Dip in my milk supply - will it return?
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| Mon, 01-08-2007 - 2:45pm |
Remember me? I had the crazy oversupply and up until a week ago could easily pump 12 ounces in two 7-10 minute pumping sessions per day. Well, it seems that my supply has taken a dip. Let me explain a bit...
We went out of town for xmas and I started to get engorged on xmas day. I bought an Isis (since I didn't think to travel with the one I already owned) to pump off the excess. Then my son got sick with RSV and couldn't eat much because he kept throwing it up whenever he coughed. I pumped a couple of times per day (whenever I was full) but not consistently since I was glued to my son. He was not having enough diapers so we took him into the ER and they advised me to feed him smaller amounts more often. So I breastfed him every 30-60 minutes and could only let him nurse for 1-2 minutes at a time so that he wouldn't get too full and puke it all up. The last time I pumped off excess was the morning of 1/1, as he started eating regularly that day.
Fast forward to last Tuesday when I returned to work. I noticed a decrease in how much I could pump. Ever since then it has decreased more and more. This morning when I pumped I had trouble getting 4 ounces and that was with massage. I pumped for 13 minutes but there was no milk flowing for the last 5 of that. Last week I was getting 9 oz. per day (6 in the am and 3 in the pm) but now I will be lucky to get 8. He ate everything I was leaving last week (he averages 8 ounces a day while I am at work for 9 hours) and he was hungry when I got home and nursed like crazy. I know he will eat all I sent today and I am nervous that he will run out of milk because he is hitting his 6 month growth spurt.
What can I do? I do plan to add an extra pumping session (pump every 2 hours instead of 3). I use an Ameda PY and I think I need to replace the valves and maybe get bigger horns (just recently my nipples have started to swell when I pump and rub on the sides - I am not sure why it happened so suddenly but maybe it has something to do with my breasts being less full). My son has also started over the weekend to take both breasts during a feeding, which is a huge change from before when he never even finished one and I was block feeding for 5 hour blocks. I am not block feeding at all anymore!
AF has not returned yet (although I don't expect it to as I have never been regular). I have been fighting a cold for three weeks (I think it's now a sinus infection).
I know this is rambly and long. Please help! Will my milk supply return? Has it regulated for good? We are starting solids in a bit, too!
Thanks,
Crystal
Mama to Jack (7/13/06)

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With increased nursing/pumping supply should increase:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html
Baby is 6 mo? (did I add that right?) the increased nursing (i.e. both sides, etc.) could be growth spurt related and not supply related - keep that in mind.
Check the link and then get back to us with your thoughts, etc. ok?
Yes, my son is going to be 6 months on Saturday. I am pretty sure he is growth spurting, although he could just be making up for being so sick (he lost 2 lbs. while he was sick with the RSV). I am so nervous that having to limit nursing times while he was sick has affected my supply. I've never had any problems with pumping, so this is totally new territory for me. I am going to try the additional pumping session for a few days and see if that helps. Perhaps I can pump extra in the morning, too.
We were looking to start solids about a week after my son turns 6 months (he gets shots on Friday, so I want to wait a week to make sure any reactions are out of the way). Should I wait until my supply is better? I am not in a hurry to start solids (exclusively breastfeeding is so much less complicated). :)
Crystal
Mama to Jack (7/13/06)
Hi Crystal!
Great to 'see' you, but sorry you're having issues. Poor little baby with RSV :( Personlly, I would hold off a good month or so before starting solids, myself. (Of course, I didn't even introduce anything until closer to about 8 months). You'll really want to focus on getting that weight back up, and the best way to do that is nurse, nurse, nurse.
((HUGS)) to you and baby!
Theresa, I am going to take your advice and run with it! I believe Jack is developmentally ready but it makes a lot of sense to me to wait until everything is back to normal before introducing solids. The Ped said that it could take him up to 6 weeks to be completely healed. He is doing great but still has some residual stuff going on. I don't want to shock his system further.
I was going to try to add that third pumping session today but I had to pick him up early from daycare because he was throwing a huge fit and his DCP couldn't calm him down. Of course as soon as I picked him up he was perfectly fine. He did nurse for a good while, though. That should help my supply, although it doesn't help for tomorrow's bottles! Hopefully I can pump tonight at home.
Thanks for your help!
