Breastfeeding Supply Drops and Nobody Warns You

“i am currently EBF my newborn, and in about 2 months i will have to go back to school. this feels like a stupid question. but did anyone pump as well to build a stash? i wanna soon start building a stash so when i am in class or clinical (4-8 hours at a time) so my husband can just bottle feed our newborn submitted by /u/mystical_creatation [link] [comments]”

“i need some advice , my 4 month old started popping on and off and pulling my nipple back as far as possible and getting frustrated she is now 2% so i was advised to do bottles and pump to get supply up. my supply is back up and she’s still doing it. i’ve tried every position and nothing is working. nipple shields, laid back position , burping mid way. i’m at a loss and have pumping ptsd with my first so im honestly about to give up . submitted by /u/Beneficial-Sink-5977 [link]”

“How do you do it? I'm a ftm EBF at the moment to a 7 week old. I'm wanting to pump some for my husband to feed once or twice a week so I can have a longer stretch of sleep. I've done it before, but it takes days for me to get enough milk for bub's one bottle. I can't hold him and pump because the pump is so big, and he only really contact naps. My husband works so isn't around to help. How are you doing this? Any advice is welcome so I may sleep more than 3 hours at a tim”

“I have a 4 day old baby who I hoped to EBF but it's not working out. It's hard to wake her up when she should be eating but my ideal scenario would be BF through the day and bottle feed with expressed milk through the night for ease. If I want to achieve this, what kind of schedule should I set up? submitted by /u/Regular-Message9591 [link] [comments]”

“Gaining weight, born at 6lbs 10oz, and has just reached over 7lbs. I started pumping 2 times a day after I brought him home. Well, he seems to be doing well on the boob. Can I cut the pumps out? I skipped one yesterday as the exhaustion got to me submitted by /u/little-pinkie [link] [comments]”

“I’m currently 3 weeks postpartum and have been combo feeding due to low milk supply. Every feed is breastfeeding (or pumped milk) + a formula bottle top up. The whole process takes up to 1.5 hours and with the frequent feedings, it feels like its basically time to restart the process once I'm done. I’m finding it really exhausting. I’m leaning towards exclusively formula feeding, but I feel guilty about stopping breastfeeding and worry I’ll miss the bonding (although honestly, I don’t really”

“Guys i am 3 days post c section and my baby is very good at latching but my milk is not coming. Is it normal? Is it comes in few days? My stiches hurt so bad and i am on pain killers and antibiotics does this is causing any problem? Please suggest me what to do and will it come???????? submitted by /u/relativisticripple8 [link] [comments]”

“I am 11 mo pp and my baby is eating 3 solids a day with snacks in between. He nurses 7am/10am/2:30pm/7pm. I usually pump around 11pm because I’m afraid of mastitis or clogged ducts. At this point being 11mo pp, am I ok to skip the motn pump? How do I go about this? Hoping some moms experienced something similar! submitted by /u/mangosniffer [link] [comments]”

“I breastfed my first three kids. It has started off well each time but reached a pretty rocky patch from 6 weeks to 3/4 months. I had to pump to get my supply up and occasionally supplement with formula. But past the 4 month mark I was able to exclusively breastfeed until 18-20 months. And then it's been a while ordeal to wean. Each time it got more mentally challenging and demanding because of the toddlers running around. I just had way less capacity to sit and feed on demand and pump. As I”

“Hello all! Did anyone else’s immune system take a hit when weaning off breastfeeding? I’ve never had a cold last this long or get this bad. Two weeks ago we finally fully weaned breastfeeding and I was feeling alright. Sad, but not too much else. Two days later I caught a cold, that has turned into sinusitis and I’ll be on antibiotics for the next two weeks. I’ve been sick for 12 days now and it may take the 14 days of meds to feel better. :( submitted by /u/Flimsy_Ad_7954 [link] &#3”

