I mentioned in last nights random thread that I am frustrated w/ pumping because I am getting less and less each time I pump.
O is 3 weeks old. I started pumping while I was in the hospital, but it took 5 days for my milk to come in. I have never breastfed and O's cardiologist has recommended that I not (He has a hard time feeding already, so she doesn't want to confuse him. It is also more difficult to figure out how much he is eating - he needs to gain as much weight as possible for his surgery, so he is on a strict schedule/calorie amount).
When he was in the NICU, I pumped every 3-4 hours. I think the max I have ever pumped was 1.5 oz and that was after power pumping (pumped for 40 minutes w/in an hour). When he got home (one week ago), I didn't pump as much and my supply has dropped. I am now getting about 20 ml per session, which just seems like a waste of time. I have been making more of an effort to pump every 3 hours, but I am not getting any more output.
His cardiologist and doctors have all mentioned how beneficial it is for him to have as much breast milk as possible, so I want to try to get as much as I can for him. However, I have no idea what I am doing and what I can do to increase my supply at this point.
Random info:
I have a Medela PISA.
I used the hospital grade pump in the hospital, but didn't notice a difference in output.
I have 3 sizes of flanges and am currently using 30s.
I have used different/new valves and membranes, w/o noticing a difference.
I do compressions/massage while pumping.
I have uses warm rice packs while pumping and tried pumping after a shower/bath.
I do adjust the pump while pumping, but at times have maxed out the speed w/o noticing pain or an increase in output.
I have done power pumping sessions while he was in the NICU. I have tried again since he was home, but didn't get anymore output.
I did make a pumping bra out of an old sports bra.
Are you using a pumping bra? Can you do compressions while pumping? I had to turn the pump up to get more after awhile. I also adjust the speed and restart it once or twice. Is he nursing too? Back when I nursed and pumped at every feeding, my pumping output went down after DS started getting more effective at nursing. Hugs, I know know much it sucks.how is O doing? Post more pics!
Have you tried lactation cookies, or even just oatmeal. I did a lot if that when my son was in the NICU because it took quite a while for my supply to come in.
There is a tea (mothers milk, I think), and a supplement (fenugreek) that are supposed to be helpful. I've heard dark beer can also help. And i believe there is a prescription med that can help.
Drink lots of water, and make sure you're eating enough...and just keep trying. I would definitely recommend a hospital grade pump if you can get your hands on one. And talk to a LC.
3 weeks is still early, and you should be able to increase your supply at this point. But if it's stressing you out and you're ready to move on, know that it's okay to supplement, or even FF full time. I know "breast is best", but food is food.
When my supply tanked, here is what helped (in addition to what you already mentioned): - Eat 1/2 cup of rolled or steel cut oats daily, with 1/2-1 Tbsp ground flax and 1-2 tsp brewer's yeast added. It tastes a bit funky at first but this is what increased my supply the most. - Increase your water intake by at least half. Think you're drinking enough? Increase it anyway. - Increase calorie intake by 300-500 calories per day. - See a lactation consultant (they are trained on breast pump use/ troubleshooting as well.
Good luck to you. You have already done a great job!
Low supply mama checking in. I tried all of the supplements recommended earlier in this thread and they are worth checking out, even though they didn't magically increase my supply. One thing that did help for me, in terms of pumping, was doing a "Massage, Stroke, Shake" technique that my LC advised. Basically, you pump until you're dry. Then you massage both breasts, lightly run your fingers over them (from the breast tissue to the nipple), and then lean over and shake them out. It looks absolutely ridiculous and my husband gave me a lot of WTF stares, but I always got a few more extra drops that way. When you're used to pumping .5-1 oz at a time, every little bit extra counts.
I'd also like to ditto what VillainV said. You are doing everything you can for your baby. You are a great mom, regardless of how you feed him.
ETA: I just googled the MSS technique and this is exactly what I did:
Incorporate the "Massage-Stroke-Shake" (M-S-S) technique as taught by Chele Marmet, an LLL Leader and co-Director of the Lactation Institute in Encino, California, USA: Double-pump for 5 to 7 minutes. Stop. Massage both breasts simultaneously in a circular motion similar to a breast self-exam. Stroke both breasts all the way around from the chest wall to the tip of the nipple in a straight line using only your fingertips. Then cup each breast with your hand, lean forward, and gently shake your breasts. Repeat by pumping another 5-7 minutes and M-S-S. Finish by pumping 5-7 minutes.
