There are so many things that can cause your milk supply to drop. Here are 8 causes so you can keep the look out for them if you start noticing a difference in your milk supply.

1. Your breast pump may need a tune up

• If you start to notice a difference in the strength of your pump and your pump is under warranty; you may want to get it checked for any possible issues. Your valve, breast shield membrane, or tubing could need to be replaced.
  

2. You skip your pumping sessions often

• When you pump regularly, starting up the habit of skipping session could hurt your supply. Each breast can only hold so much milk, and each mom is different. If you start to keep your breasts full without pumping, that will tell your body to slow down its milk production.
  

3. When your baby begins to sleep all night

• This is a long gap between your last night breastfeeding session and your first session in the morning; unless you get up and pump in the middle of the night, this change in frequency tells your body that you don’t need to produce as much milk.
  

4. It's that time of the month...

• Your period can cause your milk supply to drop temporarily. It may be a full week for some moms, while others, just a few days.
  

5. Are you pregnant again?

• The hormonal changes your body experiences while you are pregnant can decrease your milk supply. Some moms can experience this as soon as the first month, others could see this happening mid-pregnancy.
  

6. You're starting to give your baby solid food

• Solid food is not meant to replace your breast milk, but complement it; however, some babies really enjoy eating solid food so they may nurse less than usual.
  

7. Consuming anti-lactogenic food

• You could be accidentally eating milk-reducing foods… For example, eating parsley or sage leaves in large amount could cause your milk supply to suddenly drop.
  

8. Fatigue and Stress

• I’m sure you were waiting to see when this was going to come up on my list. Unfortunately these things can come hand-in-hand when juggling taking care of your baby, pumping, and more. Although a small amount of stress and losing maybe only an hour of sleep a night, may not decrease your supply… Losing 2 or more hours or having a huge amount of stress will cause your supply to drop.
  

Many of these have pretty simple solutions to getting you and your body back on track. If you need any ideas getting started or have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with us.