Something is going wrong with breastfeeding. It feels like I'm on a downward spiral and I only have two more weeks until returning to work. I think there are some good formulas on the market and I supplement about 2 oz each evening before his bedtime. However, I have worked so hard these first 10 weeks to breastfeed that I would like to continue as long as I can.
In a nutshell, if I pump, there is not enough for the next feeding... so I started supplementing that feeding with pumped breastmilk... which totally defeats the purpose. Now I pump between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m. since that is such a long stretch between feedings but it's not going to be enough for that first day I return to work. It's weird because he has pulled off and acted irritated like he wants more, but then the times between feedings have grown longer recently.
I have sought out so much information about breastfeeding and have tried suggestions through the LC, blogs and reading materials. I am eating oatmeal, drinking more water, doing the massage techniques to help during pumping, etc. I will say I am not eating like I should... eating a late breakfast and usually I either have a good lunch or supper but not both.
I read somewhere that once you start supplementing or pulling from the fridge/freezer stash you are telling your body to "make 2 oz less" but why should that be the case if I pump when he gets that extra 2 oz during a long stretch until the next feeding? Also, does anyone have a baby that sleeps a long stretch like 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. who maintains their supply? This has only happened once or twice but the baby is my alarm clock through the night... if he hits snooze, so do I!
Last week breastfeeding/pumping schedule (although I feed on demand so times are not exact)-
8:30 a.m.- BF
9:00 a.m.- P
11:30 a.m.-BF
1:30 p.m. -BF
4:00 p.m.- BF
4:30 p.m.- P
6:30 p.m.- BF & Supplement- 2 oz
8:00 p.m.- "top off" BF
between 12:00-1:30 a.m.- BF
4:30 a.m.- BF
6:30 a.m.- BF
This week breastfeeding/pumping schedule-
9:00 a.m.- BF (today I had to pull out a little more from fridge to satisfy him)
(No more pumping here because my supply was so low for the next feeding.)
12:00 p.m.- BF
2:00 p.m.- BF
4:30 p.m.- BF
6:30 p.m.- BF
8:00 p.m.- BF & supplement
9:00 p.m.- P
1:00 a.m.- BF
6:00 a.m.- BF
I can't figure out if this is just a another bump in the road...perhaps another growth spurt... or if we are going to have to take a whole new path. I want our baby to be as healthy as possible and I know breastmilk helps with that, but I also want him to get a full tummy and be happy! Don't tell me "it gets easier" lol. It's true that some things are getting easier, but breastfeeding remains on the "always a work in progress" list!!!
❤️American🤍Baby💙
13 hours ago
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I like the phrase "work in progress".. I feel the same way. I stay at home and gave up on building a stock-pile after dealing with thrush, but here are some suggestions.
Have you tried anything like drinking Mothers Milk to increase your supply? How about Fenugrek? (I would try that after having tried Mothers Milk.)
Also, if you are pumping after he eats, do not expect to pump enough for a full feeding. From my understanding, if you are pumping after he eats, you will have to keep adding the amounts you get together in order to have enough for a full feeding. Completely normal. The best time to pump is in the mornings (and stress can affect how much you get) so don't look at how much you have pumped until you are done. The LC told me to cover the bottle up with a receiving blanket. Does he eat off both breasts? If not, I would pump off the side he didn't eat off every time. It can take 3 days for your body to regulate to make more milk.
I think it sounds like he is gearing up for his 3 month growth spurt. R is doing this as well. Sometimes he seems fussy at the breast, but according to KellyMom.com that is not a indication of supply issues... sometimes he is over tired etc.
I know worse comes to worse there is a migraine medication that leads to more lacation as a side effect. My friend is taking this to help her supply but she has a 6 month old. Okay, crying baby gotta run. I hope I said something helpful!
I am certainly no expert at this at all. But here is what I did :)
My baby started sleeping for longer stretches at night around 9 weeks. I did not get up to pump during that stretch. When she did wake up I would feed her and then pump after. I could get more milk this way since it had been a longer stretch between feedings. Maybe try pumping after the 1 am feeding? I know that is no fun because all you want to do it go back to sleep! That is how I started my freezer stash.
My schedule went a little something like this.
9pm-BF and then pump after
3am-BF then pump after
6am-BF then pump after
9am-BF and then occasionally I would pump after this one. I didn't really pump any other times of the day unless she only ate off one side or something weird...
I started pumping after I put her down for the night just to help empty my boobs in case she slept a long time, so I wouldn't be so engorged...I still do that.
Also, I've heard pumping in the mornings is good because your supply is greater then. I found that my supply was the highest at the 3am feeding and the 6am feeding...go figure!
