Low supply in evenings kinda long

TJ1979

I think on general I have a fairly good supply. LO is 4 weeks amd EBF She is gaining 5 oz per week and has plenty of wet and dirty diapers. However, I think my supply gets really low in the evenings. LO wants to constantly nurse in the evenings, she is fussy at the breast and does a lot of pulling on my nipple and is clearly upset. What is the best way to deal with this? Obviously I let her nurse all she wants in the evening to cue my body to make more milk. But should I pump in the morning and give her that too in the evening? Should I try herbal supplements to increase my supply? Please help! TIA!

emilybailey76

 kellymom.com

hope this helps...i was having the same problem 

Why do babies fuss in the evening?

One frequently-heard explanation for baby?s fussiness in the evenings is that milk volume tends to be lower in the evening due to the natural cycling of hormones throughout the day. However, Dr. Peter Hartmann, a breastfeeding researcher, has said that in the women he has studied, milk volume is not low at this time of day. Even if milk volume is lower in the evening, fat content is typically higher in the evening (particularly if baby is allowed to control this via cue feeding), so the amount of calories that baby is getting should not be significantly different. Milk flow can beslower in the evening, which may be frustrating for some babies.

Doctors often attribute evening fussiness to baby?s immature nervous system (and the fussiness does end as baby gets older, usually by 3-4 months). However, Dr. Katherine Dettwyler (who does research on breastfeeding in traditional societies) states that babies in Mali, West Africa and other traditional societies don?t have colic or late afternoon/evening fussiness. These babies are carried all day and usually nurse several times each hour.

So perhaps none of these explanations is a complete answer to baby?s evening fussiness. For many babies, the fussy time seems to be characterized by a need to have small quantities of milk at frequent intervals, combined with lots of holding, cuddling and movement. Babies who are offered as much expressed milk or formula as they will take by bottle [note: this practice will decrease your milk supply!] often behave in exactly the same way in the evenings. Baby takes a small amount and dozes (and fusses), then a little more, and so on. Perhaps babies ?remember? mom being very active during her pregnancy at these times, and want to be held, rocked, and nurtured constantly again.

Perhaps babies simply need to nurse more often at this time ? rather than consume more milk.

shotzie

The best thing to do for your supply is to nurse, nurse, nurse. So you're doing exactly what you should be doing, by keeping baby on the breast as long as she wants. It's common to have a lower supply in the evening. It's also common for newborns to cluster feed in the evenings.

You're right, LO is stimulating your body and telling it to increase production. If you give a bottle, your body doesn't know it needs to make more milk, unless you pump while she gets the bottle. So you might as well just nurse her.

Also, make sure you're staying hydrated and eating enough calories. Eating oatmeal can help boost your supply too, I eat it every morning.

ktpaladino

I don't know if you're a big beer drinker, but apparently drinking a dark beer with lunch can boost evening supply. I drink Mother's Milk herbal tea throughout the day and have noticed feeling a little fuller in the evenings since I started doing that.

TJ1979

Thanks I just noticed the similar post below. Thanks for answering again. I might try some herbal supplements or the tea and see if that helps. I do eat oatmeal every morning. I just feel so guilty when she is obviously hungry and not getting enough milk out.

bigmamaisback

My biggest pumpings have always been first thing in the morning and decrease as the day goes on. Herbs have helped a lot though, I would try using them and see. I drink Breastea from breastea.com and it works good for me.

KristinT916

I went through this too, just keep nursing it gets better!