I apologize if this has already been pounded to death, but when I was having trouble producing I hooked myself up to the pump and pumped 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off for as long as I could take it. I was getting maybe 1-2oz total per session (every 3 hours). It sucked. I was also taking 3 fenugreek and 3 blessed thistle 3x/day, 3 brewers yeast 3x/day, and Motherlove More Milk Special Blend. And I also managed to give myself pretty significant bruising on my boobs while doing compressions and massage. That also sucked.
Hugs.
ETA: Misotiny is perfectly cute and wonderful! You're doing a good job.
Post by happyholiday on Feb 10, 2014 19:01:14 GMT -5
I tried to breastfeed and pumped every 2 hours , while mom watched my baby . I cried while pumping . I tried nursing classes and lactation consultants. I tried oatmeal and herbs . I never produced enough . In the end, it wasn't worth for me. It became more about the breast feeding and less about enjoying my baby. Don't feel guilty about whatever you decide.
I didn't have supply issues in the beginning but I did at about 4 months and on due to lots of clogged ducts. The amount of milk I was getting was so minuscule. It would take me weeks and weeks to get milk back. What finally helped was drinking more water than should be humanly possible, pumping longer and more often. I eventually got my supply up enough that I could feed her 75% breastmilk each day. The only thing that kept me pumping was the guilt I had from her being premature (I felt breastmilk was a way I could try to make it up to her). ((Hugs)) I'm sorry you're struggling.
Hi- I'm a lurker but wanted to respond because I had a similar experience. My son was born with multiple birth defect which required surgery. Right after birth he was taken to Childrens while I remained at local hospital. I pumped while at my hospital for a day and then was released and would pump while visiting my son. It was an awful experience between stress, being apart, and trying to keep up with pumping since my supply was crap. He was on feeding tube for a week so he could not even try to latch. Once he could bottle feed, The lactation consultant came into his room a few times but he never really latched once he was off feeding tube. I gave up pumping after 2 weeks and felt awful since my son had health problems so I felt extra pressure. I think trying to keep up with bottles and pumping on top of it lead to the beginning of serious PPD (I'm sure the trauma of a sick kid didn't help either) Nursing is hard enough with a perfectly normal birth experience and once you throw anything else into mix, it's really hard.
I guess point of this rambling is that I felt a billion times better once I made decision. I bonded better with him and enjoyed feeding him. We had 9 months of doctors appointments and 4 surgeries ahead of us, I think I would have literally lost my mind if I didn't stop. He's now a perfectly healthy (& awesome) 4 year old.
The absolute most important thing to do now is enjoy your daughter and that means you need to be as unstressed as possible.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. (heart)
Post by pierogigirl on Feb 10, 2014 19:07:15 GMT -5
I did not read all 5 pages of replies. I was a poor responder to the pump and I did not have a fast or forceful letdown - I also never leaked so I was convinced I had a low supply. Although I nursed successfully (after several visits to an LC) I never could pump much. If I pumped 7-8 times a day I was lucky to get 2-4 ounces (ETA total) with DS1. It was slightly better with DS2.
I also had to pump longer than 15 minutes because my letdown was slow. 1/2 an ounce is great - your baby is still so tiny and any amount of bm is good for them.
My kids always ate more often than every 3 hours - it was more like 1 1/2 - 2 hours from the start of one feeding to the start of the next.
Good luck. Breastfeeding can really be a mindfuck. If you decide to continue, things really do get better, in my experience.
ETA- I did go back and read everything. I also had pre-e and was induced at 38 weeks. DS1 had jaundice and would fall asleep at the breast. It was very hard to keep him awake to nurse. Ultimately I was able to breastfeed for over a year, but I thought about quitting many times in the beginning. I did end up extending my maternity leave in order to breastfeed. There was no way I would have been able to pump enough to make it worth keeping up. I did find a breastfeeding support group to be helpful. Also 3 weeks is when things can get really sucky - the lack of sleep catches up to you and growth spurts start.
She's amazing. So beautiful miso. When DS came back from the NICU @ 3 days after getting a bottle there every 3 hours, I just gave up on the boob. I'm hypo plastic ( are you? I mean I know it's SUPER creepy to ask about your boob shape but....) & I have FLAT fucking nips & I just gave the fuck up as I got not one drop out of either boob.
DS was FF. At 15 months he read a stop sign. He's 2 and he knows & spells his colors. He's a Twy Sentwa kid. I promise formula is great & misotiny will thrive if that's what YOU WANT to do.
Happy Mom = Happy Baby
I have no idea what my boob shape is, but maybe that is my problem. They look pretty flat. LOL.
