BabyWhispererForums.com
EAT => Breast Feeding => Topic started by: henrysmomma on September 10, 2012, 20:57:46 pm
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So...awhile back I posted that I thought that my supply was down...we worked on it, took three days to let the little guy help me up my supply and have been taking fenugreek and blessed thistle and I feel like my supply is probably where it should be...but here's the sucky part. I cannot pump any off but maybe an ounce a day extra which we end up using for the few tablespoons of cereal he gets everyday. I do have to be away from my LO for full days at a time (wedding photographer) and am feeling really down as I am afraid that I may have to start supplementing if I cannot pump anything on those days away from LO.
I have a Medela Pump in Style ($200) and had I known I would have pumped like a mad woman those first three weeks instead of listening to everyone telling me to not pump so I don't get super engorged...quite frustrated at the moment. I feel like I am doing everything that I can to have the best supply but if I cannot pump the excess than what am I to do? I don't want to imbalance my little guys tummy on the days that I am gone with formula. We have already dealt with so many tummy issues as it is!
Anyone have any words of wisdom or support? Not sure what else to do...I am going to buy replacement parts for my pump tonight to see if that helps. I barely feel the pump working, or so it seems. My hubby inspected it and everything is working properly (yes, it is sucking) but I am going to replace the little parts and see if it helps. I used to be able to pump at least three ounces/day. I am down to sixteen bags which will only last another four days with me gone and we have been using that frozen stash for topping off my little guy before bed (my hubby puts LO down while I am working at night doing photography shoots) and now I don't feel like that is an option. My LO will not go to sleep even half hungry.
At a loss....
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When and where are you trying to pump? Have you tried after a feed from the second breast you offered (or from the side you didn't feed off if you only do one side)? That way LO may have already caused a let down you can capitalise on.
Is it possible your breasts have changed in size and the cup size you are using is no longer a good fit?
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I am going tonight to buy new pump cups...that was my thought too!
LO is always hungry after eating off just one side so I feed off both sides and pump directly afterwards. And then I wait another fifteen minutes and try again. I have tried visualization, deep breathing, total relaxation, massage, heat...and I pump probably five times a day to try and get something with no luck.
I will let you know if the change in cups helps...I feel like there is so much that no one told me. Very frustrating. Thank you!
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...and I currently have an ear infection/major allergies...if that is affecting my supply-how long should that take to resolve itself after I start to feeling better? Thanks!
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Oh yes Illness could affect your supply. I'm not sure on exact timings but maybe a few days or a week I would have thought, assuming you are getting better during that time of course.
So are you getting literally nothing when you pump or just small quantities like half an oz?
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Are you taking anything for the cold?
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I just started Prednisone (grrr) for the ear infection but nothing other than ibuprofen. I double checked that it wouldn't affect BF...but one never knows! ??? I was thinking about my birth control-mini pill progesterone only-and wondering if I should quit that. Also, I have PCOS and when thinking back, I gained about five pounds overnight about the time that my supply dipped. Wondering who I could call to chat about that and the possibility of it being hormonal?
My husband, whom I love dearly, decided that Henry needed to wait another hour and a half past his bedtime last night while I was working with a client and I came home to a clearly overtired little guy...what a nightmare yet that has been the 'norm' for us. So, it took me two feeds, tons of rocking and shushing and about two more hours to get him down. I dreamed he was crying and woke up at 1:30 am to realize that he hadn't gotten up yet so I went downstairs to pump with my new size L cups (hated them BTW-bummer!) and got two and a half ounces (because it had been five hours since the last feed) so I was so excited...except for the fact that Henry woke up an hour later and couldn't suck to let me down. I had to warm up that last pumped 2.5 ounces and I was SO bummed! First and foremost I need to feed my son but I am just feeling really down about the fact that I may not have another option but to feed formula if I cannot pump.
during the day when I pump I only get drops. And that is about an hour after a feed...I have tried pumping right after a feed and I don't get anything either...and my LO seems to be hungry after a feed as well...
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Ugh, I'm sorry, that post made me tired just reading it.
First off, I think you've seen this, but it might be worth a read again anyway just to see if anything jumps out:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=65905.0
I was on prednisone once while BFing and I don't think they were worried about it and supply. The mini-pill isn't supposed to affect your supply, but I have heard on and off of people saying that it does.
