First off – don’t panic!
The good news: Milk supply dips are almost ALWAYS recoverable.
Sometimes it’s an easy fix, and sometimes we have to dig a little!
Let’s talk about the most common causes of a milk supply dip.
Most common reasons for a milk supply dip:
- Baby’s feeding changes in some way (shorter feeds, more fussy, etc) – I see this most commonly around 3 months if a tongue tie has been missed, but can also happen due to teething, etc
- Baby sleeping through the night (either of their own accord or due to sleep training)
- Sickness
- Return to work (if not pumping enough, or if pump isn’t adequate for the job)
- Starting birth control
- Return of menstrual cycle
- Starting a new medication
- Significant life stressor
- Worn out pump parts (make sure you’re replacing your parts regularly!)
How to resolve a milk supply dip
Here are some immediate strategies you can implement to support your milk production. They may work right away, and if so, great! But if you are still stalled after trying these (or you’ve tried them already!), please reach out for more support.
Do:
- Add more nursing/pumping sessions, especially at night if your baby has slowed or stopped overnight feeding
- Eat more protein (you need upwards of 100g a day during lactation!) & drink to hydration
- Add minerals! (Use sea salt generously on food, consider a midday adrenal cocktail or high quality electrolyte drink, and add a pinch of sea salt to your water)
- Spend some snuggly skin to skin time with baby – not a magic fix but never hurts!
- Replace your pump parts if you haven’t done so recently
Don’t:
- Don’t jump to lactation cookies, Body Armour, Oreos, or other trendy fads (sorry, I had to call them out!) – yes, sometimes they work, but it’s *usually* just because of an increase in calories in undernourished moms. They also cause big blood sugar swings, which can actually further depress supply in parents with insulin resistance. DO eat more, but focus on nutrient-rich whole foods/snacks instead!
- Don’t use fenugreek-based galactogogues (i.e. Mother’s Milk Tea, More Milk Plus, etc) – they can further decrease supply in many women, especially those with PMOS or thyroid dysfunction
- Don’t jump to pharmaceuticals like Reglan or Domperidone without first consulting with an IBCLC about their risks and exploring alternatives. Clients in my practice find that herbal galactogogues are MUCH safer and well tolerated, and work equally well or better to increase supply. We also need to rule out thyroid or metabolic issues before starting these medications, which many prescribers fail to do.
- Don’t let uninformed folks in your life tell you it’s just “early weaning” or “time to be done”. If YOU feel ready to be done, great – but if this dip is unexpected & unwanted, please trust your gut and get professional support. When desired by the nursing parent, every subsequent month of lactation compounds health benefits for THEM, not just for baby. You deserve to be supported to make milk for as long as you want to.
When to contact an IBCLC about a supply dip:
If you’ve already tried the basic strategies above for recovering milk supply and you haven’t seen an increase, it’s worth reaching out to a skilled IBCLC who can help you troubleshoot further.
IBCLCs see lots of these cases, and we can help identify the likely reason for the dip, and provide a plan to get you back on track. I perform a comprehensive evaluation of your baby’s feeding, your pump function, & your recent health/lifestyle history
If your body isn’t responding to baseline strategies, I will often recommend that we run a comprehensive lab panel to rule out thyroid and/or metabolic dysfunction. You’d be amazed how common these are in the first year postpartum, and frequently missed. This data helps us target the issue in a way that support’s your whole body’s well-being and your milk production.
If you’d like 1-1 support to troubleshoot your supply challenges, ILC is here for you and accepts many insurance plans!
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