Decreased Supply of Breastmilk Due to Alchohol Consumption?

here is a great link:

http://www.kellymom.com/health/lifestyle/alcohol.html
I use Kellymom.com for the most up to date info on breastfeeding.
Good luck!

Alcohol can really dehydrate you so it may just be temporary until you get enough fluids again. I have never heard of alcohol causing a problem.

Just keep nursing her on demand and your production will increase to satisfy her. A baby is able to extract a lot more milk than pumping and thus she is more efficient than pumping. Right now don't fuss with pumping--keep nursing whenever she wants and you both will be just fine.

Try natural tea which is called Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea. It helps great...

To increase your supply - breastfeed your baby and then (if possible) pump for 5 to 10 min afterwards. Also, eat oatmeal, fenugreek and alfalfa supplements.
Good luck and don't beat yourself up over this. Just remember to pump and dump when you overdue it. And then, just continue to nurse your child. He will dictate to your body how much to produce.

Hi Patti,
When I breastfeed my son it was all new to me. I didn't know that I wasn't to take hot or luke warm showers. I needed a shower so bad that I took one without asking the nurse. I was in so much pain after my shower that I had to call the nurse. She explained that I activated my milk ducts to fast, so you might try that. I also learned a lot from a book. The La Lechi manuals. It's all about breastfeeding. I'm sorry about the spelling of Lechi. The library might help you there. This group has been around for ages. If anyone can help it's that group. I'm sorry I'm not much help, but I just want to encourage you to continue and not give up. It's the best way to keep your child healthy. I breastfeed my son for fourteen months and had a healthy son. In fact he was hardy ever sick, besides your normal childhood illness. I'm talking about your everyday common colds. My son's older now and still doesn't get sick, even in flu season. My great grandmother before she died said that there was something we can pass on. Besides a close bond, but you know the saying: human babies need human milk, like calves need their mothers milk. Just remember each situation is different. If by any unseen circumstances that you can not continue (after tying all you can to correct your problem) remember you gave your child three whole months of the best kind of milk in the whole world. That will give your little girl a head start on staying healthy. I'll be praying for you. God bless you and you family. Have a Happy Easter. Your New Friend, Debbie.

I don't know about the alcohol consumption affecting it, but someone told me one time to look at a picture of your baby while you are pumping. I thought it sounded a little nuts but tried it and it did help the milk come out.
Good Luck!

I have never heard of loss of milk due to alcohol. Especially only one time! You are being too hard on yourself! I do know that pumping doesn't express as much as your baby can, so that may lessen the amount produced. Just keep up the fluids and see how she responds. Some women just dry up faster than others. Best of luck to you!
J. B

I'm really surprised that only one person has said growth spurt. Yes, being dehydrated can cause a temporary dip in supply, but getting and staying hydrated will go along way towards reversing that.

Our little ones have huge growth spurts at approximately 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. During growth spurts, my breastfed baby is constantly on the breast. She's nursing constantly and it's hard not to get touched out. She also wakes more frequently at night. We are just wrapping up the 6 month growth spurt here. This is a natural process and tell our bodies to increase our supply.

You didn't mention how his diaper output has been? Has it been consistent? Are there still plenty of wet and poopy diapers - keeping in mind that it's totally normal for a breastfed baby to not poop every day?

Dark stout beers, in moderation, like Guiness are good for your supply and can lead to an increase.

Hang in there Mama, I think this might possibly have been an occasion of your night off coinciding with a growth spurt. The best thing you can do is keep putting him to your breast as often as he wants and leaving him there as long as he wants. Do not supplement off the breast unless you see an actual reason - like insufficient wet/poopy diapers. The more stimulation you get, the quicker your supply will adjust to his new demands.

S.

