Milk Supply Drops After C-Section or NICU Separation

“I had to triple feed for the first couple weeks of my baby’s life after we brought him home from the NICU. He was full term and I had enough supply, but our breastfeeding stamina and skills were behind his appetite, so we supplemented with bottles. He is now 4 weeks old and I mostly just feed directly from the breast. I don’t pump unless he gets a bottle (as a supplement after nursing or the one my husband gives him in the middle of the night). I am finding that I only need to supplement during”

“Baby just turned 4 months and had second vaccination last week. I typically combo feed, giving formula when out. The same day as vaccination I gave formula bottle for back to back feeds which I generally try to avoid. One breast I felt developed inflammation with the missed feeds. it's happened once before but resolved in a couple days through concentrated nursing from that breast. that did not happen this time - milk production in that breast did not bounce back. in the last 1-2 days the ot”

“I have the flu, I’m on day 6 and it’s miserable. On day two baby was frustrated at the breast, and continued to be this way. I started to offer the breast first and then formula/pumped milk after to actually feed her. On day 4, she started drinking more at the breast and refusing the supplemental bottle so I took this to be positive. Baby is out with dad today though so I’ve tried to pump and got maybe a few drops.. I have no idea what’s going on. Please help a tired sick mom 😭 submitted”

“Hi everyone! My little on is almost 3 weeks old. He was admitted to NICU after delivery. It wasn’t planned. So I started pumping every 3 hours per recommendation in order to establish a supply for when he got out. Issue now is I have an oversupply. I can pump 6-8 oz per session easy. So trying to breastfeed by baby is completely soaked covered in milk and the pillow is soaked. I also am always engorged and the boobs are always hard. I don’t want mastitis or clogged duct. Trying to figure out how”

“Hi! Im 38 weeks tomorrow and will be having a scheduled csection in two days. Im feeling a bit anxious about not having colostrum yet and it having a Csection will affect my supply? I was wanting to exclusively breastfeed baby but Im concerned about the lack colostrum. Please share some tips or your experience! submitted by /u/Impossible_Mousse727 [link] [comments]”

“4 days postpartum, third baby but my last two (twins) were in the NICU so I didn’t get to breastfeed with them. I did pump though. I had an emergency c section with my daughter and was in too much pain to sit up and try to breast feed. 24 hours post operation I did stand up and started trying anytime it was time to feed. I’ve gotten her to successfully latch and eat a few times, averaging 15 minutes or so, and then we have to top it off with formula. I’m my milk is still coming in. Any tips for”

“Hello, I had a C section and was bed ridden for 3 days. Couldn't move my legs without nurses support because my leg left was kinda numb/muscle stiffness. My baby was in NICU since day 1 and was given to me on day 4th. Got discharged the next day. I was pumping at the hospital using their medela pump but as a first time mom, I did not get anything except 1-2 drops of colostrum. Then when I got discharged and went home, I got so busy that I did not even pump and my baby was on formula. Now I r”

“FTM, I had my baby 9/19/26. Unfortunately my baby had to stay in the nicu for a few days due to her low oxygen levels and I wasn't able to breastfeed, I didn't even know it was an option until the last day she was in the nicu and I pumped for the first time. Since then ive been trying to pump every 3 hours and it just seems like my supply is getting less and less. My baby wont latch because shes already used to bottles and now I can barely get an ounce out when I pump. Am I too late? &#3”

“Quick summary: Due to NICU reasons, I had to exclusively pump for my baby for the first month or two, and then it was several long months of combination feeding while he learned how to breastfeed. During that time, I had an over-supply from pumping, and I built up a fridge stash for emergencies and donated surplus to my regional milk bank about once a month. I was losing about 5lbs a month without really trying, which felt nice. Cut to now… baby is 6 months, and a pro at breastfeeding! He’s so a”

“Hello I have month old baby who has been in the NICU and for obvious reasons is primarily bottle fed. At first I would breast feed her when her when she’s not on breathing support and she really liked it but has lost her latch in the last week. I attribute this to nurses changing from a slow flow to transition nipple which is less work than breast feeding/slow flow. I hate pumping and bottles and never planned to do this. I do it because it’s important she gets breast milk but always envisioned”

“Hi, My baby was born 11 days ago at 37+3 not breathing and immediately taken to the NICU. We were not expecting him to survive. I only pumped a couple times in the first two days then gave it up on day 3, didn’t pump days 4-6, and just did one pump a day until day 9 to relieve some of the pressure. Since he is doing better now (not out of the woods yet) I am trying again but I am feeling so discouraged by how little milk I can get. Maybe 5 mL per side per session 3 hours apart during the day and”

