Don't Have Enough Milk.

I don't know what others have written, but drink lots of water. Stay away from sodas, caffeine, drinks that are not good for your body..alcohol...etc. You can use Blessed Thistle..that has helped adoptive mothers lactate. Fenugreek is good too, but that didn't help me as much..barely kept me going. To some perhaps, it will help more. Fenugreek is cheaper than Blessed thistle. Good luck!

First there's making sure you drink enough water. Then I know there are herbal supplements like Mother's Milk Tea or Fenugreek that help with supply. Lastly, if her latch is different or if she's too busy learning to crawl or do new things to nurse, some other changes may help. I know I never would have nursed my son past the 6 month mark if I hadn't been co-sleeping so he could nurse at night. While he was getting ready to crawl, he wouldn't nurse during the day. It was the unresticted night nursings tht got us through, and he's now almost 18 months and still a great nurser. I've also heard that certain sippy cups (if you're using one) can change the way they suck, and that straw cups are better. As for the pump, if there's not enough suction, it may just be that your body has adjusted to a baby, and isn't being fooled by the pump. If you can, try nursing on one side while pumping the other, it will help your body adjust back to responding to the pump. Good luck!

Ask your doctor about a nasal spray that will help "create" breast milk. It worked for me.

I don't know what pump you are using, but the Medala Advanced pump (babies r us has it) has an adjustable suction. I found that when production went down for me, increasing the # of times a day I pumped helped. (sometimes I did an extra pump at night mainly for stimulation of milk). also, make sure you are drinking plenty of water, not too much caffeine and that you're getting sleep. All those things can effect production.
Good luck. and 7 1/2 months is great whether you get to continue or not!

You absolutely can increase your supply. Don't give up! I've heard awesome things about More Milk from MotherLove Herbals. A quick internet search will bring it up. Also, fenugreek is in the regular grocery store, you can do 2 caps with each meal. Or Blessed Thistle can work as well. Most importantly, drink the water you should be drinking and NURSE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! :) The more she nurses the more you will make. Don't try to cut out night feedings. It's very normal for a breastfed baby to still nurse at least 2 times a night at that age. And if you want to pump one side while you nurse on the other that should help too. I was helping feed my neighbor's baby at one point while I was nursing my fourth, so I would pump every feeding whil nursing. After a week or so (taking Blessed thistle too) I could pump 8 oz on one side, while my little got full on the other! You can do it!

I induced to nurse our adopted baby. I did not have enough milk to totally feed her, so I used a Supplemental Nursing System. Medela has one type and Lact-aide has another. Basically it is a bottle that hangs around your neck with tubes that run to your nipples. As your baby nurses she will get your milk and the formula/stored breast milk from the bottle. It is difficult to get used to it, but wonderful when you are able to use one. I had to use it the entire time I nursed, but you should be able to use this as a short time effort. As you nurse your milk supply should increase. This way you can be sure your daughter is getting enough and still be able to nurse. SNSs and Lact-aides are on EBay or your lactaion consultant(if you can find one) should be able to help you get one.
God bless,
B. JM

I'm currently taking Reglan which was prescribed by my doctor and my milk is flowing great now. I wasn't producing enough milk for my baby, but now I can nurse him with no problem, when he wants it. Hope this helps.

Here are some things that have worked for me. there is an herb called fenugreek...that worked for me with my first...you could google it..the only thing is that once you start when you are ready to go off of it you have to very gradually reduce the amount that you take or your supply will drastically decrease
also try increasing water adn calorie intake.
and beer has helped me too, i drank it at night after putting my little one to bed
best of luck

Adoptive mothers can lactate if they work hard at it. You have just recently lactated, so it will be much easier for you to restart your flow.

Go to your local durable medical equipment store and inquire if they rent electric breast pumps. The pump that they have will be much stronger then anything that you are going to buy at Babies R Us. Then, start by pumping once an hour to an hour and a half. You are mimicing a newborns schedule. That regular stimulation of the milk glands should get the flow going again.

If your child continues to be unable to latch adequately, at least you will still have breast milk to offer. I went back to work at six weeks post partum. I would pump while at work, store the milk in the refridgerator, then come home and place the milk into playtex bags and freeze the bags. This way, my babysitter could take the milk from the freezer and feed it to my daughter. Freezing isn't perfect, but it does allow you to pump and save so that you can place your milk into that sippy cup, as needed.

Prayers for you that you will succeed in this effort. I know how I cried when my milk stopped flowing. There is nothing like that bond with your baby.

There is a tea in the health food area at Kroger's that's for mothers who are nursing, many women use it talk about it. I never tried it but heard good reports even on this website. It helps your milk stay plentiful from my understanding. Also pumping will help as well if you have some coming out you can build on it with pumping, it's not too late. I don't know where you live but in Kennesaw at Kid to Kid on 41 near McDobb there are some used electric pumps.
Make sure you are drinking lots of fluids (it's hot out)you need even more breast feeding (but your experienced take no offense at the reminder).

