Need help! Breastmilk supply decreasing! (sorry, it's long.)

[shp]

Hi,

I started sending DD to daycare fulltime (from around 9:30 to 5:00pm) about one and a half months ago. I've been pumping twice a day with Ameda Purely Yours pump (one at around 11:00 am and another at around 4:00 to 4:30 pm). I was able to get about 13-14 ounces in total per day. I ususally try nursing DD right before sending her to daycare and right after we get home from daycare. Sometimes DD wasn't really interested in nursing when we got home in the evening at around 6:00pm though.

In the past few days, I just noticed that my BM supply seemed to have decreased. I wasn't able to get as much BM even I tried pumping 3 times yesterday (only about 9-10 ounces at most). I am a bit worried that my BM will dry up pretty soon. Do you have any suggestions on how I can boost the BM supply?

There are some more related questions:
(1) Cut down DD's solid supplement? DD is turning 8 months old in a few days. I've been supplementing solids since she was 5 months old. She's taking 2 meals (sometimes even 3 meals a day) at daycare these days. Each meal usually would include 3.5oz of EBM mixed with rice (oatmeal) cereal and a half jar of stage 2 veggie or fruit. I don't know if I should cut down her solids intakes so that she will want to nurse more often at home. Would nursing more often boost the BM supply?

(2) Throw away the touched BM? DD doesn't take a bottle very well even at the day care. A lot of times, she wouldn't open her mouth to take the bottle at all. Sometimes, she would take probably only .5 to 1 ounces from the bottle. I was just so upset to see all the EBM being dumped away everyday. My question is if my daugther's mouth has touched the nipple and she doesn't finish the EBM in the bottle. Should we just throw away the BM? Or can we try it again at the next feeding? If so, should we store it in the refrigirator and then warm it up again at the next feeding? Or should we just let it sit in the room temperature? For how long will be BM still be good?

(3) Confused about how long the frozen BM will stay good! Some sources say frozen BM can stay good for 3 months, and others say 6 months. I am really confused about this. I have some stashes of BM in the freezer that have passed the 3-month mark. I don't know if it's safe to use them or if I should just throw them away.

I'd really like to BF DD for at least one year if that's possible. So I am hoping to get some advice from you experienced moms on how to acheive that given my current situation. Thanks a lot in advance!



Shu-Hua
Mom to Jacqueline, 3/20/04

[Katia]

First of all, I think you're doing a great job! At this point I wouldn't worry about your supply. It's not uncommon for your pumping volume to be a little different every day, so what you've described sounds pretty normal. Adding a pumping session is a good idea, but it could be a week or so before you notice a difference in total output.

Hard to say about the solids. In my experience, daycare providers seem to push solids at the expense of EBM; maybe it's easier for them, I don't know. If it's important to you that she finish her bottles, maybe you can talk to them about that...say you'd rather they focused on the EBM and not the food. At this point, most of her calories should be coming from EBM anyway; solids are just for practice.

Nursing more often should boost your supply.

Frozen EBM should be OK for 3 months in a regular freezer, or 6 months in a deep freezer. You might try using the older stuff soon -- I wouldn't automatically throw it out just because it's past 3 months. Thaw it and give it a sniff -- if it smells OK, I'd go ahead and offer it.

Hopefully someone else will be able to answer the rest of your questions. Good luck -- you're doing great!

[sntm]

> Do you have any suggestions on how I can boost the BM
>supply?
If you consistently add a third pumping session, after a few days to a week, your supply will go up. Drink lots of water, treat yourself to an oatmeal cookie, and/or consider some supply-boosting supplements like fenugreek or blessed thistle.
>
>There are some more related questions:
>(1) Cut down DD's solid supplement? DD is turning 8 months
>old in a few days. I've been supplementing solids since she
>was 5 months old. She's taking 2 meals (sometimes even 3
>meals a day) at daycare these days. Each meal usually would
>include 3.5oz of EBM mixed with rice (oatmeal) cereal and a
>half jar of stage 2 veggie or fruit. I don't know if I should
>cut down her solids intakes so that she will want to nurse
>more often at home. Would nursing more often boost the BM
>supply?

I would keep it at no more than 2 meals of solids a day at this age. That will encourage her to drink her bottles and/or nurse more at home. If she's not always finishing the EBM+cereal mix, you could instead mix the cereal with the veggie/fruit and just have her drink the EBM.

>(2) Throw away the touched BM? DD doesn't take a bottle very
>well even at the day care. A lot of times, she wouldn't open
>her mouth to take the bottle at all. Sometimes, she would
>take probably only .5 to 1 ounces from the bottle. I was just
>so upset to see all the EBM being dumped away everyday. My
>question is if my daugther's mouth has touched the nipple and
>she doesn't finish the EBM in the bottle. Should we just
>throw away the BM? Or can we try it again at the next
>feeding? If so, should we store it in the refrigirator and
>then warm it up again at the next feeding? Or should we just
>let it sit in the room temperature? For how long will be BM
>still be good?
At this age, she's matured enough that she should be able to handle the slightly higher bacterial load of a previously-drunk-from bottle. I would allow them to offer it at the next feeding. Either store it in the fridge for up to 12-24 hours but _don't_ rewarm, or let it sit at room temperature for up to 4 hours or so, also not rewarming. The heat from rewarming jumpstarts bacterial growth.


>(3) Confused about how long the frozen BM will stay good!
>Some sources say frozen BM can stay good for 3 months, and
>others say 6 months. I am really confused about this. I have
>some stashes of BM in the freezer that have passed the 3-month
>mark. I don't know if it's safe to use them or if I should
>just throw them away.
Agreeing with about 3 months for conventional freezer in full-sized fridge and 6 months in deep freeze. That said, I fed Jack 8-mo old EBM from deep freeze that was fine. When in doubt, defrost and try them. They might still smell weird to you (mine gets an odd smell with freezing) but if they are bad, they will smell AWFUL (Gagging-kind of awful) and baby won't drink it at all.

>I'd really like to BF DD for at least one year if that's
>possible. So I am hoping to get some advice from you
>experienced moms on how to acheive that given my current
>situation. Thanks a lot in advance!

It's doable! Jack's been in daycare since 6 1/2 weeks, breastfed the whole time and still getting a cup of EBM at daycare at 17 months!

Also, consider switching from bottle to sippy to encourage her to drink more. Jack got tired of bottles at around that age.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03
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Breastfeeding 17 months and counting

[ethansmom]

Ditto to everything Shannon said!

I didn't have an Ameda, but my PIS had valves that needed to be replaced every month or so. Could there be any parts on your pump that need to be replaced periodically for maximum output?

For my peace of mind, and to have enough EBM to add to cereal, I added an additional pumping session right before I went to bed. I know you don't get as much when you are tired, etc. but after a couple of days, my body got the message and it was a very productive session. All that to say, if you add another session, do it when it's convenient for you.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

If pumping output has suddenlt decreased, I would look at the pump as being the reason. How often do you replace the white valves? I replaced mine monthly, or whenever I noticed less output.

It sounds like she is getting a lot of solids. If you cut back on those she will nurse more.

When do they give her solids or the last bottle? If she is eating right before you pick her up, that may be why she is not nursing when you get home. Ask them not to feed her after a certain time of day unless she is really upset.

...Karen
DS Jake Feb 91, DD Logan Mar 03
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