Need to Get My Milk Supply Back

I just talked with a lactation consultant about this as I thought my milk supply has lessened as well. She suggested drinking mother's milk tea several times a day, and pumping (with both breasts at the same time) twice a day. I started doing both and have seen quite an increase in my supply...so maybe you can give it a try. Good luck!

Another thing to keep in mind, milk supply can go up and down depending on the time of month. For the last several months, mine goes down significantly while I am on my period and then rebounds to normal (my DD is 8mo). So don't give up. :) I just try to pump more often, drink more water, and take fenugreek.

It's a supply and demand issue. If she is getting formula she'll want even less of your milk. My son is just over 1 year and we're still nursing. Make sure that you are nursing exclusively when you can. For example, when we wake up in the morning he starts out with breastmilk and then about an hour or so later we have some breakfast. Then right before he takes a nap he nurses again. When he wakes up he has lunch. Nurses again after that. Takes a nap and then wakes and has snack. He nurses around 3-4ish and then has dinner at 5ish. He nurses again right before bed. Hope that helps!

I also have this problem every so often. I've used a combination of Fenugreek and Milk Thistle tinctures...drops under the tongue. It really works. But just last night I was reading reviews online about another product that I'm definitely going to try. It's called "More Milk Plus" by Motherlove. I believe it comes in capsule and dropper form. I've also used the Mother's Milk Tea, but I've heard it does not nearly increase your milk supply as much as products that come in capsule or tincture form. I hope you find this helpful.

don't get too upset if you can't get your supply back. it happened to me before i wanted. mother's milk tea helped and pumping like a bad woman while at work. if you are in the san jose area, good samaritain hospital has a nursing center that was really helpful. good luck.

Get in touch with your local LaLeche League ladies. They are the go-to people for breastfeeding issues.

L.,
Mine dropped a few times during my baby's first year from plugged ducts. Try fenugreek capsules, mother's milk teas and as a last resort, I got a prescription for Domperidone from a compounding pharmacy. Most US Dr's will just give you a script for Reglan. Don't do it. It interferes with dopamine production and can cause depression. Domperidone is used around the world, but no drug company makes $ off it heres, so Dr's try to say it is not a good drug. Just like Reglan it is used for GI troubles but the side effect is increased milk. I used it for about 1 month and got my milk up then went off it. If your baby is sleeping longer at night your milk can drop too. Eat oatmeal in the am too and a small beer gets milk up. Good luck. Breast milk is the best thing for your baby! Email me if you want more info on Domperidone.

Hi. There is a tea you can drink and it seems to work (I have not tried it personally though) I think it's called Mother's milk Tea, look for it at health food stores. For some reason when you pump you never seem to get as much milk out. I don't think she's self weening since she is wanting to nurse. I know it sounds weird but several of my friends' doctors told them to drink a beer to build up their milk supply. And make sure you are drinking enough fluids, not over do it but 64 oz of water a day. Good luck hope it works out for you.

I agree that it sounds pretty normal. Once they start solids and get a little older it's normal for your supply to dip. It's also normal before and during your period to have a notable drop.

I would let her nurse as often as she asks to. Since you are a SAHM I think just letting her nurse very frequently and nursing before meals rather than immediately after would be a big help. Breastmilk is a supply and demand thing - it won't just disappear if you keep nursing. Your body will keep making milk as long as there is a demand.

My daughter is 16 months and still nursing. I stopped pumping a little after a year and had a big drop in supply, but she still nurses (and clearly gets milk) several times a day.

I am sure your daughter is NOT self weaning! If she is asking to nurse, she's not weaning, and 9 months is too early to stop.

Hi Lauren,

I've had the problem from the beginning after my daughter was born at 23 wks along. I was just barely into 6 months pregnant when she wanted to come out already. After all of the meds that I had to take, I wasn't getting very much of milk supply and my daughter was in NICU at the time and she really doesn't need that much anyways, so I tried the natural stuff to help increase the breastmilk is called Fenu Greek. You can find it on website or whole foods store. I don't remember the other natural meds to take to help increase the supply of milk. It helped somewhat for me. Another meds which it needs prescription from your dr is called Reglan. I took it and it didn't turn out the way it should because due to all the meds that I had to take due to infections. It works differently for everyone. It'll be worth the shot to try it out. You're doing a good job not giving up. I didn't give up for the first 4 months of struggling to keep pumping milk for my sweet precious miracle baby. I only pumped out about between 1-2 ounces of milk for each breast and my daughter wasn't taking near an ounce of milk, so I was able to store it in the freezer to stock up. I wish I could breast feed her but she was so tiny. God bless you and keep breastfeeding while you can and you can aslo pump q4-5hrs and stock it up in the freezer. Take care.

I'm not an expert but nursed my first until she self-weaned just past 3 yrs and my 2nd is still nursing at 2 yrs. For an expert's opinion ... call Maternal Expressions in Folsom, CA. It's a maternity store and lactation consultant all in one.

My suggestion is to just relax and let that baby nurse whenever and however often she wants. From my experience, your milk will meet her demand ... unless you stress out. She's probably just going through a growth phase which happens every couple of weeks I think. Every couple of weeks, mine would nurse non-stop for a couple days and nights and then go back to normal. She also may be playing with the new foods vs. mom's milk and suddenly needed moms again in force. Or she could be insecure about something ... some new milestone she's achieved recently or a change in her daily ritual or yours ... like a move or going back to work or whatever.

Enjoy it - it's a special bonding time and they will self-wean when they're ready ... it varies but parenting-book-guru Brazelton says if left to themselves, they'll self-wean typically at 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years of age.

