Stimulating more supply in the evening/night?

[scubamummy]

I seem to have a v low supply in the evenings and late nights (i.e. to 9pm to 4am) when I'm most tired - my boobs feel empty and DD sucks v hard for a long time but there's not much swallowing going on. She gets hungry and frustrated and I get sore and frustrated.

Anything I can do to help this? Have started expressing about 4oz worth in the mornings to feed to her at night but will this make the problem worse?? BTW She's 6 weeks old.

This is quite normal at this stage. Sounds like cluster feeding but at a slightly later stage than normal.

Maybe this page will help.

4oz is quite a lot, if you feel you need a break, I'd opt for 2oz. This is all personal opinion.

When your breasts are softer, the milk your DD gets will be higher fat, than when your breasts are harder.

The more she feeds (particularly at antisocial hours), the more your supply, in general, will catch up with her.

If you're getting sore from the feeding, maybe her latch isn't quite right? What can you see of her chin and nose while she's feeding?

And is cosleeping an option? That can be a lifesaver for everyone at this stage ...

Thanks for your input. I don't think her latch is still quite right...I've seen a number of bf supporters to help as she had tongue tie which was snipped a couple of weeks back. She gulps and 'clicks' and takes in a lot of air at the beginning of a feed and then rubs on my nipple towards the end of a feed...she starts off with a 'good' latch (as far as I can see) and then during the feed pulls off the breast a little to make it more comfortable for her - apparently this is typical tt baby behaviour. But I'm not sure how to make it better - de/relatching just hurts me and gets her too riled up.

Also my breast tissue is painful where her chin was pushed into it - this starts about 5 minutes after a feed and can continue for a couple of hours, to the point where I have to take a paracetamol to be able to sleep through the pain. I've tried moving her body away from the 'tummy to mummy' position but that doesn't help with latch.

We do cosleep - she won't go on her back in her cot so she ends up in a sling on me all day and sleeps upright on me or my husband all night. We're not getting much sleep!

I think you need to see someone iRL. And maybe ask your HV and/or GP about the pain as that doesn't sound normal - and if your LO can't get their chin in, they won't get so much fatty milk.

And yes, giving a bottle in the evenings (tempting I know) won't help your supply adjust to your LOs needs.

yep, if there are latch worries then keep seeing different people in RL until you feel the issue has been addressed