Keeping up with a growth spurt

[MakingMischief]

Argh.

Little man just finished his 6 month growth spurt, and I was not able to keep up because he has been a fussy nurser lately. He'd just pull off and on and cry and pull away. We ended up doing more supplementing because he was crying and hungry but didn't have the patience to wait while my supply caught up. I felt like I was nursing constantly but I couldn't keep him on. Not to mention, the growth spurt came at the worst possible time -- as I was returning to work. So I've been trying to pump at work but it hasn't been working too well.

It seems like wherever I read about being unable to pump enough, there's the "reassurance" that just because you aren't pumping much doesn't mean your supply's down. That's great and all, but in the meantime I'm giving my baby bottles that is a quarter breastmilk and three-quarters formula... sigh...

So, how do I increase my supply to try and get caught up while pumping 3-4 days/week (I BF him in morning and evenings), and how do I increase my pumping output -- without spending every waking moment attached to the milking machine?

I've only ever been able to get about 3 oz per session in the morning and 2oz per session in the afternoon. I read about women who have freezers full of milk and can get 7-8oz per pumping session, and I am ashamed.  I also have a good pump -- Lord knows I've tried them all, and the one I have (Avent iQ double electric) is the best for me.

[EllenS]

Don't be ashamed!  likely those who have so much milk pumped a lot in the early weeks/months before their supply regulated.  After 4-6 months your breasts make milk on demand during a feed.  And anyway, everybody's just different.

Best time to pump for volume is early morning, like between 4-7 am, as prolactin levels are highest.  If you can pump on waking you could probably feed him afterward and still give him a full feed-the pump removes milk that is already there but the baby will stimulate to you produce.  Also taking fenugreek supplements or tea can help - I used "More Milk Plus" tincture when I had low supply with DD1.  Other helpful nutrition support are - a once-daily magnesium/calcium supplement, and eating oatmeal, lentils and any sort of curry dish.

Hope this helps!

[Fiver]

What Ellen said, really (thanks Ellen )

Also some people just get more out pumping than others and just because you don't get as much as them doesn't mean LO doesn't get as much when they feed directly from you.  My friend used to be able to get 8-9oz pumping but I could only ever get 2oz maximum!  Like Ellen said, she'd "primed" her breasts by having to pump in the very early days because her daughter was in SCBU and with future babies she just had this ability to pump.  I don't have it!

[MakingMischief]

I didn't know that about the curry! I love curry dishes!

I'm taking fenugreek, I have taken the More Milk Special Blend in the past but it didn't seem to help much, and was super expensive. I've had better luck with lots of fenugreek.

The "ashamed" comment was actually sort of tongue-in-cheek -- I just wonder how things can be so unbalanced! Yeesh! I vowed that I was going to pump a lot and establish a cache of milk early on, but I was trying to take care of a newborn, so I never really had the time to pump. Sigh.

 If you can pump on waking you could probably feed him afterward and still give him a full feed-the pump removes milk that is already there but the baby will stimulate to you produce.

Oh, if only. My LO does not have any patience with BFing. He'll stay on during the initial letdown, then he'll start bobbing off. I sometimes have some success by constantly switching him back and forth, but the idea of continuing to stimulate in order to get that slow trickle just doesn't appeal to him.

I've got the rest of the week to work from home and I'm going to just do a marathon of nursing and pumping. Thank God for the hands-free pumping bra. Any other suggestions, little-known facts, etc, would be excellent.

[eva026]

Oh, if only. My LO does not have any patience with BFing. He'll stay on during the initial letdown, then he'll start bobbing off. I sometimes have some success by constantly switching him back and forth, but the idea of continuing to stimulate in order to get that slow trickle just doesn't appeal to him.

Mine is the same and it looks like we are in the exact same situation. No clue what to do so just sending hugs!

[Erin M]

Pump as usual (5 minutes after the milk stops flowing) and then pump again 20 minutes later -- I've never tried it, but there are some moms on here who swear by it as a great way to increase supply. 

