drying up

sbrazzle

(Sorry if this has been brought up b4 i couldn't find it on my phone) So this past week my milk supply really dropped. Lo is not use to taking formula. I waited a few hours after feeding to pump and I pumped both sides for 20 min and only one oz came out. I really dont want to dry up. I want to feed baby at least til 6 months. What are u ladies doing to keep supply? Can I still recover the supply?

lifesaverz

Are you taking fenugreek or any other supplements? You could try taking that, I do & it def helped to keep my supply. Also eat lots of oatmeal! How often are you nursing & when do you pump?

KMKaiser07

I'll second what PP said. Before we knew LO had an upper lip and slight tongue tie my supply dropped because he couldn't effectively draw the milk out. I started taking fenugreek and not only did I produce more milk but I was able to feel the letdown.

sbrazzle

I def going to buy fenugreek. 6 times a day I feed him. But he is now fussy and tries to suck and gets mad. And they do feel empty. Tried to give him earths best as a supplement and he doesnt like it. Thanks yes ive been google to see what works best and fenugreek comes out alot. I have also been drinking lots of coffee and researching it says it can help dry u up. Thanks @jordanm24

stacers33

Brewers yeast (1-2tbsp in about 3-4oz of OJ - then gulp it like a shot...) really helped me. Tasted disgusting but worked.

FutureMrsCaesar

I'm all for trying to up your supply, but if he needs formula in the meantime you can try adding a small amount of strawberry powdered milk flavoring (like nesquick). Breast milk is very sweet so a lot of exclusively breast fed babies don't like the taste of formula because it isn't as sweet. You don't need much, 1/4 tsp to start, then you can slowly wean off of it. I just don't want to see you wasting $ on other formulas, he probably won't like any of them. This is what my pedi had me do when I suddenly had to stop bfing ds2 for a medical reason and he wouldn't take formula. Good luck!

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sbrazzle

Thank you thats actually a really good tip

FutureMrsCaesar said:

I'm all for trying to up your supply, but if he needs formula in the meantime you can try adding a small amount of strawberry powdered milk flavoring (like nesquick). Breast milk is very sweet so a lot of exclusively breast fed babies don't like the taste of formula because it isn't as sweet. You don't need much, 1/4 tsp to start, then you can slowly wean off of it. I just don't want to see you wasting $ on other formulas, he probably won't like any of them. This is what my pedi had me do when I suddenly had to stop bfing ds2 for a medical reason and he wouldn't take formula. Good luck!

sbrazzle

Thank u. I did get my period. Well that was weird. It came and left and came back. Lo is wearing 12 months clothes so I thought he was getting enough to eat. But yes anything to increase my milk supply again. I will increase his feedings. Thank u

mtb21 said:

Did you get your period back? If so it should just be a temporary drop and keep nursing as often as he wants. Are you drinking enough water? If it's just a pumping issue have you tried changing the membranes? I think by 3mo your supply should be pretty well established, so a decrease would be unlikely if nothing else had changed. But also I think 6 times a day might be the bare minimum for feeding at this age, so I would offer more often and maybe try aiming for 8.

sbrazzle

But something I didnt mention was I changed lo bedtime it use to be at 10:30pm and now its 8pm. He wakes up an hour earlier but I dont know if that could have something to do with the drop.

HareemVaiyani

Also try chewing on some cumin seeds and a drink of water before every feed. Its working for me quite well.

BootsOrHearts

The best way to up your supply is to nurse, nurse, nurse. And lots of skin to skin time with baby - meaning, no top and no clothes on him except a diaper. You will catch up again in a day or two no problem.

You can pump after feeding also, not every time but 2 or 3 times a day and that will help.

I posted this in another thread too, but fenugreek + blessed thistle seems to work much better than fenugreek alone.

Every time you offer formula, you are making the problem worse, not better. :-(

BootsOrHearts

@cashingn2 agreed, pumping a missed feeding is reasonable.

FutureMrsCaesar

@Cashingn2‌ as I said in my post it was our pediatrician. Ds2 was older though, 8 months, so I agree with you about double checking with the pediatrician. It is a last resort to get a baby who otherwise refuses formula to eat in a pinch. Not something people should be doing for a fun treat for their babies. And the amount used is like 1/12th a normal serving, comes out to very minimal sugar & calories. I had to have a test & procedure done with radioactive dye and the subsequent medicine I was on wasn't safe for breast feeding. I had literally like 5 days advanced warning so not enough time to get a good freezer stash or better plan.

imrachellea

It's possible your supply may not be dropping. According to Alpha Parent (or something like that, can't remember exact site name) our breasts normalize and often feel like pre-pregnancy boobs. It also stated that around the 3 month mark, when women feel this, many quit BFing because they believe their supply is dropping when in reality they make plenty. As AmyG would remind you, pumping does not indicate how much milk you produce. I would try to do a weighted feed ASAP to find out if it's really a supply issue or you are just normalizing.

sbrazzle

Wanted to give an update: so today I stopped drinking coffee (im colombian and I must say I had the worst headache and def went through withdraws) I had around 3 mothers milk tea today and would drink lots of water. Had lo on my chest as much as I could and around 5pm I purchased fenugreek. Had two
Pills. It is now midnight and my MILK IS BACK!!!! Just pumped 5 oz. Thank goodness. It was a long day and im exhausted but its back. thank you ladies for all the advice!

musicnmoon123

Re the taste of formula- I'd recommend making the formula with water and mixing in some breast milk if you have some available. It can help disguise the taste.