My Breast Does not pump as much milk as they used to, Any suggestions. Plz Help

Melissa - posted on 01/21/2009

This is my 3rd child and I breastfed the first 2 for the full year, so I'm hardly a novice!  But with this one, I noticed a definite decrease in supply around 4 months...probably stress-related, I'm guessing.  I talked with 2 lactation consultants and our pediatrician and all suggested the same things:  try to pump even after you have fed him (you may not get anything, but you're stimulating the breast, i.e., tricking it that he wants more...) and if he's sleeping through the night (probably not happening in your case yet), pump a couple of extra times at night.  Also, they all recommended taking fenugreek...it's an herb used in indian cooking and to flavor imitation maple syrup.  3 capsules 3 times a day is supposed to work...seems to have worked for me, but who knows if it was relief from stress, the extra pumping (although I really wasn't able to do much of that with a 4 yr old and 2 yr old running around!), or the fenugreek!  You can get it at GNC.  even if it doesn't work, it won't hurt you or the baby, so I figured I'd give it a try....

Shannon - posted on 01/21/2009

I'm having the same problem.  My daughter is now 4 months old and I'm back to work, so all I'm doing is pumping because she's so use to taking the bottle she won't even take my breast.  But my milk supply seems so much lower.  So now I have to supplement with formula.  I was told to drink more water, so all day that's all I drink and it seemed to help a little bit.  So maybe try that.  But i would love to know how some people pump so much and others just don't. :(

Jessica - posted on 01/20/2009

I had the same probably. pump in between feedings, and drink Mother's Milk tea (get it at a food store instead of a health food store it's alot cheaper-natural food section) drink lots of water and eat oatmeal. it helped me. good luck .

Teresa - posted on 01/20/2009

Hi there,

When I was still pumping (I'm working on weening my 10 month old son) and I was trying to "up" my milk production, I would pump right after he fed - even if I only got an oz. or so, it slowly went up. I also learned that the best time to pump (without nursing first) is about an hour after your first nursing (in the morning). I was able to get 8-10 oz., and still be ready to nurse again in as little as 30 minutes! Good luck!

Stefanie - posted on 01/20/2009

Another thought is that if you are already pumping after you feed him, and now he is accepting your breast, then maybe it is drained by the time you pump. That is a good thing!

Stefanie - posted on 01/20/2009

First, I would say to get a professional lactation consultant to help you. If he is just now accepting your nipple he may have a latch problem or a tongue tie problem. If he does, it could be the reason your supply is dropping.

I would suggest that you go to the breast to start every feeding. Give him as long as he wants there, until he is fussy. If he is still hungry THEN give him a bottle of breast milk and then pump to replace the bottle you just fed him. It sounds like a lot of work and it is. BUT, babies are better than pumps at draining the breast, and your body won't be signaled to make more milk unless the breast is drained well.

You can try oatmeal, fenugreek and mother's milk tea (found at health food stores), and make sure you are eating/drinking enough. You need 500!! extra calories a day to nurse! That is a 2500 MINIMUM! Crazy huh? One other thing to try is skin-to-skin contact. Stay topless, get your baby in just a diaper and hold him, letting him feed whenever he is hungry. Have someone else bring you food and drink. Your only job is to feed the baby. A couple of days of this and most women's supply is greatly increased. My nurse told me that skin-to-skin for just a short period each day increases milk supply by 3 ounces a day!

Unless you need to pump for work or something, I would only use it to replace the supplemental feedings. Pumping exclusively during the first couple months can be bad for your supply (though some moms have good success with it, it is just MUCH harder).

If nothing else works there are prescription medications that your doctor can prescribe.

Good luck, let me know if you need any more help.

Monica - posted on 01/20/2009

Thanks A Bunch!! I'm actually trying both. However he just started to take my nipple. But see once he started doing that, thats when my milk supply started to slow up...

Shannon - posted on 01/20/2009

Monica... I have the same problem!! I do all I can to get atleast 12oz a day so that my son has enough for atleast two bottles while I am at work. I pump every 2 hours at work and stil only get about 2oz... it kills me cuz I was getting 5!! According to my lactation consultant it is because my body is producibg what my son needs, when he needs it... and you will never pump as much as your child eats.... just continue what you are doing, drink lots of water.... and most of all, try to stay relaxed!

Stefanie - posted on 01/20/2009

Are you exclusively pumping or nursing and pumping? I see your son is 3 weeks old, during the first 2 months, milk supply is evening out, so it goes through dips. Completely normal.

The best way to know you are making enough milk is to bring the baby to your breast every time he is hungry, whether it be a half hour or 3 hours since he last ate. The more often he is nursing, the more milk you will make. Babies are much more efficient at getting milk than pumps and thus stimulate milk better.

Please let us know how we can help more!

Ashley - posted on 01/20/2009

Hi Monica!

With my son, I pumped lots of milk. With my daughter, not so much. You could try warm compresses/warm showers before pumping and be sure that you are relaxed. Also, now that your son is older, maybe your breasts have adjusted to his needs and you don't produce as much. I'm not saying that your son isn't getting enough, I only mean that now his needs are being met, instead of a bunch of extra milk. Make sense? I called a lactation nurse when I started having issues with my daughter and that's what she told me, though I can't remember it exactly the way she said it!

Continue pumping whenever you can and keep nursing!