the situation is so confusing, i don't know where to start... i'll try to simplify for time's sake.

1. 9m dd lost 3 oz. recently; has been "cranky" for a while
2. for reasons i don't want to discuss, we moved her from my bed to a crib for the first part of the night a few weeks ago, and to the crib for most of the night this past week
3. i was neglecting my diet for a few weeks, not eating enough, etc. although i was still drinking *plenty* of water-- like at least 3-4 quarts a day
4. she started solids a few days ago and seems happier, although she's not able to get much in her mouth!!!
5. i'm still nursing her as much as before and as much as possible during the day
6. i did have two episodes of plugged ducts this past week due to decreased nursing at night, although those have gone away
7. i'm still nursing her through the night, when she wakes up; she's sleeping longer stretches now; i nurse her at 8 p.m., at about 12 p.m,, at around 4 a.m. and then about 5:30-7:30 a.m., when she comes in my bed and nurses continually

my breasts feel soft throughout the day, but i just don't understand. :( she's not getting *that* much solids, and she's still nursing as vigorously as before, but now getting frustrated since the milk is not coming out. :( boo-hoo, i feel like crying.

i don't know if my milk supply has been on the decrease for a while, and that was the reason for her weight loss? i talked with a LLL leader who told me that the weight loss could have been due to my milk not being fatty enough since i wasn't eating enough fats ( i was on a very bland diet b/c dd was really gassy as a baby, and i've continued it for fear of the gas returning... i'm now eating more fats-- like this week-- to try to boost the nutritional content of my milk, as per the LLL leader's suggestion).

sorry this is all so confusing. i know i'm leaving out details. i've been pumping whenever i can, too, and only get out a little at a time. i started taking fenugreek this morning, although i've heard this causes gassiness in babies, too...

i'm reluctant to bring her into my bed through the night again, as dh has pretty much said for the sake of our marriage he wants her in her own room... and she's actually doing fine in her own crib... also, as i know that my ultimate "goal" is to have her in her own crib, as per dh's wishes, then i don't want to start producing more milk at night, and then getting plugged ducts again when she sleeps for longer stretches when she's back in her own crib, y'know?

how do i get my milk supply back up during the day?
thanks for any help,
alycia

bump, please

No advice, mama, just hugs.

About a month ago (and I think Camden is about two weeks older than your daughter), I went through something similar for no explainable reason. I always felt like my breasts were empty, particularly my left one, from which I could barely pump. Camden started biting me, and I think it might have had to do with this. Now, I don't have any problem at all. I hope it will be the same for you.

That said, some people swear by oatmeal for increasing supply.

And, hey, no flames for moving baby to crib. We all do what we have to do for the best of our families. Camden sleeps in a crib, too. He'd rather sleep with me, but he would want to play all night, and Rose already moved out of the room at one point because of his night waking when he slept with me. Gotta keep the family together!

Hugs,
Hana

thanks, hana, i appreciate your hugs. :)

mama~

without flames, all of the answers you seek are right there in your post, kwim?

:)

mother's milk tea might help supply. definitely lots of fluid, make sure you're eating well, and nurse on demand as much as possible in addition to the pumping. :thumbsup:

(((hugs)))

LOsing 3 oz doesn't seem like a big deal to me. Weight fluctutates from day to day and even hour to hour. Even in babies. 3 oz is not very much. It could be a matter of a pee or poo.

By the time my kids wer 9 months my breast were always soft too unless we had gone longer than ususal between feedings. By this age your body has learned to regulate your supply. Most of your milk is not made in advance. It is made while the baby is actually nursing, after the let down of foremilk.

At 9 months she is probably ready for food just because she is ready for food. Not becasue she isn't getting enough milk. Eating what Mommy and Daddy are eating is FUN! lol 9 months is also prime growth spurt and developmental change time. SHe can be cranky because she is growing. Which can also cause her to hungrier than usual, in which case it will take a day or two foryour body to catch up and produce more milk. She can also be cranky because she is mastering a new skill such as crawling or standing or walking (my ds RAN at 9 months lol)

I also want to say that pumping is practically useless as an indication of your supply. Some women just aren't good pumpers. They just don't let down for the pump even though they have plenty of milk for the baby. IF you really feel that you need to pump and store milk try pumping first thing in the AM when your supply is naturally highest while your baby nursed.

Your diet probably has littel to do with your milk at this point. it won't hurt to improve the quality of your food but it has been shown that even severly malnurished mother still produce adequite milk for their babies. Bpth in quality and quantity.

As long as your dd is happy, having wet diapers and appears healthy then must likely she is. Try to relax and trust your bodies ability to produce enough. You are doing everything right!

Good luck!

i was a LLL leader for 10 years...just retired...so this is no longer "official" LLL info.

all this may be normal. it is normal to feel a reduction is engorgenmet and let down near the end of the first year. as long as baby has 6-8 wet diapers per day and a bowel movement at least every day or two, she is getting enough. weigh her daily if you can for a week or so...i think you may find she is not losing.

re: milk supply....try fenugreek from your local health food store...with the vitiamins/herbs...take as directed on the back... you will smell like maple syrup (yum!) but it has been found to increase milk supply within a few days. keep drinking plenty of water.

let me know how it goes!

joy

mamas, thanks so much for all of your advice and support! i really appreciate it. :)

i have calmed down a little now. *ahhh sigh* i talked to an lll leader and a lactation consultant in my area and both weren't concerned, just reinforced what i already knew already. i'll keep re-reading your posts to bolster my confidence! i know stress can affect milk supply.

kas, it's not a possibility to take her back in my bed. my dh and i talked at length and decided this was the best path for the good of our *entire* family, not just for dd. if it were up to me, i would just "sacrifice" myself and my sleep-- i was exhausted-- and have her in my bed, but dh often sees the bigger picture, and pointed out i had been neglecting my poor ds and him for quite some time in my exhaustion.

and i didn't post about it b/c it's sorta off the topic, but she *is* doing "better" in the crib, with no crying it out or anything like that; she often sleeps for a 3-4 hour stretch, which she never did when she slept with me. my night movements may have been waking her up. and i go in and lay down with her on a mat on the floor of her room when she wakes up and cuddle and nurse her back to sleep, then put her back in the crib. all just 'cause you asked. :)

thanks again, mamas!

Sounds like a growth spurt to me. Both my kids had big growth spurts around 9 months or so.

Just keep nursing, and trust that your body will increase the supply as long as it gets enough stimulation. :)