Signs Your Milk Supply Is Decreasing—and How to Get It Back Up

It’s no secret that babies need a lot of calories and nutrition to fuel their growing little bodies. If you’re breastfeeding, you’re probably paying close attention to your breast milk production—and you may even be concerned about low milk supply. “I took my little one to the doctor and found out he’s not gaining enough weight,” says The Bump community member blessedinthewest. “He’s 3.5 weeks old, and he’s only gained 5 ounces in the last two weeks. Doc said it was due to low milk supply. This is so discouraging.”

But what are some surefire signs your milk supply is decreasing? And how can you increase your milk supply? Ahead, experts walk us through the signs of and reasons for low milk supply—and how to increase your breast milk supply quickly and efficiently.

Key Takeaways

• Signs your milk supply is decreasing include baby not gaining weight, baby not making enough wet or poopy diapers, and baby getting fussy and hungry even after feedings.
• You may have low milk supply if baby isn’t feeding enough. It can also be caused by an ineffective latch, and sometimes certain health issues or medications.
• The best way to increase milk supply is to breastfeed or pump regularly. It’s also important to stay hydrated.

Signs Your Milk Supply Is Decreasing

There are a few signs that point to low milk supply—but it’s important to keep in mind that these don’t automatically mean your milk supply is decreasing. It’s important to work with a lactation consultant to figure out the issue. “One of the most common reasons that moms stop breastfeeding is because of perceived low milk supply,” notes Jacque Ordner, IBCLC, RN, a lactation consultant, registered nurse and medical advisor at Motif Medical. “Many of the symptoms associated with low milk supply may actually be symptoms of poor milk transfer. It’s essential to work with an experienced IBCLC if you think your milk supply might be decreasing.”

That said, here are a few potential signs, according to experts:

Baby’s having weight gain issues

If baby’s not steadily gaining weight after they’re about 2 weeks old, there might be a low milk supply issue, says Delmar Bauta, a lactation specialist, traditional midwife and full-spectrum doula. “Normal weight gain is .5 to 1 ounce per day for the first four months. We want baby to double their birth weight by 4 to 6 months and triple it by one year.”

Baby’s not making enough wet or poopy diapers

If baby’s making fewer than six to eight wet diapers in a 24-hour period after their first week of life, that could be a red flag, says Bauta. Not peeing enough could also be a sign baby is dehydrated, which is another potential sign of low milk supply.

Baby’s fussy or hungry after feedings

If baby is fussy after eating “and doesn’t seem satisfied or fall asleep from nursing like they used to,” it might be due to low milk supply, says Nicole Peluso, IBCLC, manager of lactation services and education at Lactation Link by Aeroflow Breastpumps. And while cluster feeding is pretty normal in babies, it could also signal that baby’s trying to bring your milk production back up, says Danielle Downs Spradlin, IBCLC, owner of Oasis Lactation Services in Greater Minneapolis. “There often aren’t overt signs that the milk production is down, only the infant’s response to the decrease,” she adds. “Fortunately, increased nursing stimulates more milk production.” If cluster feeding lasts more than a couple of days, that could be a milk supply issue, says Melanie Kondrat, IBCLC, owner of Dragonfly Lactation in Knoxville, Tennessee. “Most babies feed every two to three hours or more frequently when growing rapidly or hitting a developmental milestone,” she adds.

Your pumping output is decreasing

“For parents who are exclusively pumping or pumping for most of baby’s milk, they may see a decrease in how much milk they’re collecting,” notes Spradlin. “This might not be decreasing milk production at all though—it could be a pump in need of service!” Make sure to have your lactation consultant check out your pump.

What Causes Low Milk Supply?

It’s natural to panic if you think baby’s not getting enough milk—and, trust us, we know that panic doesn’t mix well with those wild postpartum hormones! Take a deep breath and relax, because although low milk supply may seem like a mystery, it’s one you can usually solve. Here are the most common causes of low milk supply:

Not feeding enough

Many experts agree that not emptying your breasts completely or frequently enough is a common cause of low milk supply. “Human milk is produced to match the demand for it,” says Bauta. That’s why for the first few weeks, you should breastfeed or pump 8 to 12 times a day, or around every two or three hours, adds Peluso.

Supplementing with a bottle

Again, your body is built to produce as much milk as baby needs—so when baby breastfeeds often, your body understands there’s a high demand for milk and ramps up production. That’s why it might be wise to avoid supplementing with formula while you want to maintain your milk supply, says Peluso. If you’re introducing bottles of breast milk instead of nursing at the breast, it’s a good idea to still keep pumping while baby bottle feeds. Otherwise, if you skip the session entirely, your body will be tricked into thinking baby needs less milk and start to shrink the supply.

An ineffective latch

Sometimes, the problem isn’t with how often baby’s breastfeeding but how they’re feeding at the breast. A poor latch can play a role in low milk supply, says Peluso. When baby has a good latch, more milk comes out, and more milk is made.