According to kellymom, PCOS can have a negative effect on supply, which I never knew, but there's some info here on that:
http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/pcos/
I feel like you've used every trick I've ever heard of, but I'll keep thinking.
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Have you tried hand expressing instead of the pump or in tandem with the pump? The skin to skin contact (even if it is with you hand!) is better for raising oxytocin levels and for eliciting letdown.
I know it sounds a ridiculous question, but does your pump have a higher suction you could use? I think the general idea I've heard is to turn the suction up as high as you can take it and then dial it back slightly, so it's sucking really hard, but not so much that you're in pain. Some people have some luck with doing something else while they're pumping so that they're not focused on that and getting stressed about how much is coming out.
And yes, PCOS has so many affects of so many things that it could be causing some of your issues.
With the mini pill, I took it when I was feeding DS and really noticed a dip in my supply. Most women are fortunate and don't get issues with it, but some find it does have an impact, I would imagine especially if you've got an ongoing issues like PCOS anyway.
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Hi, I can really relate to what you are feeling as about a year ago I too was constantly trying to increase my milk supply and hated the thought of supplementing with formula. BTW, I am a photographer too :o) One morning I simply had NO MILK and LO was screaming and screaming. It was early days and I was utterly exhausted. it was one of those strange things that just happen. I remember crying when I gave him a bottle of formula, thinking that it was evil poison that would reduce my own milk in the long run and reduce his immune system... etc etc... my hormones were raging... It took my husband to point out that one bottle every now and again would do no harm and actually it taught him to drink from a bottle so afterwards I was even relieved to know that 'in case of emergency' he knew how to drink from a bottle.
In the end I didn't need to pump regularly but when I started, I too didn't know where to get the extra milk from. And this is what I did eventually:
- Choose a feed that will likely be missed for work reasons.
- On Day 1, give him artificial milk at that time. Then pump out all your breastmilk and store it for the next day's feed at that time. You SHOULD get a full feed's worth.
- On Day 2, give him yesterday's pumped milk and pump again. You now have a full feed of breastmilk for tomorrow.
You may not like the idea of giving him formula, but it's only the first time, all the other days he'll be getting your breastmilk.
Not sure if this helps... :o)
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I think Fionabee's suggestion is excellent.
If you are feeling full and baby is feeding well, I really wonder if it is supply or, as Fiver suggested, perhaps it is an issue getting the letdown? Lots of people have trouble getting a letdown on the pump. It's not always a question of suction power. I had a pump in style, and somewhere I found info (the product manual? Lactation consultant? BW board? Don't remember) how to adjust the speed and suction control to better mimic a natural feed - fast and light at the beginning untill you see the first few drops of milk, (like the "flutter" sucking) then turn the speed down real slow and the suction up high (like the "suck-swallow" rhythm). That worked much better for me.
I also had trouble getting the proper cup size and had to try 2 or 3 different sizes. Proper fit is when your entire areola draws into the tube, with none or very little skin pulled in. If the areola is "bent" around the edge of the tube, it will cut off your milk flow, and if there is a lot of skin pulled in you will not get good suction.
It is also easy on the pump instyle to get the little rubber flappers on the wrong way after cleaning, which reduces suction.
I hope some of that is helpful.
Here's the Kellymom page on let-down. http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/letdown/
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Bless you for the great information!!! I really appreciate it. That is really sweet that you are a photographer too! Do you do weddings? If so, how do you manage a pumping session in between the madness! I have a double header wedding starting this weekend and that is a major concern of mine as they are both full-day events. :-\ Anyway, I appreciate that input and will definitely give that a go once we get down to a minimum on our freezer stash. It won't be long!
I have been searching for a forumula without soy and quickly found out that there aren't any. Boo. So, I did find a Organic with the least amoutn of soy and will need to get that ordered. Pretty comparable in price to the other 'soy free' (ha!) options at typical stores like Alimentum, etc. I did chat with our lactation consultant locally and found out that past a certain age-three months or so-their internal flora aren't thrown as far off balance with formula as, say, a two week old or so. I was really concerned we may have a colicky flare up with the formula and was dreading it. That conversation alone was a huge relief. And even though I hate the thought of giving him formula, both of your comments was very reassuring.
