Nursing strike/ low supply

[Minnie9mo]

My little one is 12 weeks. We have been exclusively breast feeding from week 3. We had some initial issues with weight gain so we did nurse, top up and pump to increase supply and eventually get rid of the top ups. For the past 2-3 weeks she has been fussing, on and off after a couple sucks here and there. When she does feed, her feeds have been very short. A few mins (5ish) with the night feeds a bit longer. They got shorter and shorter and fussier and fussier and a couple days ago she has completely refused the breast. We have been trying to do lots of skin to skin and all the suggestions for nursing strike and while she goes on the boob sometimes now, she pulls off af the r getting very frustrated. I’ve been trying to pump for her so we can bottle feed and am surprised as to how little I’m getting- at most 1 ounce for both breast. I only get one quick let down that lasts for a few seconds and that’s it- no more milk in spite of compressions and massages. This matches her drinking- she drinks quickly and then pulls off when the let down is done. She does not stay on to stimulate the next letdown and it seems the pump can’t either. I’m at a complete loss of what to do next. Since she is not getting enough from what I pump during her strike, I’m giving her some frozen breast milk from a couple months ago. I’m pumping now to increase supply (6-7 times a day). Do you think I have low supply? How long will it take to get it back up? When she took the breast a couple times today, she seemed really annoyed that there was no milk for her which is not helping the nursing strike.

I’m seriously thinking that this might be the end of BF for the both of us (even though I don’t want to!). But I have to admit that BF has been stressful from the start and not something that I “enjoy” persay. But there are times that I do love it. If I give up and decide to switch, I’m afraid I’ll also have loads of formula guilt. Is there any hope for us to continue BF? Anyone experience anything similar.

How was she between feeds OP, before you started giving top ups? Was she settled or clearly still hungry? How long between the feeds?

Have a look at power pumping to help increase supply. There is also old wives tales about certain foods that help increase supply....oats, brewers yeast, fenugreek etc. Ultimately though if you can afford it, I would try and book a consultation with a board certified lactation consultant. Or you could call La Leche for advice.

She was generally active and alert between feeds before giving her top ups. She also was gaining okay, slightly dropped off but nothing that concerned health professionals. She sometimes wanted to eat every hour but sometimes would go 2-3 hours between feeds. She would also chew her hands a lot but not so much anymore. At night she went to bed around 7:00 and would wake up for a feed at midnight and then every 2-3 hours from then.

@stopchewingeverything. I have tried to power pump as much as I can over the past couple of days. Since I’ve already done the pumping thing to increase supply at 2-3 weeks, I am dreading the emotional/ mental toll of power pumping now. I have been in touch with a lactation consultant who said ride it out and it might resolve in the a day or two and she was not worried about supply and said that if baby got back on breast the supply would follow as it’s very dynamic now and works on supply and demand. I have also been eating fenugreek.