Please help supply issue or my DDs issue! I am losing it!

[sosurreal09]

OK so here it goes...

It's been about 3 months now. It all started when I got AF that month (which I have always gotten AF ever since she was born so not my first) my supply always dwindles a bit so it was expected....then it seemed to not come back. DD was FLIPPING OUT all month long nursing like a maniac. We started nursing for 2hrs endlessly every morning...and nursing about every hr during the day but was still more or less STTN.

This kept up non stop for a month. Then she added nursing non-stop for a couple hours at night before bed... until this week. Now the nursing has increased even more. She is nursing every 30 mins or so all day and night as well as the 2-3hr nursing session in the AM and PM.

Before all of this she was STTN and nursing every 2-3hrs during the day with no problem. I have never had a supply issue before. BTW she is not yet 2 y/o! I really do not want to wean her.

When I manually squeeze my milk out it is there.

She keeps acting like it's not enough. She will nurse a couple mins then say "all gone" and usually flip out. Since it's been 3 months of this I just started giving her coconut milk (she's allergic to dairy) every day and she is drinking about 10 or 12 oz of that plus water with meals daily. She eats a lot of solids and has always been a "good eater" She will usually finish her plate although she eats mostly veggies and fruits by her choice. She does have healthy fats though and I try to give her as much healthy fats as possible. Every morning she eats 2 eggs for breakfast as well.

So IDK what the problem is. LLL says it's a supply and demand thing and they can't imagine my supply being down so it must be behavioral. I just don't know b/c she's never wanted any other milk before and her nursing used to be spaced out and now she is nursing relentlessly and now asking for and wanting other milk...

She is a healthy weight and not suffering weight wise or anything.

So what do you think? I can't keep living like this nursing every 30 mins I am losing it! The hours long nursing sessions are KILLING me and instead of it getting better it's getting worse. She does act like she is genuinely hungry/thirsty and wants her milk. Even at night (and during the day) she is taking BOTH breasts every feed.

IDK what the problem is or what to do about it.

[sosurreal09]

Also she is switching sides constantly like every 30seconds or so.

[Megan73]

Is it possible that she's just extra clingy because of some developmental leap - and there are LOTS of them at almost two - and just wants to nurse more for closeness with Mommy?
Another thing - I've read that magnesium supplements are good for AF-related supply dips. Might help...

[sosurreal09]

I mean IDK for 3 months straight and getting worse? I am a SAHM. She has constant attention and cuddling and I still wear her just about every day. We are co-sleeping as well. How much more attention could i possibly give her?! I even just set up a special mommy hour before bed where we have "cave time" (lights out, stories by candlelight, flips, tickles, snuggles, you name it we do it!) and then of course her 2hr long nursing session!

She has always been very intense but I have always met her needs. (and hers really are very great in demand)

[sosurreal09]

No one else has any clue? I feel like this is so hopeless. What am I suppose to do?

[PatioGardener]

Teething?

My 15 month old is a non-stop fiend right now and it turns out that he is just cutting a molar. And has 2 more that are on the way. Joy. I fear this may also go on for months.

[Asiago]

It sounds as if your milk is not readily letting down.

I had posted in another thread regarding a supply issue or perhaps more so let down issue (?) recently. It was just the 'waking feeding' in the morning that was the problem for me. This went on for at least two weeks. For what it's worth, I have not had a post partum period yet.  

So at 21 months nursing I decided to try Fenugreek. It worked within a few days, I no longer have an issue at that feeding, even if my son has nursed all night long. My milk readily lets down when we both wake up in the morning (we co-sleep) and my breasts feel full when I awake now.  The only other time I ever used an herb was when I suspected growth spurts, I'd take alfalfa supplement for a day or two.

The other time recently my son nused non-stop was for about two weeks when his two year molars were erupting. Fortunately my milk supply was plentiful at this point due to the Fenugreek. He barely ate any solids for those two weeks so I was thankful for a plentiful milk supply.

Edited by Asiago - 8/14/11 at 12:49pm