Help/advice needed, drastically reduced milk supply, long and poss TMI sorry

[bewilderbeast]

Help. Have been having trouble satisfying DS since before xmas day. Ds is now 11 weeks old and at his 8 week check his weight gain had reduced to the point where the doc was worried even though he had gained weight. DS was 6 weeks premature and his weight has always been a concern with the docs - I had posted on another BF thread about them pushing formula. I am an almost full time pumper with one or two full breastfeeds or snacks a day. Even pumping I am producing much less each time - and I mean about 60- 80 mls less. Yesterday I had to give him a bottle of formula as he was screaming the house down and there was no more milk either when I put him to the breast or with frequent expressing. He was lethargic and appeared a little unwell but perked up immediately after the bottle. It gave him chronic painful wind later though. Today I had to give him one formula top up to make up a full feed. I really did not want to do this, neither did my partner and we are unhappy about it. I have been scouring my books for advice and assistance and came across a section about inadequate milk supply which stated that one indicator of reduced supply is the return of periods before baby is 3 months old because it indicates a change in the level of hormones in the body. I got my period when DS was exactly 6 weeks old and have it again now. Could this explain my reduced supply? Is there anything else I can do other than frequent pumping/feeding to increase my supply as currently this does not seem to be having any effect. Does the return of the dreaded monthly cycle mean that I will not be able to fully breast feed DS. Am feeling very down.

The best thing you can do is breastfeed whenever your DS wants it. You won't run out, it's impossible to run out! your body makes it pretty much as fast as it's being drunk. Take yourself into bed, lie down and just let him feed feed feed. Pumps are inaccurate in showing how "much" milk you have... I remember crying on the phone to the MW one day because I couldn't get any out, although when I squeezed my nipple, some came out... That was the last day, until very recently I used my pump Trust your body... it's making milk and it's all your DS needs xXx

I'm not aware of a link myself bewilderbeast. Mind you PCOS can cause reduced supply can't it, and that's a hormonal thing. Hopefully Tiktok or another b/f boffin will be along shortly for you.

why are you nearly a full time pumper? Does your DS feed at the breast?

DS is 9 months, and, one time I pumped about 2 weeks ago I got about 5mls... and I know there's more there! That was a hospital grade pump aswell... nothing really compares to a baby doing it

get into bed with him, both of you naked to get lots of skin to skin contact and stay there all day tomorrow feeding to boost your supply.

sditch the pump, they're the work of the devil and if your ds can latch on you don't need it!

If you're anxious about your supply, that could actually affect how much you can pump I think, as you need to be fairly relaxed to get the milk flowing. I know there were times when I could hardly get anything out with the pump, but that was long before I gave up breastfeeding. Perhaps your DS is having a growth spurt?

Ive pumped 6 oz one time, then 5mls the next... It could be a change in nipple ... my nipples are far more elastic now and much harder to pump, if that makes sense?

I pump every three hours have always had loads of milk and no problem getting it out, when DS was in hospital they had to give us our own freezer!
Quootie I'm a pumper because DS was premature and was in intensive care and then high dependancy for a while, on another thread I have described the crap treatment and help we had with breast feeding although there is more I could say about it - like them forcing me to put a bottle teat on my nipple every time I tried to feed him! Also I had a section and when we got home holding DS to feed made my scar split open and eventually with his fighting he wriggled and kicked me so much that he caused bruising and an infection and then kicked the infected part so that it literally exploded. Breast feeding has been a hard experience for us and unlike some of the other wonderful mums on here I am not strong enough to deal with it. DS will breast feed if he is in the mood but he fights, scratches nips bites, flails his arms and pushes himself off it can be an hour and a half battle just to get one feed and I can't cope. He also ends up hungry again within half an hour to an hour of a breast feed, We still do it, just not very often, he has to be in a calm mood and then its lovely but this does not happen very often.
Kamikayzed, I haven't tried fenugreek but I will be doing tomorrow thanks for the tip and PinkTulips I will also try the skin to skin but its success may well depend on the mood DS wakes up in.

it sounds to me like your an astounding mother to get this far bewilderbeast...... not many would go through all that and still have the energy to keep struggling.

i hope ds wakes up in a calm mood so you can try the skin to skin in bed, it really is the best experiance if they're in the humour for it. even if he wakes up angsty try getting up with him for a while and going to bed with him in the afternoon..... you'd be surprised how long they're willing to cuddle up and feed for sometimes.

best of luck

Have you spoken to a breast feeding counsilor? Try NCT, they used to have them, (12 years ago at least)

Have you spoken to a breast feeding counsilor? Try NCT, they used to have them, (12 years ago at least)

Bwb I had no idea you were goibg through this I was an exclusive pumper with ds1 b/c of nipple cnfusion and the fighting at the breast that you described. I remember it well. It was heartbreaking to have it go so badly but I would end up drenched in sweat and crying/on the verge of tears trying to feed him.

The best thing I can recommend is having a really high quality double electric pump, doing breast compression wile pumping, drinking lots of water and also that Mother's Milk tea.

AH. Makes sense now I think feeding lying down might be good though, he might be less able to kick you etc? As I said, I had loads of milk, but, pumping has got harder due to a change in nipples. What pump are you using?

o, and when you feed, do you use a V pillow? That might shield your scar? (presuming you mean you had a CS?)

I've been doing compressions for the last week it helps but not enough. I now use the avent isis iq electric as my tommee tippee freedom manual which was great broke on xmas day and when i went shopping on boxing day for a new one i couldn't get the one i wanted (medela double electric). Thanks for the support and advice ladies it is greatly appreciated and I will be working my way through the tips list

Bewilder, this thread has lots of tips too.

Find a NCT breastfeeding concellor, they should have at least one nr you, i would have given up long ago if it wasnt for finding her and we live in the middle of nowhere and we found one! Also tiger milk is great for boosting milk supply, its fattening but it works, i had to sleep with a bra on with pads and on a twoel! It is 2 pints of full fat milk, 3 bananas and 3 crushed up brewers yeast tablets, whizz all in a blender and drink over 24hrs, every day. You can add choclate powder or mango to makwe it taste nicer, good luck, but do remember ypur milk will never run out as long as you feed when he wants

also a great website is /www.drjacknewman.com