XP- Supply taking a major hit at 10months. Need advice plz!

FLchicken · August 2011

My supply took a dip at 8 months due to AF and being sick. It never recovered. I tried Mother's Love pills and also up'ing water intake. It didn't do much. I posted on here and you guy's gave me the suggestion of substituting a 4oz bottle at daycare (she was drinking 4 (4oz bottles then during the day) with a thing of yogurt. That advice totally worked for awhile.

Until now. My supply has taken a further hit. Wah!! I am pumping just about 1 (4oz) bottle during the workday (that's with 3 times pumping around 15 mins each). UGH. She is currently taking 3 (4oz) bottles while at daycare, and I can just about pump 2 of those bottles each day. That means dipping into my stash wish was never large and is decreasing rapidly.

She is still struggling with solids. She doesn't take a lot of table foods. I am on stage 3 purees. She takes some bits of cheese/pasta and eats puffs. Cheerios she is not too fond of yet. I keep trying to introduce these foods. Here is her current schedule

7am nurse at home

8:30 yogurt (4oz)

9:30 4oz bottle

12:30 4oz solid

1:30 4oz bottle

3:30 4oz bottle

Then when she goes home she will nurse twice before bed and have about 6-7 oz of solid food.

Any suggestions? I know I can supplement with formula, but I am not sure if she will take it. It feels weird supplementing for less than 2 months. I can certainly ask the Ped. re: cow's milk. Perhaps if I can just make it to 11m, then I can start introducing some cow's milk during the day. I haven't introduced juice yet. Should I try another solid or more solid during the feedings at daycare?

And advice is appreciated! Thanks guys!

LuckyH · August 2011

This happened to me with my oldest. It might be a coincidence, but I moved her to her crib and cut her down to only one overnight feeding right before my supply dropped. I think she was eating a lot at night and helping my supply. Maybe you can have your LO sleep with you and nurse at night. That might both increase your supply and decrease the amount she needs during the day. It's inconvenient for you, but it might be worth it to try. Best if luck!

aprillewis24 · August 2011

I heard water will only keep you hydrated. It won't help your supply. You can try what the LN told me. Pump every 3 hours for 15 mins. for 3 days. She also told me to take fenugrrek. 3 pills 3x a day. I don't think it is working real great but better than I was and everyone is diff. I gave juice mnts. ago. I have a 10 mnt. old to. She probably would take formula. I had to give my baby some last week for the first time. I cryed though. My baby eats solids 3 times or more a day with snacks in between. Puffs and gerber cookies. She also likes Cheetos puffs. So try pumpin more and see if that helps you.

Melanie2003 · August 2011

I'm at 10 months too and my supply is getting lower and lower - at least my pumping supply is. I have 24oz in the freezer, so not a lot to pull from there.

Purees and solid foods are helping. In fact, I think that's why she isn't finishing her last daycare bottle of the day, which means for the last 4-5 days, I've had 2-3oz per day leftover to start her daycare bottles for the next day. I reuse it once and label that bottle so it's used first.

I send 12 oz to daycare a day (3 bottles) and pump 7-8oz a work day. I pump 2-4oz a day on weekends. And then this new leftover...and I am just making it.

I am not comfortable with supplements like the teas and fenugreek. I rely on water, oatmeal when i have the time with added flaxseed meal, and high calorie foods. I changed my pump membranes today, so we'll see if that makes an difference.

for food, she is now getting a puree for breakfast after a bottle. i try to send a "thicker" one - like earth's best plum banana brown rice, as opposed to only pear. for lunch, she gets a yo baby yogurt and some solid food - today is a bot of steamed chicken and canned carrots and peas (super soft and easy for her to pick up on her own). They'll give her some cheerios throughout the day too as snack. I also send in a third of a banana that they give her.

for dinner, i might give her some of our chicken sausage, or she'll get some meatballs that i made her the other day. she has not been a fan of pasta (gasp! who doesn't like pasta?!), but has tried potatoes and soft fresh bread. I give her frozen mango cubes in a mesh feeder as "dessert" of sorts. and some more cheerios because it keeps her busy. last night she was freaking out until i gave her my ear of corn and she just sucked on that.

while i made dinner yesterday, i crushed cheerios into dust and rolled fresh avocado bits into it. the cheerios were a known flavor and made the avocado easy to handle and nonslippery. she seemed to like her pre-dinner snack.

I am trying to push protein and calories on her. She's a tiny thing, but is now beefing up a bit since I offer her more real solid foods.

some other purees i like are sprout pouches - she loves the sweet potato and white bean and apple and cinnamon oatmeal. I think they are hearty choices. She still gets regular old fruit and/or veggie ones too especially when i add other foods to that mealtime.

Melanie2003 · August 2011

also, our schedule:

7am or 7:30am nurse at home

10:30am daycare bottle 4oz and banana snack

1pm or 1:30pm daycare bottle 4oz, yogurt and solid lunch items

4:30pm daycare bottle 4oz

7pm nurse at home, dinner foods

9pm nurse to sleep

you might be able to stretch out the times a little more than you are. At 10 mos, they can go 3 hrs between meals, usually.

LuckyH · August 2011

I thought of something else you might try. With my first, I only pumped for 15 minutes at a time. No more or less and I tried to always either pump or nurse on a 3 hour or less schedule during waking hours. This time around, I pump until I'm not producing anymore, then set the pump back to letdown and have a second letdown with breast compression. I will sometimes pump for 30 minutes doing this, but get 1-2 more oz. It goes against what my LC told me to do, but it's working so far.

I hope something works out for you. I remember how stressed I felt when it happened to me. Try to relax, think about your LO while pumping and have faith that the next time there will be more. A positive attitude, while I know it's hard, might help too. Hang in there.

Qmommy · August 2011

LuckyH:
I thought of something else you might try. With my first, I only pumped for 15 minutes at a time. No more or less and I tried to always either pump or nurse on a 3 hour or less schedule during waking hours. This time around, I pump until I'm not producing anymore, then set the pump back to letdown and have a second letdown with breast compression. I will sometimes pump for 30 minutes doing this, but get 1-2 more oz. It goes against what my LC told me to do, but it's working so far.

I hope something works out for you. I remember how stressed I felt when it happened to me. Try to relax, think about your LO while pumping and have faith that the next time there will be more. A positive attitude, while I know it's hard, might help too. Hang in there.

This is what I was going to suggest. Try pumping for a longer period of time during the day.

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XP- Supply taking a major hit at 10months. Need advice plz!

Re: XP- Supply taking a major hit at 10months. Need advice plz!

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