breast feeding HELP!

[jwilson65]

HI, i'm in the 10th week of breast feeding and everything was going great until after I started going back to work.

I've been pumping so that baby has food to eat, but I have to be honest she takes more at the bottle than at the breast. Either that or my husband can't tell when she's hungry so he's feeding her all the time. So problem is I can't keep up pumping the amount that she needs while i'm at work (only 4.5 hours a day). So I don't know what to do.

No she won't take my left breast, and only likes the right. So of course I try to pump to keep up my milk production. But now I'm producing less in that breast. I'm SO frustrated. I don't want this to spell the end of breast feeding for her, shoot she's barely 2.5 months.

I have started taking birth control, but it's the estrogen only stuff that is "not supposed to hinder breast feeding". Only been on it for the past week.

Not sure what to do. want to keep BF'ing for the next 9 months at least....

HELP!

:help:

[Josiemk]

I'm not sure if I'm understanding your question. Are you wanting to increase your milk production? If you are try taking Milk Thistle it worked for me & I think Fenugreek is the other herbal supplement. I would pump from the rejected breast. Toward the end of breast feeding my daughter was only taking the left breast. But it went on for a couple of months.

Sorry if I wasn't much help I may need more details.

[jwilson65]

yeah i was trying to figure out if I'm losing milk supply in the breast that is not being used. And how to fix it.

I've realized now that I'm fullest in the early am (2am etc...) so if I wake up to pump it's easier to bank milk that way.

I'll have to look into that other stuff....

[newjeans]

its not low carb, but old fashioned oatmeal used to make me produce mass amounts of milk-seriously, i could have fed 3-4 kids, lol. also, the more you pump & nurse the more you will produce, i hope that helps!

[jwilson65]

Thanks. I'm really struggling with not being able to lose weight right now. I'm doing fairly low carb but I'm stuck and very frustrated.

I guess I could go for oatmeal and see if that helps. I notice though that the more I pump the more I produce so that's great.

I just don't like waking up at 2am and pumping for 30 minutes cause my daughter likes to sleep so much. :lol:

Oh well if i can breast feed longer it will be worth it.

[ruthla]

A few thoughts:

1) the "mini pill" definitely reduces supply in some women. You might be one of them. You might do better with a diaphram or condoms while nursing.

2) How much are you pumping and how much is she drinking in your absence? It's pretty common for babies to be over-fed by caregivers. Is your husband giving her a bottle every time she fusses, or is he trying other comfort measures and only giving a bottle if she's truly hungry? Does he offer a pacifier at all? It's appropriate to offer the breast every time the baby fusses, but it's not the same when the milk is in bottles.

If you can tell us how much you're pumping, how much is in each bottle, how much she's drinking in your abscence, and how much she weighs, we can help you figure out if this is part of the problem. A 17 lb baby will need more milk than a 10 lb baby, even if they're both the same age.

3) How often are you pumping? You may need to add in a pumping session (or two or three) at home before or after work, in addition to pumping at work. I used to pump every single morning, even on my days off, in addition to pumping at work. I'd pump one breast and feed him on the other- sometimes I'd do both at the exact same time, sometimes I'd pump before he woke up, and sometimes he'd nurse and then I'd pump the other breast once he was finished. I managed to get my body used to making enough milk in the morning that one side filled him up.

4) What kind of breast pump are you using? Pumps vary widely in quality, and if you have a "cheap" pump, it may be well worth it to invest in a better one. Similarly, all pumps need regular maintenance, and often moms find themselve suddenly pumping much less (after working and pumping sucessfully for a while) and all they need to do is change a valve on the breastpump.

Right now, I'd make baby care and lactation your priority and not worry so much about weight loss. I never lost much weight before my babies were 8 or 9mo, at which point I lost weight fairly easily.

Besides eating oatmeal (which won't make your whole diet SUPER high in carbs if you avoid sugar and keep other grains and fruits to a minimum), make sure you're avoiding mint, sage, and parsley- those 3 herbs can reduce milk supply, even in something as simple as tea or candies. Plus make sure you're drinking plenty of water.

[jwilson65]

THANKS! Yeah I have gotten lazy the last couple of days. And haven't been able to drag my butt out of bed in the middle of the night to pump. I find if I don't there is milk all over the bed by morning. *sigh* Baby is a long-sleeper (not heavy, just long) she's sleeping real good chunks already up to 7 hours at a time some times.

So I try to pump as much as I can. I think DH is getting the hang of how much she needs to eat and is feeding her appropriatly. I've also noticed that she will over feed her self even at the breast, and then spit it up. Sigh. So it appears she is doing a lot of "comfort" feeding. Which is fine, it's just hard to tell how much she needs to eat.

