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jmofarrill
02-21-2004, 01:10 AM
I’ve been having problems with my milk supply the past month. There’s a lot going on with me right now: I started a new job a month ago, I’ve been running myself ragged with after-work activities/work (they’ve let up and will be over in two weeks), I got sick this week and had to lay out of work two days.

I monitor classes during the day at work, so I only have one opportunity to pump during the workday. Because of this, I added an extra pumping session in the evenings, and I just started to pick one up in the mornings.

Anwyn and I do not have a set schedule; we nurse on-demand. Lately, she’s been trying to nurse every hour, which I think is partly due to my lack of supply and partly because I need to add another solid meal during the day. When we get home from work/dc, the first thing we do is nurse (around 3:30). She nurses probably three more times before I nurse her to sleep between 8:30-9:30. She sleeps until 4-5 when she wakes for a nursing session, and then she goes back to sleep until I wake her around 6:15. I nurse her again some mornings at daycare depending on if she woke at 4 or 5.

I want to send 12 oz to daycare, but I can only manage 6-8 oz. I can pump 1.5-2.5 oz in the morning, I’m only getting 4 oz at work, and I get another 2-2.5 in the evenings. It’s really depressing. Anwyn eats bananas and pears at daycare, one or the other is mixed with oatmeal cereal. I’m going to start adding a dinnertime solid vege for the evenings, too.

I have a PIS; I recently swabbed the diaphragm, trimmed the tubes, and replaced the membranes. I think I’ll start hard core on the Fenugreek and Mother’s Milk tea this weekend. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

calebsmama03
02-21-2004, 05:40 PM
No real suggestions here, just support. I've always found that I can't pump enough during the work day to keep up with what DS takes at daycare. It got especially difficult at around 9 months, though. Even when I pump on his typical eating "schedule" (about every 3 hours) I still need to pump first thing in the AM before he nurses to get enough to supplement him at the sitters. I usually offer him more solids the 3 days he's at the sitters and less when I'm home with him so he'll nurse more and get my supply up more. I've never gotten fabulous results from fenugreek or mother milk tea, but at least I feel like I'm DOING something by taking them.

Good luck!
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03

jmofarrill
02-25-2004, 11:29 AM
Thank you, Lynne. I've been trying to relax and not worry about the lack of supply issue. With the extra pumping sessions in the evening and morning, I'm getting just enough for Anwyn at daycare, and I'm sending more solids with her. Over the past few days, I've been pumping more at each session, so I'm hopeful my supply is increasing.

Rachels
02-25-2004, 11:34 AM
If you need more ideas for increasing your supply, check here;

http://www.drjaygordon.com/bf/galact.htm

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

ShayleighCarsensMom
02-26-2004, 01:07 AM
I have had these same issues and went to see a lactation consultant because of it...
Her is what she told me.
1. when you are away, leave the milk you have and them leave other foods to satisfy her. She will be fine!
2. you can take fenugreek but I was always told to take the liquid, as it is more effective (1 dropperful 3x a day).
3. When you are pumping, close your eyes and take deep breaths. Try to completly relax...bring headphones so that you can listen to music, or get a good book. The most important thing is to not sit there and watch the milk, it only tenses up your body and then you wont letdown as much. I found that I was able to pump 2 ounces more per session just by relaxing.
Good luck you are not alone.
The good thing is that your DD is old enough to have solids while she is away from you.

HelenD
02-26-2004, 11:07 AM
I'd like to recommend 2 things...

1) Oatmeal. It seriously helped me get 2oz more a day! Here's an article on it:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/oatmeal.html

I used both Quick Oats and Whole Oats and it didn't appear to matter *for me* but I like the whole Oats better and some (on the Breastfeeding.com boards) say that Whole Oats are better for increasing supply. If you can't stand Oatmeal for breakfast, make the cookies found on the Quaker Oatmeal lid (Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies). They are pretty good and 6 gets you about the same amount as a serving of Oatmeal mush in the morning.


2) I read this article for a bunch of suggestions when I was researching this for myself and found it was by far the most comprehensive list of suggestions for increasing supply I've found:

http://www.breastfeeding.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=19;t=000015

My other suggestions are:

Try and eat more protein and less empty Carbs. On days where I don't resist a donut in the morning and maybe had dessert or potatoes or too many carbs the night before, I seem to get less. Just my personal experience, FWIW, but the lactation specialist I went to suggested this from the get go...so just try it if you can.

Breast massage/compression when using the pump in Style. Here's a link that can help direct you to more about it:

http://www.breastfeeding.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?bb=get_topic;f=19;t=000014
I also found that if I turn the suction down and up the speed on the PIS (like 5) for the first few minutes, then turn it down to 2 after my milk starts flowing, I seem to get better results. I think I got that suggestion from the BF message boards too. I have an article around here somewhere that my lactation consultant gave me on breast massage/compression that was really good. I'm scared to do an online search for a good one for you...sorry. I could probably dig it out and fax it to you if you really want it and can't find something good online.

Anyway, good luck. I guess you can tell from my suggestions that I've been there, and I completely empathize. The Oatmeal really helped me a lot for whatever reason.

H.

(Oh, and drink your water!)

Editted because the links aren't showing up right...

Go to this link:

http://www.breastfeeding.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=19

and the articles I suggested were about Increasing Supply and Aiding in Letdown, both posted by Yvette, and are down the bottom of that page.

jmofarrill
02-26-2004, 01:54 PM
Ack - I think the forum split took away my subscription to this link, so I didn't receive notification of any new posts after Rachel's post.

Thank you so much for the links and suggestions; I'm going to read through them today and incorporate some of the methods in my routine.