A couple things that are supposed to help boost your milk supply are Mommas Milk Tea (avail at any health food store), beer with hops in it (I think you can get hops in tablets or not in a beer form too but not sure), and I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting ... google it or check out a nursing book on it from your library.

Oh, one more thing. A more accurate way to see how much breastmilk your child is getting is to weigh her before you nurse her and then weigh her again just after nursing her. Our doctor told us that one. Then you can see how much milk (in weight) went into her.

My son started limited solids at 5mo, and he still nursed quite frequently. When your daughter nurses so frequently like you described, it has nothing to do with supply. It's called cluster feeding, and babies will do this especially around growth spurts.

It sounds like you're doing a great job, and as long as she seems happy and satisfied and is still growing, then it's safe to say she's getting the milk she needs & wants. It's supply and demand, and I can't believe you're still leaking! WOW! Sign of a plentiful milk supply! However, not leaking doesn't mean you're not producing enough. If you're overly concerned about it, I would get in contact with a lactation consultant or talk to her pediatrician. Otherwise, just relax and enjoy being able to nurse your daughter :)

Once you start your child on solid foods you usually nurse less often like 3-4 hours inbetween. I know it is difficult to see how much your child really gets, but a pump is about 1/2 as efficient as your child, so you really are feeding her more than you pump. While I was nursing, I would pump in preparation for work, I used to put the pump on one side and my son on the other. My milk was so much more than if pumped alone. There is also a tea called Mothers Milk or tinctures that help increase your supply. Also remember that your body makes what your child needs and their needs keep changing.Sometimes teething or growth spirts will make little ones nurse more often. Just because breastfeeding frequency slows down does not mean weaning.

hi L.,

i was in a similar situation with my baby, eventually i supplemented with goat milk (easier to digest than cow's milk, do online research! or check wit your pediatrician) and thus was able to avoid formula entirely but still continue to nurse mornings and evenings
good luck
ps - try nursing before a meal and also make sure you are well hydrated and do not stress either way she will be fine!

I almost lost my milk before. The main advise was, stay in bed, drink water like it is coming out your ears and nurse every second the baby was willing. It took one day of total reast, lots if water and it worked. My issue was not solid food it was stretching the feedings out too far. Good luck.

I had to wean my son at that age expecting alot of crying, etc. but he barely noticed other than staring at my boobs once in a while. He was really excited about solid foods and eating like a pig. He chipped a front tooth and it became impossibly painful to nurse - his tooth was razor sharp.
Your body adjusts to the amount of milk your baby is injesting, so since Baby is getting food now the milk demand is slowing down - doesn't mean it will stop altogether. When you do actually stop - you will get engorged and uncomfortable for about 2 weeks.
Pump as much as you can and freeze it so you can blend it with formula when it's time to wean. If Baby is self-weaning - which is a possibility you have to go with it or you will end up like those weird granola crunchers in Palo Alto who breastfeed their 1st graders in restaurants. Yechk!
Oh and BTW - my brother completely refused to nurse anymore at 7 months - he'd push my mom away and say "RRRRRAAAAAAAAAh". it was funny to me but it hurt my mom's feelings. We still hate her cooking ;)

I'm sure you'll get many replies that say the same thing- BUT I just went through this again with my 11 month old (2nd child). This is completely normal. Your body is adjusting to feeding a toddler, not an infant. She won't need as much milk, and is getting what she needs, but may want to nurse more as she is exploring and teething and needing comfort. I work outside the home 2days/wk and can no longer pump any milk (only an oz or so- not worth it). But we will still be nursing until at least age 2. In my experience the 2nd year is really a few times a day and on long airplane flights when she is squirmy on your lap!
This probably wasn't too helpful- I just wanted to tell you it sounds completely NORMAL. Contact La Leche to get the specifics from the experts.

Hi L.,

Have you tried giving her water? Once my boys started eating I was giving them water with their meals. I would nurse afterward or before naps. It may be that she is just thirsty, and not necessarily needing the nutrients from the milk. I think this is very commom. Just try the water:)

Take Care,
B.

Glad you asked this question! I'm having similar issues. My daughter just turned 9 months and is still primarily breastfed since she JUST start really being interested in food this past week. I've loaded up on water and More Milk Plus and saw results last week. Hopefully, I'll continue to see results...
Now, after reading the other responses, I'll also be looking to see if I start my period any time soon! : )
Cassie

There are some lactation teas and cookies help with breast milk production. I have been using healthy nursing tea to improve my lower milk production and it helped a lot!!

I had a similar problem a few times while breastfeeding. I understand how stressful it is. I went to a health food store and bought the "More Milk Plus" by Motherlove in the tincture form. It helped within 1-2 days. It doesn't taste good but it helped me. Eating a little bit extra and drinking a lot of water couldn't hurt either. I fed my baby milk I had previously pumped and frozen and kept pumping until my milk production came back up so I could see how much I was producing. It turned out that my period started again shortly after the first episode of low milk production and I had a similar episode each time just before my period so I just used the tincture again for a couple of days each time. I ended up nursing until 1 year. Good luck.

Is it possible that you are dehydrated?

In addition to all of the wonderful herbal teas and healthful drinks that I'm sure this community will provide, I'd also like to offer something that always worked for me...a beer!

I'm sure some more experienced moms can talk to you about pumping, herbs, etc. I haven't done it all in a while. :) I do recommend though that you get your thyroid checked. TSH, Free T3 and Free T4. Make sure they test them all to get the whole picture. I didn't find out until too late that I had a thyroid condition and that is why I always had trouble with my milk supply. It breaks my heart that I probably could have nursed had I known.
Take care!