“Hi everyone, Is it possible to increase supply this late? I’m a FTM to twins who both needed a NICU stay so I couldn’t really breastfeed until they were about 6 weeks old. The advice I was given in the hospital was to pump for 10 mins every 3-4hrs. Over that 6 weeks I followed that advice only to discover that it doesn’t really work for me. I can have multiple late letdowns and need a huge supply for two babies. My new schedule is every 2.5/3 hrs (just whenever the boys eat) and then I go one 5”

“Has anyone experienced low supply due to a retained placenta and been successful increasing their supply post-D&C? If so, what did you do to increase? I am 7 weeks pp and have super low supply (pumping about 8-9oz a day roughly) and today they found retained placenta via ultrasound. I was devastated to not be able to EBF initially and am cautiously optimistic that this will help, but also don’t want to get my hopes up. I got bloodwork done to rule out other issues so I’m assuming this is wha”

“I had an extremely traumatic birth experience and had a 4th degree tear AND an emergency c-section. Unfortunately, my baby ended in the NICU and I was not allowed to visit for the first 24 hrs for my own recovery. I gave birth Thursday 8PM. Friday I was advised to rest. I also bought an electric breast pump. Saturday my pump came but the flange size was wrong when we called a lactation consultant. My breast was very full. The correct flange came around 4PM and I tried to pump but nothing came ou”

“My baby is 7 weeks old & has only breastfed since birth. I have never pumped because honestly it confuses the heck out of me. I want to make a freezer supply just incase but I don’t know where to start. Any advice? What pumps should I use & what schedule or routine should I follow. I have no idea where to start and there is so much conflicting information on the internet. It confuses me so much. I’m hoping someone here has been through this or knows what to do & can tell me. Thank yo”

“I had a c section and while i latched the first day, the second and third day, i was unable to do much because of pain and complications. The latching was difficult and frustrating (for the baby) at first. But she has learnt to latch now. But I have to supplement her feed with formula as well because the milk supply is low. This is making me feel inadequate. What can i do to increase milk supply? submitted by /u/Low_Exam_642 [link] [comments]”

“I had an emergency c-section after a long failed induction, which apparently makes your milk come in late. I am currently pumping (about 70 ml per session currently) and supplementing with formula. My baby does not seem interested in breast feeding at all, although I do my best to provide him with opportunities before and after bottle feeds. I have a meeting with a lactation consultant next week, but would love to hear other experiences. Has anyone experienced this and successfully gone on to br”

“My sweet baby was born 3 days ago after a long labor and a traumatic c section that was 4 hours long. Unfortunately I need a follow up surgery in a month. Anyway, I’ve been trying to breastfeed but had to supplement with some formula because baby has high bilirubin and was a bit sleepier than expected. So we’ve been using a Medela Starter Supplemental Nursing System (aka a tube that goes to my nipple) so he still latches and suckles at the breast to get the formula. I’ve also been following that”

“I'm 4 weeks pp, it was a c-section and we had NICU time (3 weeks; home for almost a week now). My daughter can't drink from the breast yet so it's been pumping all the way. I really put some effort into this, I want to breastfeed as soon as she's ready and until then she gets my milk by bottle. But suddenly my milk supply crashes. I produce way less than she needs and I feed from pre-built stack now. I don't understand what happened? Anybody got an idea? Shouldn't milk su”

“My baby was born last Wednesday and spent her first 4 nights in the NICU. She was on CPAP and then supplemental oxygen, so she had an IV for fluids and wasn’t able to feed by mouth for the first few days. Once she came off oxygen, she was given formula because my milk hadn’t come in yet. At that point I could only express a couple of drops of colostrum. Because of everything going on, I wasn’t able to pump for the first time until Friday, and I didn’t get anything from pumping while we were in t”

“Hello! I'm currently 34 weeks and want to collect colostrum around 37 weeks. I'm low risk, but anything can happen so I thought about collecting colostrum in case baby ends up in the NICU, or for when my husband does feedings during his shift. Now for the question: can I collect only some for the aforementioned uses? I want to breastfeed, so is it possible that if I collect some beforehand, I'd run out and only be able to give it via bottle? Tips and tricks also appreciated! su”

“I need help! My newborn falls asleep in breast, sleeps half an hour then wakes up and wants milk again, but my breast are soft never hard. How do i increase milk supply( im doing combo milk and formula) he is 16 days old submitted by /u/Popular_Pain4887 [link] [comments]”