“Im currently pregnant with third baby and have always had trouble breastfeeding with my other two so eventually stopped after 3 months or less and end up pumping. but this time I’m not having the pump as an option, I really despise it. Ive been thinking a lot about how to dress up while feeding, my big worry and question is clogged milk ducts and avoiding it. I had mastitis with both my kids. I had a bad fever my body was shaking and I was in a lot of pain. I want to avoid this as much as possib”

“I have a probably very stupid question 😅 but I really need an answer because I’m confused. How do you know when your breast is empty? And how do you know when it’s full? I thought that if you squeeze/press the breast, milk should come out or flow if there is still milk in it. But in my case, when I press it, sometimes only one drop comes out and then nothing. Does that mean the breast is empty, or is it normal for milk not to flow just from squeezing? How do you actually know if there is still”

“Question! I had a couple drinks yesterday for the first time. I had about 4.5 (3 smaller glasses of wine) and 2.5 of carbliss. I pumped before I drank and then drank from 330-730. I didn’t pump again until about 130am. Is my milk fine or should I dump that bag? submitted by /u/Klutzy-Extent5508 [link] [comments]”

“I've exhausted all of my options about a month ago. My milk supply dropped significantly even though nothing in my diet had changed. I continued power pumping, living on the pump, falling asleep on the pump latching. My baby being attached to her 24-7 and not being able to produce enough. Ive tried the diet, so i've tried the tea's. I've tried the medicines and I just can't produce more than an ounce A DAY my milk is literal drops I've gone to the endocrinologist, obgyn n”

“I gave birth to my first 15 days ago. Long story short, I did not stimulate milk production early enough due to latch issues, baby having jaundice/needing formula , and a lack of education on my part. Now that all of these issues have resolved I have been pumping consistently every 3 hours (even overnight) for 4 days and my supply is still garbage. Yesterday I pumped a total of 7 oz over 8 sessions and today I haven't even made half of that and I only have 3 sessions left. I'm using the”

“I have been EBF (except for the first two weeks when we supplemented while my supply caught up) and up until a month ago, I always had a fullness feeling and can feel my breasts feel softer after each feed. In the last month or so, baby has been so distracted while feeding during the day even if we feed in a dim room and has been wanting to nurse all night (literally can't unlatch her or else she cries). I have a few questions as this is my first time BF - I know after 12 weeks or so, you re”

“Hi I was just wondering if anyone has advice for relactation? Heres some context: I’m 2 weeks and 6 days postpartum and I had to stop breastfeeding and was put on nipple rest at less than a week postpartum because my little girl was TEARING them up but the same day that I had my appointment where I was put on nipple rest I ended up being hospitalized for postpartum preeclampsia that could have ended my life and when I was hospitalized I was not able to pump because of the IV placement and the wa”

“She had it for four days and bounced back. I've had it since and it turned into something worse. 38.5 this morning. Still pumping five times a day because dropping sessions while sick is how you get mastitis on top of everything else. The part nobody mentions is how cold you feel the whole time. Chills all day, and then sitting still for 20 minutes makes it worse. Supply is down maybe 15% since this started. Everything I read says it comes back once you're better. Counting on that becaus”

“Has anyone pumped for two children? I'm 13 weeks pregnant and have an 18 months ebf baby. I have both pumped and nurses him. But my supply is gone now. I pumped and saw nothing. It made me sad in a way I cannot explain. I'm asking is it possible to pump for the older child like a small glass when the second baby is here. I want to do this for six months for the older child. I don't know how practical is this but I want to do this. Will the older not like the taste of my milk? Will ha”

“Hi all! I’m currently 36 weeks pregnant with my second baby. I am so, so, so hopeful I can EBF her. With my first, he was basically exclusively formula fed from birth after a few weeks of pumped milk/formula combo feeding. There were several issues why I ended up not breastfeeding and unable to exclusively pump, and they were mostly centered around a major latch problem, an abysmal lack of support and lack of resources to get help with it, and stressful life situations that worked against me. Fo”

