Sudden Decrease in Milk Supply

[Hoganchief]

In the last couple of days I have experienced a drastic decrease in my milk supply.  I usually pump 20 oz per day and supplement with one bottle of formula.  Over the last couple of days I am lucky if I get 5 oz.  My son is 9 months old and I am hoping to breastfeed until he is 12 months old.  I recently had elevated TSH (Thyroid Levels) but they have returned to normal.  I had problems with production in the beginning because my son was 5 weeks early and I had complications.  Is it possible that my body has just will not produce any more milk?  I took fenugreek previously without problems.  However, the I took it the yesterday and started having intermitten palpitations, so I stopped.  Please help...

[Hoganchief]

Thank you for the suggestions.  I do think it is just about time for me to start my period.  I have had my period back for months, which it would usually decrease, but never this much.  I will increase my pumping. We changed the tubing last week.  Thanks again!

[tiredbuthappy]

that was my guess too- a sudden drop in supply in that can be related to hormone changes associated with the return of a menstral cycle.
Some women do see a drop in supply over time, but i think it's much more gradual than that. The good news is, if it's because your period is returning, your supply should rebound after your cycle.

there are a few things you can check/do that can also help
~change the flanges in the connectors on your pump. Tiny tears in it can drastically effect the amounts you get. I'm assuming you are using a Medela. They are the little white rubber flaps, and should be replaced regularly.
~try different settings on the pump. you can also try starting, stopping and doing compressions and starting again. it helps some people get another let-down.
~try adding an extra pump or 2, or try pumping a little longer to tell your body to make more milk.
~try "power pumping" which helps many women boost supply. Essentially, it's mimicking a growth spurt that nursing babies would have. There are several way you can do this, but here's the basic idea- pump 10-20 minutes, off 10 minutes, pump 10 minutes, off 10 minutes for an hour. Do this for a couple of days.
http://www.lowmilksupply.org/powerpumping.shtml describes another way
On other forums, I have read many women have had success with power pumping, as it tells the body that the baby needs more milk. However, do not expect to see results immeidately. Most changes take several days to even 2 weeks to see the full impact.

good luck, and let us know how everything turns out, or if you have any other questions.

[Diane1003]

I wonder if it could be your period starting...?  Keep pumping - don't give up!  My supply goes down when I get my period.  Good luck!