Can milk supply just dry up??

[Berkley24]

Hello,
My DD is 10 weeks old and I have been BF since day 1. Recently I have been struggling with my milk supply. DD feeds solidly for 5 minutes and is then popping on and off the breast getting frustrated. I end up having to express the milk into her mouth pretty much. I usually always just fed on one breast every three hours. To try and increase my supply I have tried for the past two days to feed her off both breasts every 3 hours, but then come every feed I feel I don't have enough for her. I have also pumped after each feed to drain the breasts completely and I barely get 1/2 oz off each breast.

Any other suggestions on how to increase supply. Is it possible to just dry up even while breast feeding? At what point should I consider supplementing? She has started napping during the day but is now waking more frequently at night, I'm thinking this is related to her not getting enough god during the day?

[~Carly~]

Hi!  Congrats on making it to 10 weeks!  My DS is just a couple weeks older than yours, and we just went through something similar.  I don't know if it is really a supply issue, though.  Is she having wet/dirty diapers?  I think that at this time a lot of things are happening.  The baby is getting way more efficient, our supply is regulating, and the baby is getting a bit more distracted.  I wouldn't supplement because that would definitely encourage a low supply, but maybe just let her feed more often for 2-3 days to give your breasts a kick start.  Or, you could pump an hour after each feed.  Even if you don't get much milk, the stimulation will tell your breasts to produce. 

FWIW, I go to a lactation group where we have the option of weighing the baby before and after we feed.  I did this a couple weeks ago when DS2 was doing the same things you are describing- on and off, fussing, wiggling, on, off again- and the weight change was 7 oz!  He definitely has more intense feeds, too, so I feel like he is getting enough. 

Check out the birth club groups if you can- there are a bunch of us with LOs the same age.  I will see if I can figure out how to post a link

[nona]

Ditto!

[Erin M]

How long has this been going on?
Pumping after feeding is a good way to increase supply, even if you don't get much.  Pumping is also not the best indicator of supply, you can have a great supply without being able to pump much. 
Is she having good wet diapers? 

5 minutes is enough to get a good feed in at this age, many babies become very efficient feeders at this point. 

Also, I'd make sure you're eating/drinking enough.  That can all effect supply.

[Fiver]

Those birth clubs links Carly was referring to are http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=229497.0 and then http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=227912.0

FWIW, I remember feeling exactly the same way at around 10w.  Around that point the way our bodies produce milk is also changing, so is more driven by LO removing milk than by hormones, as is the case in the very early days.

Keep on going, you're doing a great job

[~Carly~]

Thanks, Amanda- I was just coming back to attempt to link- I am so low tech!

[Fiver]

No problem, thought I'd jump on in there while I had a mo

[Berkley24]

Thanks for the encouragement! I have been really keeping up with my fluids and calorie intake in hopes to keep my milk supply up. She has been having good wet diapers. I will look at those groups and I will definitely try pumping one hour after a feed and see if that helps.

Thanks again!