Ellen,
Thank you so much for the pump tips with the speed/suction. I never really thought about it and always cranked it up right off the bat to get things going quickly...(touchy/sensitive baby going through separation anxiety and he is realizing distances and doesn't want to be too far away from me right now)...I will play with that today as I am pumping through my wedding. Wish me luck! ::)
I wish that there were some way to repay you ladies for your kindness; it doesn't go unnoticed!!!
Thanks again!
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Re: Flora, Not sure if you are already doing this but my pediatrician was OK with giving probiotics from a pretty young age. We had it in a powder and would put like a quarter teaspoon in the bottle. Of course, now I think back we were giving it in juice/water, so baby must have been over 6 months. But check with your pediatrician, if you are having issues they may tell you it is OK to supplement probiotics already.
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I had a simliar issue where I wasn't able to get the pump to get anything out. Using the Medela In Style - I pumped one side at the same time as feeding my low - therefore he triggered the let down. I kind of trained my boobs this way and now they will let down to the pump without LO.
I am still able to switch him over to the side i've pumped from and he still gets plenty of milk from it, even though i've pumped 4-6 oz.
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Well, I am sad to report that I have had to supplement formula. Even typing this makes me cry... :'( I put my LO down for his nap hungry earlier and that broke my heart. I am going to continue to work on my supply and not give up but I am also not going to beat myself up for not being able to provide all of the BM that he needs....He was so hungry that he only slept 45 minutes and I went and bought the best organic option I could find (been researching for weeks) and I bawled while I fed him his first bottle. I barely got the lid on the bottle before he snatched it up and wolfed it down in less than 30 seconds, even with a slow flow nipple.
The fenugreek/blessed thistle isn't working anymore, I have been pumping like a madwoman to help stimulate and I have been letting him suckle as long as he wants and he has been super crabby and not sleeping well.
I am going to continue to pump and keep working at it and hopefully when I get to feeling better (severe allergies/exhaustion/overall not feeling well) it will peak and I won't have to supplement...sigh....thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement and support! I still have some frozen so he hopefully won't have a full day with all formula. That is my goal as of right now and I am going to keep on fighting! Makes me so incredibly sad....
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Hugs. I understand why you are sad but you have given him such a brilliant start with the BFing, don't let a little bottle of formula take that away.
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Oh (((hugs)))) sweetie, I hope feel better soon! You're doing an amazing job!
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Hugs. You are a good mom and you are doing everything right.
Have you consulted a LC in person? Or what about your doc? It seems odd that a mom in good health who has already established a supply would not respond to all the work you're doing. Maybe check you for a vitamin or hormone imbalance?
Lots of hugs, baby will be just fine. Even 1 ounce of breastmilk is magic.
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Big hugs. I know the pain, but you've given (and are giving) him a great start :-*
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Thanks for your support ladies; it has been a rough week but Henry has already gained weight and is napping better most of the time. I am feeling better about my decision though I hate giving him formula. I am continuining to pump and I am pumping off the last meal of the day to freeze so we can continue to do BM at least once daily should I 'dry' up sooner than I am thinking.
I have been working with a LC and she agreed that it was time to supplement. He had stalled out over the last month in growth and it was concerning despite the fact that he is in the 98th percentile. He's a big boy! She was surprised that even with all that we are doing that it just is not picking up like expected. I have PCOS and we are figuring that Henry is getting lazy at the breast due to all of the bottle feeds. We have made adjustments to when we feed so we keep his full attention and concentration which has majorly helped.
The vitamin imbalance comment makes me think...I will check into that. I am still feeding each meal and then topping off; just praying that it improves soon.
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Glad you are getting some IRL help and are feeling better about your decision. He is still getting all the immunity from the BFs he is getting so that is fantastic :)
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Ah, PCOS does mess with your hormones, that may be connected. Keep up the good work and I know it will all work out fine!
Hugs.
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I was wondering how PCOS related hormones would be affected by the mini pill; my period is all over the place and is seriously driving me nuts. I weighed Henry today and he is just under 19 pounds and has gained over a pound since supplementing formula and is busting out of his 9 month clothes.
Thanks for your support ladies!
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Might be worth a post over in Health, Medical, & Special Needs to see if anyone has any ideas over there.