Post by gogadgetgo on Feb 10, 2014 19:08:36 GMT -5
I'm sorry things are rough. I had supply issues with both boys in the beginning (pumping 10ml or so for both boobs in the first 2 weeks). The LC I pmed you about was my lifesaver this time around.
I hope, whether you decide to stick with it or switch to ff, you find peace and can enjoy Misotiny. She's a doll and deserves a happy mama. (((Hugs)))
At work so didn’t read past 1st page. I was such a psycho over this that I actually logged my production on a spreadsheet. I was on MAXIMUM DOSAGE of breastmilk enhancing drugs, mind you. Actually, even more than that bc I took Reglan (script) then bought Domperidone from overseas and also bought Fenugreek. The first 2 weeks I was basically pumping about 1-1.5 ounces total per session, but that’s bc of all the drugs I was on. And I’d pump for like 30 fucking minutes.
I'm halfway through page 3 and I just have to stop reading bc I'm crying over this. Crying at the flashbacks and crying for you that you're having these issues. It really does hurt and it's frustrating and I hate that I have to see a friend go through it. Will read/write more later when I get a chance.
I want to know if your pump has a let down mode as well. that helps so much. I can't remember how many ounces I was getting at first but I think it was a decent amount because I was engorged when I came home. The lactation "support" at my hospital was a joke and a half. If you are OK with a stranger coming and messing with your boobs, I would recommend you contact a local doula. She should be able to help you right away. I would say try La Leche League, but sometimes it takes awhile for a person to contact you. You are a wonderful mother miso!!!
I recommend Goat's Rue, blessed thistle, and fenugreek.
There is a supplement that combines them all called Motherlove More Milk Plus. I also have poor pumping output and this has helped. I'm on the list for a hospital grade pump. Even without it I have noticed an uptick in production, even with my crappy manual pump.
Also, drink a ton of water, as much as you can stand.
Can I tell you that all I wanted was someone who would tell me it was ok to stop? And no one did. It was all "do this, try that, I can fill a gallon container, what's wrong with you/your pump/your diet, etc.
So I'm going to say it.
It's ok to stop. I would give anything to have that time with my kids back at that stage and have me be happy than to remember it the way I do.
Huge hugs, lady. Whatever you decide to do, Misotiny will be a healthy girl.
YES! The guilt I felt was horrible, and unwarranted . I needed someone to tell me to stop . That ended up being the lactation consultant. The relief I felt , I can't even tell you . But I do wish I had stopped sooner , and enjoyed that newborn stage more .
Post by runforrest on Feb 10, 2014 19:19:49 GMT -5
@misoangry - I tried pumping for 3 weeks and was maybe able to get 1 ounce total per half hour session. It was maddening and nothing worked. The twins weren't latching right either and when we weighed them before and after fifteen minutes of what I thought was feeding, the weighed the same.
It was really frustrating, and awful, and humiliating because I had friends with freezers full of breast milk. After three weeks I quit and switched exclusively to formula. It made my life so much easier, but I felt huge amounts of guilt for quite awhile.
I tried diet changes and pills, but the pills made me severely depressed and at the end, it just wasn't worth it to us.
At work so didn’t read past 1st page. I was such a psycho over this that I actually logged my production on a spreadsheet. I was on MAXIMUM DOSAGE of breastmilk enhancing drugs, mind you. Actually, even more than that bc I took Reglan (script) then bought Domperidone from overseas and also bought Fenugreek. The first 2 weeks I was basically pumping about 1-1.5 ounces total per session, but that’s bc of all the drugs I was on. And I’d pump for like 30 fucking minutes.
Post by formerlyak on Feb 10, 2014 19:23:30 GMT -5
We did fine with actual bf-ing, but I got like 1-2 oz total from both sides when I'd pump. And since I went back to work at 10 weeks, there was no way I was going to be able to pump enough to sustain ds' life while he was at daycare and I was at my office, so I decided to bf when I was home in the morning and at night and then used formula during the day. It worked well until about 5 months when I dried up.
I did notice I was able to get a bit more from pumping if I pumped after a shower, but obviously when you are back at work you can't take a shower every three hours to get more pumping done. I tried just about everything listed here and that was the only thing that helped with the pumping, even a little.
I agree with the posters saying happy mom = happy baby. If it's not working, it's not working. Your tried your best, and that's all anyone can ask of you. If you are getting too frustrated and not producing and have had several trained people try to help, there is nothing wrong with calling it a day and switching to formula.
I want to know if your pump has a let down mode as well. that helps so much. I can't remember how many ounces I was getting at first but I think it was a decent amount because I was engorged when I came home. The lactation "support" at my hospital was a joke and a half. If you are OK with a stranger coming and messing with your boobs, I would recommend you contact a local doula. She should be able to help you right away. I would say try La Leche League, but sometimes it takes awhile for a person to contact you. You are a wonderful mother miso!!!