At 3 weeks, I was nursing every two hours for 30+minutes, so I would say to up your pumping sessions. You need to increase the demand to increase the supply.
Also fenugreek + blessed thistle help. Lactation cookies and oatmeal are also good for your supply. Make sure you are drinking enough water (I was told a gallon a day) and eating enough.
“Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make it so, right in the middle of it lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce.” - Natalie Goldberg
Post by stacyb1983 on Oct 22, 2014 22:11:52 GMT -5
Have you tried pumping longer? I pump for about 30 minutes. It's longer than my LC said to pump, but if I cut off at 15-20 minutes I miss my 2nd or 3rd let down.
It took 5 days for my milk to come in too, and I didn't get to nurse DS until he was a week old. Even then, it was only 1x a day for about a week and we slowly worked up to 3-4x a day when he was discharged at a month old. I echo the others' suggestions to increase pump session frequency, try for sessions that are 2-2.5 hrs apart, at least 20 minutes (I went to 22, since I had a letdown at about 19). I pumped overnight also 2x a night for the first month when DS was in the NICU, so that I was getting at least 8 sessions in a day. I also used Fenugreek periodically to increase supply and made sure I was drinking and eating enough (although I never really felt like this helped, but I figured it couldn't hurt).
ETA: Few more things to add - not sure if you're at home or still in NICU, but try pumping near him, or at least have pix or videos to watch when pumping. And do skin to skin as much as possible.
Post by curbsideprophet on Oct 22, 2014 22:31:48 GMT -5
Have you tried turning down the speed of the pump? The highest setting may not actually be the best way to get the most milk.
I agree that it sounds like you need to pump more often.
I think establishing a supply while EP is a hard task. Do you want to nurse him directly? If you do, I would ask if this is something you can consider for some feedings. It could help your supply.
Did you experience much/any breast growth during pregnancy? Just because women with insufficient glandular tissue (from whatever cause) often don't have enough development of the machinery during pregnancy to have a good supply postpartum. It's progesterone-driven, so it is mostly restricted to pregnancy. You can increase supply up to a certain ceiling determined by how much glandular tissue you have.
I never pumped more than 3 ounces at a time with DD1 and 2 ounces with DD2, so your story sounds very familiar. I ate a lot of oatmeal with brewer's yeast and flaxseed on top and took More Milk Special Blend (not sure if that is possible with his health issues).
Can you use a hospital-grade pump? That also could have contributed to the drop if you were using a hospital-grade pump before and are now using a PISA.
Try pumping more often if possible (especially one in the early morning/middle of the night when your prolactin levels are highest), but be kind to yourself.
I had very minimal breast growth during pregnancy and wore my normal bra the entire time. Even now, I am in my normal bras. I wondered if that could be an contributing factor.
I only used the hospital grade pump while I was in the hospital (2 days) and a few times when I visited him in the NICU, but I got the same amount w/ both pumps. I will look to see if I can find a hospital grade rental, just to see if that helps.
Drink water and eat food like they are going out of style. Ditto on the ice cream. If I didn't eat and drink, I didn't make enough milk. Consequently, I also didn't "melt off the pounds" with breast feeding.
Pumping is recommended every 2 hours at your stage because your body is still trying to build prolactin receptors. I am putting that out there because I didn't understand why people told me to pump every 2 hours in the beginning. I was getting pissed that no one could explain why so I didn't do it and maybe that affected my mediocre supply.
BRU rents the Medela Symphony pump. Ours was $60 - 75 per month depending on how many months you took it.
I have been drinking Mrs Patel mother milk tea. It really helps me. When I don't drink enough water I get less milk. Can you pump every 2 hours? I try to drink 16-24 oz of water every time I pump.
Recent recommendations I've read (in addition to all of the great suggestions you've gotten) are Gatorade and increasing your calcium intake. Several friends swear by Gatorade...I'm guessing extra hydration w/ electrolytes helps.
I know it sucks, but pump as often as you can tolerate. It really often boils down to supply & demand...and at that age, babies sometimes want to eat every hour.
The biggest help for me was always increasing food intake. If I ate normally, my supply would immediately tank. I seriously eat like a teenage boy at the peak of nursing! Eat as much nutrient & calorie dense food as you can tolerate. (With my first, the pounds still melted off like crazy! I got 15 lbs below pre-preg weight, so don't let that stop you!)
