Breastfeeding

XP from WM: 6 month supply dip?

This is mostly a work and pumping question, but help from any BFer with a dip would be great! 

DS is 5 and a half months, and the amount I am pumping at work has tanked in the last week and a half. 

For example, my big pumping session at work is usually at 10 am.  I usually pump between 10 and 12 ounces then, but this morning I only pumped 3 ounces in 20 minutes!  Also, I usually pump between 18 and 20 ounces per day, and Monday and Tuesday I only pumped 12 ounces, even though I added an extra session on Tuesday.  DS usually eats 16 ounces per day at daycare, so I think I am going to fall behind pretty quickly if this keeps up. 

I just nursed for 5 days over Christmas, and DS seemed satisfied.  He also seems pretty happy with his 2 morning feedings and two night feedings. 

It is my supply or could it be my pump?  I changed the parts a couple of weeks ago, but the suction just doesn't seem as strong.  I also have been able to mostly keep to a consistent schedule of three times a day, at 10 am, 1 pm and 4 pm.

Is this the fabled 6 month slump a few weeks early?  Did anyone else go through this?  What was your solution?  An extra session at work or home?  Fenugreek?  Mother's milk tea?

Re: XP from WM: 6 month supply dip?

  • I had the hardest time keeping up with DS right around that time.  I had a slight drop in supply and he was eating more.  We started solid foods around 6 months and since then, it's been a lot easier because he doesn't drink quite as much milk anymore.  I'm actually able to put some in the freezer these days.

    I tried to help my supply by drinking lots of water and eating oatmeal.  The biggest help was taking more milk plus.  I have taken both the tincture and the pills, and the tincture tastes bad, but seemed to help more.  My LC says that's the supplement they've seen the best results from (over fenugreek or the tea).  I couldn't drink the tea because it tasted so bad to me.  Someone else told me that drinking soy milk is good for supply, too, so I drank some chocolate soy milk every day. 

    I pump 3 times a day.  I couldn't bring myself to pump at night, although once in a while I'd do it in the evenings after DS went to bed.  You could try adding a session for a while (like when you first get into work, maybe).  On weekends, I would still try to pump once a day.  He'd usually go down for a nap an hour or two after he ate, so I'd pump then.  It helped my supply and gave me a little extra for the rest of the week if I needed it.  I also tried to nurse as often as I could on the weekends. 

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  • Oh, I also used a lot of pump tricks, like using the quicker setting to get a second or third let down, and breast massage/compression.  It seems to help.
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  • I am having the same problem right now.  I used to have plenty of milk, pumping 10-12oz each time and yesterday I barely got 5.  I think it might have had something to do with being home for 5 days and nursing the whole time without pumping.  Last night I upped my Fenugreek and it seems to have helped some but I'm still not up to par.  Hopefully we can both get things turned around soon.
  • same thing happened to me at 5.5 months.  I really hadnt had much success with increasing my pump output.

    I talked with a LLL leader and she suggested a few things. 1. maybe try a hospital grade pump. She said some women build up a pump resistance and cant get as much from their same pump. 2. Just nurse as much as possible when I'm with her, especially weekends. 3. do solids during the day at daycare to see if she takes less or extends time between bottles.

    I've been off a lot during the holidays. I've been nursing a lot and pumping every morning.  I was back at work Mon and Tues and noticed that my output was finally back where it used to be!

    I've decided that when DD goes back to daycare after the holidays that I'm going to go into work a little early so I can get to her a little earlier in the afternoon.  I'm going to have them feed her some solids after her 2nd bottle in hopes that she can go just a little longer before she needs to eat again.  Since I'll be pickin her up earlier I should be able to get there before her 3rd bottle.  I tried it Mon and Tues and she only took 2 bottles instead of 3, and I can keep up with that.

    Over the holidays the pumping has built my freezer stash up more so now I feel confident that I have enough back up to make it to a year.

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  • Thanks for the tips!  I am going to start working on this to see if we can get it back up.  Hopefully it's just a little slump. 
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