale and swiss chard are your friends!

Don't worry. You are not "done". If your body has ever been pregnant, you can nurse-the milk supply builds directly in response to suckling. There have been adoptive mothers who were able to nurse, because they had been pregnant-even if they did not carry the pregnancy to term.

Answer 5

Nurse, nurse nurse! Drink a ton of water, breast milk is supply and demand. The more you nurse the more you will make. Don't skip a feeding, if you have to pump! I heard there is a herb called Fenugreek that helps make more milk. Get it started!

Answer 6

First of all I can't believe as a new mother you would drink yourself into a stupor then sleep the entire next day...who was taking care of your newborn??? If you were brest feeding, who fed her?? You know that alcohol CAN ENTER THE BABY THROUGH YOUR BREAST MILK!!! Sure I used to go out drinking every now and then, but as a mother, it is totally irresponsible and haven't since I had my daughter over a year ago!!! You need to think of your child instead of having yourself a good time, getting your milk back is a good start!!! Go to your Docotor and see what they suggest you do, I am sure that they can do something.

Answer 7

Breast milk is supply and demand. Continue to pump and offer baby the breast and it will come back. You may want to be weary of giving baby a bottle, this will not help the situation. Go to the Le Leche League website, they will have answers to all of your breast feeding questions.

Answer 8

Keep trying to breastfeed often and your milk supply should return as long as you do this before you are completely dried up. The more often you try the better your chances are.

Answer 9

You can increase lactation by pumping again on a steady frequent basis. Every 4-6 hours is when I did it. Also, you can hit your local health food store and pick up some Fenugreek to increase lactation.

Answer 10

Usually you can encourage production by continually pumping off and on through the day and night.

But if you've dried up, you've dried up. Thats what happens when you ignore the urge to feed or pump. Your body decides you must be done breast feeding and stops making milk.

Next time, if you drink and sleep the day away, atleast wake up to pump and toss.