help...baby is 7wks...milk supply low

jmc1110 · March 2011

i used to pump 6-7 oz and all of a sudden i can only get 3-5?!?!? my baby seems hungry after a feeding and i am forced to used frozen milk to make her full. i am worried when i go back to work in 5 weeks i wont have enough frozen to feed her! any suggestions on how to increase my supply?

rgarringer379 · March 2011

My suggestion is to pump more often. You can increase your supply by pumping when the baby is done feeding even if there is nothing coming out. It will encourage the ducts to produce more. I did that for awhile and I had a full freezer in a week. Dont get discouraged if the first few times there is nothing in the bottles. It will gradually start to increase. Also if you have been pumping and it is slowing down try adjusting the settings because your breasts can become "used to" the setting.

shotzie · March 2011

Are you pumping exclusively? How many oz is she taking from the bottle?

ValVail67 · March 2011

Your LO could be going through a growth spurt right now, which would explain why she still acts hungry after a normal feeding. I would suggest to just keep nursing her whenever she seems to want more, and you could try pumping in between feedings. Your baby actually nursing ups your supply better than pumping to increase milk supply, but pumping in between her feedings can also help because any stimulation is better than none. Don't be discouraged if you only get 3- 5 ozs (or even less) when pumping because this is still a great amount!

IncogNeato · March 2011

Supplementing will only reduce your supply and make your supply spiral down. Put her on the boob every chance you get and your body will increase to meet demand. Every time you give her frozen, your body doesn't know she's hungry and makes less. I'd suggest encouraging cluster feeding and really just let her nurse constantly for a day or two.

www.kellymom.com has a lot of info on this.

jmc1110 · March 2011

shotzie:
Are you pumping exclusively? How many oz is she taking from the bottle?

no, my LO nurses from 1 side at a session so i pump the other side after i feed her and freeze. when i pump and feed her from a bottle shes eating 4 oz

jmc1110 · March 2011

IncogNeato:

Supplementing will only reduce your supply and make your supply spiral down. Put her on the boob every chance you get and your body will increase to meet demand. Every time you give her frozen, your body doesn't know she's hungry and makes less. I'd suggest encouraging cluster feeding and really just let her nurse constantly for a day or two.

www.kellymom.com has a lot of info on this.

thank u for the site

shotzie · March 2011

jmc1110:

shotzie:
Are you pumping exclusively? How many oz is she taking from the bottle?

no, my LO nurses from 1 side at a session so i pump the other side after i feed her and freeze. when i pump and feed her from a bottle shes eating 4 oz

In that case, you might try offering both breasts at each feeding. LO nursing is the best way to increase your supply. After a few days, you might see an increase in your output when you pump. Our bodies generally just don't respond to the pump as well as we do to baby. Baby is more efficient at getting the milk out. Make sure you're well hydrated, eating enough calories, and you might try eating oatmeal for breakfast. Oatmeal can increase your supply. I eat it every morning.

To build your stash, try pumping both sides about an hour after LO's morning feeding. Supply is generally highest in the morning. By pumping the same time everyday, you're creating an extra "feeding" so your body will learn it needs to make milk for that "feeding" at that time of day.

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help...baby is 7wks...milk supply low

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