7M Old Feeding Around the Clock - Breastmilk Supply Low?

You needn't be concerned that his eating around the clock is going to cause your supply to drop. Quite the opposite, in fact!! Milk supply is all about supply & demand, so the more milk your son is drinking, the more milk your body produces, and it only takes 2-3 days to increase or decrease your supply. So, if your son is nursing what feels like constantly, he could be going through a growth spurt and is doing what he can to help you make more milk.

Also try to keep in mind that your son is more efficient at milk extraction than ANY pump you can use!! Rest assured that he's more than likely getting a lot more than the 3oz you're able to pump. And I know that sleep is challenging right now, but the more (and better) sleep you get, the more milk you'll make :) Stress will also decrease your supply, just as your digestion is interrupted when you're upset.

As frustrating as it is in the moment, try to stick it out. My son was a horrible sleeper, too, and I hate to say this, but the only thing that helped him sleep longer at night was getting older. He FINALLY started sleeping longer than 4-5 hours when he turned 18 months old (and moved to Cali), and now that we have a new baby (5wks), he's not sleeping again *sigh*

As for supplementing with formula, keep trying. If he refuses the bottle, it could be because of a few things. The first reason could be he's not hungry. The second could be he doesn't like the bottle (most breastfed babies prefer mom). The third reason could be he just doesn't like the formula you're trying to give him. Try different formulas, different nipples (the bottle part doesn't make much difference), etc until you find something that works for you and your son.

Keep the faith: things will work out!!!

Hi TB,

I was going to respond with a few 'key points' but I skimmed the replys below and see that Gretchen already said it all!!! She is so right--pumping is not an accurate gauge as to how much you are producing. My lactation consultant told me that once your baby empties your breasts during a feeding, it will take your body about 2 hours to totally fill back up again. You are fine, and you are making plenty of milk. Trust in your body. As for his sleeping, he's probably going through some huge milestones and needs extra calories right now to do all he's working on. He of course could be bothered by teething, too. Both my babies were very soothed by nursing when they teethed and went back to more solid sleep once the tooth came in (yes, then it would start over again too quickly!). Neither of mine slept through the night with regularity until they were around 11-14 months. Patience...I know you are exhausted...and you will one day sleep again!

Good luck to you and your son!

I am not a fan of the cry-it-out method for any reason. When my youngest (now 1 1/2) was four months old he started waking up several times at night genuinely hungry. I started giving him a big bowl of rice cereal and banana just before bed. He slept much longer.

He is 7 months old now try feeding him rice cereal and breatmilk or even add baby food start with a fruit because they are sweeter. Please make sure you stick with that one fruit to make sure he has no allergies. Good luck and I hope this helps.

Hi TB, my heart goes out to you since I had the same situation with both of my girls. It will take repeated tries of formula/breastmilk combo before your baby will accept it. Give yourself two weeks for this to take hold. Do it every time and don't make a big deal about it. Go into it not apologetically but with the attitude of "this is the way it is and that's it". You HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF before you can take care of your child. If you can afford it or have family who can help, ask them to come over TODAY so you can get some sleep. If you are exhausted, your milk supply goes down and anxiety sets in. Your baby will protest at first, ie cry with the new formula/milk combo, however, eventually hunger will make him drink it. It's ok, you have to get some rest. After two weeks of continuously trying this he will become accustomed to the new taste and SMELL of the formula. Don't give up because you still have many months ahead. Also, at 7 months he can definitely be eating rice cereal and some pureed veggies like sweet potatoes for energy. He could also be waking from teething pains or being cold. Try putting two jammies on at night. A friend of mine did this and it really cut down on wakings for her.

I'd recommend you check out www.kellymom.com. It is a website dedicated to supporting breastfeeding mothers. They have an excellent forum for support as well and I know there is superb advice for your specific situation (as I've read and used it myself). I'd say it is normal for a baby to need to nurse at night, up to 1+ years. I've been dealing with my LO "Reverse Cycling" ever since I went back to work full time. Your LO could just be going through a ton of developmental changes like learning to crawl or growth spurts, and/or is distracted by the great wonderful world to discover during the day. So he is doing his concentrated eating at night, when it is just Mommy and him. I'd also recommend cosleeping with your little one and breastfeeding laying down. Kellymom has some excellent guidance on how to make cosleeping safe.

If you are worried about your supply, don't. The fact that he is nursing at night means you have plenty of milk for him. I'd suggest focus on drinking plenty of water (>2Liters a day), eating lots of protein, and drinking Mother's Milk teas. IMHO,Yogi Tea makes "Women's Nursing Support" that is the best tasting and you can find it at Whole Foods. And, get some help, even for a little bit so that you can nap. These last couple of mornings I've been able to get an extra 30 - 40 more minutes of sleep in and I feel like a new person.

Solids are good but at seven months, the primary source of calories is still from milk. If you want to supplement with formula and start weaning off the breastfeeding, then your supply will definitely drop. If you find this is a decision you want to make, then do a little research and make an educated decision about it. As I've often heard, don't quit on your worst day.

Hang in there and good luck with your decision,

CLW

How much solid food is he eating. He may need a bit more solid food during the day. That's what worked with my daughter who went from sleeping 12 hours to waking up 1-2x a night. Once I started giving her a bit more solid food, she went longer during the day without bf which meant when she did want to bf there was more milk for her. Just a thought.

My little girl ate like that too. She woke every 2-3 hours and ate every 2-3 hours all day. It takes its toll on you. I was very tired. She would not take formula and would not eat cereal mixed with formula or breast milk. She wouldn't take cereal mixed with anything. I got very frustrated and then on a whim I mixed her cereal with apple pedialyte. She loved it!! I talked to her doctor about it. The doctor said whatever works and encouraged me to keep doing it. This stretched her times between feedings out.

Also, drinking more water helped bulk up my milk supply. I used a spaghetti sauce the Classico jars have ounces marked on the side of them. I would drink several of those with water up to the 20 oz mark a day. I got really creative with putting cucumbers, mint, limes, lemons and berries in it to give my water some variety.

If you do have a low milk supply, night feedings will increase your milk production within a short while (approximately a week or less) provided that you are drinking enough water to keep up with his increasing demand. As for eating during the day, every 3 hours is normal, but less frequent than many babies.

My 5.5/6 month old will often sleep straight through the night for several days and then wake 2-3 times a night for a couple of weeks. Oddly enough, I encourage it because I know it is good for my milk supply and it drops when I don't nurse or pump at night. If you are concerned about a low milk supply, I would nurse more frequently and not give him formula unless you are ready to wean him.

Regarding sleep, I have noticed that my son is more likely to wake up if he is unswaddled. I have heard of this fantastic product called the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit which helps babies transition from a swaddle - keeping them from startling themselves awake.

This may seem like a random question, but if you're using birth control, make sure that it's approved for breastfeeding. My OB put me on a method that was contra indicated and my milk produciton dropped for over a month before I figured it out. (I think because my son was 6wks premature he assumed that I wasn't breastfeeding - WRONG.) Good luck!

I'm so sorry! That is so hard! Hopefully your baby is just going through a growth spurt and is trying to up your production. Hang in there!