Thanks. My pump automatically switches to let-down after two minutes (or you can press a button to go to let-down directly).
Post by lolobeth802 on Feb 10, 2014 19:26:30 GMT -5
My son was born when I was 20. I was already very impressionable as it was at that age, with a newborn and very little support. But both my pedi and OB convinced me formula was poison. I could barley get my kid to latch and would barely get drips from the shitty pump I had. My son was losing weight and by the time my mother came to visit he was lethargic and limp. She took me straight to the pedi and someone there finally suggested a nipple shield. That saved us both. It made my nipple like a bottle and we continued using that for 4 months where I weaned him off it and BF'd for a year. I will tell you, the trauma of that led me to exclusively formula feed my next 2 children, even at an older, much more mature age. I'm so sorry you're having trouble
Post by everafter07 on Feb 10, 2014 19:27:25 GMT -5
DD was breastfed for her first 4 weeks. We were lucky, she latched great, but my output is only half of what she needs. She did pretty well with me the first month, but her gain was slow and we had to start supplementing. She developed a preference for the bottle, so I've been pretty much exclusively pumping for about 4.5 months. She's 7 months now.
At first I'd only get half to an ounce at a time, around 1 month, but now I get 3-6oz at a time, 4 times a day. I make 14-16oz a day, which is half her intake. I'm trying to give her the benefit thru cold and flu season, but being strapped to this fucking thing all the time makes me crazy. I'm calling it at the end of March, I think.
Your output should improve the more you pump. I also take Motherlove More Milk Plus and drink breastfeeding support tea.
Keep trying to latch her, and try not to the too frustrated point. Put her skin to skin to calm you both down and try again then, or later.
Post by daisybuchannan on Feb 10, 2014 19:29:53 GMT -5
@misoangry I think we had pretty similar birth experiences. Sudden onset of pre-e followed by a nicu stay and delayed reunion between mom and baby. We were apart for a little over 2 days, and I think it certainly affected my milk coming in- it didn't actually come in for a week.
Once we were together, I pumped after every nursing attempt to try and stimulate the milk to come in. I kept that up for the first week (and it was, as you know, miserable). He had trouble latching, and the nipple shield was our saving grace. I used it for about 8 weeks and then ditched it with tips from my lactation consultant.
When I pumped, it started out with very small amounts- maybe .5 on each side. So much pumping eventually gave me an oversupply, which became an evil cycle bc I was so uncomfortable/in pain that I HAD to pump. It also created a forceful letdown that made it hard for him to stay latched (the milk basically was like a faucet and choked him).
Long story short, once those issues were dealt with (again with help from a lactation consultant) nursing FINALLY became easy(or easier). We nursed for 13 months.
I'm sneaking in even though I didn't/don't have issues like you're describing to say that were I having similar issues I wouldn't have persisted. The only reason I have despite the dairy nonsense is that that is my only big issue. I am not going to lie that I'd be all no regrets chicken never looking back if I quit early because I'm sure I would anguish over it like I do over many things mom related. But I will say that I think YOU should feel no regrets chicken no matter what your choice is. We're on your side.
I'm late to the game here but I hope this still counts. I had latching problems too. My supply was non existent the first few days. I attempted to collect colostrum in this weird shaped dropper thing. That was a joke. He never did latch and by day 6 or so, I was only pumping 2 oz. I gave up and went to formula by week 2. It was all just too stressful for both of us.
I'm late to the game here but I hope this still counts. I had latching problems too. My supply was non existent the first few days. I attempted to collect colostrum in this weird shaped dropper thing. That was a joke. He never did latch and by day 6 or so, I was only pumping 2 oz. I gave up and went to formula by week 2. It was all just too stressful for both of us.
Omg in the hospital they gave me this weird thing to put in the hospital pump to gather droplets. That was when I sort of started realizing I might never ebf.
She's amazing. So beautiful miso. When DS came back from the NICU @ 3 days after getting a bottle there every 3 hours, I just gave up on the boob. I'm hypo plastic ( are you? I mean I know it's SUPER creepy to ask about your boob shape but....) & I have FLAT fucking nips & I just gave the fuck up as I got not one drop out of either boob.
DS was FF. At 15 months he read a stop sign. He's 2 and he knows & spells his colors. He's a Twy Sentwa kid. I promise formula is great & misotiny will thrive if that's what YOU WANT to do.
Happy Mom = Happy Baby
I have no idea what my boob shape is, but maybe that is my problem. They look pretty flat. LOL.
My brother and I were both formula-fed.
I think we're pretty kick-ass.
Are they kinda " longish" ? Far spaced? BTW your a really good Mom.