Reduction in pump volume
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Reduction in pump volume
| Wed, 11-08-2006 - 5:58pm |
Hello again everyone! Well we almost made it to 7 months but now I am afraid that my milk is drying up ... or at least I am not able to pump much now so I will not have enough to send to school with her during the day. I went from pumping anywhere from 4-6 oz ... usually 4 oz per session to not even 2 oz. It seemed to happen overnight and now I am afraid I will have to supplement her formula during the day. Do you guys have any ideas?? I know we have been battling thrush for forever now ... we are going again now!! But I didn't think that could reduce my milk production. My pump is new and I just bought new horns as I call them so I have no idea!! Any help would be great!!
Thanks!!
Eva

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Hi there-
Contrats on nearly 7 months! Fantastic :) I know that feeling in your stomache when you see that big drop. It is so scary...BTDT.
Your pumping output is still 'normal'. Do keep in mind that the average woman only EVER gets between .5-3 ounces for both breasts total. When you were pumping 4-6, that was FAR above average. Just want to put that into perspective and mentiono it for lurkers.
Is there any way you can get an extra pumping session in, even on the weekends? If baby is on solids, can you have the sitter give those in place of a bottle? Oatmeal and fenugreek both worked for me.
Has AF possibly made her return? She can mess up supply for sure. The overnight thing makes me think that. PG can also mess with supply...is that possible?
Follow up and we'll go from there. HUGS
Today Cayenne's daycare fed her oatmeal cereal, carrots, banannas, and one 4.5 oz bottle and one 5 oz bottle ... plus I showed up to feed her today as well and she still wanted to eat the minute she saw me. It just makes me feel bad that's all!! Would the AF also cause the nipple pain? I think I read somewhere that it can but I am not sure.
Anyways thanks for your response and ideas!! I will try the Fenugreek and pray it works!! I'm not ready to give up yet!!
Eva, what pump is it that you've got? (type/brand)
You may have said & I just missed it, but how often are you pumping at work?
I pump twice at work ... usually around the same time. I do not pump at home unless I have to. I have been pumping a little once in a while to get enough to make her some cereal but other than that I try to just have her nurse. I have a Medela Pump in style and it is a double electric and right now the speed is up to 5 and the suction is a little passed the mid way.
As for the yeast .. I already take 2 acidophilous twice a day (sometimes 3 if I remember) and now I am on diflucan for 7 days. Cayenne's Pediatrician did not want me to give her acidophilous so no I have not been giving it to her.
Are you kidding?? She is not sleeping through the night at all. Like last night she went to sleep around 9:45 (after only having a 40 minute nap and a couple of short 10 minute naps) and was still up around 1:00 wanting to eat ... and then again around 3:00 ... and then I fed her at 6:00. What do you mean that the 5 oz bottles may be a little big? I thought the longer the baby's belly is full the longer they will sleep? Usually I am feeding Cayenne every 4 hours .. I don't really time it on the weekends because she just loves to nurse! During the week though when I go to feed her at her day care I go around 9 and then again at 1:00 ... I did tell them that she only needs 1 oz of milk for every hour I am gone so they are good about following my directions ... except some days they end up defrosting 2 big bottles instead of a smaller one. I am just going to make sure to pack my milk in only 4 oz or smaller servings ... The problem is that even after she has finished the bottle she still acts like she is starving. I have asked them to feed her the bottle first and then if she is still hungry then give her some cereal or baby food.
I am just SO bummed out!! Then last night I get to my mom's house and decide to pump since she wasn't acting hungry and I get 4 oz out again!! I am just wondering if maybe my stress level at work is making it harder for me!! ... I have no idea!!
I will need to try the pumping one side while she is eating on the other ... I did that in the begining with a manual pump but it can be a real pain!! I need to do something though because I don't want to stop bfing DD now! I would like to make it to a year! The thought of not being able to nurse makes me sad!
Any other ideas??? Thank you SO much for your response!!
Well first of all, there shouldn't be any reason you cannot continue to bf - so stop worrying about that part. You're not drying up, although there may be something here that is contributing a little to the pumping output.
You mention feeding her about every 4 hrs. While this can work ok for some moms, others find if they stretch much further than every 3 hrs, their supply goes down. To boost it back up, step up the nursings to every 3 hrs for a week and see if that helps.
