17/04/2026
👀🙌🏻
Do you know the signs of low milk supply?
I have tended to have the other problem, oversupply. While not the same kind of fear drenched issue low milk supply is, oversupply is a real difficulty with some very serious possible outcomes.
But that's not what this is about.
This is about low milk supply.
Even as familiar as I was with the signs of low milk supply and even as real my difficulty with oversupply was and even as informed as I am on lactation, I still have had times where I've worried about my supply.
There have been times when that was for good reason too.
Because low supply is real.
The first was when I was freshly postpartum and still in the hospital with my first. The nurse told me my baby wasn't getting enough milk and I was starving her. At that time I wasn't a lactation educator and I was a brand new parent so I had no idea what to look for or exactly how I had already failed my baby. Looking back now I wonder if I did indeed have low supply initially as I had had substantial blood loss due to a hemorrhage in 3rd stage. Or it could have just been that she had lost a lot of weight in those first 48 hours after a long labor with IV fluids. I will never know for sure.
Whatever it was, the nurse's words terrified me and I was immediately hit with guilt that I had already failed my child in the first few hours of her life and she had suffered because of me (no, I don't wonder why I had postpartum depression and anxiety, I know why). I agree that she should have formula since it seemed the option was formula or starve.
But then another nurse came in and supported me in nursing my baby, building my confidence and showing me what to look for as my baby fed. Low supply? She questioned. Maybe but I doubt it, at least not long term. Look at her go, she's swallowing milk right now!
Backed up by my daughter’s pediatrician, I grew in confidence and milk supply.
And that was the beginning of me learning what to look for.
The next time I very seriously wondered beyond a flutter of a scary intrusive thought if I had enough milk for my baby was years later with my 7th. I got hit with a nasty stomach thing when she was just 4 months old (she did NOT get it) and I couldn't keep anything down. Within 24 hours I was dehydrated. In 48 my milk supply had practically vanished. This time I knew what to look for, I spotted the signs right away. I wasn't surprised, dehydration leads to low blood volume which leads to low (or even no) milk production. I couldn't build my supply back no matter how much I let my baby nurse if I was so depleted. I had to get fluids in me for there to be any milk. Being so sick but starting to feel that maybe things were turning around, I decided to have my husband feed her my pumped milk that was in the freezer and if I didn't start keeping fluids in soon to go in for IV hydration. By the 72 mark liquids were staying in and within 12 hours of that my milk supply was once again robust.
The last time I grew concerned about my milk supply was when my youngest was a newborn. With retrognathia and difficulty moving his tongue, my little guy struggled to latch or stay latched long enough to get my milk. Without him removing milk regularly from my breast, my supply took a nose dive. I recognized right away what was going on and with the support of my two fabulous IBCLCs, my son's physician, and a team of practitioners, we worked out a plan to get him my milk, address his issues with therapies and treatments, and protect my supply. This time it lasted longer and I had to be diligent about expressing milk and doing his exercises but eventually I once again had a robust milk supply.
Low supply is real. Sometimes the reasons are physiological with the mammary tissue, sometimes the reasons are long term, sometimes they are short term, sometimes they are easily addressed and resolved, sometimes nothing can really be done (which is why we have donor milk and formula!)
Whatever the cause, the stress and fear low supply causes can be intense. Even if you know it is something that can be managed and resolved. The possibility of your baby going hungry and you not knowing it or it being something you didn't catch or prevent is terrifying. There is a wound formed from not being able to feed your baby and them suffering because of it and with that an anxiety that may never fully be appeased.
Which is why it was so important for me to know the signs so I could spot any issue early and get help, particularly for newborns.
Some signs your baby may not be getting enough milk:
💔 Struggles to maintain latch (bobs off and on often)
💔 You don’t notice (see or hear) swallowing during feeds
💔 Clicks frequently during feeds
💔 Significant fussiness
💔 Always seems hungry but unable to focus on feeding (could be signaling to feed far more than the 8-16 times a day expected)
💔 Regularly seems too tired to finish a feed
💔 Falls asleep quickly during most feeds (within minutes)
💔 Sleeps longer than 2-3 hours during the day or 4-5 at night
💔 Never sleeps more than a few minutes at a time but can’t stay awake for a full feed
💔 Has no fully awake and alert periods
💔 Difficult to fully rouse from sleep
💔 Weak cry
💔 Jaundice
💔 Inadequate number of wet diapers (at least 1/day for number of days old until 6+ days then a minimum of 6 wet diapers a day)
💔 Urine crystals or dust in diapers
💔 Sunken soft spot on head
💔 Weight loss greater than 10% in first 2 weeks
💔 Is under birth weight at 2 weeks old
💔 Skin seems sunken and not elastic
If your baby is demonstrating one or more of these signs, see your child’s health care provider and an IBCLC. One sign alone doesn’t mean low supply and there may be no cause for concern or intervention, having trained, experienced eyes assess the situation can catch possible issues before they escalate or provide peace of mind.
Slow or no weight gain can be devastating to hear when going to the pediatrician’s office. Slow or no weight gain can be caused by different things like low milk supply, poor latching, oral anomalies and genetics. It is very important to work with an IBCLC to get an assessment on the latching and feeding to determine if the reason for poor weight gain is a feeding issue. It is also important for you to follow up with your child’s pediatrician for any medical referral that is necessary.
Responsive feeding may be all your baby needs to get their weight gain on track but when “just breastfeed more” doesn’t do the trick it is important to act quickly in seeking help. Slow weight gain that is too slow is a sign of trouble and that more support is necessary.
There are signs your baby is getting enough milk that you can look out for as well that can be reassuring and help you determine if you need to be concerned.
🫶 Expected number of feeds in 24 hour periods
🫶 You can see and hear your baby swallowing
🫶 Feeding suck pattern starts with a few rapid sucks followed by long regular sucks and swallows with occasional pauses
🫶 Baby is relaxed and calm during feeds
🫶 Releasing the breast on their own at the end of the feed, baby appears relaxed and content
🫶 Alert and active periods during awake time
🫶 Cheeks are not hollow or sucked in during feeding but remain rounded
🫶 Breast tissue feels softer after feedings
🫶 Satisfactory hydration level in baby is apparent
🫶 Baby is within accepted weight loss in first few days and back to birth weight by 2 weeks
🫶 Bowel movements transition from meconium to mustard-colored seedy loose stools
🫶 Baby is meeting growth and developmental milestones
🫶 There is acceptable urine and bowel movement output (at least 1/day for number of days old until 6+ days then a minimum of 6 wet diapers a day)
Low milk supply is real, whatever the cause. If you’re not sure your supply is adequate, please see a qualified baby feeding helper such as an IBCLC. And avoid the urge to compare your milk output or baby with what you see on social media. 🥴
***Pic of my youngest latched at 12 days old with a homemade at the chest supplementing system containing my milk for him.
