supply a little down

[sntm]

Not a lot, but the first time that I am taking more out than I put in the freezer stash. Complicated by the fact that Jack is not finishing his bottles at daycare, so he doesn't eat the full 18 oz but they still get used up.

Can't decide what it is -- he's 6 1/2 months so maybe it's the growth plateau. Or he has been eating more in the AM (which is when i usually pump the most - 1/2 my daily production in the pumping when i first get to work, 1/4 with the second, 1/4 with the third) and i can see how that impacts what i pump. The side he last ate on is usually 2-3 oz less. But also started solids a weeks ago and worried that may have impacted it. Though he has solids at dinner, and still BFs before bed and 2-3x at night.

Not hugely worried but starting to get a little concerned. Ate my oatmeal this morning and will chug water today. Will hold off on fenugreek for now.

Would love any of your thoughts -- other people experience this?

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[LucyG]

Shannon,

I'm kind of going through the same thing. See my "I have double electric pump envy" post from yesterday. I don't know how much it's normal for your supply to decrease with the introduction of solids, and when it's cause for worry. I know that the baby gradually causes the supply to wane, just as he/she built it up as a newborn. Still, it's freaking me out to see less in the bottle when I pump!

[JenaW]

Shannon

I don't know for sure that this is the case, but Carter is just a few weeks older than Jack, and my supply is definitely less now that he is eating solids. I think that maybe they just don't need quite as much. According to a pamphlet from our pediatrician, the total number of ounces of milk/formula stays the same or decreases slightly from 5months to 12 months as the percentage of solids increases. For instance, they say at 4-6 months, babies need 4-7 feedings of milk/day totalling 26-32 oz. From 6-9 months, they need just 3-5 feedings a day, totalling 21-30 oz. So they take more at a sitting but less total, as more solids are introduced. As long as Jack seems satisifed at each feeding, I think you are ok. And the fact that he isn't even finishing his bottles at daycare says he isn't needing MORE than you are providing.

HTH.


Jera
Mom to Carter ~ 05.13.03

[sntm]

Yeah, I guess there is no big reason to worry. I just really want to be able to BF Jack for longer than a year (my new goal is 18 months) and DH is very supportive of that and he had been worried that once we introduce solids, Jack might wean early. Jack is very excited about doing "big boy" stuff -- you should see him study the older babies as they walk or use pincer grasp. I just don't want him to replace BFing with solids too soon! I just want him to add them on. He was beside himself last night eating pears and cereal!

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[mharling]

Shannon -
Do you give him the opportunity to nurse after he has his solids? I've been doing this with ds; he usually doesn't take a lot, but I figure he's thirsty and he will nurse for a few minutes.

Mary & Lane 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osnt.jsp?i=67b0de21b356c32425b2 - Halloween Pics!

[nitaghei]

Shannon,

I wouldn't worry. My morning pumping output went down after Neel started solids too. I think it's your body adjusting. BTW, even though Neel is on 3 solid meals a day, and has dropped one nursing session in the morning (only pumping once a day WOO HOO,- he shows no signs of wanting to wean at 11.5 months. He still nurses 5 times in a 24 hour period. So yes, the solids do replace some of the nursing - but it doesn't mean early weaning. I fully expect to be BF'g him at 18 months, though MY DH is NOT supportive :( Maybe I should send him over to talk with your DH (but that's a separate post).

HTH

Edited to add:

You may want to re-configure your bottles, depending on Jack's new eating pattern. We went from
10:00 am - 6 oz bottle
12:30 pm - nursing session (1 or 2 minutes)
3:30pm - 6 oz bottle (drinking 4 oz typically)

to
11:00 am - nursing (generally 15 minutes)
2:30 pm - bottle - typically 6 - 7 oz.

I think he's drinking at least as much - just in 2 sessions instead of 3. We did this at 10 months, though I could have done it sooner. You wouldn't believe how much EBM I dumped!

I still nurse him in the morning before work (I count this as one session - because he cluster feeds between 6:00 am to 7:00 am) and again at night (same pattern between 6:15 pm and 7:30 pm) and he nurses at least once more during the night, sometimes twice.

Nita
mom to Neel 01/05/03
dog mom to a cocker and a PWD

[jennifer13]

My friends who have BF for longer than a year only nursed 1x a day, in the morning when supply was highest and baby was most interested. I think other people here are nursing more frequently even after a year, but my point is that nursing until 18 months is not an all or nothing proposition, KWIM? My supply definitely went down after solids, but I have always had supply problems so i'm not a great judge. Also, teething can affect his appetite- my DD's appetite waxes and wanes.

Jennifer
Mom to Norah 5/23/03

[wagner36]

Hi Shannon,
I'm in the exact same position, and my DS is just about the same age. About 10 days ago, I took a supply hit. I work crazy hours, especially at the end of the year, so I was worried that since I only nurse once in the morning and in the middle of the night, my body just wasn't producing according to his needs. I was running short about 3 oz a day and was also concerned about solids decreasing his intake. But, we're still not organized to do solids every day (maybe 4-5 times a week at dinner), so I don't think thats in. Anyway, my supply is back up now (and up by about 3 oz), after about 10 days. I just drank a ton of water, ate oatmeal every morning, and started drink a couple of cups of the Mother's Milk Tea every day. I actually think, though, that this was all related to ther return of my period, which I guess I just had, although very very very lightly.
Hope that helps! I'm with you!
Tara
DS born 5/26/03

[barbarhow]

Shannon-I go through this from time to time as well. My supply is way up now after Jack being sick and staying home with him. We sat around and nursed most of the day. What the heck...We both loved it. It helped me rebuild the tiny stash that I had been building. Maybe you will experience what I have-it seems that for a few weeks I fall short and then my supply ups and I will be able to rebuild the stash. It seems that with us the solids are of little effect. He still isn't the hugest fan of them. Seems to be preferring the finger foods that I've introduced recently. Doesn't love mush and definately is not a big fan of his veggies.
Good luck-eat that oatmeal and keep chugging! Barbara
Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03

[sntm]

Not right after, but we nurse right when we get home (around 5:30-5:45), then he eats dinner at around 6:00 and is nursing for bed around 6:30-6:45.

I know I shouldn't be that worried. I've always rebounded terrifically when my supply goes down, but I'm also starting estrogen cream and was worried how that might affect things also.

Jack's schedule now is:
Wakes at 6:30
BF around 7:30
6 oz bottle offered 3x at daycare (lately eating only about 13-14 oz)
BF at 5:30
Dinner at 6:00
BF at 6:30
Asleep at 6:45
BF either at (1:30 and 3:30) or 2:30
BF at 5:30

Nita -- anytime, send your DH my way. Remember, he talked Allison's DH into the Bugaboo :7

Thanks everybody! Am staying calm about it all. X-mas nursing should help (although I sometimes think I respond better to the pump!)


shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[ethansmom]

Shannon,

We started solids at 6 months and had the same problem. We had worked our way up to solids twice a day, but I cut back to just evening to encourage him to take more breast milk.

I also resumed pumping before I went to bed, in the hopes of just keeping the stash at the same level. It worked better than I hoped - I'm back to surplus!

Good luck!