“I had my baby yesterday evening via emergency c section at 36 weeks due to preeclampsia. I was (still am) on a magnesium drip so baby’s stats weren’t great and she had to go immediately to the NICU. Unfortunately that meant I didn’t get any skin to skin and I’ve yet to be able to actually hold her. I’ve been pumping every 2-3 hours for 30 mins at a time with some success, however, the production has slowed way way down. I got 6ml at my first pump, 4ml at my second, 1ml at my third, 1.5ml at my f”

“35 weeks and doctor cleared me to collect colostrum. She said I could use a hand pump if needed. I know it’s a bit sticky, so I got a haakaa to kind of “start” the flow and then do hand expression. Just tried for the first time and barely got a few drops out of each side. I don’t want to overdo it, but with just hand expression I’m struggling to get much out. Anyone have any luck with using a haakaa or hand pump? Does it pick up after a while? I tried about 5 minutes per breast and will maybe tr”

“I got induced July 15th and ended up having a c section on the 16th. Before this I wasn’t able to visibly see any colostrum and now after having my son, I’m still not seeing a single drop. My son does a good job at latching and we make sure he try and breastfeed first before he gets a bottle. I’m getting nervous that I’m not going to be able to supply any sort of colostrum or milk for my son. submitted by /u/kiagae [link] [comments]”

“I recently started taking amoxetine and I have noticed a significant drop in my milk supply. I am wondering if anyone else has had this experience or has tips on what I can do to get my supply back up. I am 8 months postpartum submitted by /u/Psychoologist23 [link] [comments]”

“I’ve been dealing with pneumonia for a little over two weeks and currently going through my second supply dip. Luckily I have a freezer stash, so we’re having to use a bottle. We’ve done a few over the past 6 months with no issue, but I got it in my head that it should be anyone else but me give LO a bottle. To the point where I almost refuse to give one. Got me thinking if this is normal or do other EBF give their LO a bottle? submitted by /u/Midnightlemon [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone! I am 9 weeks pp, and typically use a Hakka to catch my letdown on the opposite breast that baby is feeding on. I have tried the electric pump given to me at the hospital and no matter what I try it’s still uncomfortable/I just can’t produce much milk when using it, I actually thought I was an under supplier just due to not being able to pump the opposite breast while baby ate. however the Hakka works well for me. This morning I noticed for the first time my breast was spraying the m”

“27 wks and my left breast has been steadily leaking colostrum yesterday and today. not like a constant flow just consistent drops. is this normal or has anyone else experienced this early? submitted by /u/takingelles [link] [comments]”

“I currently have a 7-month-old baby and have been exclusively breastfeeding and pumping. Throughout this time, I’ve had some dips in supply, but I’ve never given up. Lately, my supply seems to be booming, and I would absolutely love to continue breastfeeding past 12 months if possible. I’d love to hear some opinions: If you breastfed beyond 12 months, why did you choose to? How long did you continue? How did you offer the milk — by bottle, directly from the breast, or in a cup? Did you give milk”

“Hi! I need advice please. I received the depo shot a day after c-section. I’ve been attempting pumping. I’ll say I haven’t been the best about waking up and doing it. But I was told that the depo shot would cause my milk to deplete. It seems like it is depleting. Baby is also in NICU so I am not able to breastfeed directly much to help with producing more milk. Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it worth it to still try to pump? I am barely making 10ml most of the time and I feel like”

“Has anyone experienced a sharp drop in supply around 11 months or a year? I was an oversupplier my first 5 months and worked hard to get to a good place. Things were going great until a few weeks ago when my letdowns suddenly became very very hard to trigger. Now I have to do breast compressions and flick my other nipple to try and trigger a letdown before my 11 month old gets frustrated and pops off. He will be sucking away for several minutes, looking at me and frantically signing milk with hi”

“I have not been holding food down today and have the stomach flu pretty bad. Pumped but also trying to nurse some. I know these are usually 24 hour things but has anyone gotten an IV while BFing for this? Thought it may help with supply.. I have already hit my out of pocket max so figured it might be worth a try submitted by /u/printallday [link] [comments]”

“Despite following all instructions and creating a relaxing environment, I’m barely producing any colostrum when I hand express antenatally. I’m having twins and my midwife has said a supply of colostrum on hand would be very useful, so I’m keen to do it. I’ve started massaging my breasts morning and evening (not just before attempting to collect)… what else could I do to help increase my supply? It’s just like my body has none currently submitted by /u/ClaireyGogz [link] [comme”

“My 2mo EBF baby is only latching onto the right side no issue but when it comes to left it’s a battle. My daughter rarely takes it and has to be fully laying down if she wants to eat off of the left. Does anyone have any suggestions or similar stories? submitted by /u/AwareHunter5225 [link] [comments]”