Sudden DROP in supply

[@llli*biesecag]

Hi all - my first post so I am really looking forward to your help. I went from one drastic situation to another almost overnight and now I'm stressing constantly about supply. About a week ago (baby was 5 weeks) I had an enormous oversupply and forceful letdown. Upon the advice of my awesome consultant, I nursed only one side per feeding. When I was REALLY uncomfortable I would pump (got about 3 oz in 4 minutes). Baby was clicking while nursing and spitting up, so I tried to make those changes.

All the sudden I have almost NOTHING coming out. My breasts are not firm, I completely stopped leaking, and the baby (now 6 weeks) is fussy at the breast and will take almost an hour to stop nursing. Before she gulped and gulped and was so satisfied after 15-20 minutes.

The other factor is that she started sleeping a ton at night. For the past five days or so, she has eaten at 9pm, 4am and 7am. She really sleeps 9-4 and 5-7.

I think I WAY overshot the mark in trying to overcome the massive oversupply. I can't stop thinking about supply and whether she is getting enough milk at all. I was so confident before and now I doubt myself constantly. One time she woke up at 4 with a DRY diaper. Surely that's not good.

Any advice would be so helpful. Last night I pumped at midnight and got about 5 ounces total. Since she is sleeping so long I was really looking forward to getting all that sleep, though.

Can you help? Please... thanks.

[@llli*djs.mom]

Well....since it's all supply and demand at some point your breasts just adjust. They were making too much and now they are adjusting and making just enough for her. Her diper was dry at 4. What about 7? It's the number of diapers in a 24hout period that matters. As long ast it's at least 6-8 and your baby is gaining you are making enough. If you are pumping 5oz, you are definitely still making milk! And as long as in a 24hour period your breast are still being stimulated 8-12 times, I wouldn't wake to pump unless you were uncomfortable.

[@llli*saidah]

sounds like your supply is regulating, which is exactly what you want. I know it's weird and a bit scary when your breasts aren't hard suddenly but don't panic! baby needs 1-1.5 oz an hour so if you fed at 9pm and pumped at midnight getting 5 oz sounds like you're making plenty of milk. keep feeding on demand and count wet diapers for a few days if you're worried about output but it sounds to me like your supply is just fine!

[@llli*lllmeg]

I agree your supply is regulating and that is why you feel so different, your milk supply/production is almost certainly fine.

But that first sleep stretch does strike me as a little long for a 6 week old baby. A baby this age should still be nursing a minimum of 8-10 times a day, bare minimum. Even when block nursing, the nursing sessions still need to happen with lots of frequency. If the sleep stretches are interfering with this, and/or if baby is being given a pacifier or swaddled at night, (both can cause unnaturally long sleep durations) I would suggest encouraging baby to nurse at night. Try dream feedings if you do not want to wake baby. Or encourage baby to nurse more often during the day.