Drinking alcohol or smoking

Both of these things can decrease milk supply. Generally, it’s advised to limit alcohol while breastfeeding and avoid smoking altogether.

Health issues or medications

It’s common for a mom’s breast milk supply to take a (temporary) dip if she’s sick with a cold or the flu. But other health conditions, like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or thyroid issues, can have a more lasting impact on breast milk production, as can prior breast surgery. Certain medications can also affect milk supply, like a combined contraceptive pill or a decongestant. Before taking any medications that may impact milk supply, be sure to consult your doctor first.

How to Increase Milk Supply

Rest assured that a decrease in breast milk supply is not a permanent problem. There are a lot of natural ways to increase milk supply and stimulate your milk ducts so they produce more breast milk. And the really good news is that most of these strategies are pretty simple to incorporate into your day-to-day routine.

Keep on breastfeeding

Suffice it to say: Supply meets demand. And so the more you breastfeed, the more milk you’ll produce. “The number-one priority for building and maintaining a good milk supply is frequent and effective breast stimulation,” says Peluso. “That means breastfeeding or pumping 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Everything else is secondary.” Adds Spradlin: “Many people think they need to put their baby on a tight schedule, but every medical organization in the US and globally recommends cue-based feeding. Some cultures encourage babies to nurse multiple times each hour, especially for babies who are only a few weeks old. This is a great strategy for babies with tiny tummies.”

Pump to increase milk supply

Pumping to increase milk supply can be done by using your pump (hospital-grade double pumps work best) for every missed feeding or anytime baby gets a supplemental bottle of breast milk or formula. It’s also a good idea to express any leftover milk after each feed. Another option is power pumping one to three times daily to simulate cluster feeding, Kondrat says. “This looks like pumping for 10 minutes, stopping for 10 minutes and continuing this cycle for one hour.”

Drink plenty of water

You should also drink a ton of water to keep your supply in good shape. It makes sense that your body can’t produce ample milk if you’re dehydrated, so try downing an 8-ounce glass each time you breastfeed, plus a few more throughout the day.

Eat foods to help with breast milk supply

Wondering if you can eat certain foods to increase milk supply? Actually, it’s possible! There are several foods (and drinks) that have anecdotally been said to help get your milk flowing. And of course, these foods can be used in addition to other ways to increase milk supply, like pumping and taking supplements (just talk to your doctor first!). Here are some of the best foods to increase milk supply:

• Oatmeal. You can’t go wrong with oatmeal, since it’s both delicious and filling. “Quick oats, regular oats, steel-cut oats—oatmeal in all forms is said to increase milk supply,” says Leigh Anne O’Connor, IBCLC, a board-certified lactation consultant based in New York City. “People of some cultures even blend oats with water, then strain the oats from the water and use the remaining milky water as a supply-boosting drink.”
• Flaxseed. Thanks to their omega content, flax seeds are among the best foods to increase milk supply.
• Pumpkin. Fall might be the season of milk production for you, as research has shown that consumption of pumpkin is correlated with an uptick in supply.
• Fennel. Eat it raw, sautéed or roasted, and reap the rewards. Fennel has been shown to increase milk supply.

Additionally, Mayo Clinic advises breastfeeding moms fuel milk production with protein-rich foods, like lean meat, eggs, dairy, beans, lentils and seafood low in mercury.

Consider supplements to increase milk supply

Several herbs and supplements are considered to be effective galactagogues, and many moms have seen tangible results using them to increase milk supply. Many of these are the active ingredients in lactation cookies, teas and supplements.

• Fenugreek. “Fenugreek is probably the most common of the herbs to increase milk supply, and works well for many moms,” says Stephanie Nguyen, RN, IBCLC, founder of Modern Milk. “There are also supplement blends that contain multiple supplements in one pill. I prefer these because you may respond to one supplement and not another, so it’s best to try multiple supplements at once.”
• Blessed thistle. This is another galactagogic herb that lactation consultants often recommend in tandem with fenugreek. It’s often found in the supplement blend pills and in lactation tea as well.
• Alfalfa. Alfalfa has long been used by nursing mothers as an effective herb for increasing milk supply, and it boasts lots of other health benefits too. Alfalfa can be consumed in its plant form, in a pill or even as a tea.
• Brewer’s yeast. Typically sold in powdered form and admittedly not the tastiest ingredient on the planet, brewer’s yeast is most often used to make beer and wine. However, it has been considered effective at increasing milk supply, and is often one of the main ingredients in those super-popular lactation cookies. It’s packed with iron, protein and B vitamins, and is generally considered safe to consume.

Note that it’s important to talk to your physician before taking any herbs or supplements to increase milk supply. And if you’re given the go-ahead, know that once you reach a point where your supply is where you want it, you should stop use.

Signs your milk supply is decreasing can often overlap with signs baby’s not feeding effectively. So it’s important to work with a lactation consultant to get to the root of the issue—and make sure both you and baby are happy.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.