Preemie pump help

[Mushe]

Hey guys! It’s a bit crazy here with the 4th of July holiday, so I’m trying to crowd source some help.

Monday was I think day 3? I got discharged in the afternoon. I started an official pumping log, and got better about a regular schedule, which had been hard to manage with being stuck in bed. We rented a Medela Lactina for the RMH, because the pump here is an Ameda (Medela Symphony at the hospital).

Monday afternoon - really clicked with volume, got great pumps 6pm, 9pm, 12:30am, biggest was 45ml on its own, others like 25.
Tuesday - wake up and seriously nothing. Like the well is dry. I’m talking 10ml down to maybe 2 later in the day.

I’m drinking water like it’s my JOB, and made sure to eat more yesterday (Tuesday). I went without food on Monday from 7pm-7am because I didn’t have any in the room.

What do I dooooooo? I ordered More Milk Plus from Amazon and some other drink mix, but it’s not in until Friday. The awesome NICU LC is out for a few days.

[thoseareradishes]

First, don't panic. My supply sucked the first few weeks, and it worked itself out. Somethings I did-

1. Eat at every pump. I don't know if you do dairy, but I ate ice cream at my middle of the night pump every night. Also lots of cheese sticks. And cake from the cafeteria. If I had to go back and do it again, I would eat even more.

2. Drink gatorade and water

3. I took fenugreek, it helped a lot but I've heard for other women it tanked their supply. You have to build up on the amount you take a day, and eventually you want to smell like a maple syrup factory.

4. Get on a schedule and stick to it as closely as you can. I pumped something like 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 10pm, 2am. I couldn't do more, I had to sleep sometime too. Some people will tell you to pump every 2 hours; that was never sustainable for me.

5. My NICU made you pump bedside, which I hated. The alarms made me jumpy. I was lucky and she had a little side room to her room that I was able to pump in.

6. Don't look at the bottles as you pump - watch tv, read, whatever to take your mind off (use a hands free bra if you have one, or ask the nurses to give you a few of those stretchy belly band things and make one). Some people like to look at pictures of the baby. Doing kangaroo care can help with supply too.

Hang in there mama, you got this!

[Mushe]

thoseareradishes, thank you so much! H is reminding me that it took me time to build last time too. I took More Milk Plus the whole year I pumped, it’s just so different to do pumping alone. I wasn’t sure if preemies were okay with fenugreek, so I’m glad I have the MMP on the way!

I’ve been doing skin to skin every day, and will get to do more than once a day when she’s a little bigger.

I’ll work on the food! I can’t have food in the NICU or technically in our room at RMH, so it’ll have to be non-perishable.

I sent H out for a hands free bra (curses, I have two at home!) before I discharged, but before that I had a nurse help me make one the first day with the stretch band. She’d never heard of it before, and couldn’t understand that I didn’t invent it. Yeah, that and post-it’s!

[thoseareradishes]

Fenugreek can upset some babies tummies, so I wrote on the bottles if I had been taking it, just in case. Never seemed to be an issue for her.

Does your NICU have a common area room where you can keep food or go to relax? We had the Ronald McDonald Room, it had a kitchen and table, TV, couches. We could keep food there and they usually had snacks and drinks for free. It was a nice place to meet other families too.

[househunter]

Both my dds were in the NICU and it was so stressful trying to pump. Hang in there. Try massaging your breasts as you pump. Also, thinking about the baby always helped my letdown. Does your pump have a letdown button?

[konapoppy]

Mine were late preemies but I totally agree on the food. I am bet RMH is trying to avoid mess (that you won’t make) with the no food rule. I had a lot of crackers with cheese at random hours throughout the night (pumping every 3 hours).

You are doing a great job - I don’t think I had any measurable milk 3 days pp and I ended up pumping over 30 oz a day until I weaned.

Oh also, my boobs hates the hospital pump. I ended up with a spectra 2 which I LOVED and my body responded so much better. It feels totally different. Not sure if the hospital rents them. I can send you mine to try if you want.

[luv2rn4fun]

No advice on the NICU/preemie situation but definitely ditto lots of Gatorade, water, oatmeal, and ice cream. All helped my supply. You are doing a great job!!

