I have seen older babies start doing the pull and tug at the breast when the milk supply becomes low. 

I have seen it when mom had over-abundant milk supply and a fast MER, and then somehow  her milk supply drops and things slow down. If the fast MER isn't corrected early, the baby seems to prefer it and does the pull and tug routine at the breast to get it back. These babies often have never comfort sucked so they tend to expect short nursing times and may not stay on long enough to stimulate more milk production. 

Did you do test weighing during a nursing session? What amount is baby taking out of the breast without supplementation? My suggestion is for mom to rent a good scale and do test weighing for one whole day. See how much baby is taking in total in 24 hours. 

If baby has excellant intake at breast, I would think to look at things like allergies, colds or infection, or thrush. 

Kathy Eng, BSW, IBCLC

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