Help- How to fix low supply?

[momma.bear]

LO just turned 4 months, and has been on the 4 hr. EASY for several weeks now. And I have recently also started feeding her on both breasts as prior to that she was on 3 hr. EASY. She has done extremely well with the 4 hr. EASY and is almost never fussy before a feeding. She is sleeping well, a very content girl. She hasn't made any developmental leaps yet (hates tummy time and is definitely not close to rolling over yet). She feeds at 7am, 11am, 3pm, and 7pm. She used to feed five times a day before I switched her to the 4 hr. EASY. However, about 1 in 3 nights she wakes up hungry at 3/4am.  I do feed her then if she needs it, and we continue on with our routine. These night wakings are not due to a growth spurt as they are infrequent, (almost never 2 days in a row). Usually 3 nights out of 7 she needs an early morning feeding.
the 4 hr. EASY started off well and at first she wasn't waking up in the early morning. But about a week or so into it, she started fussing at my breasts after only a few minutes, and that's when I realized I was having supply issues. She feeds for no more than 5 minutes per breasts, and even prior to the five minute mark I'm compressing them so that she can get another let down. I have been pumping right after feedings, and usually get a tiny bit (less than an ounce), sometimes almost nothing and topping up her feedings. I've done this for 3+ consecutive days but it doesn't seem to be increasing my supply any.
I'm a little frustrated and am not sure what to do. A friend suggested that I give her a DF using formula around 10pm to help her go through the night, and if she still wakes up hungry, that maybe it's time to start solids. I want to delay solids till at least 5 months. I'm not opposed to the formula feed at 10pm, as I think she is waking up from hunger as she's not getting all she needs during the day, which is why she's fussing at the end of her feeds.
My other option is to continue doing the 3/4am feeds when she needs them so as EBF her. And this is when my supply is at its best anyways. But I'd much rather sleep through the night!
Has anyone else experienced this? It'd be great if I could just increase my supply but that doesn't seem to be happening. The only time she doesn't fuss during her feeds is for her first feed at 7am.
HELP!!

[Fiver]

To be fair, for a BF baby, waking in the night for a feed, especially at only 4m, is normal behaviour.  Like you said, those 3/4am feed as when your prolactin levels are at their highest so will be helping to boost your supply anyway.  4m is a prime time for feeling like you're having supply issues as there's a BIG growth spurt and often a sleep regression too.

Having just BTDT only 4m ago, I would carry on through it.  This won't last forever and formula at 10pm may not help her to STTN night anyway and could even cause other issues.

Keep on keeping on!  It WILL get better.

[clazzat]

Totally agree with pp - there is a huge gs at 4 months, and it is normal for them to start waking in the night for a feed even if they have been sleeping through before that. Also, short feeds don't necessarily mean low supply - dd2 and ds never fed for more than 5-10 mins max, and I never had any supply issues. If you are still able to pump some milk after a feed then that means that your dd has had all she wants and there is still some left - not an indication of supply issues.

[momma.bear]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm going to keep going with EBF and keep doing the early morning feeds until LO goes through the night again. Although I'm able to pump some milk after a feed, LO doesn't appear satisfied. For example tonight she completely emptied the first breast (I couldn't pump anything out of it) and then the next breast she fussed at and a few mins into the feeding she was on and off the breast appearing very frustrated. So I stopped feeding and she continued to fuss. I then gave her a soother while I pumped. I fed her just under an ounce of what I was able to pump and she started crying immediately after I stopped feeding her. I then did our bedtime routine and she would not settle; kept on crying. She almost always goes to sleep independently with no problems. So I had a 4 oz. bottle in the fridge that I had saved from my pumping today of what she didn't drink throughout the day. She downed 3 oz and fell asleep at that point. I gave her a soother and she continued to sleep.
I'm not sure what is wrong. She is clearly not getting enough as she drank 3 more oz. on top of the ounce that I pumped after she fed. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had the spare 4 oz. bottle that I had pumped after her feedings today. Tomorrow we are going camping for a week, and things could get a lot more difficult. I'm packing a can of formula just in case, but would love any suggestions. I don't know what is going on with her.

[Fiver]

Not sure what to suggest, really   So much happens around 4m (GS, sleep regression, getting more interested in what's around and so more distracted)....

[clazzat]

It is hard to say exactly what is wrong - as amanda says, there is a lot going on at 4 months so it could be anything. However, most babies will take milk out of a bottle even if they have had enough from the breast, so the fact that she took more is not necessarily an indication that she was still hungry. When you gave her the soother while you prepared the milk was she still very fussy or did she calm down while she waited? My ds always fusses when he finishes a feed, but if I give him the soother then he calms down and is fine until the next feed - it always just seems like he is sad that he can't have any more!  If she stops fussing and is fine until her next feed then it is probably not that she is not getting enough - you say that she normally doesn't fuss before a feed, so I think the fussing is linked to something else. Have there been any changes in your diet recently?  My ds is lactose intolerant so if I have dairy or chocolate then he gets very fussy - perhaps you have eaten something new that disagrees with her? 

Other than that, I would say that this might just be a phase that you have to get through. I went through the same thing with both my dds and it was very stressful but it did pass. Do you often give her milk from a bottle?  The flow on a bottle is much faster than from the breast and as they get a bit older los often get frustrated if they are having to work too had at the breast. One problem that I had with dd1 was that I had a really fast let down to start with and she got used to that and then would get very frustrated as the feed went on and the flow slowed down and she had to work for it.

If you want to increase your supply, though, drink plenty of water and make sure you are eating properly. Fenugreek can help boost supply, as can oatmeal.

[*jazzberry*]

Is she content between feeds? Are you getting plenty of wet nappies? Is she gaining weight? I would definately keep going with your pumping. And fenugreek can really help too.

[Fiver]

Ditto to clazzat - I think my DD gets the whole frustration with slower flow thing too - so much so that she'll growl until letdown often (and sometimes after too!)

[Hana1220]

I was having the same issue around that time and just a week ago and now my lil guy Is 6-1/2 months old. I got advice from a lactation consultant and it really worked for me with the supply issue. She advised me to nurse every couple of hrs ,just like when they are newborns, during the day up until the dream feed. You can every 2hrs and still go with the 4 hr easy plan and nurse before naps.  Pump after feedings and try to do as much skin to skin with your baby. You will not get very much milk when you pump at first then after a few days you will notice more. Store this milk and you can use it later for her cereal or to make her solids a bit more runny once you start her on them. Doing all this tells your body you have a baby you need to produce more milk for. Do this for 3-5 days and you will then be producing enough milk for your baby. You will notice more engorgement in the morning. You can then go back to the 4 hr routine. It worked for me. It was a bit of a hassle and soreness but worth it. Also, by increasing feedings like this throughout the day she will have gotten enough calories to sustain her through the night. Hope this helps and good luck to you:) also if she does happen to wake during the night just try gently patting her to sleep and offer the pacifier and hopefully she will drift back off after a few minutes or so.

[larsannie]

My LO is 10 weeks old and we had a major supply issue from the beginning. My lactaction consultant had me pump after every feeding and take fenugreek (which was a major help and cheap!). You have to take enough fenugreek that you begin to smell like maple syrup and it takes about 3-5 days. I've taken 4/4times a day. I have gone from producing one ounce at each feeding to having 3-4 ounces left after see feeds completely! Very thankful for easy solutions.