“Hello! I just needed some tips about how I should dry up my supply. I have fully weaned my baby 18 month old off of boob on September 13th, and since then I have pumped at night to help with a bit of engorgement that I get. I would pump each breast for ten mins but now I have started to only pump for 5 mins to help my boobs get the message LOL Are there any tips to help dry up supply faster? submitted by /u/094Luna [link] [comments]”

“Ok so I don't know if my supply has dipped or not, I plan to do a weighted feed on Monday to see or get some peace of mind. My baby is almost 8months old. In the early months I pumped 80% of the time (NICU + tongue tie) and then at 8wks her tongue tie got fixed and we have EBF since. I had a massive oversupply and have a couple thousand ounces in the freezer (I'll come back to this) but had mastitis, clogs, blebs, all of it and worked with lactation to regulate my supply to baby. I thoug”

“Hi, I am 6 months pp and for the last two months have been pumping about 3 or 4 days a week during the day and nursing the rest of the time. Because LO and I had gotten in synch before I went back to work and because pumps aren't as efficient, I struggle to pump exactly what he needs. I know this is fine and normal, but to compensate, at least for a while, I've been adding an extra pump after he goes to bed, both on nights when I pump during the day and on weekends. Now on work days, I t”

“title says it all… lol. my children are 5 years apart. i was younger and did not have much knowledge on breastfeeding with my first, so i quit entirely around 2 weeks of age. i don’t recall my first postpartum experience being as rough as this one, maybe due to breastfeeding, maybe not? anyway i am 9, almost 10 months postpartum with my second. we are direct feeding as much as possible, with supplemental formula bottles when needed (usually 1 a day at bedtime). baby still nurses at night. she ha”

“5 weeks postpartum and I have started building my freezer stash since week 2.5! Currently pumping an extra 5-6 oz a day for my freezer stash and exclusively breastfeeding otherwise. I pump once in the morning for about 4 minutes per boob (give or take) and once in the afternoon/evening for the same time. I’m just curious if anyone else is pumping for a freezer stash and if so how much? submitted by /u/Medium-Watercress-98 [link] [comments]”

“Hi all! My LO is 2 weeks and 4 days old now, I’m a first time mom and we tried breastfeeding in the hospital but after a long labor that ended in an urgent c section I gave up after 1 day of trying to latch and feed him and just gave him bottles of formula. He has latched a few times since then but no more than 2-3 times and I have pumped a few times but not in the past week. I’m wondering if I can start pumping and get my supply built up I could try breastfeeding again? Anyone have experience s”

“I don't produce a lot of milk, so I pump once before I leave home and once during my lunch break at work. Since I'm naturally starting to wean, I don't plan to spend a lot of money on extra equipment. I freeze about five ice packs overnight ahead of time. During my lunch break, I pump and immediately transfer the milk into storage bags, making sure to squeeze out as much air as possible. I use Lansinoh breast milk storage bags. To keep condensation from forming on the packaging and s”

“due to an unexpected serious illness in the family I haven’t been able to pump or breastfeed in 24ish hours. I was already struggling to get my supply up but it’s tanked now. I’m only 3 weeks postpartum and still producing some milk. as the kids say “chat am I cooked?” or can I fix my supply? it doesn’t help my baby hates latching to one boob, so I almost always pump that one and feed from the other. advice welcome. I have a spectra s2, and a wearable somewhere. if i don’t find it I might buy a”

“I’ve been breastfeeding my LO for 14 months. My right side was a slacker but treated equally until about 4 months ago and then my LO weaned from that side and I stopped pumping it and had no issues. Now all the sudden this week that side started leaking like crazy. It’s not engorged or feeling full, just randomly leaky? I haven’t been leaky since LO was about 6months and we haven’t used the side that’s leaking in several months so this is super odd to me. Anyone have any insight? Thank you! &#32”

