No Breastmilk in the Evenings

I had this problem when I did not drink enough water or get enough fluids. You need more when breastfeeding. I also have a problem with giving blood in the afternoons due to dehydration. You don't realize how much you do drink without having a pitcher of liquid (water, milk, etc) set aside for a period of time.

Please forgive.. i did not read the other posts...hubby is ready for me to get to be....lol!

Maybe you are not drinking enough liquids towards the end of the evening. Lots of water may help.

I was never a great pumper. Even when I knew my breasts were full I was never able to pump more than 3oz at a time. Your baby has much more of an ability to suck stronger than any pump. It was always difficult for me to tell how much my son was getting, but I was nursing on demand so I figured he was filling his tummy pretty well. He was also gaining weight at a pretty good rate.
There is a place here in NYC called Real Birth where you can bring your baby and have him/her weighed before nursing and then again after to determine how many ounces your child is consuming. You could ask your pediatrician if something like this exists in your area.

Peace.

Eat a snack of oatmeal an hour before dinner.
Drink PLENTY of fluids throughout the day.
Then drink even more fluids. :)
Try some Mother's Milk tea.
Take fenugreek.

Remember: You never pump as much as she can get through nursing. Pumping is just not as efficient as your baby! As long as she is still gaining, you should be fine. Let her nurse for longer periods of time since she is probably going through a growth spurt - or will be soon! Be sure she completely empties one breast before moving to the next one, since the hindmilk is fattier and more filling. Hang in there, Mama! You are doing GREAT!!

I sometimes feel like I don't have enough milk in the evenings cause my daughter (3 months) cluster feeds at night. But she seems to be gaining weight just fine, so I don't worry about it. I don't really think that they're "empty", it's just the constant nursing that's draining them. I'm not sure if that's what's happening in your case; but as long as she's gaining weight.. I'd say you're okay! Good luck!
**I sometimes try to get her off the breast by playing with her and giving her tummy time**

Your baby still gets more milk out then you do pumping. Are you staying hydrated through out the day? You can also try mother's milk tea, and herbal supplement Fenugreek capsules. As the day wear on you will will feel less but that does not mean you do not have milk it means your body is starting to adjust to your baby's needs. As long as baby has wet diapers through out the she has plenty to eat. Good Luck! ( I have nursed 5 kids )
J.

I had the same problem with my first son, but I just let him nurse and nurse (sometimes for 3-4 hours at a time) and while it was tiring and frustrating he grew like a weed so I figured he got enough to eat. My 6 week old is really a very easy keeper in terms of nursing, but it's also made me wonder about how I cared for my first son. In retrospect I've wondered if he was more tired than hungry. I made a point of trying to get my baby to sleep early--by about 7:00 which really helps because he's not awake to constantly want to nurse. This time I've also made a point of drinking more water and drinking mother's milk tea. And, I enjoy a beer with dinner. But, having a baby asleep is way easier than trying to nurse one for hours. I remember how incredibly frustrating and exhausting it was.

I think that is why a lot of babies cluster feed, they feed multiple times close together in the evening. Milk supply is lower in the evening, and if they nurse more, your supply will go up for that time of day, it just might take a little time. I know my son was cluster feeding a lot around 2 months, but I don't think it lasted over a month, so maybe my supply had caught up by then? I say nurse more at that time of the day and it will pick up.

As long as she's producing enough diapers and gaining weight, you have nothing to worry about.

When I first started with the lactation consultant, I'd bring what I pumped. It looked pitiful to me. The consultant would always say: wow, that's a lot. DON'T FORGET that your daughter's stomach is about the size of HER fist. She doesn't need as much as you think she does. AND babies are great at getting milk -- much more than you can pump. Don't judge your production by what you can put into a bottle.

I do believe that adding the bottle in the evenings is undermining your production, though. You should pump and freeze, just in case you have a future need or want a night out, but don't give her a bottle when you're right there.

Drink lots of water, nurse when she wants to and everything will be wonderful. So much good luck to you :)

Leaving them on longer... drinking lots of water and non caffinated tea. I lay down and let him nurse to sleep, while reading a book. The one time of the day that mine will nurse for the recommended 20+ min is in the evening, when it isn't 'over' pressurized and he can nurse for comfort in addition to food. If I had known where my pump was, I would have started pumping, but we are just powering through it. I know it can be difficult, but don't suppliment with formula... It is a slippery slope and hard to get off of...
Good luck!
R.

This is very normal. You aren't empty, but it's normal to be low on supply in the evening. Your baby may take a little longer to nurse because of this but she is still getting milk. Remember, supply and demand is true and at 2 months your supply is not fully established. It will take up to 3 or 4 months for your body to have an established and routine milk supply. If you can avoid supplementing it will be the best for this process.

If your baby is gaining weight and having at least 6-8 wet diapers per day then I'm sure she's getting enough.

I'm currently nursing my third baby and all of mine liked to cluster-feed in the evenings. Sometimes it's a comfort thing, sometimes they're going through a growth spurt, sometimes they just like to nurse :)

Make sure you're getting enough to drink, but not too much - 8-10 glasses is plenty. Eat healthily and frequently, especially protein.

