Milk supply fallen off cliff now DD at nursery

[Yika]

I've mix fed from birth due to (as I thought) necessity; never managed to get back to EBF but was managing to combine quite well. Now DD is almost 6 months old. She started at nursery a month ago and started doing almost full days about a week ago.

She is given formula during the day and my milk supply has gone through the floor. I still breastfeed her at night, at the nursery on arrival, and in the late afternoon and evening - yet all those feeds are now declining and I'm starting to have to supplement at every feed. I dread the day I can't even BF at night.

I suppose the remedy is the usual - pump! But what is best to maintain my always meagre supply as high as possible - should I pump after each feed that I am still trying to do at home, or also during the day, in lieu of the feeds that she would have had then?

I could certainly never express enough for her to take expressed milk during the day. The most I've ever managed to express in one day, after Herculean efforts, was abour 150 mls and she is now taking about 280 at the nursery.

My goal is to keep BF at night until she is one year old.

Thanks!

You'll probably find that your milk supply will be fairly established now and will adjusts to whatever your baby takes, so if she feeds in the evening and at night then you'll be able to keep up with this. My dd is nearly one and has been at nursery since 9 months and only feeds evening and at night, but I don't express as at nursery she has solids and water. On my 3 days off I still occasionally feed her during the day with no worry of not having enough milk.

Thanks Pilchard - unfortunately my milk supply has always been a bit precarious and it seems that any interference sends it nosediving again. I've been pumping the last few days and it's improved though.

Things to do to try and increase milk production:

Drink water but get the balance right, so your urine is light yellow, not clear, - clear is too much

Keep your calories up as you need energy to produce milk.

Eat foods which are nutritious and high in iron.

Carrots and leafy greens are good too.

Beer is also good - non-alcoholic beer works just as well.

Things to avoid as they decrease milk production:

Sage.

Nicotine

Caffeine - coffee, chocolate, tea etc.

Estrogen - birth control pills

Decongestants - as these "dry things up" including milk.

Things you can do:

RELAX! Anxiety can hinder the release of milk try not to feed anxious whilst feeding, try a calm relaxing mood with nice music to take the anxiety away.

Pump between feeds to stimulate more production.

HTH :)

You could try some herbal/homeopathic remedies (sounds like new age crap but worth a try?)
www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal-rem_j.html

3 x fenugreek capsules, 3 times a day, has been shown to increase milk supply within 48hrs. Can get from proper health food shops, ie not holland and barret. Best if combined with other strategies as before, especially taking more milk out...either by pumping or feeding baby more often...little and often works better than a few "big" pumps.

also, as OP said, relax...try pumping when watching a funny film or ringing a girlfriend for a friendly chat...anything to increase your oxytocin levels and decrease adrenaline

HTH...

Great, thanks!

Can't stop the coffee and chocolate but will try all other remedies immediately, starting with the relaxation (I'm incredibly stressed as a. going back to work b. interviewing for new jobs and c. moving house all at once).