Sudden decrease in supply - can't express - help!

[RosieIrene]

DD is 5 months and still totally breastfed. Was able to express about 5 oz every morning in addition to giving her her regular feed so could occasionally get out of house for more than 3 hours at a time. Last week suddenly couldn't express more than 1 oz and it has continued all week. Tried pumping for extra 10 mins even though nothing there to increase supply but hasn't worked. Any advice?

i can't explain it. i am assuming that you are pumping at the same time everyday? What type of pump are you using?

why not just dd out with you and feed her?

Pumping at same time every morning. Pump worked for me for first dd for 14 months and had no problems this time until last week. Would like an evening off with Dh and don't want to bring dd to the pub!

what kind of pump though!

avent - both electric and hand (actually find hand pumping works best)

This happens quite often with longer-term expressing/v. established bf....baby regulates supply very nicely, and the body adjusts and becomes less responsive to the pump, and actually the supply drops to supply what the baby needs and not much more. In addition, you have probably left longer gaps between feeds (this being the idea of using the pump in the first place - you express to leave the milk so you can have time without bf).

Pumping for extra time won't have much effect. You need to increase the frequency of pumping or feeding. An extra feed/expression or two a day and you will prob find the extra returns