Reduced Supply

[IceBergJam]

DD is 13 months.

I have been back to work three days this week so only fed DD on waking, returning from work, before bed and at night. So none between 0730 - 1700.

This evening she kept signing milk and coming off the breast. When I hand expressed there was just droplets. I feel really teary . Will it settle down or isthat it!

My DD dropped feeds around a year old, she didn't feed all day. Had feed at about 7, then nothing all day, feed before bed and one in night. My supply just seemed to get the idea, but when she first stopped feeding in the day I was a bit uncomfortable for couple of days and then thought I had no milk at all, but it kind of sorted itself out! I came here for advice and was told after all the months of feeding it was unlikely to dry up over night as long as breast was still offered and DD did feed. Has you period returned, I only ask as mine did when DD was 5 weeks, and each month just before period my supply plummeted causing fractious feeds.

Yes. It appeared fairly quickly. She just got really upset and was signing milk, and there wasnt any. Or just droplets.

I'm sorry, I can't offer anymore in the way of advice. There are some fab ladies on here, without their help I'd never have fed for as long as I did, I'm sure someone will be along soon with reassuring advice. All I can say is keep offering and let DD feed as often as she wants. This will obviously signal for milk to be produced. You've still been feeding 4 times a day, how much were you feeding before returning to work?

I have a 13 month old and also work 3 days pw, and I'm sure it's not over if you don't want it to be. Do you normally hand express? I'm not sure that would be a reliable indicator of how much milk you have unless you normally get loads that way. Just going to read your op again I'm on my phone and can't read and write...

I went back to work when DS was 10 months and it was so hard... I dreaded it meaning the end of bf, but it really doesn't need to.

Are you going to be going back full time?
What are your hours?
How often would you be feeding DD if you were at home?
How many feeds do you want to continue with?

For example I work 3 days pw, mon, weds, fri, and on those days I'm out from 7am-7pm. Normally I feed DS before I leave, then I express between once and 3 times at work depending how busy I am, then I feed him as soon as I get home and all night and then on my days off I just feed on demand as I always have done. Some days lots, some days he's too busy running around or eating lots and doesn't want to do much. I express at work mostly for comfort but I guess it keeps the supply ticking over.

Anyway, if you had 20 mins in your lunch break you could easily pump for 10 mins on each side to keep the supply up. But if you're aiming to only feed night and morning anyway I'm sure a lot of people do this, and don't express in the day. I'm sure after 13 months your supply would be flexible enough.

Hopefully others will post with positive experiences. Good luck.

Doesn't want much milk not doesn't want to do much

I don't think at 13 months your supply would drop that drastically after three days back in work - the only thing after a year that affected my supply was being just before my period (I remember DS1 looking up in a most disgruntled fashion, saying "dis milk broken"...) and, er, pregnancy (is that a possibility?)

I went back full time when DS1 was ten months - he fed morning, when I got home from work, bedtime, and at least once at night, and I expressed a (small) bottle at lunchtime for him to have in the middle of the day the next day. He fed a bit more frequently at weekends. He eventually dropped that bottle soon after he turned one, so I stopped expressing and just kept the breastfeeds, but had no supply issues.

Hope it all works out for you.

Thank you for your advise. The followings feeds seemed normal.

Im going back mon - thur 0830-1630 , 1930-2130.

I feed about three times during the day when I am with her. I dont want to express at work.

Do you need to inform work you are breast feeding?

She is feeding 3 additional times during the night now rather than the before bed and wake up feed I was hoping. She is a bad sleeper but a dummy and music soothed her straight away, now she just screams for milk. How do I stop this?

I want to aim for wake up, home from work and before bed.