XP from BF board: supply regulating?

jlp0528

Hi ladies!

FTM here made it to 8 weeks EBF and I'm wondering about supply regulation and if your let down changes with that?

I was previously pumping a couple of times a day to help increase my supply during growth spurt and wonderweek times and for my Wednesday night class where I'm away for 4 hours and also build a small stash for a weekend away in january. It seemed LO was in a constant state of growth spurt nursing often from week 5-now.

I didn't pump last week much and just followed her eating cues. It seems like my forceful letdown has eased up since, but also during night time nursing now where she wants to nurse from anywhere around 8pm till 10 pm that she is super fussy like the flow isn't fast enough and I don't have any milk. I switch back and forth from sides during this time and when I hand express to see if I still have milk a little comes out, but not much.

I wanted to go back to pumping and now it seems like I'm pumping less per session (used to get 2 oz if she hadn't eaten on a side in a 10 min session) now I only get about an ounce.

I just was wondering is maybe my supply is regulating or am I slowly drying up? I've been eating the lactation cookies and balls, as well as drinking mothers milk tea to try and help again (did this in the beginning and it worked) but now it seems like it's not helping.

I know you're not LC and internet strangers but just wondered if anyone experienced this type of thing and what your thoughts are-- supply regulating or dipping?

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated as always!!
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Tally879

I find that my supply is increasing as LO gets older because he requires more and the way you increase your supply is by removing milk because it signals your brain to create more.  I do pump at work so I don't know how that's affecting my supply.  I usually pump about 15 oz during the work day and then he breastfeeds at night.  When I was worried about LO not getting enough at night, my LC had me pump after my first morning feeding because that's when you have the most milk and then I'd give him a few ounces of the pumped milk after he ate so that he'd be content.  Your milk supply is lower at night in general but it is the creamier/more caloric milk.