Please Help Supply Decreasing

[babymabey]

My little guy turned 3 weeks yesterday and I swear my milk supply is decreasing. I usually have an abundance in the morning, then my boobs kind of deflate as he feeds throughout the day. I have Hashimoto's Thyroid (Autoimmune hypothyroid) and I've read that if my thyroid is off that can decrease the supply.

I am currently waiting for a reply from my doctor about getting my levels checked but in the mean time, is there someone on here who has went through this and was able to increase their supply? Right now he is eating every hour because he isn't getting enough. He weighed 6 lbs 2 oz when he was born, then went down to 5 lbs 10 oz, he is now up to 7 lbs 1 oz, which is still small for his age and height (4th percentile).

I am getting stressed, especially at night when I am pretty much dry. I really don't want to go to formula, but if I can increase the supply I am going to have tom so any help would be much appreciated.

 

[ttc126]

Hey! I am so sorry I know how stressful it is to deal with supply issues Big hug to you hon!

I have zero experience with thyroid issues but had to be on a medication when my lo was 3 weeks old that decreased my supply. Then I had surgery and had to take a 5 day hiatus which decreased it more. I saw a wonderful lactation consultant who gave me a list of foods to increase supply.

Chicken soup with rice

Rice

Malt-o-meal

Almonds

Coconut water

Coconut (in any form)

Lots of Water

Yeast rolls

Red meat (for me since I'm anemic and that will damper production)

In addition I'm drinking mother's milk tea which makes a big difference. I also have a double pump and pump after every other feeding.

I also take a couple of hot showers a day and use warm compresses when I pump to really empty them out!


This worked great to the point I had a huge oversupply and was pumping 30oz extra a day. So I backed off the pumping and the special diet and decreased my supply too much So the past 3 days I'm doing everything above again. So far on day 3, he is finally going 3ish hours between feedings. Last night he went from 1am to 5am! So I can tell its better.

Good luck to you! And try to relax until your dr can help get the thyroid sorted.

 

[Peppermint25]

A few weeks after my LO was born I had similar whereby my breasts stopped being full and seriously deflated! I wasn't producing enough milk for my girl as she was constantly hungry and fussy. I'm not sure about thyroid and whether it will work for you, however I fed her on demand which was literally every half hour to an hour. All that sucking stimulated my boobs and told them to produce more. After her feeding I would then quickly pump one side for 5-15 minutes depending in how long she slept for or was content for. I did this during the night too whilst my boobs were fullest.

In addition I also took fenugreek tablets and had two hot showers a day where I massaged my boobs and tried to get things stimulated and flowing. Something must have worked as by about day 3 of having a decreased supply I woke up one morning and they were back to being full and satisfying for my little girl again.

I would just keep putting your LO to your breasts and if you have a pump then pump in between. Try to drink and eat well and try to relax. That's hard to do when your worked up but being stressed definitely doesn't help your supply either.

Hope things get better soon xx

 

[babymabey]

Thanks ladies! I have a pump, and I have been using it after every feeding to make sure that my breasts are empty because my doc said that is the best way to let boobs know to produce more milk. My little man has also been eating about every 30 minutes to an hour. The only time he goes a long period of time between feeding is at night. He usually goes from 11-3, then 3:30-6.

I went to the store tonight and bought some of the Mother's Milk Tea, after all the reviews on it on Amazon, I was expecting it to be gross, but it doesn't taste too bad. I have had 2 cups so far tonight, and I am going to get in 2 more before bed so hopefully that will jump start production in the morning.

ttc126, how long after you started the Mother's Milk did you see an increase? I have my finger's crossed that it works and helps sustain my little guy more until I can get in and get my thyroid checked.

 

[summer rain]

So your baby has gained well over 1lb in 3 weeks if you take it from the lowest point? That's an excellent weight gain! By 3 weeks my son was only 5oz up from his birthweight and 12oz up from the lowest point and I have oversupply. By all means get your thyroid checked but to me it sounds like things are going perfectly. They also have a big growth spurt at three weeks and feed every hour, the vast vast majority of babies go through this. It's also completely normal for boobs to feel full in the morning and feel pretty deflated by the end of the day and it's also normal for your boobs to not feel as full as early as 2-3 weeks after birth, it's abnormal to have constant engorgement throughout the BF relationship, I had it with my second youngest for unknown reasons and it was a PITA, constant leaking, blocked ducts and discomfort for 10 months, it isn't normal and thankfully whatever caused that last time I didn't have this time and my supply regulated at 3 weeks xx

 

[seaweed eater]

It sounds like just a growth spurt. Her weight gain is good. Keep watching her diapers. If she's producing enough wet and dirty diapers per day, you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Sunny Flowers]

babymabey - The tea worked wonders for me this last time. Also, there are much stronger natural herbs that work if the tea isn't cutting it. Taking Blessed Thistle in capsule form (it tastes gross) is a good next step if you need it. A knowledgeable worker at the health food store should be able to direct you (or ask a naturopath).

