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Can you amp up solids? I don't decal how old T is, but around 9/10 months, it's really common for babies to decrease milk consumption and increase their intake of solids!

How is his weight gain? If it's okay, I'd amp up on the solids and that should reduce your stress level!

@Danizaur: I think it was 9m that I had daycare add an additional purée as an afternoon snack. It helped him go longer between the 2nd and 3rd bottles and I could usually get there before the 3rd bottle, which was awesome!

Have you tried lactation cookies or tea or would donor milk be an option worth looking at?

Fingers crossed that your supply will hang in there!

I'd try fenugreek and blessed thistle and the teas first, try to eat more, and do your best not to stress (easier said than done, I know!!).

I'd definitely also add dinner and maybe even snack into your LO's solids diet sounds like he likes food and this could help a lot!

you're doing great -- even if your supply does drop in the next few weeks with work stress and etc, doesn't mean it can't amp up again later on!

@Danizaur: I'm kinda dealing with a similar problem. I'm pumping just to empty more often to spur greater production. Baby doesn't like bottles at all (will eat 2 oz maximum from a bottle) so most of what I pump goes to the freezer. I just pump after each feeding. Its definitely very emotional and I get very upset when I feel like there isn't enough milk!

Here's what I'm doing:

1) pumping after feedings;

2) power pump after the feeding just before bedtime (for 1 hour pump for ten minutes, rest ten minutes, pump ten minutes ...). Supposedly this tells your body there's a very hungry baby desperate for milk.

3) Guzzling mother's milk tea

4) Taking fenugreek till I smell like maple syrup

5) Taking More Milk Plus

6) Eating big bowls of oatmeal, lots of raw cashews, other milk boosters

7) Trying not to worry too much and getting adequate rest

It works!!! My supply went way up, then tanked again because I just got my period back.

Good luck!!!

First of all, you are awesome for working so hard on this!

Secondly, supplementing does NOT mean you won't breastfeed for a year or beyond. I have supplemented from the start and we are still nursing at 11 months!

Thirdly, have you talked to a lactation consultant? There are some that are GREAT with working mom / pumping concerns. I know one that may do a Skype consult!

LO2 is 7 months and is EBF and I EBFed LO1 for a year (I work FT). I've been able to up my supply when it has dipped by doing the a combination of the following:
- eat more protein
- sleep more
- lactation cookies or lactation smoothie
- drink lots of water
- oatmeal for breakfast
- making sure I was getting enough calories
- reducing stress when possible

I'm sorry this is stressful! Supply dips totally happen with pumping.

First thing to remember is if your baby is fine, you are doing fine. You don't have to feed your freezer.

Make sure you are getting enough calories. Try drinking Gatorade in addition to water. Oatmeal definitely helps. I also had a lot of success with mothers milk tea. Let it cool and then you can just chug it down.

For me it worked best to pump after LO went to sleep and before I did. That way there wasn't a long stretch without nursing and I was a lot more comfortable going to bed with empty breasts

Take a hot shower before you pump to help your milk come down. Massage your breasts during the pumping.

When you pump don't stare at the bottles. Put on a fun shoe and just try to relax.

How many meals of solids iare you doing at daycare?

@Danizaur: Just want to send you lots of . I was able to pump and supply Xander until he was 12 months, but it was a lot of hard work, and my supply started tanking around 9 months, which made it so much more difficult.

Things I did were pumping after every feed: mornings, evenings, and every feed on the weekend. I also pumped in the evening before I went to bed. I also added a pumping session during the day at work. And supplements didn't work for me, but I ate oatmeal every morning.

Good luck to you!

@Danizaur: I hear you on not liking oatmeal. I tried overnight oats made in the refrigerator and could at least choke it down. I made mine with orange juice instead of milk (I saw the recipe on HB). One time I made it with milk and put some flax seed and brewer's yeast in it and the few bites I ate were AWFUL but man did I produce a lot of milk that day!

@Danizaur: haha, then you can totally do it!!! It's just a lot of work and really time consuming, but the only thing that worked for me was just pumping all the time (though I prioritized nursing - so pumping after nursing and not too close to the next nursing session)! By the end, on weekends I was nursing 4 times and pumping 5 times! During the week, I would nurse once and pump 6 times! Weekend and evening pumping was crucial for me to have enough to get through the week.

Has your monthly friend come back yet? Mine just returned and I noticed that for a few days before, I had a drop in supply. On CD1 now and my supply is back up.

Hopefully it's a temporary drop and you can get it back up for the next month! But, if you can't, be gentle on yourself!