My water intake has been down the last few days too but I'm getting it back up. If I'm well hydrated, I can usually pump 2-3 oz from the L breast in the AM with another 4-5 oz or so on the right. I was doing about 5 oz total per pump at work too but being down on my water I've only been able to get 3.5 oz a pump. So I know I need to drink more water.

Baby is about 11.5 lbs and feeds (or comfort feeds) right before bed (to sleep) then I lay her down. She might wake up 2 hours later and take a feeding. (usually only one side and then she's back asleep) and it's a toss up with whether or not she'll take the other side before morning. (12 hours total sleep usually) So if she goes down at 8:30 like last night, she wakes up for good at around 8-9 the next day. I feed her as soon as she wakes up around 9:30 or so but usually only one side.(change etc...) and she's ready for a nap around 11am or so. If I'm lucky I can feed her another time before work (have to be there at 1pm) and I might be lucky to get her to take both sides.

While I'm at work from 1-5 DH gives her on average 8 oz total.
If he's able to hold her off I'll feed her when I come home but usually she's starving at having only about 5 oz during my work time. Then I'll feed her right when I come home. I can usually give her both sides then. Then she's hungry around 2 hours later and she'll feed / comfort feed (if I let her) until bed. But usually I'll give her a side and then around 8-9 she's getting tired and we bathe her, dress her, put her on the boob and down to bed.

That's pretty much the routine now.

Sorry it's so random.

[ruthla]

So how's it going with the pumping now? Have you established a routine where your'e pumping enough for her overall?

[Helen H]

I'm so sorry you had to go back to work so soon. Over here, we have 26 weeks after the baby is born, which does make it a bit easier.

Just a thought, on your next Saturday/day off, why not go to bed for the day with your baby, and just feed and feed and feed. Keep offering the left breast and try to get her back onto it. There is nothing like skin to skin contact with a hungry baby to bring your supply back up.

Do you pump while she is feeding, or at a different time?

I agree about the birth control. I'd stick to barriers for now. Don't mess with hormones.

As a last resort, there's an over the counter indigestion/bloating remedy called Motillium which is used off-label to increase milk production. Sometimes it can work embarrassingly well. Talk to your public health nurse or lactation consultant about dose.

[IvannaBFit]

Are you on ANY other medications? Some can reduce milk supply -- for example, anti histamines really reduce the milk supply of some of my friends.

[jwilson65]

no just pre-natals and birth control.

[Melberry]

lots and lots of Omega 3 is good for increasing milk production. Perfect for the low carber! Lots of avocadoes, salmon, nuts, etc!

[Helen H]

no just pre-natals and birth control.

Hormonal birth control will do it. Consider switching to a barrier method until you've got the milk situation sorted out.

[ruthla]

Does nobody notice that she first posted this back in June?

Are you still having milk supply problems Jwilson, or is it just that everybody else keeps bumping this up?

[wbethin]

Wisdom from relatives: If you are looking to increase milk supply eat more soupy foods (aka 2 times daily), drink hot tea with a little bit of milk added, eat watermelon.....................................and in case of really hungry baby (I didn't do this but wasnt pumping) one said buy rice cereal and dilute in bmilk (watery like a little bit less than normal)
hope this helps.........the family member that did the cereal started when her children were alot smaller than yours but still make sure its supper watery and well mixed.....

[wbethin]

oh and eat alot of butter......not really sure if it works (works at adding lbs...lol)

[jwilson65]

NO my milk supply is okay now...I have to pump though while I"m at work and I seem to be doing alright.

[algts]

NO my milk supply is okay now...I have to pump though while I"m at work and I seem to be doing alright.Great news! It's no fun to pump. A couple of times I have forgtten my attachments......

[jwilson65]

Great news! It's no fun to pump. A couple of times I have forgtten my attachments......

Exactly and I haven't figured out yet how to hand express, so the few times I had to pump and FORGOT IT (!!) I was like !OW! before I got home....

*to baby* "I hope your hungry cause your GONNA eat!" :lol:

[wbethin]

okay, hand pumping is sooooo easy: here ya go place index finger on the outer edge of your areola at the bottom, thumb on the outer edge of your areola at the top.....then squeeze finger and thumb towards each other. When milk slows switch breast\ massage to allow for the milk to be released into the "ready and available" section of the breast, or just keep going it sould release after a couple of mins......helps to think about ur baby......(the first month I had mastistis (so not spelled right) due to a flat nipple coupled with lang. prob)anyway....not fun!

hope this helps next time u forget ur attachments.....