[BabyBird]

I am not sure what is going on but the past week or so my milk seems like it has dropped drastically. The only feeding that seems like I don't have enough though is the bedtime one. I am fine all day and then at bedtime it seems like I am totally empty. Most nights I think she gets enough but some nights (like last night) I wasn't sure. She slept fine but I think she could have taken more had I had any.

There are a lot of changes to our routine lately so I don't know what could be causing it.
1) She has dropped her 2am feeding which makes me go from 9p until 6a without nursing.
2) We FINALLY weaned from the nipple shield.
3) We dropped a feeding during the day (I was over the every 2 hour thing!) when we started solids. She gets cereal for breakfast and veggies for dinner.

I didn't want to start solids so soon but she REALLY wanted to eat! She was really ready right at about 5 mo and eats great. I have noticed she doesn't nurse as long as she used to per feeding so I know she doesn't take as much (however when I work she takes 4 oz bottles but I know she doesn't take 4 oz when I nurse her). That is probably because she is getting solids which I am ok with during the day but bedtime is the time she wants and needs more milk and that is when I am the emptiest. By morning I am nice and full again and I even pump once a day in the mornings and get an extra 4 oz.

Is she self weaning or is my body confused since we go all night without feeding? I started taking fenugreek again. It helped when I first came to work and was pumping a lot. I really don't want to give her formula at night so if anyone has any ideas on what is going on I would love to know what I can do to help my bedtime supply!

[Boo]

If she slept OK and wasn't crying at the boob, I would say she got what she needed and I wouldn't worry too much. It may be a combination of the change in schedule and the fact that she's eating solids now that's causing the weird amount of milk you have, but I bet once your milk supply adjusts to the new schedule, everything will be fine. If she's not fussing at the breast or anything like that, I wouldn't worry too much about whether she's getting enough or not.

[Babymakingprincess]

Karly!!!

[BabyBird]

She didn't nessesarily fuss last night but she usually takes 40 min (like you can set your clock to it) and I was COMPLETELY empty after 5 min on one side and 10 on the other...usually 20 min each. She also usually falls asleep and is very calm at the bedtime feeding but since she couldn't get anything she was squirming, punching and kicking me, and pulling my nipple off! LOL She never cried though...

I would say that if you are concerned you should drop some of her solid food intake. BM has more calories and nutrients then solids anyhow. It sounds like maybe she isn't taking as much because she isn't as hungry.

OR, try pumping before you go to bed. With either suggestion you would be increasing the demand which hopefully would increase your supply. It seems like she is fine with nursing less, but Jack got like that too for a bit and then wasn't gaining so I had to trust my gut which told me he should have been nursing more. When I did increase his nursings and make sure he sat at the breast longer he started gaining again. So just trust whatever your instincts tell you one way or the other. HTH and GL!

[::MummyToTwo::]

it could also be AF on her way, have you had your 1st PP AF yet?

[Babymakingprincess]

THat's true- I had forgotten, when Sadie dropped her last middle of th enight feed, I'd feed her around 11pm, then I'd pump to just empty myself out. I actually would also pump after the morning feed too (1, to build up a store of breastmilk in the freezer, 2 because I was so full so why not store it instead of lose it lol)

As they get older they do get more efficient at feeding... so they get more than you think. So what may have taken 40 mins is now taking 20 and that's a good thing!!! More free time for mommy!!!!
They also do get more playful as they get older and will have a harder time staying on the breast because there's so many more interesting things going on around them!!

[Celry]

I was going to suggest that she may be more efficient now. The girls used to take forever and now if it takes them 12 minutes to eat it's a long feeding. They are on and off the boob super quick. Also, it's very normal to have a much greater supply in the morning than at night. I always pump in the morning to mix with their solids later in the day. If I wait until the afternoon or night to pump I don't get as much and they get angry while feeding because I've pumped it all.

[BabyBird]

Originally Posted by Mummy2Summer&Ashton

it could also be AF on her way, have you had your 1st PP AF yet?

Nope not yet...I was thinking the same thing though. Today has been better...I do think she is getting more efficient. I just wish there was a way to measure how much they take from the boob! I know I need to let go of my control freak tendencies! LOL

[samspain]

I am a worrier about how much she eats too, but I think control-freak, overreacting is all part of being a Mum!. I just got AF (at 10 months) and I noticed a drop in supply the week before and thought it was because we had had colds. Ana does 8-4 without a feed, and now has dropped a daytime feed, but wont eat the food to replace it. Is she still having asd many wet nappies/diapers?? Thats what my Dr said to watch for, if that isnt changing then she is doing fine, just quicker!

I ´d wait a while and see if its her routine thats set things off, or perhaps like Cel said shes just better at it now.