Thank you Paula for your response. I just got done pumping and once again only got less than an oz out. It is really hard not to worry about this (although I know it isn't doing any good) because I have been back to work since June and have had no problems with the pumping and getting enough each time. To think I used to stress over getting only 3 oz
out .. LOL
I have been feeding her every 4 hours during the day while I am at work and pumping twice and again have had no issues since June so I am pretty confused!! I can try to pump every 3 hours but unfortunately with my job that isn't always possible!
I will have to try the Fenugreek again and see if that works. I have been under TONS of stress and it is hard because I don't have any other options for pumping location. My work has set up a "server room" for my pumping pleasure and up until now it has worked out great!! I am just SO at a loss!!
I will try to reduce the speed and the suction to see if this helps any. I am finding that lately I am not having a letdown during these small pump sessions. My breasts have not been sore from pumping but what I thought was thrush may not be because my breasts are still sore after 3 days of medication ... can you tell me what the breast pain is like when AF is getting ready to come? Maybe that is what is going on ... I have no clue!!
I am not sure why her ped didn't want her on the acidophilus .. she just told me that there was nothing proven so she didn't recommend it. She is a LC so I thought she would know best but I am starting to wonder!! Cayenne is getting the nystatin on her groin area because she has a yeast rash (or what looks like one) but nothing in her mouth so I have not been giving her the nystatin. The nurse told me not to worry about it unless she shows symptoms.
Yes Cayenne has pretty much always been up every 3-4 hours and I am used to that. I would LOVE for her to sleep through the night but the only time she did that was about 2 weeks ago when she got sick!! I let her nurse as much as possible when we are together. I don't even pack bottles when we go out .. i just NIP ... I just deal with the stares and the dirty looks :o)
Now if I have them feed her every 3 hours then she will get 3 bottles instead of 2 and that will put me again behind in the milk supply and then I would have no choice but to supplement her with Formula at school and I am SO trying to avoid that. Would it be worth that risk? I don't want to starve my baby or anything but I do want to make sure that I can give her breastmilk as long as possible. We have been through SO much. What I have told DC is to go ahead and feed her the milk and then if she is still hungry give her food or cereal in between.
Now I will say that I just did the pumping and noticed that I was dripping milk out of the sides not into the bottle ... what could cause this? I tried to reposition the breast to stop it but it is happening on both sides ... I am sure that this is probably why I am having such a hard time. Any ideas on that?
Hi again :)
How about trying these?
Hello Again :o) Well the worry is back up because after taking 6 bags of milk out for Cayenne I only have 2 left in the fridge .. that isn't even enough to get her through this week :o( I did try to pump after 3 hours of feeding her and I actually got less milk then last week but when I nursed her all weekend she got enough. I just don't get it! AF isn't here yet and most of the symptoms are gone .. just the cramping left!!
I think I will have DC actually make sure they only give her 4 oz of milk each feeding and supplement with the cereal and babyfood ... I am pretty much at a loss!! Of course this week is a really busy week for me and I will not be able to make it to all of her feedings to nurse her. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to pump this weekend because we were SO busy but I am going to start waking up in the morning to pump even though she is eating every 3 or 4 hours .. I have to do something!! WIll my milk supply diminish during the day if I don't feed her? That is what I am worried about because I don't always get to feed her. I am going to get some fenugreek today as well.
The oatmeal didn't work for me before when I was trying to boost my supply before I came back to work ... but the fenugreek did.
Relaxation?? What is that?? haha ... just kidding .... It is so bad because you stress about your supply and then they tell you not to stress ... haha ... but then isn't that life???
I was on 200MG for 7 days. I just took my last one today.
How do you treat the baby with the acidophilus? I am willing to try anything to keep the thrush away!! it hurts too bad!!!
oh by the way my daughter bit me so hard this weekend she drew blood!! OUCH!!! now do you think this will be a problem with the thrush and everything???
I think my next pump session at 10:30 I will try to lean all the way forward and see if that works. My back might hurt but it might work. I just can't get the letdowns to come. I used to get multiple let downs and now I can't even get one!! Uggghhh!! I am going to feed my daughter today since I have the time. I missed the morning feeding but will make the afternoon one. I hate feeling like I am starving my daughter!!
Is it possible that getting larger breastshields might help? I noticed that now when I pump my nipple kind of does this thump when the suction cycle has completed. Is it possible that there is a suction problem and if so would it be the breast shield or the pump that is the problem?
I am SO sorry for all of the questions but I REALLY do appreciate all of your help!!!
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