Hey Patti,

Great question! As some others suggested, I think it is just coincidence. I too noticed a decrease in milk production around this time and it was very difficult for me to accept that I didn't have this endless milk supply that was available whenever my baby wanted more! It was absolutely amazing how much production decreased too. I say hang in there and try to keep pumping to stimulate production. I don't think you are or you have done anything wrong. We occasionally need to have some fun to preserve our sanity, and it sounds like you planned ahead and were smart. Just keep doing what you're doing....I'm sure it was a growth spurt & the timing of decreased supply.

i went through a decrease in breastmilk around 3 months as well... I don't believe it has anything to do with your alcohol consumption! Around 2-3 months post partum, our bodies are really going thru that crazy process of "getting back on track." I lost a lot of hair for about 3 weeks and my milk supply diminished so much that i was worried that my son wasn't getting enough.
Have no fear! it's just our hormones trying to get back into the swing of things- even if it seems like you are having a "normal" cycle, slight variations in your hormones can still affect your milk supply. It sounds like you are doing all the right things- increased water/fluids, and keep pumping to stimulate milk production. Even if you feel empty, try to pump after your baby is finished (you can even give the milk to you baby right after your finished if you want). It will come around.
My breasts never seem as "full" anymore as they did once my milk came in after delivering. But my son is still getting enough. It may just take a bit for your body to get into a "normal" cycle. :)
GOOD LUCK and call your doc if this persists!
L.

Hi Patti,

I have a four month old son and I noticed that at 12 weeks my milk supply changed too. I think we are used to there being so very much at the beginning when our bodies are really pumping it out and then the milk evens out and starts giving the baby just what it needs, and we think there isn't enough. Don't worry - I was worried to, but my son is 15 lbs and eating like a horse and everything is fine. As long as your baby has enough wet diapers then you have nothing to fear;)
take care
H.

Do not be hard on yourself. Sometimes your body lets you know when it is time to stop breastfeeding fully, even if you don't want to. Are you under any stress? Stress can cause your milk to decrease.

Yes this happened to me! I was so angry at myself. I used mother's milk tincture and some organic tea. It helped a little but I hate to be discouraging but it never got back to the way it used to be. I hope yours does. Plus i was working so it was hard to pump so much. 3 months is also a growth spurt. Keep breastfeeding. Although i had to supplement because of my supply i breastfed till he was 8 months. Although, I would have loved to have done it for a year.

p.s. they say the hops in beer and malta increases milk supply, i guess other liquor doesn't.

Peace,
S.

www.daraluzproject.com

Alcohol can decrease milk supply although I think there might be more than that going causing your decrease. For baby's first couple months the amount of milk you make is largely hormone-related. At around 4months milk supply becomes more about baby's demand than hormones. Many women will notice a decrease in supply around this time. Make sure you put baby to the breast every 3 hours to help increase your supply (if she's asleep wake her up). Eating oatmeal everyday can increase your supply. Drink mother's milk tea (should be able to find it at any grocery store- also at whole foods, wegman's). You should drink 16oz of water or gatorade everytime you nurse & drinking or chewing gum will also help increase milk while pumping. Try nursing or pumping after a hot shower- I always had a strong let down after showering. My son is 20 1/2 months old & still nurses. We've been going to a breastfeeding support group at the Birth Center in Bryn Mawr where he was born since he was a baby. It's great to meet other moms & to share all your experiences. You should look for a meeting near you from Le Leche League or local hospital or even the one at the Birth Center. You don't have to have delivered at the place to attend a meeting & they're free. You get to hear suggestions from lots of other moms. It's wonderful! You can also just google "how to increase milk supply" & find tons of suggestions. The breastfeeding group I attend is on yahoo groups- you should check it out- you'll be able to find lots of info about supply issues. Godd luck. And keep up the breastfeeding!

Could she be having a growth spurt? There is usually one at 3 months, so it could be just that she suddenly needs more milk than you were producing before she started the spurt, not that you are producing less. My little guy ate all the time at that stage.

yes. alcohol decreases your supply, but it will be temporary. keep drinking lots of fluids.

i've never heard of that happening before. i think you're going to be fine. just keep nursing her on demand, and she'll bring your supply back up. if you still feel as if you don't have enough milk, contact your local La Leche Leader. She'll be able to give great advice! Good luck! (whatever you do, DON'T give formula or pump and give only in bottles, this decreases milk supply.... just nurse her whenever she wants, as long as she wants, and she'll probably be able to bring your supply back.) and remember, when your supply comes back up, she won't nurse as much, b/c you'll be making more at a time.