“Has anyone have experience with breastfeeding after stopping for a period of time? Long story short I had a rough time breastfeeding at the beginning (12 weeks pp now) and I stopped on week 5. I read an article about re-lactation (I think that’s what it was called lol) and now I’m curious. I’m in a better mental state but I’m not sure if my supply will come back if I tried! Has anyone gone through this or know someone who has tried? submitted by /u/MamaRamenMama [link] [comment”

“My boy is just now 2 weeks old & we have started having some breast feeding issues. At first we had such a good system - great latch, successful feedings, full belly etc. Now, I feel like some feedings (more often than not the last couple of days) the feeds have been such a battle. He still latches good, I can tell he’s swallowing and getting a good bit of milk, but falls asleep HARD and when he detaches he wakes back up immediately still very hungry so I will offer him the other breast &amp”

“I recently had my second about 4 months ago and I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding. I’m not exactly sure when this started but I’m getting very overwhelmed. It’s making me want to stop breastfeeding altogether. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong but my baby will refuse my breast. Sometimes I’ll bring him to my breast, he’ll start flailing, and be almost inconsolable. So I’ll calm him down, bring him the breast, and the cycle continues. This happens multiples times a week and I’m just so over it.”

“I recently had my second about 4 months ago and I’ve been exclusively breastfeeding. I’m not exactly sure when this started but I’m getting very overwhelmed. It’s making me want to stop breastfeeding altogether. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong but my baby will refuse my breast. Sometimes I’ll bring him to my breast, he’ll start flailing, and be almost inconsolable. So I’ll calm him down, bring him the breast, and the cycle continues. This happens multiples times a week and I’m just so over it.”

“My first was breastfed for about two weeks before I gave up and transitioned to formula because of the pain and for my mental health. She’s 2 now and I have a 2 week old who I’m trying my best to EBF. He’s had a couple of bottles with breastmilk but for the most part he nurses. For those who have more than one kid, especially a toddler, how do you do it?! I really want to give up because I’m tired of being stuck on the couch feeding my newborn for 40 minute stretches or when he’s cluster feeding”

“I exclusively breastfed my daughter for 12 months but completely stopped in July. She’s my third (and definitely last) baby so I want to get a much needed breast lift. I’ve read that you need to wait at least 6 months until after you’ve finished breastfeeding as there can’t be any milk left in the breasts. I don’t have any engorgement or leaking, but when I squeeze my nipples, a tiny bit of milk comes out. Does anyone have any tips on how I can fully dry up my supply quicker? I’ve seen tips on d”

“I’m now 5 months pp EBF. It’s certainly better than it was in the beginning, but once I start feeding, the other one starts. By the time I want to have my second child, I’m sure I’ll still be feeding my first. I just wonder if I’m going to be wearing boob pads for the next 5 years of my life lol! Did anyone stop leaking eventually? submitted by /u/sunshinetraveler1 [link] [comments]”

“I am 4 months PP and my baby has been EBF since birth. Up until about a month or so ago, I felt some fullness even throughout the day and at night doing short stretches. However, the last couple of weeks, she has been more distracted when feeding during the day and so I’m not sure if she gets full feeds. I try to do them when she first wakes up from a nap or in a dimmed room. After she hit the four month mark, she’s been waking up about every hour so during the night and wants to comfort nurse e”

“Went cold turkey with my 17m old because breastfeeding was becoming constant. He was becoming very deregulated without it. Journey home from nursery was stressful as he screamed the whole way home until he got it. Every time I did anything that wasn’t feeding him (eg eat my own food) he’d scream and pull on my top. He was waking every 2 hours at night to feed which was making me feel so burnt out now I’m back working full time. We were both miserable and stopping has made all of this SO much bet”

“I’ve been successfully pumping at work and nursing when home for 8 months. After this last period, my supply went from 5 oz a pump at work down to 3.5 per session. It’s been several days since it ended. Unless I get two letdowns, there’s no way I can make it past 4 oz. It used to be so easy for me to get 5oz with one letdown, now I feel lost. I still nurse at home but I’m really cautious that he’s not getting what he needs. He’s a big healthy baby and has wet diapers so I know I don’t need to be”