Crystal
Mama to Jack (7/13/06)
Just letting you know that periodic dips in pumping output can be reversed. My personal method was Mother's Milk Tea (3-5 cups a day until the output improved, then dropping down but having at least 1 cup a day for another week), making sure I was hydrated, and being better about taking pre-natals. These things seemed to do it.
Other things that helped were a morning pump & nurse, adding an extra session, almonds.
I learned, from this board, to think of introduction of solids merely as a way for baby to participate in mealtime, but not as a main source of nutrition. You could introduce mommy slushies and have him in a high chair at dinner time, or you could introduce mashed banana and do the same. Whatever you feel comfy with :)
Good luck!
Stephanie
DD Jacy 12/17/02
DS Dylan 5/16/05
I am so frustrated! I added a 3rd pumping session yesterday and came out with 1 ounce more for the day, which brought me to 9 ounces for the day. My son can take anywhere from 8-10, so I feel like I'm treading on thin ice already - then this morning at my first pumping session I noticed an additional .5 ounce drop from the day before. I don't understand why it keeps dropping! I have kept on pumping 5 minutes after the milk stops flowing but can't get another letdown even while massaging (I couldn't even massage any more drops out!). Monday evening when I tried to pump after work work I only got 1/4 ounce. :(
I started taking fenugreek last night and also added a calcium/magnesium supplement to my diet in case my period is trying to make an appearance. I eat yogurt with granola every day for breakfast. My breasts and nipples are pretty sore all of a sudden - it doesn't help that my son has started hitting, squeezing, and pinching my breast while nursing, which hurts like heck and leaves red marks. I can only guess that he is frustrated with the slow flow.
This is really depressing. Nursing was going so well these past two months and now it's horrible. I am worried that I won't be able to keep providing for my little guy, and I am worried because it seems that he is having a hard time gaining back the weight he lost while sick.
Is there anything I can do that I'm not already doing? Could this be hormonal and should I talk to my doctor to find out? I guess I should give it time - I just don't want to get to the point where I don't have enough for my son and end up giving him formula. :(
Crystal
Mama to Jack (7/13/06)
Try try try to ignore the numbers! You started out your morning worried about .5 oz! The biggest hurdle you have to overcome is stressing out about this! If you can ignore it completely, do! Sure, check at the end of the day to see how much you got. But don't do it in the morning. You need to give your body time to make all these measures work.
Also, you said you're not able to stimulate another letdown. See if you can by the end of the week--the first few times you go 5 extra minutes, you're telling your body to make more but it might not get the picture. If it's still not happening, try to "Power Pump". Stop a minute or 2 after the milk stops. Then go get a drink of water, go to the bathroom, whatever. Give your breasts a break for 5-10 minutes, then pump another 10 minutes and see if you get more. Paula recommended it when I had trouble due to missing pumps for a few days. It helped me out a lot.
Finally, your DS may be fussing, hitting, pinching because he's 6 months old, NOT because of anything to do with the milk flow. My DS did it, too. (BTW, I made him stop. I would hold my arm over the other breast and tell him "that hurts mommy". He likes to thread his arm through my nursing bra, and I let him do that.) Also check out teething tips.
You'll be fine!!!!! I had weeks where I had to dip into freezer stash for Friday, followed by weeks when I was able to start freezing the milk I pumped on Thursday! Give yourself a break.
Stephanie
DD Jacy 12/17/02
DS Dylan 5/16/05
((HUGS)) Crystal
My breasts and nipples are pretty sore all of a sudden I get terribly sore nipples around ovulation. Really, really painful.
The fenugreek will take a few days to kick in. It was 10 days with me, abnormally long, but I think most women see an increase in about 48 hours.
Hang in there, sweetie.
Thanks, Stephanie. I am trying really hard to not stress about it (obviously it's not working very well). I read a book and try not to watch the bottles, but I am so used to pumping an amount rather than for a time since I've always had an oversupply. I only have a small freezer stash since I have regularly been donating all my extra milk to a local mama. I never anticipated having this problem.
I have been trying to restrain my son from hitting me but it's difficult. He "attacks" the breast he is nursing rather than the other one, so I can't really cover it (although I have tried covering my breast with my free hand so that if he scratches or squeezes, he gets my hand instead of my breast - I have had mixed results since he is so squirmy that I have trouble holding him and covering my breast at the same time).
Thank you for your support. I feel very out of my element since I've spent so much time having too much milk!
Crystal
Mama to Jack (7/13/06)
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