[MakingMischief]

Update...

I've been taking Fenugreek and pumping more frequently and it's been helping, as more frequent pumping sessions means more milk I can set aside for him to get while I'm at work. So he's been able to get mostly breastmilk now, yay!

But then I saw this: http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/#howmuch

"The research tells us that exclusively breastfed babies take in an average of 25 oz (750 mL) per day between the ages of 1 month and 6 months. Different babies take in different amounts of milk; a typical range of milk intakes is 19-30 oz per day (570-900 mL per day)."

So does that mean I don't necessarily need a big increase in milk supply? He usually takes around 4 ounces in a bottle every 3 hours, I've upped it to 5oz since the growth spurt and we're adding fruit/veggie purees and cereal.

Is he getting enough, then? My babysitter, who bottlefed her daughter, mentioned that her daughter was eating 7oz at a time at that age and was a pound and a half heavier than my boy, even though my boy weighed more than hers at birth.

He's still only going 3 hours between feeds, and still waking up twice at night even with the extra food. We're working on the NWs now but I'm not sure he isn't hungry. Is that a sign I should be feeding him more?

[Erin M]

"The research tells us that exclusively breastfed babies take in an average of 25 oz (750 mL) per day between the ages of 1 month and 6 months. Different babies take in different amounts of milk; a typical range of milk intakes is 19-30 oz per day (570-900 mL per day)."

I read that too and I'll say that when my dd was at daycare when she was about 7 months, she was taking 7 oz bottles -- probably getting somewhere much closer to 30 oz a day (if not more).  So, I'm not really sure.

Yay for the increase in supply though! 

And, FWIW, dd2 and ds were both having the df and a nf at 6 months.

[henrysmomma]

A good friend of mine shared this link with me.  It is based on how to increase your supply and get more from pumping.  The site requires that you register with your name and email address as it is considered explicit due to the breasts in the video and the video is posted on a college (Stanford) website.  I found it very interesting and have implemented the tips today and seemed to get a little more.

http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html

Keep in mind the video is geared towards mothers that have preemies in NICU and cannot physically nurse their lo's and are therefore forced to pump only.  I thought it was interesting!  Everyone talks about massaging their breasts but what exactly does that look like?  This video gives a better understanding of that and other techniques.  I hope you find it useful!

[MakingMischief]

I just started watching the video but I wanted to post a quick warning that it does include shots of very premature babies in incubators, hooked up to machines etc.
I know you said it was about babies in the NICU and such, but I didn't immediately realize there would be so many shots of those babies. That sort of stuff is kind of triggering to me, (I'm fine, it just gives me a start to see it) so I wanted to give anyone else who has the same reaction a heads-up.

[henrysmomma]

I apologize; I didn't realize that it would have that affect on you.  So sorry! 

[MakingMischief]

No worries

[Fiver]

The theory is that as your LO gets older, so the composition of your milk changes (increased fat etc), so it could be that he won't need much more than you're already providing, however, all that goes with the disclaimer that each LO is different, so he may want more (and feeding with a bottle can mean that LO doesn't realise that they are full in the same way they would if they were feeding directly from the breast).

[suemsm]

Could I just say THANK YOU!! for the link to the maximising production link.

What an incredibly useful video, I wish I had seen it 6 months ago. Reading books & looking at diagrams/pictures just isn't the same as watching actual vision. (So much emotion for those mamas pumping for their tiny little ones, but wow, what a great job they were doing.) I feel like I have a whole new set of skills for my next pumping session 

I have saved it to share with friends when they ask questions about pumping. Thanks again for a really useful resource!

[henrysmomma]

You are welcome; I thought the same thing-why didn't they show us this stuff in breastfeeding class?!!!!! Maybe we should all get together and write a book.  Can't deny that it has crossed my mind...'what every mom should know or at least consider.'  Cruddy title...happy pumping! 

And I definitely cry over my spilt milk.