[Mushe]

Thanks, guys! There’s not a room at the hospital, but I can pack food and go to a quiet area. I do lots of massage while I pump. I remember looking at photos of DS to help pump when I first went back to work. ❤️

Calling the insurance to get a pump is high on my list!

[peggy]

No advice on NICU/preemie pumping, but my supply when pumping goes up and down depending on my anxiety level at the time. I have to almost meditate and focus on my breathing to get a good letdown.

Don’t forget hands on pumping - massage your breasts, encourage them to fully empty.

Pumping at all is tough, let alone out of town with a preemie. You are doing a fantastic job.

[Mushe]

Thank you, peggy! That’s so true.

[mrsgoontz]

My supply had some ups and down the first few weeks as well, hang in there. All of the ladies have given excellent advice.

I will also say that eating is what helped me up my supply big time. Oatmeal bars are what worked best for me. I made mine ahead of time but I know some organic brands like Annie's have some really good pre-packaged ones with out a lot of sugar and other additives and those shouldn't make a mess and are easy to eat while pumping.

Also want to re-iterate that you're amazing, hugs all around.

[loira]

You're doing great! I found that switching things up by using a manual pump sometimes helped me. My boobs apparently wanted variety...

[Mushe]

virginiaham, thank you so much! Those Aussie bites are a phenomenal idea. I made lactation cookies with my son, but the thought of trying to find all those specialty ingredients and make even non bake ones in the Ronald McDonald House kitchen is overwhelming. I’ll ask my dad to pick some up, since he loves to go to Costco, and they can bring them this weekend.

[Mushe]

Thank you, mrsgoontz! I’ll look for Annie’s if we can’t get the Aussie bites. I can’t have food in the NICU, and it’s technically banned in our room at RMH. 😫

loira, I’m a weird one who can’t hand pump/hand express/never leak. Gah. Where’s my ❄️❄️❄️ Tiara?

[thoseareradishes]

So, funny story about no food in your NICU room. E's room had a side room attached to it that I pumped in, put my bags and her laundry in, and washed pump parts and bottles. Whenever the Ronald McDonald room was restocked with snacks, H and I would take a couple of our favorites and leave them in our little side room. No one ever had a problem with this. Well, a little before E got discharged, we had a new night nurse who reminded us we weren't allowed to have food in the room. The next day, I come in and our snacks are sealed up in a hazardous waste bag!! I was a little annoyed (which I had no right to be, we were breaking the rules) and mostly amused, heh.

[Mushe]

Lol thoseareradishes! That sounds like a sweet setup.

[luv2rn4fun]

Mushe- I remember seeing some lactation cookies at BBB. There is one in Yorba Linda, close to the freeway (Weir Canyon/Yorba Linda Blvd in the Savi Ranch center). BRU might have some but not positive. Also, Sprouts near me has the Mother’s milk tea, which helped with supply as well. There is a sprouts in this same center (and probably one closer to where you are, although if you time it right with traffic YL isn’t too far away).

[Mushe]

Jul 5, 2018 20:50:37 GMT -5 luv2rn4fun said:

Mushe- I remember seeing some lactation cookies at BBB. There is one in Yorba Linda, close to the freeway (Weir Canyon/Yorba Linda Blvd in the Savi Ranch center). BRU might have some but not positive. Also, Sprouts near me has the Mother’s milk tea, which helped with supply as well. There is a sprouts in this same center (and probably one closer to where you are, although if you time it right with traffic YL isn’t too far away).

Thank you! I just got my Amazon order with more milk plus, and had a much better day today. I’ve got my dad on a mission to pick up Aussie bites. 😆

[belovedbride07]

I don’t have anything to add that hasn’t been said, but hang in there!

[anelms]

Blue Powerade always boosts my supply. I have no idea how it works but it does

[Mushe]

Jul 7, 2018 10:22:57 GMT -5 anelms said:

Blue Powerade always boosts my supply. I have no idea how it works but it does

That’s awesome, thanks! They happen to have that at RMH, thanks to Coke.