very poor milk supply

[bexdex]

Hi there,

I am a mother of 2 and got pregnant with dd only 9 months after ds. I breast fed ds until and throughout my pregnancy as my OB said my milk had dried up anyways.  Now here I am, a healthy, strong 26 year old with extremely low milk supplies and any time I exercise or get a little bit stressed out. 

I am taking all sorts of supplements to maximize my milk amounts but am having very little luck.  I was wondering how its possible that just 1 year ago my body was able to support a very chunky baby boy, while living a very active life, and now I hardly have enough for a smaller girl no matter what I do?

I am also wondering if the fact that my body had no time to recover between pregnancy and nursing could be the reason why I'm struggling so much with my milk.  I am a very health minded person with a large appetite. ...I don't know how I don't have enough milk!  Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank u!

[*Ali*]

What makes you think you have low supply?  How often are you BFing? Are you supplementing at all?

Also check out our FAQ for more tips. I'm worried I may have low milk supply

[bexdex]

Thank you for replying and for the link.

The reason I think I have a low supply is because every time I get stressed out or work hard I don't feel my breasts filling up and they seem floppy and baby either doesn't go to sleep or if she does she doesn't sleep long b4 waking and crying till she gets food. 

I am BF ing around 3 hours every day but baby never sleeps in the evening and it seems hunger related. She also had been sleeping fairly well thru the night but has started waking 1 to 2 times per night. She is 4 mo old next week.

I haven't been supplementing formula yet because I don't know anything about it.  I would start if I knew of a reasonably healthy brand name. ...but am also a little worried that if I supplement my supply will drop even lower because of less sucking time (demand)....?

Thanks again for responding!

[*Ali*]

Yes, your supply would drop if you started supplementing.  I wasn't suggesting it,  just trying to get a picture of what is happening.

None of those things necessarily mean you have low supply.  Many EBF babies need more frequent feeds so the first thing i would do is start feeding more often. Go by her cues but around every 2.5hrs might be a good start. If she isn't cueing for food before the 3hr mark then I'd say it is safe to say she is getting enough at the previous feed.

It is normal to not get full by this stage of breast feeding.  By now supply is well established and milk is made on demand and while feeding rather than being controlled all by hormones, made in advance and stored. Again it is normal to have lower supply in the evenings and for baby to want to feed more often then.

Just before 4mo babies' sleep patterns change and they cycle in and out of deep and light sleep more like an adult does.  In earlier months they spend a higher proportion of their sleeping time in deep sleep.  This is why many babies who previously sttn start waking more often. They often realise they are hungry once awake but it isn't the actual hunger that wakes them. There is a growth spurt at 4mo though so you could also be hitting that.

You'll be pleased to hear that none of these things indicate supply issues. You will see from the link that  the only true signs of supply problems are lack of weight gain (dropping down the centile chart) and few wet nappies. How is your LO's weight? Are health professionals worried?


 

[bexdex]

Thank u for the quick reply and encouraging news!

In answer to your questions my baby is quite chubby.  She is under 50 percentile but always has been,and she has very wet diapers in general,so it's comforting to hear that she must be getting enough.  I am also glad to hear that supplementing would b the wrong thing to do as I was considering it due to the advice of friends. 

Thank u so much for taking the time for me!

[*Ali*]

Some people do mix feed.  I didn't mean it was wrong just that it can be a slippery slope if you're preference is to breastfeed

As long as she isn't dropping down centile lines all is well even if she is following the lowest line.  Someone has to, yk?

Sounds like you are doing just fine

[weaver]

In answer to your questions my baby is quite chubby.  She is under 50 percentile but always has been,and she has very wet diapers in general,so it's comforting to hear that she must be getting enough. 

Sounds perfect!