It could be a coincidence of your daughter having a growth spurt at the same time you had your party. I think they tend to happen on the three's. Alcohol does have a dehydrating affect too, so maybe that does have something to do with it. It sounds like you are doing all the right things to get it back to normal. I never experienced that but I usually only had two glasses of wine at a time. So if I did experience it, it wasn't very extreme to notice.

Patti
My daughter noticed her milk supply decreasing, our grandson was about 7 to 9 months old at the time, she took alfalfa supplements. She was able to product more milk. I agree with the other comments, give your body a chance to recuperate from the dehydration and do not beat yourself up.
L. P

Hey Patti,

First off - it's ok. We have all done it. Chances are your got dehydrated - alcohol can do that to ya. As a result - your supply got a little low. Also - the pump is never as good at keeping up your supply like a baby can. You are doing everything right. Drink fluids, nurse on demand and your supply shouold slowly build. It may take a week or so.
Hang in there!!!!

Usually it's something dietary or dehydration that will cause your milk levels to fluctuate. Pumping will also effect your supply if you aren't doing it on a regular basis, as it's not the same type of stimulation as actual breastfeeding is.
You can use alfalfa, nettles is a really good one but you have to be careful as it's not for people with highblood pressure. It has a lot of Vit K in it(a natural clotting agent) but otherwise it works really well for increasing your milk supply.
Stay away from anything parsley or in the parsley family as this will have a negative effect on your milk production.
Oatmeal is also very good for Milk production
It is a very high possiblity that your 3mo is hitting a growth spurt as well. If you nurse her as often as she wants and take in plenty of fluids your milk supply will be replenished and increase for her new needs.

MOst times people mistake a growth spurt for a loss of production because the baby is wanting to nurse all the time. This is the natural way to increase production. Because if the baby doesn't tell your body that it needs more how else will it know to increase?

I wonder why you think your milk supply is decreased? Is it because your baby is nursing more frequently? If that is the case, just a reminder that 3 months old is a normal growth spurt time...so nursing more frequently is normal.

"Pushing fluids" can actually decrease supply. You should just drink to thirst.

A slightly decreased supply can also be a sign that your cycle is returning. If that is the case, your supply should come back up again.

Hugs, and good luck!

Jenn
www.babybodybirth.com

It may not be that your breast milk supply is down to badly. It may be that your daughter is also having a growth spurt this week. It sounds about the right timing. When they are having a growth spurt, they will often seem ravenous and unsatisfiable.

You can check to see how much milk you are producing by pumping before breastfeeding at one of the next feedings (make sure it has been about 2 hours since the last breastfeeding or you can check first thing in the morning). Pump to see how much you get out (remember that you won't get as much pumping as your daughter would. You will probably get 1/2 and ounce to an ounce less by pumping.). You can double check how to do this with the La Leche League website.

If you find you are actually down on milk supply, there are things you can do like drinking Mother's Milk Tea and pumping for 10-15 minutes after each feeding. Also, a supplement of Fenugreek (an herb you can find at a vitamin store or in the vitamin aisle at stores like Target and Walmart). Remember to be patient and try to stay relaxed. Drink plenty of fluids and make sure you are getting enough calories during the day. These are all things that can affect milk supply. Another thing people have said to do is stay in bed and breast feed your baby on demand for a couple of days only getting up to eat or use the bathroom (this works best if you have a television in your bedroom and a book to read). The constant closeness and breastfeeding will help to increase your milk supply as well. This is not always feasible, though.