Also for me, I got my milk supply back up by pumping the other side WHILE BF your LO on the other. From my understanding, it convinces your body you're nursing twins, so it goes into increased production. I would think you wouldn't want to change diet & stop doing this at the same time, or you would set yourself up for a big swing.

Good luck! Can't wait to hear how you're doing.

 

[Sunny Flowers]

I should also add one more thing - dehydration and fatigue will drop your milk supply faster than anything else. Considering you're battling your thyroid, all the more important to make sure you're meeting those two needs.

The rule of thumb for fluids for you should be AT LEAST 8 cups of water-based fluids PLUS how much your baby drinks per day. (12c + baby is better)

And it takes a LOT of calories to make milk! So...put your feet up, grab a magazine or crawl into bed, and tell yourself you're busy making milk for your baby which is quite possibly the most important job in the world right now.

 

[Squiggy]

I certainly empathize, my son is 7 weeks today but he was 3w, 4d when I got up one night at 2am and had nothing. I cried for over an hour and we've been supplementing with formula since... and I still cry over it (including today).

Due to severe breast/nipple pain I'm still unable to feed him directly, I have to pump, so I can see that my supply is too low. He's eating between 4 and 6 ounces per feed now and I'm only getting between 2.5 and 4 ounces per pump. They told me to start pumping 8-10 times a day, well I've been sleep deprived enough and couldn't bring myself to more than 5 pumps per day (half hour on each breast). But still my supply is inconsistent at best.

I wish you better luck than I've had!!

 

[ttc126]

Thanks ladies! I have a pump, and I have been using it after every feeding to make sure that my breasts are empty because my doc said that is the best way to let boobs know to produce more milk. My little man has also been eating about every 30 minutes to an hour. The only time he goes a long period of time between feeding is at night. He usually goes from 11-3, then 3:30-6.

I went to the store tonight and bought some of the Mother's Milk Tea, after all the reviews on it on Amazon, I was expecting it to be gross, but it doesn't taste too bad. I have had 2 cups so far tonight, and I am going to get in 2 more before bed so hopefully that will jump start production in the morning.

ttc126, how long after you started the Mother's Milk did you see an increase? I have my finger's crossed that it works and helps sustain my little guy more until I can get in and get my thyroid checked.

It sounds like you're doing great!!! Keep pumping! It took me 3 days (5 cups per day) to see a difference. I was impressed that it really did seem to help!

 

[ttc126]

I certainly empathize, my son is 7 weeks today but he was 3w, 4d when I got up one night at 2am and had nothing. I cried for over an hour and we've been supplementing with formula since... and I still cry over it (including today).

Due to severe breast/nipple pain I'm still unable to feed him directly, I have to pump, so I can see that my supply is too low. He's eating between 4 and 6 ounces per feed now and I'm only getting between 2.5 and 4 ounces per pump. They told me to start pumping 8-10 times a day, well I've been sleep deprived enough and couldn't bring myself to more than 5 pumps per day (half hour on each breast). But still my supply is inconsistent at best.

I wish you better luck than I've had!!

Aww hun I am so so sorry! Big big hug to you!

I'm sure you've tried everything but I've been told its tough to keep a good supply while pumping exclusively. Have you tried a nipple shield? Its the only way I'm able to get lo to my breast as without its very painful! If you maybe tried a shield, baby's sucking could stimulate your production a little more? Its just a thought and I'm sorry if you've already tried it and you're hearing "old news."

The other thing I was told when considering exclusive pumping myself is how important it is to pump between 1am and 4am. Its something with hormones then according to my lactation consultant. I'm sure you're pumping a ton already but maybe try to hit that window if you aren't already.

Again these are just thoughts and I apologize if you've tried them and its not my intention to frustrate you more. Hang in there! You're doing great

 

[seaweed eater]

Squiggy, you will have a tough time increasing your supply on 5 ppd please if you are EP do yourself a favor and get a double electric pump!!! It will cut down on your pumping time a lot and enable you to increase the number of sessions. Around 12 weeks your supply will be more established and you should be able to start dropping pumps again without your supply taking a big hit. I'm sorry to say this, I know it is really tough, but if you were nursing LO would be on the boob much more than 5x a day at this age. It will also help to make sure you have the right flange size and that you are emptying well each session (try compressions, massage, heat). Good luck