pumping on empty - please help an expresser

[TheOldestCat]

Hallo - wondered if anyone has experience of this? My supply seems to have dipped out of nowhere.

For the past three months I've been expressing twice a day at work, getting 4-5oz each time, which is enough for DD (now 9months) to have the next day at nursery.

But yesterday I was barely able to produce an ounce at each two pumping sessions and I've had the same trouble this morning.

I'm wondering if being ill with a virus at the weekend (and not eating a huge amount over the past few days) has had an effect on my supply. Could this be temporary? Had to visit an emergency doctor on Sunday and he told me to take nurofen (which I've never done while BF) saying it was ok for nursing mothers.

I'm really worried as I was hoping to feed DD until she's one.

It's not the pump as I've replaced the valve on my electric one and tried with my hand pump and still no joy.

Please help!

Good suggestions from DG.

I'd add that this is so common with expressing mothers - after a time, they stop responding well to the pump. This is partly to do with a natural drop in supply that comes with an older baby who may be taking less milk. Your experience of the virus may have caused a temp. lull, too - a lot of women report this.

People deal with this by pumping more often, and sometimes by hand expressing (as DG says) which can be more effective.

Hang on in there, feed and express more often, and all will be well You may find you need to express more often permanenently - finding three to four opportunities - but that's not definite.

Neurofen is fine when bf.

I would second the hand expressing - give it a go. I found it much more efficient than pump.

Hi domestic grumpess, tiktok, claricebeansmum

Thank you so much for the suggestions - I'll try hand expressing and will feed her more often when she's not in nursery.

Cheers again.

Thanks DG - I'll be nipping into Books Etc on Friday to have a peek.

Roasted fennel, eh? I love the smell but not the taste. Still, it's worth a shot. After DD was born, midwife told me to eat 'porridge, fennel tea and CHOCOLATE'. I was very pleased.

Well done you on feeding two!

here it is!

No Bake choc cookies

2 cups sugar 1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk 1 stick butter

Boil the above ingredients for 2 minutes, remove from heat and mix the below ingredients in. Spoon onto wax paper and allow to cool.

1/2 cup peanut butter (if wished or replace with raisins)
3 cups of oats initially, add extra oats until mixture is very stiff
1 TSP vanilla