I had milk supply issues with all 3 of my kids. It is difficult and time consuming sometimes to work through but I felt it was well worth it with my second son. With my daughter, it didn't seem to matter what I did, I was losing my milk (but that was during the first 6 weeks after a c-section with complications). With my third son, he had to be supplemented for health reasons and then refused to breast feed. I pumped for several weeks and kept trying but he kept refusing. I wish now that he would have breastfed for me but don't regret giving up after 6 weeks of trying with no luck and a 3 year old at home needing cared for as well. Don't feel guilty if you end up supplementing your child's feedings with a bottle. I know I ended up having to do that with my second son because he was a failure to thrive baby. Do what is best for you and your baby and don't feel guilty about it. Your baby will be healthy whether you breastfeed, bottle feed or do both. (Although I did prefer breastfeeding, I have to admit there are advantages to both.)

Good luck and know that you are not the only one who has gone through this and if you need someone to talk to, you can contact me. I don't know if I've given you much help but I hope it has helped.

The only time I had supply issues was just before my period returned at 3 months postpartum, and then, to a lesser degree, just before it each month for a few months. I just drank some mother's milk tea and my supply was right back up, plus some extra. Since your baby's three months, it's possible that's what's going on with you (but I hope it's not and you're one of the lucky ones who get a year off before resuming your cycle!)

Hi, Patti!
I think the big things to keep in mind here is that your body will naturally adjust its milk supply around this age & you might FEEL like you're not producing enough, but really it's because you don't have an oversupply anymore.

However, I feel that given her age, more than likely, she has hit her 3 month GROWTH SPURT!!!!!!! This is a HUGE growth spurt & she will be nursing a LOT more frequently for about a week or so. It's perfectly normal & does NOT mean that you do not have enough milk for her. In fact, the more you nurse (and pump) the more your body will have to make to keep up w/ the demand. Also, remember that no pump, no matter how expensive, will ever be as effective as her.

The next big growth spurt will be around 6 mos (they tend to come in 3's & 6's) but of course, she can get them at any time.

Also, for future reference, alcohol dissipates/metabolizes in your breastmilk at the same rate as in your blood. So whenever you're not feeling the effects anymore, it is safe to nurse again without getting your daughter really breast-drunk.

Hope that helps some! I think everything is just fine. Oh! Also, if you're really concerned, eating oatmeal, having a beer every day and/or taking Fennugreek tablets (3 tablets, 3 x/day) is GREAT for supply!

Keep up the great work, Momma! You're both doing fine!
A.

i agree with previous posters - my first thoughts were growth spurt or a hormonal change in you - my milk supply always dips during my period - the baby nurses much more frequently to make up for it and when my period ends my supply re-establishes. i read that increase calcium can help w/ this but haven't been disciplined enough to test it out.

oatmeal works great.

i really really doubt that the alcohol is to blame. i think its just a coincidence.

hang in there chica...this too shall pass. :)

I cannot speak about why the milk production went down, but my lacation consultant put me on FENUGREEK - it is an Indian cooking herb in pill/powder form that increases breast milk consumption. I used it thru 3 breastfeeding kids becasue after my first child was born, my doc put me back on birth control which practically stopped it - my lacation consultant was livid, and put my right on the Fenugreek which worked like a charm. I ended up using it for all three - jsut makes your urine yellow. You can purchase it at any GNC. Good luck!!

I know for me, I could never pump out as much as my sons could get on their own. And your body produces just as much milk as you have been expressing (via baby or pump). So if the pump wasn't taking much out, then your body thinks "well, I only need to make this much then". The same thing happened when my boys started wanting to eat more, at first I didn't have enough but then making them try harder and pumping too, I started to produce more. I hope this makes sense. Oh, I had read an article once that said eating oatmeal helps produce more milk. Good luck!

I breastfed two kids so far and I didn't have that experience. But just thought I'd throw out something else to consider. By any chance did you recently start to work out again? My ped told me that when you start to work out again, it can effect your milk production, especially if you don't drink extra water (it sounds like you are drinking extra fluids). Just a thought. Whatever the cause, I wonder if your ped or even a local lactation consultant or La Leche League person might be able to give some suggestions over the phone? I had some questions and needed quick answers with my first child and found that all three were knowledgeable and (surprisingly) happy to just chat on the phone. Good luck!