2nd Attempt...milk supply dropped again. HELP!

[Tharpie]

So I started a Whole 30 on the first of March. I went pretty strong for about a week and then my milk supply dropped like a stone. I wasn't aware of this, but baby was fussing, arching back, pulling on the breast, etc and when we went to his appointment he hadn't gained enough weight. So I came off of whole 30 for a couple of weeks and my milk supply returned (breasts firm and full, could feel let down, baby satisfied/not arching and fussing).

I decided I would try Whole 30 again and this time use a tracker to track my calories/carbs/fats etc. Today is day 3 and we have a return of the fussy/arching/pulling behavior. I had to give my son a bottle of formula...and that's just not acceptable to me.

So here is the basic info about me and the changes I have made

Height - 5'7

Weight - 245 (blush)

Was paleo before pregnancy, went to standard American diet during pregnancy (dumb, I know).

walking - 2 miles per day (wasn't exercizing at all)

caloric intake - 1800-2000 calories (should I increase this due to the fact that I'm so big?)

carbs - 25% (between 100 and 150 daily)

fat - 55%

protein 20%

Water 8 tall glasses daily

Coffee (replaced cokes) - 2 cups a day with coconut cream

Sample day:

Breakfast

Eggs - Fried (whole egg), 3 large

Fresh - 1/2 Grapefruit (128g) , 1/2

Native Forest - Organic Coconut Milk Classic, 1/8 cup

Lunch

Blueberries - Raw, 1 cup

Native Forest - Organic Coconut Milk Classic, 1/4 cup

Home Made - Smoked Chicken Breast With Bone, No Skin, 4.5

Nuts - Pecans, 1 oz (20 halves)

Carrots - Raw, 1 small (5-1/2" long)

Lettuce - Mixed Greens, 2 cup

Dinner

Parsnips - Raw, 1 cup slices

Carrots - Cooked, boiled, drained, without salt, 1 carrot

Beef - Chuck Roast Beef, 5 oz.

Snacks

Nuts - Pecans, 0.25 cup, chopped

Home Made - Smoked Chicken Breast With Bone, No Skin, 4 oz.

Lara Bar - Key Lime Pie, 1 bar (51g)

Any help to stay on Whole 30 and maintain my milk supply would be appreciated. If I cannot do both I will abandon this attempt and try again when my son is weened.

TIA!!!

[SpinSpin]

I am not bf atm, but I would think you need more than 8 glasses of water--I drank LOTS when I was bf my son, and just on whole 30 notes, you need more veggies at breakfast and perhaps dinner; also look at adding carb heavy veg like sweet potatoes and winter squash and the like. I shoot for a minimum of 2 cups of veg per meal and I think you need to bump up your calories. You need 500-800 calories more than you had when you were pregnant. BF takes more calories, and I would also look at adding more fat in the form of olives, olive oil, coconut oil and avocado, and perhaps more coconut milk. JMHO

I would also check out this thread-- http://forum.whole9life.com/topic/6527-worried-about-your-milk-supply-no-need-to-worry-read-this-and-keep-going-on-your-whole30-now-ya-hear/

[Robin D]

I'm no lactation consultant, but I bet you need quite a few more calories than that. I didn't calorie count when I was breastfeeding but when I did take stock of what I was eating once my supply slightly dipped during my Whole 30 in July, I realized I was only eating about 2200 and I needed a lot more than that. Once I made the adjustment my supply went back up. I agree with eating more avocados and drinking more water as well.

[nutmegh]

Hi Robin. I too started a whole30 and made it 12 days. I didn't notice a huge drop but when I fell off the wagon and ate some carbs my boobs became soooo full. I haven't fully gotten back on the Whole30 but I try to eat as paleo as possible. I know I would like to hear from anyone who has experience doing this as well. My 9 mo old is also on the lower weight spectrum so maximum milk output is required.

[Robin Strathdee]

My guess is that you were low in carbohydrates during your W30 attempt. It's really easy to do, honestly. Next time, make sure you're getting starchy veg in every day. If you feel a drop, add more starchy veggies (and even fruit) until you notice a pickup.

[Tharpie]

Thanks for the info. I am set to try again tomorrow. I have upped my expected calorie count to 2400 and stocked up on some fruit and starchy veg. (parsnips, celery root, sweet potato, butternut squash and carrots). It's tough getting all of the calories and carbs you need when you cut out bread and sugar. We will see if I can eat it all. I found myself adding butter and coconut oil and bacon to my meal plan just to boost up my cals. (I mean, seriously people...what other diet has you running to butter and bacon to BOOST your calories? I love paleo!) The starchy veg + fruit looks like it's going to take care of it in the carbs department. I'm going to overdo the carbs a little so I don't have another drop in supply. I'm just now getting my milk back from the last attempt. I'll also be adding in some mother's milk tea just for good measure.

