6 mo and losing supply - help!

[T Bear]

Hi,

My DD is 6 months old and fully BF. She has just started solids - but is still at the experimenting phase and not eating much. My milk supply has been getting a bit low lately, and this week is worse (I had a bad bout of tonsilitis which I think has knocked me about). The let down is slow and hard to achieve (not least because DD arches and pulls off when there's no milk coming immediately), and then doesn't seem to last long. Often she's only on each side for a few minutes (once the let down has come).

DD seems to be happy enough with the amount of milk she gets, but doesn't have very wet nappies. I'm not sure what she weighs but she's pretty little (we have a CHN appt next week, will weigh her then).

I'm really paranoid because when I was BF my son my supply dropped once he was on solids, and nothing I could do seemed to bring it back. Slowly it dwindled over the next few months and I was needing to supplement with formula until by 9 months he was only having ff. I'm really hoping to maintain BF longer this time but I need some ideas on boosting my supply.

I already eat the lactation cookies and try to feed as often as she will - usually about 6 per day. I try to keep her latched on but she has never been interested in comfort suckling.

Has any one tried fenugreek? Or medication?

Sorry to ramble, just wondering if anyone has any other ideas that I might not have tried?

[MsMummy]

I drink oat milk, and used to sprinkle brewer's yeast on my cereal (really, just the components of the cookies you're already having).

Lots of water helps.

I'm contemplating trying fenugreek, so it'll be interesting what other people say.

[demeter]

Has any one tried fenugreek? Or medication?Yes :) I took fenugreek when donating milk to another mum (while bfing my own too). It worked really well and is readily available from health food stores and chemists.

A good friend of mine takes medication. I couldn't tell you anything more than that. She couldn't feed her first due to supply issues and her second is now eight months old, still boobing and my friend leaks! I know she met with a lactation consultant regularly during pregnancy and the first few months. So I recommend getting on to an LC.

Other milk boosting ideas:


Offering the breast more.
Increasing skin to skin time with bubs
Expressing

More here: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

And here's some info on how to tell if bubs is getting enough:


Feeding your baby according to need (“demand” feeding) will help build and maintain your milk supply.


6 to 8 pale, very wet cloth nappies in 24 hours/5 wet disposable nappies in 24 hours
Good skin tone (when you pinch his skin does it spring back into place?) and colour
A very young baby will usually poo daily, as weeks pass the frequency will decrease to once or twice a week. Poo should be soft and unformed.
Alert, reasonable content for parts of the day, waking for night feeds.
Gradual weight gain, growth in length and head circumference each month (it's important not to look at weight gain as the only sign of adequate milk supply, some babies grow slower than others and are still getting enough milk)
Very undemanding babies who have little active awake time should be woken for feeds (at least 3 hourly during the day and once during the night).


HTH! :hugs:

Ring the ABA for more suggestions and support (free call, 24 hours a day, you can ring them right now if you want 1800 686 2 686).

[JabberJaw]

Keep your own fluids up, goggle 'LACTOGENIC' foods, they are ones that help with good fatty milk...stuff like, brewers yeast, oats, fennel, peanuts, broccoli.

ALso supply can drop at various times of the month, for example if your period is returning or about to arrive...fed bub through these times and supply will increase.

Be sure to get enough sleep too :D

[lozie2]

Cassie is 6 months old, i had my MCHN appointment today, my supply has dropped, she put on 55 grams in 1 month. I am back on motilium, i was on it once before but was told only for 5 days, my MHCN said i can stay on them as long as i want to feed. thats what i will be doing.

Good luck!

[Jaspat24]

I'm on motilium; been on it for months. I tried fenugreek and that helped too but gave me diarrhoea so stopped that. Have also taken blessed thistle, that worked great too.

[T Bear]

Thanks for all the replies. I've started taking fenugreek and it seems to be helping so far (only been a day). Also holding off on the solids for a few days - but that's because they have given my poor girl awful constipation (she has been straining so hard that her little bottom is bleeding when she poos, and what comes out is solid and hard) - so I will discuss that with CHN too.

[little_fish]

You poor thing.

Could you maybe try feeding her at night when she's asleep and so keeps sucking, without drinking much, but that could stimulate your supply more.

Also I found doing pelvic floor excercises speeds up my let down especially when I'm feeling tired, or if my bub is complaining cos it's being slow, plus it helps me relax and concentrate on something other than them fussing, which also speeds things up. Just a quick up-hold for 1- release, 5 or 10 times is all that's needed.