Make sure you're getting enough rest. Our bodies use lots of energy when we breastfeed and if you're doing too much too soon, this could be affecting your milk supply. Stress does this too.

Just relax and take care of yourself :)

Are you dehydrated by the end of the day? Are you getting adequate nutrition? Just a thought......

Hey J.,
I had the same issue (still do today) and my guy is almost 11 months old. The key is to make sure you are drinking plenty of water and take an afternoon nap. If that doesn't work, you can drink a non-alcoholic beer or make barley water (there are lots of recipes on-line) and just sip it through out the day. It works great despite how odd it sounds. If none of those options work, you can order a medication called Motillium (aka Domperidone) which can be purchased on-line through In House Pharmacy. It comes from outside the US and has to be shipped over, so it does take a while to get here. Miller Children's Hospital has directions on how to take it as well as a few other breastfeeding websites. It takes a few days before you start to see results, but you will see them.

there is always a time in the day when your milk is low..so for u its evenings..for me it was late afternoons...l'm attaching a list l made back when l was still bf-ing..hope it helps u out :)

1. rent a hospital grade pump..Medela Classic is what i'm using..it's
$3 a day and totally worth it! OR better yet buy one off ebay and
when you're done you can re-sell it on ebay and get your money back.
i bought one and it works great..the medela classic is supposed to be
the best pump out there.
2. get the Easy Expression bra www.easyexpressionproducts.com it
holds both cups over you bb's and it's better to pump 2 at a time
3. eat oatmeal ....get the healthy kind i add bananas also i would
think pasta would be good b/c it retains water
4. Take "Lactation Supplement" by Gaia Herbs you can find it at the
health food store
5. try to pump at the same time every day...also try power pumping..
10 minutes pumping..then stop for 10 then 10 again and then stop and
so on. even pump if you aren't getting anything.
6. Make sure the white membrane thingies that attach onto the cups
are fairly new ..over used ones affect how much milk you get
7. Drink lots of fluids including Nursing Mom's tea or Mother's Milk
tea or the tea i prefer is www.breastea.com ..also drinks with
electrolytes like Recharge...Smart Water...Gatorade i notice on days
i drink a lot of fluids i have more milk
8. Eat barley..Barley Grass supplements are great. also..they have
barley bread at Trader Joe's if you have a Trader Joe's where you
live..or just buy barley. I buy a delicious barley tea at the
japanese market and i drink a couple of cups a day..it's decaf and
yummy.
i also drink Healthy Mom's drinks by Ensure
9.A warm wash cloth helps too ..apply to breasts before pumping or
try the breast heating pads that you heat up in the microwave.
10. Keep taking your prenatal vitamin..not getting a lot of milk
could mean a vitamin deficiency
even if you pump just a little ..save what you get and start adding
them together and then supplement with the milk that you pump..that's
why it's also good to pump after they've gone to sleep..then you help
build your supply and you also have more bb milk for baby..
11. nurse nurse nurse..triple up on nursing..you're going to have to
dedicate a week to it
the more you pump the more milk you'll begin to make.
12. LOTS OF REST..nap if you can ..milk builds when you rest
13. DHA supplements also are great for lactation..also found at the
health food store*
14. Alfalfa supplements are also great.
i think that's it..
15. Try a whey protein powder drink.. i use "Whey to Go" by
Solgar..you mix it with milk add some berries and a banana. it says
to check with your doc before using if you're bfing..so ask your
doc..i only drink one a day and i add a some Motherlove's "More Milk
Plus" to it.
16. Again you should double pump when you're pumping so make sure you
get the bra to make it easier on you!
17. Goat's Rue herb is also supposed to help boost
honestly drink LOTS of liquids
keep yourself moist ...don't take any birth control pills.
18. there is also this stuff called Motilium aka DOM a lot of mom's
use this ..it's for reflux but it builds up your supply.. you can
read about it on Kellymom.com http://www.kellymom.com/newman/19a-
domperidone1.html
and you can buy it here... http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/general/
motilium.html

Just keep nursing her on demand - and don't pump. Eating whole grains and drinking lots of water will help you keep your supply up.

well there are a couple things to think about. First sometimes breast pumps just don't stimulate the breast well enough like when your baby is nursing so no matter how much you pump you just can't much out. So I wouldn't go only by that. Second lots of babies love to cluster feed in the evenings. My first daughter would nurse for about 2 hours straight in the evenings. And I just let her. And she was a fat, fat baby so I know she was getting plenty of milk. But that is just when she wanted to nurse a lot. So that could be your baby too. Third are you drinking plenty of water? Water and eating lots of protein will help with your supply if you do have a lower amount. Fourth what are you eating for lunch most days? Basically what you eat for lunch (around 12:00) is what is in your milk in the evenings. So if you are eating light, little lunches then your milk probably isn't as hardy and filling as it could be. Anyways so that is just a few things to think about. Good luck.