sudden decrease in milk

[jerabelle]

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my son is 3 1/2 weeks old and i have been nursing him since day one. i usually pump once at night before my husband & i go to bed, just so we have some 'liquid gold' on reserve. seems that as of two nights ago, my milk supply has dramatically decreased (i was getting somewhere between 3 to 4 oz, now i'm lucky to be getting between 1 to 2 oz)!! nothing has changed in diet or activity level and i always drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. my major concern is that my son isnt getting enough and that my milk is drying up. he has over 6 wet/dirty diapers per day, but what iS going on with my milk supply?? i have even increased my pumping to a few times a day in between feedings, as i read this can help. so far, no avail and i'm still only getting 2oz.
ANY ADVICE WILL BE SUPER APPRECIATED .... FIRST TIME MOM WHO FEELS I'M FAILING AT NURSING

[alegna]

I bet your supply is just settling down. Relax. As long as baby is having enough diapers and gaining, no worries.

-Angela

[maddymama]

Hi Mama,
I understand your concern, but in most cases this is nothing to worry about. As angela posted, your supply is probably settling down. Your LO is probably also getting more efficient at nursing (withdrawing your milk out faster and easier) and might also be going through a growth spurt (which would mean more milk for your LO and less for the pump until your body adjusts accordingly) which is typical at 3-ish weeks.
I'd keep an eye on you diaper output for a few days. As long as your LO is creating enough diapers, the you should be ok. Also, make sure you rest as much as possible, and drink plenty of water.
~maddymama

[mariposa77]

hi mama!
I agree with what the other mamas said!
Sounds like you are doing a fine job at nursing!
Also you can try to incorporate lactogenic foods in your diet to increase supply, such as oatmeal, almonds, chai tea, which are nutritious as well.
There is a great book called Making More Milk, which has some excellent information, and check out kellymom.com if you haven t already.
Congrats on your little one!

[Ruthla]

I agree with the others- it sounds like normal milk changes, and not at all like you "don't have enough milk." The baby is probably going through a growth spurt and drinking up all the "extra" milk before you can pump it. Keep up the nursing and pumping (there's no need to pump more than once a day if this is just for an emergency freezer stash) and in a few days, your supply should increase to meet the new demand.

Also keep in mind that you can combine the milk from more than one pumping- even if you're only getting 1oz pumped per day, that's still 7oz a week (enough for 2 bottles) to add to the freezer.

[Llyra]

I don't think it's likely to be reduced supply. I think probably what's happening is baby is drinking more than he used to, so there's less left over for the pump. No worries. If you keep pumping during that time, and leave the pump on until every last drop is out, there's a very good chance that you will stimulate an increased supply, and in a few days or a week your pumping output will be back up again.

Keeping in mind, of course-- that pumping output in no way reflects on how much baby is getting. Your baby is WAY more efficient than even the best pump, when it comes to extracting milk. Plus, the complex hormonal interaction that happens between baby and you, and baby's unique suckling action, are something you can't duplicate with a pump. So don't let your pumping output worry you.

As an example-- I nurse my twins for 16 months, with only a few minor challenges. They grew beautifully, and thrived, so obviously I had enough milk. But during that time, I wasn't ever able to pump more than an ounce or two at a time, ever, not even when I'd totally missed a feeding. I just didn't respond to the pump the same way.

But with DD1, with the exact same brand of pump, I could pump 7 or 8 ounces at a time. Even though at that time I was only nursing ONE baby, not two.

So you see- what you can pump means very little in terms of what your actual supply is.

You'll want to keep an eye on baby, not the pump. And remember that stress and worry can inhibit your letdown, so when you do pump, try not to worry too much about how much you can get. And hang in there-- it all gets so much easier to figure out in a few weeks.

Congratulations on your new baby, BTW!

[Heba]

Yup. As your supply becomes established, it switches from being hormonally induced (at birth) to being completely demand-supply. This means that after the first few weeks, your body is making just the right amount of milk for your baby. some mums find that their breasts also feel softer, and it can be quite alarming if you're not expecting it.
As the others have said, a pump is not a reliable indicator of supply (your baby is much more efficient). As long as baby is happy, peeing and pooping, then it sounds as if all is well

[jerabelle]

~*~*~*~*~ THANK YOU LADIES *~*~*~*~*~*

you have all helped to put me more at ease today (my husband thanks you too as i've done nothing but cry and be emotional)!
i'm sure there are many many more changes/challenges to come, so please be aware that there will probably be additional cries of help from me!!
maybe my lil guy has just had a fussy day, coincidentally occurring when i noticed my milk 'decrease', and i freaked out! he's more interested in small/quick feedings every hour, which i think is quite the norm for a newborn

[Llyra]

Originally Posted by jerabelle

~*~*~*~*~ THANK YOU LADIES *~*~*~*~*~*

you have all helped to put me more at ease today (my husband thanks you too as i've done nothing but cry and be emotional)!
i'm sure there are many many more changes/challenges to come, so please be aware that there will probably be additional cries of help from me!!
maybe my lil guy has just had a fussy day, coincidentally occurring when i noticed my milk 'decrease', and i freaked out! he's more interested in small/quick feedings every hour, which i think is quite the norm for a newborn

I'm glad you're feeling a little more confident today. The early weeks postpartum can be a very emotional time.

The peak of newborn fussiness tends to be about six weeks. So you may see many more fussy days and nights in the next few weeks. It's really easy to assume it's about milk and hunger, but even amply fed babies go through this. It takes them some time to work out how to handle the big world, and they are often cranky and overwhelmed by it. One thing I found that could help was learning how to nurse while walking around-- even if you put baby in a front carrier, and scootch baby down to breast level, and try latching on that way. The action of being walked around, at a nice steady pace, is very soothing, and can help a cranky, tired baby settle down better than sitting down to nurse can, sometimes. It takes practice to learn, but it's so worth it if you can make it happen.

And you're right to follow his cues-- small, frequent feedings are the biological norm for infants, and if you follow his lead, you will almost never go wrong.

[braidmama]

I agree with these other Mamas! I am going through the same and my son is 4 months old...I have definitly noticed a significant difference when pumping compared to nursing. I wish I'd had internet at the very very beginning! Ya'll what have put me at ease! I am still an emtional wreck most of the time...