Help! BF/Supply questions
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=37244
Printed Date: 26 August 2025 at 9:53am
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Topic: Help! BF/Supply questions
Posted By: KiwiL
Subject: Help! BF/Supply questions
Date Posted: 29 December 2010 at 7:44am
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I have always had a great supply, but the last few days Ollie has been really fussy, and yesterday I realised I just don't seem to have much milk at the moment. Particularly on the right side. I suspect this has been caused by a couple of days of poor feeding and myself feeling a bit under the weather.
When I got up this morning, I could tell that there was hardly any milk in my boobs... even yesterday I felt there was significantly more. There seems to be better amount in the left, but both seem low to me. Normally Ollie would feed for 5 - 7 minutes per side but this morning he could only go 2 minutes on the right before it ran out and he became so upset. He's not the type of bubbie to happily sit sucking on an empty breast. I want to increase the supply but unsure of a couple of things, so hoping people can help: 1) If I pump, how long do I keep pumping a breast that is not giving up ANY milk? Is there a set time you should go for? 2) Do I keep starting Ollie on the right side to increase supply, or do I continue the normal "offer the side he finished on"? I don't want to cause a supply problem in the left whilst I work on the right! I am freaking out a bit because I haven't ever felt such a rapid drop off in milk. I know supply settles, but I felt it settle recently and this really does seem like a sharp reduction. I am taking some fenugreek, and drinking lots of water too. Brewers yeast seems to give Ollie an upset tummy. Any help with the questions above would be great! |
Replies:
Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 29 December 2010 at 8:06am
My understanding is that supply shouldnt just drop off suddenly but rather it happens over time??? I could be wrong there, I am certainly no expert 
As for pumping, I was told directly after feeding and 5 mins with an electric or 10 mins with a manual pump. The idea here is stimulation rather than getting milk out.... you want the suckling stimulation so that next time you pump or Ollie feeds there is more milk there 
When Jake and Ollie were both fussing at one side both my mw (different) said to feed from that side first until things improve... not for the same reasons (they both prefered a side and wouldnt feed as well from the other so the supply was dropping gradually). You could try blessed thistle as well as the fenugreek, I ended up on both after Jake had his booby strike as one or the other didnt seem to do enough. Umm, porridge for brekky and snacking on almonds through the day and try upping your protein (I was told with every meal). Oh and plenty of rest... yeah right LOL -------------   
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Posted By: Red
Date Posted: 29 December 2010 at 8:38am
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This website comes recommended by Weegee our BFing guru.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/index.html Unfortunately I think the advice on here came too late for my friend and she stopped BFing as she thought she didn't have enough milk, turns out that she most probably did, she just didn't have the support. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Roses are Red
Date Posted: 29 December 2010 at 12:39pm
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The other thing that might be causing it is a growth spurt as your milk cant keep up. When my supply got low I used the fenugreekseed tablets along with the tigers milk (with yeast flakes rather than brewers yeast) and expressed early in the morning for the night feed when Riley used to milk me dry almost.
Worst case scenario visit your GP to discuss trying out a short course of domperidone which helps increase your milk supply rapidly. ------------- 
 Angel March 2011
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Posted By: UpsyDaisy
Date Posted: 29 December 2010 at 1:43pm
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I constantly worried about supply at the start... please try not too (easier said than done I know) agree supply cannot drop off in a day or two it takes longer than that for it to decrease.
Express for 5 mins or so only don't worry if nothing comes out its just for the extra stimulation. Don't forget to drink heaps of water in the heat, I always sit down to BF with a great big glass of water. Rest... porridge... protein all good for BF I got my mum to make the lactation cookies and took blessed thistle also. As he's getting older he may be becoming an even more efficient and quicker feeder and babies fuss for so many reasons may not be that he's still hungry. With my two I used to write down the number of feeds, quality of feeds and wet nappies etc in retrospect that was probably a bit over the top as I think I used to over analyse it a bit.... I kept that up until they were 6 months! ETA good luck |
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 29 December 2010 at 4:21pm
| dont forget too that the way your body makes and stores the milk changes too. Just because you think you have no milk doesnt necessarily mean you dont. He might not not be as hungry, or just be prefering the other side. |
Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 29 December 2010 at 4:27pm
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Keep in mind it might not be a supply issue as such but could be a letdown problem. http://www.facebook.com/breastfeedingnz/posts/10150133746788969 - This discussion on Facebook might be handy for you if that's the case.
When pumping to increase supply, pump until no milk is coming out, then another 2-5 minutes on top of that (depending on how much punishment your poor nipples can take) - there aren't any hard and fast rules, every mum's different. Yup if the right's the one that's dropping off I'd put him on it as much as possible ------------- 
Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010 |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 29 December 2010 at 4:50pm
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I used to sit pumping for a good 20-30 mins once a day until 3 months old. The day my milk came in I had sat on the couch and pumped for 2 hours straight (thinking that was what you did) oops! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: KiwiL
Date Posted: 29 December 2010 at 10:04pm
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Ha ha Nic - that's funny!
I have pumped a bit today and put him on the right as much as possible. Rachael, you might be right about the let down issue, as I seem to be having trouble with that too. It's been a distressing day! But Ollie seems relatively non-concerned, he hasn't seemed to want to eat much at all. His nappies have been drier than normal, so it does concern me. Perhaps he is unwell. I never faced any supply issues with Jackson (real or perceived) but it really does feel like a noticable drop from a few days ago. I can see why mums panic and go to bottle feeding! |
Posted By: Lillybetts
Date Posted: 02 January 2011 at 12:15pm
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[QUOTE=Red] This website comes recommended by Weegee our BFing guru.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/index.html ^^ Just read most of the website and found it incredibly helpful. Thanks for posting that :) And a random and bit of a stupid question - Where do I hire or buy a breast pump??? I need to increase my supply. :) ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
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Posted By: Babykatnz
Date Posted: 02 January 2011 at 12:24pm
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Trademe is a good place to start if you want one but dont have the $ to buy brand new... I bought an avent isis manual pump with DD and it was awesome! Left it just a little too late, and my supply slowly went away (she'd stopped feeding from the breast at all by then) but i will defintely be getting another one this time a LOT sooner. Another highly recommended one is medela swing (electronic). Check with your midwife, or the hospital/unit you had bubs at, they may have access to, or be able to point you in the direction of pumps for hire.
Re pumping and not getting much.. I found that if I was watching the pump i wouldnt get much... stress does affect letdown! If i read a magazine or book, or watched some mindless drivel on tv while pumping, then the milk came out much easier as I wasnt paying attention to the amount, therefore not stressing about the milk NOT coming out... its a vicious circle! ------------- Brandon - 05/12/2003  
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 02 January 2011 at 8:36pm
best way to do it is let baby feed as much as possible, especially that young. a pump will not do the job half as good as baby. |
Lillybetts wrote:Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 02 January 2011 at 8:36pm
Trade me for breast pumps if you don't want to buy brand new BUT you have to apparently take it to a hospital to be properly sterilised (can't remember where I read that though) 
Otherwise any baby store, Farmers... Kmart... ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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