How do you know supply is low/tanking?

Lwilson24

DD will be 6 months on Christmas day. She is ebf and has never taken a bottle. The past few days she has been wanting to nurse more and repeatedly pulling off the boob. A few weeks ago I had a stomach bug and was super dehydrated but she was fine and ate like normal. I don't pump so I don't know if I'd have lower output. Also doesn't seem like her other growth spurts (not eating thaaaat much) just the constant checking in with the Boob and frequently pulling off...

mommatotwo2

I can't remember for sure, but I'm pretty sure there are classic growth spurts at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. So that could be what's going on.  Your stomach bug may have caused a temporary supply dip, but that will come back up as you rehydrate and recover, especially if she is demanding more.  As far as frequent pulling off- 6 months is also a really distractible age, consider going into a quiet/darkened room to nurse when possible.

Melody330

I wouldn't automatically jump to supply issues. Could be a million different things, but in regards to your question you can still count wet diapers. If she is wetting enough and gaining weight I wouldn't worry.

That being said, my LO grew like a weed until 6 months. At his 6mo checkup he was 20 lbs 8 oz. Then at his 9 mo he was 21 lbs 13 oz. it made me nervous because it wasn't consistent with the growth we had been seeing. Dr wasn't concerned so I let it go.

If you had a stomach bug weeks ago I doubt that had any lasting effect on your supply. Hang in there! She just might need some extra snuggles/time on the boob

Lwilson24

I'm sure my stomach bug had nothing to do with this, just saying if it didn't dip then I'd doubt it would now.... I have been nursing in dark quiet room since she started getting distracted a few weeks ago. I think I'm just overly nervous that I will wake up one day and my Boobs wont work especially since she won't take a bottle. So these small changes are just freaking mama out! Hah

Melody330

You are doing great! Try to trust that what you have been doing for the last 6 months is exactly right. If you are feeding on demand, not skipping feedings and not giving bottles, there is a very slim chance anything is wrong.

Keep up the good job!

surpriseaddition

Once you've made it 6 months EBF (congrats!) you really shouldn't worry about a supply issue. When your LO is always nursing, it is simply supply/demand. If LO is nursing more frequently it will automatically up your supply....there's nothing else you need to do and you'll be fine. If you've produced enough so far, things really shouldn't change since they need the same number of oz per day at 4 months as 11 months. I know it's harder when you always nurse and can't actually see your supply (I fed one of my LOs like that when I SAH) but it really is better, because the drops in supply you hear about later on in a BF relationship usually have to do with reduced pumping output (which I encountered with 2 other LOs when I worked and pumped). GL!

nunzchucks

I'm on the 6 mo growth spurt train. It was an intense few days at my house. Congrats on 6 mo of bf!

Peanutz21

this happened to me at the 6 month mark too. she would eat and then pull off. it lasted maybe 3-4 days. i never figured out the cause  but it stopped and went back to what we were normally doing. so hang in there!