Expert: ruth kraft - 12/21/2009

Question
Hi, my daughter is now 13-months-old. I returned to work when she was 5 months old. She receives formula during the day, and i breastfeed her in the evenings when i get home and, recently, through most of the night. I have never expressed during the day to keep up my milk supply, but have supplemented with natural remedies to maintain supply.

I am concerned about my milk supply, as it feels like she is not receiving milk anymore when she sucks (I can't hear her swallowing like before) and it seems like she is just comfort sucking, which i am starting to find quite annoying/frustrating!

I have also recently gone back to exercising 3 times a week - could this have an effect on my milk-supply?


I would not mind weaning at this point, though LO is def not ready to wean...any advice on how to approach this would be great. Should i stop exercising and see if this ups my supply and she goes back to nursing just once or twice during the night, or have we reached the end of our breastfeeding journey?

Answer
Hello :) congrats on nursing so long! yeah!  I don't think it is your excercising that has decreased supply if it has in fact decreased. She would get rather frustrated if she wasnt getting any at all. Its prabably just being released in a smaller more continuous letdown. She might be comfort nursing as part of it, but even in comfort nursing she is getting milk. and good antibodies for her immune system. Also remember that her comfort nursing is a way she connects to you and is just as much needed to her right now as the milk itself. It is best for her brain to have that connection, she will grow better and be smarter the more connected emotionally she is. Which is why she isnt ready to wean.

I wo uld suggest also, taking metamucil twice a day. this will help bring your milk supply back up and make it easier for her to nurse also. Hopefully that will be helpful at least in knowing you are getting more milk :)

I hope that helped!

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