My milk supply has suddenly dropped - please help!

[harverina]

Hi All,

My DD is 9 weeks old and up until the past 2 days, I have had a good milk supply. My let down has also been very good. Some mornings I have been able to express 4-5 oz in under 10 minutes.

I was away at the weekend and this was the first time that my DD slept away from home in her travel cot. She was quite unsettled and fed until 10pm for 3 nights - she is normally in bed no later than 8pm and will sleep till 2.30/3am. We put the change in my DD's behaviour down to her being in a strange place and a different bed, plus we were out later at night so her routine was all over the place.

However, since coming home on Monday my DD has not settled into bed any earlier than 10pm, though we have tried from 7.30pm onwards to settle her. She has been falling asleep on the breast but waking up crying for more food as soon as we move her away from the breast. This afternoon she cried constantly to be fed (there were feeding cues too..sucking fist, sticking toungue out etc) and I fed her on and off most of the afternoon.

Usually I have very good let down and my milk will literally spray out, but I have noticed last night and this afternoon that my supply has been quite poor and that my DD is getting very frustrated on the breast and is thrashing about.

Getting a bit panicky in case my milk is drying up??

I know that 9 weeks can be a growth spurt, but I am also worried that my DD isnt settling because she is hungry and because she is not getting her usual amount of milk from me.

I also know that normally she doesnt get fed after 8pm as this is when she is in bed, so I am aware that my milk supply may be quite bad in the late evenings, but my supply seemed to be poor today.

Sorry for long post - just looking for some advice on how to increase supply - I have been expressing this evening since she went to bed at 1.15. In half an our Ive only managed to express 1.5 oz from one breast.

Any advice would be appreciated, I'm so worried!

She's going through a classic growth spurt. Milk, generally, doesn't suddenly dry up. The amount you can express is no indication of what is there. If she is latched on and transferring milk, your breasts will be making milk. They do feed almost continuously when going through a growth spurt. Your body will adjust and she'll settle back down again.

Carry on feeding to demand. If you are worried, see a breastfeeding counsellor. Is she weeing and pooing normally? Hydrated?

It's hot too so she may be thirsty so feeding more and the change in routine does affect some babies.

Thanks for this - not been as many poos the past couple of days but she has been pooing and her nappies have been very wet. So this would suggest that she is getting enough? I am so used to my milk literally pouring out - she is too so that may explain the fussing? Have just read an aricle on kellymon and plan to express after every feed just to make sure - but also read, just as you said, that its very unlikely for my milk to just dry up. Im prob being silly, just used to having big hard boobs that pour milk!

Your body does get used to the baby you have. You start by making too much milk and eventually your body adjusts to make the milk your baby needs. And when their developmental and physical needs change, they feed like a crazy thing for a few days and seem unsettled and restless until the milk supply changes (and changes composition too, v clever). You'll probably find as time goes on that your breasts are soft all the time and you stop leaking. If she's going through a growth spurt then it's possible she's using all of the bmilk so little waste, plus they poo less frequently as they get a bit older.

Expressing really isn't necessary to 'prove' anything but at least you can build up a bank of milk in the freezer I suppose. You don't need an over-supply to be providing enough milk though.

Glad you've found kellymom. Wonderful site.

Thanks very much, you have really reassured me. Hopefully as you say my supply will adjust to meet her needs if this is a growth spurt. I also didnt realise that its normal for my breasts to settle down around this time - its very reassuring to know this

If you don't need to express (i.e you are going to be away) then don't. I am feeding a huge baby quite easily so have plenty of milk, but even when my breasts are LOADED I can only express an ounce or too.

Expressing sucks.