Low Milk Supply and Almost 11 Month Old

Hi J.,

I decided to relactate after my daughter started getting multiple ear infections....She was nine months old, and I had not produced any milk since she was a few days old...I had some difficulties and decided to throw in the towel too early...I started taking something called Domperidone (brand name) or Motilium (generic)...It is widely used in Europe and Canada to boost a woman's milk supply....It can be found in the US at compounding pharmacies, however I decided to order it online.....I pumped 3--5 times a day and was able to produce about 7 ounces of milk per day....I know I could have produced more, if I had pumped more, however this was the amount that was recommended to boost Emily's immune system...

If you have any questions let me know.
M. R.

Hi J.,
I can only speak from my experience, but I found that when I increased the amount of times I nursed/pumped that it increased my milk supply.

My lactation nurse told me a few times that in order to keep your milk supply up, you should nurse/pump approx. every 4 hours.

I know it may be difficult for you to find the time to do that, but I would try to increase the amounts somewhere in the day.

Also, they say to make sure you get enough sleep and consume enough protein and water.

Good luck!

J.:

what you can pump has NO (yes I amshouting) relationship to what you have in your breast or the amount that your baby is getting.

babies fuss at the breast for a variety of reasons and many of those resaons have nothing to do with supply or milk flow.

there are a number of ways to increase milk supply if that is infact the issue... there are herbs/using a different ot hospital grade pump/homeopathy....

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com

P.,

Just a couple thoughts...

1. Have you done a pg test to make sure you are not pregnant?
2. Perhaps your son is teething and it is uncomfortable for him to nurse. My 18 month old son who has also been nursed exclusively since birth seems very unsatisfied at the breast right around the time he is cutting a tooth. He nurses more frequently but seems less satisfied.

Congrats on doing the right thing by nursing on demand and at night. It's great to know other moms value comforting their child and want them to enjoy all the benefits of nursing!

Good luck!

The same thing happened with my daughter. She started to wean herself around 11 months. I continued to pump and breastfeed until she was 1, but I knew she wasn't getting much because she was getting more from the solid foods. At age 1, I switched her to whole milk. Don't stress yourself out, or you will see a decrease in milk supply. Towards the end, I supplemented 1/2 formula with 1/2 pumped breast milk, cause at least I knew she was getting some of the breast milk. After I stopped breastfeeding, I felt I had my body back to myself (If that makes sense), yet it was a huge let down because I missed that special bond with my baby.

J.
all good suggestions. A few other thoughts: 1. it's cold season and if your son's ears are stuffed up or he has an ear infection it may be painful for him to suck (same with the teething). 2. babies go through phases where they want to nurse more or less. As long as your son is eating plenty of healthy food with good variety, just continue to nurse him on demand. He's getting plenty of good nutrition. Even at 7-8 months, everything I've read (Brazelton etc) has indicated at 2-3 "good" meals per day is adiquate.

Does he eat better when he's sleepy (at night)? Have you tried waking him up to nurse him instead of waiting for him to awaken? I find with my son - who is very distractable - that if I wake him up just before one of his "usual" snack times to nurse him he will eat really well.

I would just second what Jen and Gina said below. I think you are doing a great job to continue to nurse. Don't worry too much about the volume when you pump. I know, it seems like you have to keep up, and you put so much pressure on yourself. I went through it too when I went back to work! If you need to supplement with a tiny bit of formula, do not beat yourself up. If you are not producing enough, do not beat yourself up. If for whatever reason the plan for extended nursing doesn't work out, do not beat yourself up! (do you sense a theme here?) You've done a great job nursing this long, and the benefits you have provided will last.

I nursed my dtr until she was about 15-16 mos old, and by then I am sure my supply was very low. I gave up on pumping at work when she was about a yr old, but she still nursed for several months.

Good luck to you!

I think that's what happened with my younger guy - as he ate more food, my supply went down, and he was too lazy to really keep working for it so he weaned himself.

If your son doesn't do that, you can keep breastfeeding for closeness even with low supply. A friend of mine kept going once a day for comfort until her kids were 3 - I think they probably only got an ounce or two if that. Your son isn't starving - he's getting solids and it won't hurt anything if he starts on formula. He'll be old enough for milk pretty soon, too.

Try healthy nursing tea by secrets of tea to boost your low milk supply. I had the same issue and this tea did great.

Have you contacted La Leche League?

I would agree with the teething thing. They go through phases of eating more or less depending on their growth needs as well. Do not stop because your supply is down. It will come back if you keep at it and your little one needs it. there is no need to go to formula if he could get it from you. You can then go from breast to cows milk but I wouldnt bother with weaning onto formula if you are dedicated to breast feeding. you'll see it will work out whatever you choose. Also - have you tried brewers yeast? It totally works for me. Each woman finds something depending on her body though. Good luck and way to go for your hard effort to do what's right for your baby!