Expressing milk - sudden drop in supply

[WorkingMummy]

Any other pumpers ever had sudden disappearance of milk?

Baby is 7 months. EBF until 6 months. Me at work, expressing from very early on. We are weening him: and he's on two solid feeds a day - but has been stable like that for a couple of weeks.

My supply had not changed at all until suddenly, two days ago, it dropped off a cliff.

Baby co-sleeps at night, so has a lot of access to me then.

I have been working exceptionally hard and am exhausted so.....

Any ideas/tips??

WMx

[Mrs TP]

Have you lost weight?

I always had to keep a little bit of weight about me to keep my supply going.

[RenF]

I was never highly successful with expressing, but my tip for supply is fennel tea. Also if you're knackered Could you try and have a really chilled weekend? Maybe spend a bit of time in bed with your baby doing skin to skin as another way to boost supply? Plenty of good food, things with oats in especially.

What with working and expressing you're kind of super-mum so maybe time to take it easy on yourself!

[etta166]

Once I was back at work, I found that my supply was very variable from week to week. I never really worked out why, but it did go up and down, not just down. In the US/Canada a doctor might prescribe Motilium (domperidone) to boost milk supply. It's not actullay for that, it's and anti-sickness drug, but it does work.

http://www.bedfordhospital.nhs.uk/upload_folder/patient%20information/domperidone%20to%20increase%20breast%20milk%20production.pdf

[WorkingMummy]

V helpful thank you all.

Now you mention it, I have lost a bit of weight. Not noticed it before, but yes my jeans are slipping. And am knackered.

And yes supply has always varied.

Hubby has taken our 4 and 2 year old and I am tucked up on sofa with baby and left overs of breakfast pancakes.

[Undiscovered]

Fenugreek tea worked wonders for my supply, effects were almost instant. Just get some seeds from Healthmatters. Didn't expect much but honestly really worked. Once it got it going again (I was ill) stopped drinking and it kept going. Good luck!

[arsmith]

My doctor here prescribe me doneperidome free I was in hospital for a month and had I stop BF I was on it for 2 weeks and my supply came right back. As above it's a side effect rather than the main reason for prescribing but my doctor was completely aware I it - I initially spoke o one of the BF consultants from the leaflet you get at kings when baby is born

I'd also say rest and plenty of liquids too - you may not feel dehydrated but you may not be drinking enough for your supply

[canela]

might be a tad controversial, but at a LaLecheLeague group I used to go to, they said the only things proven to improve milk supply (apart from the drugs mentioned above which do boost supply as a side effect to something else) were beer and sparkling wine. obv not to drink a lot - but a glass a day was recommended... i took them up on it - not sure if it had any effect but it made me not stress about it anyway!

would agree with all the other points about general wellbeing, food, tea, liquids etc.

[WorkingMummy]

Canela I'm going to go with that advice! WMx

[hellosailor]

I was also prescribed domperidone to boost supply and it works quickly, (i.e practically overnight)

[arsmith]

Thinking about it canela may well be right - I had a few hen dos / wedding when my son was a few months old and after drinking I was fit to bursting the following morning and I did think back then that alcohol may have an affect

[a.smith]

There are different massage techniques you can look on youtube, hot shower before expressing(but I am sure if you are home you would breastfeed,so not an option for your busy day),breastfeeding during the night 2am-6am would help ,as this is when the supply rebuilds (again you must be really exhausted ,but some people find it easy to sleep while bf,so do it only if you have energy left as tiredness could also reduce supply).I would sent you link with I tea I was drinking but I found so many other recipes on line to boost milk that I don't know what worked.Generally rest ,good food and plenty of drink are best solution .Supply establishes week 4-6 after birth . Afterwords you could increase and decrease supply by putting baby as often as possible on breast.Hope that helps,but be gentle to yourself.