Every ml you are able to give the baby is a benefit. Every single drop. If you need to supplement, you're not failing him, you're making sure he gets the nutrition he needs and taking care of yourself, too. If you really want him to get breastmilk, but can't get your supply to meet his needs, see if you can find a donor. Human Milk for Human Babies and Eats on Feets (I think) are two well-known ones. I'm also part of a local FB Breastfeeding support group. I think hundreds of ounces are donated/received there every single week...and I'm not in a big city! Donor milk is more common than you think (though it certainly isn't for everyone!).
Breast is only best when it's best for baby AND mom...and when baby is able to get enough. Formula is best for some families. Try as much and do it for as long as you feel you can, but always be proud for doing your best & doing what is best for your family.
Ditto oatmeal, pumping more odten, hospital gRade pump (good chance it's covered under your insurance too) and seeing a lc consultant. It sounds like you are doing so much already, I hope you see some results soon. Gl!
There is a recipe for no bake lactation cookies that is really good and really easy to make. I didn't have time to bake when DS was first born, so this recipe was great. I don't have a link but if you google it, it's the first or second one that comes up.
You are doing a great job. We combo fed in the beginning and that helped my sanity so much. If you need to supplement or switch to FF, that is fine too. Big hugs!
Post by longtimenopost on Oct 23, 2014 9:20:28 GMT -5
Good advice so far. I also recommend drinking much more water than you think is necessary. HOT showers (and if you have access to one, a hot tub when you are cleared), then power pump right after. I usually pumped 15-20 minutes, then massaged and waited about 5 minutes, then pumped another 15-20 minutes. Basically I was pumping for one hour out of every 3 :/.
Fwiw, DD was in the NICU for 12 weeks and my supply gradually increased output until I hit my max at about about a month old.
Post by changedname on Oct 23, 2014 9:25:44 GMT -5
No advice but hugs. I hate pumping, it hurts. I've been lucky to have a long mat leave so have not had to pump much but I think often about all of the ladies who EP and take my hat off to you all.
I do find that sometimes I get nothing at all when I pump (not a drop) then other times I get a ton. No idea why. Fenugreek really increased my supply too.
I had good luck with significantly upping my water intake and adding Gatorade periodically. I was also using the wrong size shields and saw a nice increase when I went up a size.
You're doing amazing, pumping is really, really hard work while managing a newborn.
Of all the things I did to increase supply, hard apple cider was the most effective. Stupidly so. Bonus points for being most tasty too.
I agree. I don't drink it much but one afternoon I was worried my supply was tanking because my boobs felt soft so I drank a bottle and could feel a difference in an hour. Maybe coincidence but worth a try if his doctors aren't worried about the alcohol. Woodchuck Amber is my favorite!
I ended up an exclusive pumper after one week of complete breastfeeding hell. The LC wasn't very supportive of pumping ("Just keep nursing, it will work itself out!") so I've based my strategies off of what I've found online and trial and error. I have no idea if what I did actually made any difference, or might help you, but this has been my short journey so far.
At first, I pumped every 2 hours. I was getting up at night, even when the baby was sleeping, just to pump. It was awful, and I wasn't getting much. I also realized that in those first couple of weeks, I was so stressed, tired, and busy that I ate and drank almost nothing. I started eating oatmeal (not instant, as PPs have mentioned) and would drink Mother's Milk tea all day. I started eating and drinking as much as I could. I also have to pump for at least 25 minutes, usually closer to 40, in order to empty my breasts.
After 2ish weeks of pumping every 2 hours, and making the diet and liquid changes, my output started to increase. The first thing I did was stop getting up at night to pump when the baby was sleeping. Eliminating a session or two at night didn't seem to change my overall output in the day, and it really helped my mental health and dedication to pumping to get a little more sleep. I still find, though, that my highest output pumping times are midnight - 5am. If I feel like I need to skip a session or space one out to get some sleep, I try to do it during the day (especially when my husband is home to help) for a really long nap.
The one thing that helps me not hate pumping is making sessions "fun" when my husband is home to entertain the baby. I'll set up my pump at the computer and just fart around online and eat cookies, which I'm not really able to do any other time. It's a great excuse to just sit there for 30 minutes, while my husband is in charge.
Pumping sucks. Exclusively pumping AND caring for a newborn is so, so hard. I'm getting a decent output now, and baby is very happy on the bottle, and I still hate it. I give myself goals to make it through (I'll pump until he's 3 weeks, a month, have a small freezer stash, etc.) and so far, I've been able to get to my short term goals, and feel OK to make another short term goal.