Expressing to maintain supply while baby can't feed - but supply suddenly dropped off - help!!!

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I've been exclusively exressing for the past 2 weeks and my supply has suddenly dropped down by at least half what it was a few days ago.

help!

Hi there

1. Keep fluids up
2. Try your best not to stress - will make it worse
3. If at all possible put baby on the boob - if impossible DH? sibling? Sorry if that sounds grim but you sounded desperate

But my best tip is Fenugreek - it naturally increases milk supply and worked for me. You should be able to find teabags with it in - expensive and doesn't taste great but worth the money. Good luck.

Hi can I ask why you are exclusively expressing?

I have exclusively expressed a couple of times with dd2 (she was unwell requiring bowel surgery and nil by mouth for an extended period).

I did find that my liquid consumption did need to go up, (even more than when just bf) any stress impacted on output. If I didn't continue with the night time expressing (i.e 4 hourly)(setting the alarm for ridiculous-o-clock) then my supply started to wane.

I'll try and think of other things that helped but stress was most definitely a big factor. (the less you get the more you stress being a self fulfilling prohphecy.)

I was also taught to alternate boobs i.e 5 mins one side 5 mins the other, 4 mins first sides then 3mins then 2 mins etc to help boost/ maintain supply.

HTH

I had to exclusively express when my DD was in NICU. I was loaned a double hospital pump and the lactation consultant told me to:

• pump both sides at once as this stimulates milk supply more than one side at a time

• pump for 15 mins, regardless of whether any milk was coming out

• pump at least once every 3 hours during the day, with at least one pumping between midnight and 5am.

It worked really well for me.

Thank you everyone.

DS can't have breast milk for a few weeks as he is on a very limited fat diet and breast milk is too fatty.

Before all this i used to just feed in the day and he had started sleeping through (on solids etc). So in that sense my expressing follows the same timing as his feeds.

Having said that I was on 3 hourly but then thought that 4 hourly would make it more manageable with everything else i'm juggling, with the view of upping it back up to 3 a week or so before he can feed again.

It's just my volumes have suddenly plummeted and particularly on one side. I have been very stressed but ironically I think I'm less stressed than I was - but perhaps i'm more stressed but don't know it?!?! Maybe it's post traumatic stress disorder!

Hi, when my DD was 10 days old I had to express to keep my supply up whilst she wasn't allowed to breastfeed due to being diagnosed with a medical condition. I was advised to carry her close lots, skin to skin as much as possible and express as much as she would feed normally. I found that sometimes I'd only get say 30 ml and other times easily 100 ml, seemingly no reason for the difference. Also I was loaned a hospital grade pump, and after using a manual pump it was such a relief! Good luck with it.

I read something about that fiolondon as I suffered awful night sweats! I think it was between 1 and 4 am that prolactic production was at it's highest, that's what was causing me to feel like I'd spontaneously combust!

I second midori 999 you need to stimulate your lactation 3 hourly around the clock regardless of what you actually get off.
double pup with a hospital grade pump ifpos x

Ah, an older child. How old? On solids so over 6mo? Have you got your period back yet or maybe you're about to get it back? Many women have a drop in volume before AF, but it will pck up again.

I've found oatmeal very helpful for giving me an extra boost.

that's interesting - AF due mid next week. Yes he's 7.5 months old