Will keep you updated.

Thanks again!

[Monique Dupuis]

I'm starting the Whole 30 tomorrow, but I find whenever I have noticed my supply dropping I throw in a raw green smoothie with 3 cups of spinach and it bounces right back up.

My go to smoothie is

4 cups water

3 cups spinach

2 bananas

1 cups berries

[SpinSpin]

I would also add in canned coconut milk! You can add that to your mother's milk tea and I do decaf chai with the coconut milk too. Good fats are your friend! I also add spoonfuls of coconut milk to my ranch salad dressing--shhhh! LOL What I do is mix homemade mayo, lemon juice to thin it out, a few good spoons of the coconut milk, salt, pepper, dry onion and garlic and LOTS of dry dill. I thought about adding the coconut milk to the dressing since it typically has buttermilk--adds a bit of creaminess to the dressing. I use it to dip raw veggies and as a salad dressing.

[Tharpie]

Oh yes! I have begun a love affair with canned coconut milk. I mixed a vanilla bean in it and poured it on my berries. I whipped it up and put it in my coffee (if you do that it foams up a little like a cappucino!). I mix it with parsnips to get a creamy "mashed potato" texture. It's amazing. I love the stuff!

[intuitivemama]

As a bf mama who hasn't had any supply issues so far (day 21 here), I gotta say, starchy veggies are your friends! I am eating butternut squash and carrots at every breakfast (with mushrooms, spinach, egg and bacon), sweet potato at lunch or dinner, and sometimes parsnip or rutabaga as well. Also, tons of fat! Coconut milk in my coffee, avocados almost every day, nuts with my salads, munching on coconut flakes when I'm feeling "low" energy-wise...

Now, granted, I have an older child who is not solely reliant on my milk as her source of nourishment, but she nurses very frequently on demand, and I haven't noticed any difference in how my breasts feel, since starting.

Just my $0.02!

[Tharpie]

Update. Day 3 on my 3rd try and things are looking good. No milk drop so far.

I am consuming about half a can of coconut milk a day. (Is that too much?) I'm getting at least 150 g a day of carbs. I've added in a daily Lara Bar to keep up my carbs, plus lots of parnips, squash, and sweet potatos. Lots of grassfed beef, fresh vegetables, and good fats. So far, baby seems satisfied and milk supply looks to be stable.

Thanks for all the advice so far. It's been helpful.

[Robin D]

That's excellent to hear! I'm sure now that your supply is up you're feeling more relaxed, which is helping your supply, which makes you even more relaxed....you're back on good cycle here!

[mrsmaggie]

Thats great Tharpie that you have found what works to maintain milk supply.

I did a January Whole30 and now doing an April one, my baby was 7/8 months during the January one (and is still very very into her Mummy milk now....) and I was eating at least half an avocado daily, a banana with a meal, sweet potato daily, carrots, squash etc, coconut milk, generous servings of nuts with meals too. I did notice that my thirst increased during my Whole30 so I drank to thirst.

Quick and easy with a baby to look after - throw a load of roughly chopped root veg in the oven to roast for an hour and slowly cook some chicken breast in coconut milk which has been added to sauteed onions and indian spices on the hob. YUMMY and full of carbs and calories and fat.

ps. I also notice a slight increase in my supply and boost in my energy levels when I have had a big yummy steak, especially with avocado as the main sauce ingedient. And sweet potato wedges. I sound really greedy don't I? Hahaha I love food so much

[DaynaM]

Once my milk supply came in, I probably could have fed a small army. I produced so much that it really became a hassle (aching, leaking, squirting across the room...really). Then, it dropped off. I wasn't doing Whole30 or Paleo at the time. I was on the "whatever I happen to feel like eating" diet. My midwife recommended that I drink a gallon of water a day and take fenugreek supplements. It worked like a charm. She also said that some women have a lot of luck with milk thistle supplements, but fenugreek worked so well for me, I never even tried the milk thistle. When my bottle of fenugreek ran out, I didn't get more, and I did fine for a while. A few months later, my milk dropped off again. Once I started back on the fenugreek, it came back full force.

I wanted to share this just to point out that a lot of women experience fluctuations with milk production - regardless of what type of diet they are on. I'm sure there are a number of ways to address milk supply issues with nutrition, but I'm no expert on that. If you're happy with your diet and feel that your body is thriving in every other regard, you may try simply increasing your water intake and consider something like fenugreek or milk thistle to get things going again. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.