“LO is 3 months, 1 week old today, and I’m feeling a little discouraged about breastfeeding. We had a really rocky start with low supply and latch issues, but we worked through it and finally started EBF about a month ago. Then I got mastitis. I never had a fever or chills, so it went undiagnosed at first. I started having terrible nipple pain during latching and then developed a hard painful lump really close to the nipple on my right breast, which made it difficult for baby to latch. I was even”

“Going back to work. I was exclusively bf and I’m going to start pumping now. No idea how much my baby drinks or how much I should pump. She’s 4 months currently (2.5 months adjusted tho). submitted by /u/Whatever-577089 [link] [comments]”

“First time mom so not sure how it works. I breast feed from the boob only. I will pump but it’s rare because i don’t get much out. Less than an oz both breast combined. I do use a hakka occasionally. I’ve heard to pump and dump but what do i do in my case where i don’t pump ? Supplement formula ? Edit to add. My apologies i thought it typed it and didn’t. I was planning on having a glass of wine tonight….which is why i asked about dumping ! submitted by /u/Old-Kitchen-5377 [link] &#3”

“my LO is 4 weeks old, I initially breastfed for 4 days but she had quite bad thrush (now cleared up) & a shallow latch that caused awful mastitis so I ended up exclusively formula feeding. My breasts still have milk in. Is this still possible to relactate after 4 weeks now she’s used to a bottle - I’m looking for tips to make this successful? TIA :) submitted by /u/SalamanderFar8840 [link] [comments]”

“About a week ago I had decided to stop pumping and breastfeeding cold turkey. I had about 3-4 days of painfully engorged breasts. I would just hand express enough to get more comfortable. Then about 3 days where it wasn’t as bad I would just leak from time to time. After a hard week of watching my baby hate every single formula I tried (6 different ones) on top of her being more fussy and having some tummy issues, I have decided to go back to pumping and breastfeeding. For reference I used to ge”

“Hi everyone, so I'm a FTM to an almost 5.5 month old baby girl. I've been exclusively pumping from the beginning because we had latching issues but she did try to nurse every now and then. I'm also back at work full time since she was 12 weeks and while I used to be able to pump during the day at work it is now becoming increasingly difficult to manage. I feel guilty about cutting back on pumping and supplementing with formula. The reason I want to cut back is because I don't hav”

“TW: Oversupply I could use some help thinking this through so that I don’t end up doing something stupid. My primary concern is clogs/mastitis, if my supply dips below what’s needed I have a freezer stash plus am good with combination feeding. When my now 7-week-old was born, she was good at latching initially but didn’t drink much milk. I tried triple feeding for a while (latch, then bottle of expressed milk, then pump) but after 2 weeks I decided to start exclusively pumping since it seemed sh”

“Looking for advice or suggestions if anyone has been thru this…? I am ftm with 7 week old baby girl. I’ve been mailing exclusively pumping for the last 4 weeks due to several issues, latch issues, life events, and PPD, but feeling much better now and really missing breastfeeding. I was trying to breastfed at least twice a day but have noticed my letdown and flow is just too much now for baby I think and she’s used to the slow flow of bottles. When pumping I can see my milk coming out of so many”

“I'm 12 months PP and I exclusively pump. My baby gets probably 2/3 milk, and 1/3 formula, I can't always meet his milk supply needs. He is eating solids, but still relies on milk/formula. Is there any ladies out there who take creatine regularly? submitted by /u/FLee21 [link] [comments]”

“Sorry I meant post partum in title. I am so worried I’ve screwed things up by following the LC directions at the hospital.. I got started pumping in the hospital while my baby had a couple donor milk bottles. We’ve kept up with breastfeeding throughout the day and giving pumped milk in a bottle when latching doesn’t work. Latching is getting easier so now I’m breastfeeding all day and pumping twice at night while my husband gives two bottles - 1 am and 4am. This has been working great for us bec”

