Hi all! I just started solids with my 5 and a half month baby, we are doing morning and night, two times a day. However I noticed that my milk supply is lower. I am so worried as I want to breastfeed her more, I was planning at least until she is 1 year old. Any advices on what to do?
Read more on PeanutThe views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of Peanut.
Learn more about our guidelines.
Are you pumping less because she's eating solids? Are meals replacing a feed? You usually want to strive for milk before offering the meal.
I never pump too much and she had just enough. I am pumping only once a day if I need to leave bottle to my mom so she can feed her while I am at work.
My mom said that she would cry if she is hungry, but I am not sure. Also I don’t have enough to pump when I go to work and I used to have 😭
She usually eats little when she wakes up, then I give her solid food and maybe one hour after she is ready to sleep and I put her to sleep while on boob.

At this point, your supply is driven by demand and no longer driven by hormones. You have to extract more milk to make more milk or your body will believe you are weaning/ needing less. You may want to incorporate a power pump each day and make sure you're extracting at least 8 times a day whether it's nursing or pumping. If she falls asleep while nursing or is a snacker, that can impact your supply as well because you're not emptying.
At work, do you pump every time she has a bottle so your body knows she's eating at that time?
no, I don’t.. usually I am at work 4 hours only and I don’t pump until I get home. Is that too long to go without pumping? 😕

Exactly 4 hours is usually fine. But if your baby sleeps through the night and you don't pump overnight OR she doesn't usually empty you when she nurses, I'd try to stay within 3 hrs for the rest of the day. Perhaps make that afterwork pump a power pump. That's if you think there's a chance that you're dipping below her needs and don't want to supplement.

Ideally whenever she needs milk, you want to tell your body that this is happening. And it also helps to think about her needs in a 24hr period because some babies just don't drink the same amounts all day. Moms also have times when they produce more so if you don't pump the exact amount she has in that bottle at that time then don't panic since you might produce more at a different time.
can you please share with me about power pumping? I see this strategy online:
Pump 20 min-rest 10-pump 10-rest 10-pump 10 again.
Is it enough to do this once a day?
I just pumped 70 ml, after 3 hours, since she ate at 1pm and now is 4pm.

That's it. I usually do my regular pump time which is 30 minutes and then do the rest pump rest pump. After a couple days I do notice an increase on both sides. For some ppl it takes a week to notice.

Also, are you hand massaging at the same time?
no I don’t 🫣

Are you nursing baby before feeding solids or after?

Definitely look into the pumping technique that includes squeezing or expressing with the hands while pumping. There are many videos for it and you may be leaving a lot behind.