I am soo depressed.
I am not making as much milk as I was before.
It began (I think) when JB started sleeping through the night. I was not waking up to pump, but at first, this didn't seem to be a problem. The books I read said not to go over five hours without a feeding, but several people told me that your body will adjust, so I didn't worry about it. But then I noticed that he began nursing every two hours. I figured that was because he was going through a growth spurt. Now I think it may have been because he was not getting enough milk so he needed to eat more often.
I am very upset.
I hate watching him get frustrated as he nurses. He pulls away angrily only to come back and get nothing. And there is nothing I can do. This happens all day, especially after noon. I hate it...
I have been pumping during the night and I'm able to squeeze (2) two ounce bottles. I think he is eating 2-3 ounces at each feeding. The milk still looks rich, I'm just not getting a lot of it. It makes me long for the days when the milk would flow just by me thinking about it! I want those days back...
So, if anyone has any advice; please share. I feel desperate. I cried at 5am when all I was able to pump was barely an ounce. I'm pumping every 3-4 hours overnight so I should have gotten more than an ounce! To think: I was soo excited when he slept through the night, and now he wakes up to nurse and I have little to give, and I'm back to being awake. Please help!
Try to stay calm when you are nursing, it will help with let down. The more he nurses the more milk you will make. It will take a few days, but it will happen. All kiddos experience the frustration at least a little with growth spurts. N gets super frustrated hen he is teething because he wants to nurse all the time and I can't keep up!
ReplyDeleteOatmeal will also help your supply. I was super cautious and never let N go over 5 hour stretches before he was a year. But he cosleeps so he has always been a nighttime nurser.
When you pump if you can do some hand expression simultaneously that will help you get more out. Pumps aren't good at that as the babes are.
Hang in there!
Oh, I forgot to ask. Are you on met.formin? It helps with milk supply for us pcos gals and is safe to take while nursing.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing great, mama.
Thank you, Chasing! I think things have gotten better, at least slightly, within the past two days (I think). I am on metf.ormin for the pcos which I read is helpful with milk production - GOOD! It is very hard to try to relax when you are worried like crazy and want to cry about it. Hopefully, with time, I'll be back in FULL business. Thanks a lot!
DeleteDon't discourage! We have all been there, us nursers. It happens. Chasing has perfect advice. I would add that while you are pumping look at a picture of your baby to encourage letdown. And relax as much as possible. Hard to do I know. And pump for at least 15 minutes per side. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteThanks SC. I wish no one had this problem, but it nice to know that I am not alone. I'm now pumping and looking at a pic of JB. I'm always happy to look at his cute little face :) Thanks for the advice!
DeleteI've never nursed before, but I do work with moms/babies and run into this issue a lot. I agree with what Chasing said, that nursing more frequently will increase your supply. I hope you're not insulted by my asking, but are you getting enough to drink? Sometimes life with a busy babe lends to neglecting yourself. Try drinking some extra fluid too and see if it helps. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHi Ania. Being dehydrated was one of the first things I thought of too, and so now I am drinking more. You are right...it is easy to neglect yourself when you are soo focused on the baby! But now that I see how what I choose to do effects him like this, I'll do better!
DeleteOh no! I'm so sorry, I had low supply and it super stressed me out.
ReplyDeleteDefinately, more frequent emptying will increase your supply. Also, oatmeal, brewers yeast, and fenugreek (a supplement you can get at a natural foods store).
If you are interested, I can send you my book, "Making More Milk." It was so helpful to me.
Hi E! So I've downloaded "Making More Milk" on my Kindle and it is very good! And...I found fenugreek at Walgreens when I was there today. Thanks for the advice. Here's to hoping it all helps!
DeleteSo glad this helped! Also kellymom.com was a lifesaver for me. I would read it when I pumped.
DeleteI am sorry you are having milk issues...ugh!! I know it is frustrating, but there is HELP!! I went through a period of this when Elizabeth was around 6 weeks old and for us it was a combination of Elizabeth not being a good nurser (she was quite inefficient) and me not having the greatest production. Anyway, through a combination of compression techniques at the breast and starting on supplements, I think she is a much better nurser now and my milk supply has definitely increased. (It sounds like JB is a great nurser, so you probably don't have to worry about the compression techniques).
ReplyDeleteAlso - lots of good advice above. In addition, left you a voice mail about some stuff that works for me. Here is a link to that supplement I mentioned - I highly recommend it.
http://www.amazon.com/Special-Blend-Motherlove-Vegetarian-Capsules/dp/B0029WXZG8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333684901&sr=8-1
Also, what kind of pump do you have? That can make a difference I have heard. Do you have a dual pump (pumps both sides at a time)? I have the Medela Pump in Style Advanced (electric) and really like it. Elizabeth sleeps through the night from 9pm - 6pm and I have been able to keep my supply up in addition to pumping an extra feeding or two each day in order to start saving up a stash for when she goes to daycare. On a typical day, she nurses 4-5 times and then in addition she gets 2 bottles (5 oz) each of pumped milk. So basically, I am pumping about 3 times and nursing 4-5 times. I don't pump during the night, unless I wake up and am super full and then maybe I will pump around 4am - but I have only done that a couple of times. Sorry, if this is too much information, but I wanted to encourage you that you can do this!!!
Call if you want to chat some more! Our Lady of Leche, pray for us!
Love that we can call on our Lady for leche help!
DeleteI have a Medela pump, a single one since I don't use it much...however I am using it more right now to try to get my supply up. Thanks for the blog info - it is very good. I am going to try this funugreek herb and if that doesn't work then I'll check out Motherlove site. Elizabeth drinks five ounces at one time? Wow...JB is about 2 1/2 ounces only (based on when I feed him a pumped bottle as I can't tell how much he gets when it is from the breast, but you know that already). Hmmm....all babies are different! Thanks for your help M. You are always very helpful. Happy Easter, and kiss E for me!
Can you see a lactation consultant? I have confidence you will sort this out! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks CS! I have a friend that emailed me her consultants number today. I think I'll look into that help if things don't get better quick. Happy Easter!
DeleteI am so glad things are improving. I forgot to mention that the average capacity per side is 2 oz so you should expect to get 4 oz per feeding. Sounds like you might be close to that now. Maybe he's in a growth spurt, too?
ReplyDeletei just wanted to add a girlfriend (also pcos) had issues. I had never heard that pcos can also lead to supply issues. she would also recommend drinking whole milk. i have also heard of women drinking a beer a day (perhaps related to Es suggestion of brewers yeast)? prayers for you, friend.
ReplyDelete