Why has my supply dropped?

by Michelle
(Scranton, PA)

Visitor Question: My son will be 7 months next week and for the last couple of weeks my supply has completely dropped off to a point where I can't pump enough to meet his needs while I'm at work.

In the beginning I was getting close to 18-20 ounces per day and now I'm lucky if I get 10-11 ounces (we send two 7 ounces bottles each day to daycare).

We started him on solids a couple weeks ago and he doesn't seem to want to nurse more frequently on the weekends (he eats about every 3 1/3 to 4 hours) ... why has my supply dropped so drastically? Can I get it back up this late in the game?? HELP!

Breastfeeding Magazine Response: What a gorgeous little boy!

It sounds like he may have replaced some of his calories he was getting from breast milk with the solid food. Otherwise, even if your supply was dropping, he would try to nurse more frequently when given the opportunity.

Unless you are actively weaning your baby, remember that, at first, solid foods should only complement your breastfeeding.

Try cutting back on the amount of solid food he is getting and nurse or pump more frequently until your supply increases again.

For some extra help getting your supply back up, you can try an herb like fenugreek to boost production. It works great.

Good luck!