Dealing with afternoon supply dip

[courts&munchkins]

I'm just curious as to how everyone else deals with their afternoon supply dip. We are having the worst witching hours. Come 5-6pm little miss 5 months can't seem to get a let down and she gets very frustrated and angry and just screams and screams when I try to feed her. She bites my nipple and cries. I have 3 other children and night time is very stressful because she's so hungry and unsettled and trying to do dinner, bath and bed for the others. So just looking for some tips to try and make it smoother for us.

[onthefly]

Will she go in a carrier or sling at all?

[MantaRay]

It sure is a challenging time. Having dinner prepared earlier so that you can sit and have skin to skin and dedicated feeding time can help. Although with older kids as well that might not happen anyway. Perhaps changing the afternoon around - you could try bathing the baby at the time when she's most settled, or perhaps try feeding a bit more often earlier in the day to see what happens. Sometimes just changing things a little bit can help. But the best tip I can come up with is have as little as possible to do during that time. Could the others go to bed earlier or later to give yourself time with baby? Can you have meals ready to just reheat? What else can help free up some more restful time at witching hour?

All the best hon and remember, this too shall pass

[MLR1901]

Yes! I hear you, but I've only got one DD!
I express in early morning hours and often finding I use that or top up after feed.
Seems to work.

[courts&munchkins]

Will she go in a carrier or sling at all?

Not when she's hungry, she's not a huge fan of the carrier, she has to be happy to settle in there, otherwise she will just scream in the carrier, which we have done plenty of times but its not ideal.

It sure is a challenging time. Having dinner prepared earlier so that you can sit and have skin to skin and dedicated feeding time can help. Although with older kids as well that might not happen anyway. Perhaps changing the afternoon around - you could try bathing the baby at the time when she's most settled, or perhaps try feeding a bit more often earlier in the day to see what happens. Sometimes just changing things a little bit can help. But the best tip I can come up with is have as little as possible to do during that time. Could the others go to bed earlier or later to give yourself time with baby? Can you have meals ready to just reheat? What else can help free up some more restful time at witching hour?

All the best hon and remember, this too shall pass

My days are pretty much set up the only way I can manage so not much I can really change. I study as well so between it all my days are pretty manic. And I have so many days like today where I only spent about 30 minutes at home all day. But giving her a chance to feed isn't the biggest problem, I will make the time for her if I need to. My bigger problem is that she won't feed during this time. She is a fussy baby and we have trouble with breast refusal when I'm ovulating or during my period. And I find during this time no matter how much I offer she chucks a narney and won't feed. She doesn't like the slowe let down or flow at that time. She becomes a little monster which makes the whole period harder than it should be. And I'm finding she's getting worse during this time as she gets older.

[courts&munchkins]

Yes! I hear you, but I've only got one DD!
I express in early morning hours and often finding I use that or top up after feed.
Seems to work.

I've had someone else suggest this also... I suppose it's something I could do. Although with the 3 yo, 2yo and bubs all waking through the night, the thought of having to express on top of that makes me want to cry. I get so little sleep as it is. But maybe I need to do that to make our evenings easier.