Please help me get my supply back after baby illness at 7 months ...

[lollipopmother]

DD just turned 7 months, she was ill for 6 looooong weeks and she reduced feeding, at first I hardly even noticed but the last two weeks of her illness she decreased dramatically, culminating in completely refusing one side and only feeding for maybe a minute from the other side. A couple of days she went practically without - she would nurse for approx a minute and only a couple of times a day, what she got would not have added up to a 'normal' full feed even. I was BLW but she wasn't interested in solids either.

Anyway, I was a complete idiot, didn't think about it til it was too late and then didn't do enough about it - I have now got serious supply issues both in volume but also with the letdown - sometimes it just doesn't come even after 15mins of DD trying.

DD is well again now and she is seriously P*ed off that there just isn't enough milk. I am not being over dramatic when I say that she is clearly VERY hungry. She never used to mind waiting for the letdown but now she goes mental the instant she starts sucking, she is on off on off, pulling backwards with my nipple in her mouth, pinching/grabbing/squeezing/headbutting my boobs, screaming blue murder etc. The side that she completely refused for a while is now in complete agony from where she pulls right backwards and because she is far more fussy on this side so her latching on and off all the time is killing me. The feed ends with her crying and becoming fussy again, on off on off scream. If I offer again 10 mins later she is on me like a rat up a drain - before she used to get a bit peed off if I had the audacity to offer within 2hrs, she just wasn't interested!

This has been happening since Friday - I really thought that my supply would have showed some signs of revival by now, was this unrealistic? I have been offering every 2hrs during the day (offering earlier than that doesn't help us because no letdown occurs and DD gets really upset). I have been trying to not feed her when she wakes in the night (until she has gone 5hrs) because her sleeping is atrocious and feeding every 2hrs in the night is going to cause so many problems for me later I feel - but if this is what I have to do to get my supply back then I will ...... uhhg.

As we are BLW she isn't getting much solids, however in the last couple of days she's really got to grips with food and she's eating a huge amount more than before, but as it's BLW it's still not loads iyswim and it doesn't seem to stop her from wanting more milk than I've got.

Does anyone have any advice at all - am I doing it all wrong? I really thought there would be progress by now but I really don't think there has been.

Allegra MceVedy breastfeeding bread recipe. top. x

bump if you want me to copy it all out.

I'd keep up the every two hours during the day and go back to the frequent feeds even during the night...maybe 3 hour stretches at most...if she will wake for them. Take advantage of her willingness to latch on and give it a go. That is usually half the battle.

Have a nurse-in.....if you can find a couple of days where you do pretty much nothing else but put her to the breast. Offer the breast before any solids...once you start to see some increase in, and more efficient, breastfeeding, you may want to cut back a little on the solids to continue the increase in the breastfeeding for a time.

After feeds, pump for a bit longer to continue the stimulation and move the milk...the more moved, the greater the increase in supply. Massage the breast prior to and during the majority of the feeds. Try moving her back to the first breast, after she has been on the second, to see if she will go a little longer in a single feed.

You can try adding something like fenugreek (some women should not use it so check with your midwife) or nettle tea to your diet as well. If need be, ask your midwife about some medications that sometimes become necessary.

Hopefull you will start to notice a difference before too long.

Salome - I've googled and got the recipe, thank you I shall try it!

Doulalc - Yesterday I fed every 2hrs from 4am through to just before midnight, and then started again at 4.30 when she woke and we're back on the 2hr schedule again. I have been taking Fenugreek for a couple of days so hopefully it is working its magic.

I am a bit confused about expressing - if I get any out (very unlikely even at the best of times) what do I do with it, just freeze? I am worried that if I do get some out then it's taking away from what she can get at the next feed, but i'm not supposed to supplement her with the EBM am I?

do you want my mini medela lorna ? i'll pop it in the post today if you do xx

The 2 hour intervals is great....as it can be very much like starting from the beginning at first to get the supply back up. Any that you get from pumping, I'd put in the freezer for later use. If you aren't getting much, put it in the fridge first and just add to it over a few days until you get enough to freeze...usually 2-4 ounces per container is best.

Try not to worry if you aren't getting much....some people just don't from pumping but baby does just fine. The extra stimulation, and what milk you do remove after she has had a feed, will help with increasing the supply. You don't have to do it every feed, but a good number of them...especially after any she may have been on for just a fairly short time, until you can tell she is getting better at it.

You can use it to top her off if you really feel you need to, but if at all possible, try to stick with just the breastfeeding.