“I’m 16 weeks postpartum and have exclusively breastfed since day 1. Breastfeeding was going really well until about 2 weeks ago. Now my baby gets frustrated after my initial letdown, cries at the breast, and sometimes ends up taking a full bottle afterward. He’s also started sleeping 6 to 7 hours at night. I used to wake up somewhat engorged, but now that my supply has regulated, I can go that long without feeling full. I’m also pumping much less than I used to, around 1 to 2 oz total instead of”

“Hey everyone. I EBF’d for the first several months, and then started pumping when I returned to work when my LO was 9 months old. I usually pump at work in the morning and then again in the afternoon, totaling around 10 ounces, and then breastfeed at home the rest of the time. My kiddo is turning 1 next week (🥹), and in the last 2 weeks or so I have not been able to pump more than 6 ounces at work. Admittedly, work has picked up significantly for me, and there have been 2 days in that time fram”

“I just weaned my 12 month old. We were down to one maybe two feedings a day and we stopped kinda abruptly. I would have done it more gradually but we had a deadline (trip coming up and starting IUI meds for another baby soon). I last breastfed her 5 days ago. I’ve hand expressed a few times very minimally. I’ve been taking Sudafed to try to dry things up and icing when needed. My question is, when will my breasts soften? Am I going to get mastitis? My breasts aren’t super painful, just a bit ten”

“Baby is four months old. If he eats both boobs at nearly every feed...what am I supposed to pump? Hoping to build up a modest stash so sitter/grandma/dad can give him a bottle as I work remotely. submitted by /u/maspie_den [link] [comments]”

“Around how many months postpartum did you all notice your supply beginning to naturally decrease? Does anyone else notice that some weeks your supply seems to be out in full force followed by other weeks where it feels like you’re barely scraping by? submitted by /u/Dry-Helicopter692 [link] [comments]”

“I got my cycle back after almost 4 months! it dropped all the sudden from 3oz to 1.5 oz (per side) and I would love some tips and advice to try to get it back up! submitted by /u/steph-_-17 [link] [comments]”

“For context, baby is 2 months today. I have been breastfeeding and pumping when I have a slight oversupply/engorgement (usually overnight and in the mornings anywhere from 1-5oz). However, I end up having to give baby back about 1-2 oz in the evening to get her to settle. Which got me wondering. Will my body ever adjust to needing more milk at night or am I doomed to having to pump every morning? Does our body regulate supply based on time of the day? TIA! submitted by /u/mdreyna [li”

“Hi mamas! I’m 11 weeks postpartum and exclusively breastfeeding my LO. Breastfeeding hasn’t been the easiest journey, especially in the beginning. I had a really fast letdown, and at one point my LO was even refusing the breast. Thankfully, things finally seem to be getting better! Now I’d like to start pumping just enough to have around 2 bottles a day. My goal isn’t to build a freezer stash or create an oversupply. I’d just love to have a little more flexibility during the day and, especially,”

“I only started breastfeeding my LO when he turned 4 months. Now he is currently 6 and I still doubt that he is full after every nursing session. For context, I used to pump and my supply is not enough for him (17-18 ounces a day) so I combo feed. But because I was getting clogs almost everyday at the 3rd month, I decided to latch him and ditched the pump. I do give him two formula bottles a day on top of my latching. But I’m curious how a full baby looks like because he is always hungry after 1-”

“Looking for advice on how to start doing one pump session a day in between feedings so start a freezer stash. My LO is 8weeks old, and breastfed. At times I have used a manual hand pump to partially drain an engorged breast or to take the brunt of my letdown so he would stop drowning at the breast. But now I would like to add a pump session with my spectra once a day, most likely after his 5am-ish feed. I want to start doing this so I can start building a small freezer stash, and to start gettin”