Eat a lot of oatmeal! And go to the health food store and get brewer's yeast (make sure it's brewer's), and flax seed meal. Sprinkle the yeast onto your oatmeal, and make chocolate chip cookies with a couple of generous tablespoons of the meal and the yeast. They're delicious and they help.

She's older now, and your supply will adjust to her demand. Try to get her to nurse often, and you can take fenugreek capsules to boost supply also. You'll know you've taken enough when you start to smell like maple syrup. :)

You can do it!

There are a number of things that you can do. First, nurse her as often as you can. Obviously you can't force her to but if she wants to nurse, let her. Second, go to a healthfood store and pick up the supplement fenugreek. Take it three times a day for two days and you WILL feel full and know your supply is back. You can take one a day after that to maintain until you're confident that your supply is back where you want it. Be sure to drink plenty of water too. There is also the possibility that she is self weaning and if she continues to not seem interested in nursing you could pump for her. I don't know what pump you have but Medela makes the best pumps in my opinion. I pumped for 10 months for my first little girl who was born with a cleft palate with the Medela Pump N Style. A double electric pump will be the best kind if you plan to go this route. These types of pumps can be purchased at Target and Babies R Us but can be a little pricey. They are also available for rental from your local hospital and WIC offices. If you feel like you're not getting the correct suction from your pump it may be worn out, you may have the wrong size breast shells or just have a not so great pump. A lactation consultant can help you with suggestions for her latch issues and finding out what may be going on with your pump. Contact your local hospital, birthing center or LaLeche League to find one in your area. You're a great mom for being so dedicated to your children's well being by nursing them for the first 12 plus months of their lives.

Sounds like a nursing strike. I'm guessing, with all your experience, that you've heard of that( if not, see website below). Congrats, by the way, on doing so well with the older kiddos!

You can get through this - you just need good support, good information, and maybe inspiration. Even adoptive mothers can breastfeed, and you've got more of a jumpstart than they have. Best one-stop spot for information:
www.kellymom.com.

I had problems when my first was around 4 months. I got sick, was very dehydrated, and when I talked to a lactation consultant, she said that the post-pregnancy hormones were leveling out, going back to normal, so relactating would require a little more effort. I'll give you the advice she gave me:
eat more rich foods especially , nuts, avocados, & oatmeal. She also recommended taking fenugreek capsules. (I cleared this with my doctor). Fenugreek is VERY safe, in fact it's used as an artificial maple syrup flavoring. I took 6-7 capsules at a time, usually 2 times a day. (Sounds like a ton, I know). My breath and sweat would start smelling like pancakes. This worked FAST for me.

Also, keep trying to get your baby to nurse. (It was the Friday before a 3-day weekend and she said to "wear that baby like a bra" - or nurse as much as possible all 3 days. And when the baby slept, pump. (I've found that the ISIS manual pump - about $45-50 new - has PLENTY of suction.) Nothing compares to a real baby, though.

Check out your local resources like La Leche League - these women work as volunteers and they are pretty passionate. If you tell them you've already nursed 2 kids past 12 months and want to continue with your 7 month old, I'm sure they'll want to help.

Last ditch - (only because it's not free), if you're in Atlanta, Dr. Kute of Chattahoochee Pediatrics, is also a lactation consultant. (I've had luck with 2 lactation consultants at Northside Hospital: Sandy and Dee Dee. Some of the LC's aren't as helpful, but those 2 are great!)

For "inspiration", read this woman's story: http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/relact.asp

I also work with a man whose wife had a STROKE after her baby was born. She had to go to the ICU while her husband stayed with the baby. Then she satyed in the hospital for a couple of weeks when the baby went home with dad. It was MONTHS before she was able to talk again, and somehow, through all that, she managed to nurse her baby. THAT'S inspiration to me!

YOu have already gotten lots of good posts so far, but I just want to reiternate that it is not too late. I had some supply issues several months after I went back to work. My son just turned 20 months (and no, I am not a freak) and he is still nipping a little in the am and a little in the pm. When I felt my supply was dwindling, I started the fenugreek and it seemed to really help. I also ate oatmeal in the morning for breakfast and made sure to drink plenty of water. You can also talk to your doctor about a prescription medication. Good luck and keep on breastfeeding for as long as both of you like.

Try La Leche Group -- they have a lot of 800# and online resources? Trying to latch more frequently than normal -- like every 2 hours versus every 4 hours? Drinking over 1-gallon water a day? My grandmother swore by a beer a night:) Taking supplements from GNC to help? I used the Medella original double-pump and it was much better than the one currently sold with the "letdown" action -- more suction and more control.

I have been coping with low milk supply and baby wasn't taking any supplement that was driving me crazy because he was not gaining the right amount of weight. I tried a bunch of remedies but still was unable to produce enough to satisfy my little one. Thank God, someone suggested healthy nursing tea which worked wonder and now I am producing sufficient supply.