You are so right that breastfeeding is always a work in progress. I've been doing it for 4 months and there is always something...right now it is that she keeps getting distracted and stops eating!
Hope some of this helps!
Oh and when I would pump after a feeding I did not get enough for a full feeding. It would take a few pumping sessions to get enough. I would estimate that I would get and ounce to 1.5 ounces total after a feeding in the beginning. Then after doing it for a few days I would gradually get more.
Sorry hon - I have no advice to offer and I'm still trying to figure BF out. I skip a feed at 1:00 am usually (Hubbs does that one with pumped milk or formula) and I pump the contents of both breasts to "stockpile" for the next night. I'm on DomPeridone to try to jack up my milk supply but everything I read tells me that if I feed on demand my body will "automatically" make enough to sustain and satisfy my baby. From experience so far, I don't think it's true since my baby rejects the breast after a while but still roots around looking for milk. Ah, breastfeeding, how I loathe the process!
First off, here's the link to fix your email for replying to comments: http://mycheapversionoftherapy.blogspot.com/2012/01/responding-to-questions-and-comments.html
Then, as far as pumping, I ALWAYS get the most in the morning. Lately Stella has been eating at 1am then sleeping, so I get up at 6am and pump, then nurse her around 7:30. If your kiddo wakes you up to nurse at 5:30-6:30, then give it at least 30 min before you try to do your morning pump. Give it up to a week before you see the difference in your supply from regular pumping. Also, I agree, stress affects amts, so don't look until you're DONE pumping at how much you've gotten!
Okay- just reread this. That 9pm pump is probably happening at your very lowest point of the day (supply wise) so I really think it's more important to make sure you're also getting that morning pump in.
When Stella is in a growth spurt, sometimes my pumping results are lower, but I just keep with it every single day, b/c eventually I start getting more and more again.
When I started work 2 weeks ago, I'd get about 2-3 oz in my mid-morning and mid-afternoon pumps, and now I'm getting 5-8 at each!
Definitely keep up your water intake (which you know, but I aim for 100+ oz per day and that seems to help!) and maybe try fenugreek.
Kellymom.com is a GREAT resource if you haven't checked it out already!
I concur that conventional wisdom (and true for me) is that the morning is the best time to pump and that you won't get a full feed if you pump after you feed. That's fine. Freeze and it will add up by the time you go back to work (and you'll pump all day at work for the next day). In order to get your supply up, the baby will get a little frustrated. When mine goes through a growth spurt, she feeds almost constantly and smacks me and pulls on the nipple when she doesn't get enough at once. It can be a little uncomfortable even, but I know it's okay for her because that is how they build your supply to match their needs--they suck and suck until they finally get enough and your body gets with the program. You can build your supply enough to pump and provide all the milk for a day, but you have to let your baby help! If you supplement, it does tell your body that your baby doesn't need that amount that you supplemented, and you want to have enough to pump AND feed. Oh, and also definitely drink lots of water, like Josey says!
i will start by saying i know a much or as little as you and this is just coming from my very limited 9weeks of experience.
1) if he's nursing till he pulls off (versus only letting him nurse 15-20min on each side as i read in one book) and going longer between feeds and you're feeding on demand, i'd say he's getting what he wants. as long as he is growing ok, he's also getting what he needs.
2) mine is going for a 5-6 hour stretch at night. i do not wake up to pump b/c i need that stretch. however, he does then only go some 2 hour stretches during the day mixed with some 3 hour ones.
3) two things that i've done to ramp up my supply--make sure to keep my calorie and water intake up. i suck at this. i eat 1.5 meals a day and can definitely tell a difference when i actually eat 3 meals and drink loads. like, i can see an immediate difference. but yeah, i still suck at it. as for pumping, i try to pump about an hour after he is done with an hour before his need feeding--so, if he eats at 9am and won't want to eat till 1130, i will pump at 10am. i won't always get much, but i'm hoping it is signaling my body to make more!
i hope this makes sense. my little guy is ironically screaming for food so i was typing quickly.
I failed at the pumping game, but I think you are doing a great job- don't get down on yourself! I felt terrible quitting bf'ing but I had to do what was best for me and for Emily.
Oh, we go back to work around the same time. March 5th is my date, I am soooooo not looking forward to it.
I am having similar thoughts. He never latched on, so I've been pumping and supplementing from the start but now, my freezer is so full of milk that I can't store too much more so I'm not sure what to do. I also have no idea how to stop. I tried and failed early on. I doubt it's any better the second time around.
I just got my access to the lactation lounge at work. Good times!
Oh, this is kind of weird, but it works for me . . . I have a hand pump (Medela Harmony) in addition to my full-guns-blazing pump. Sometimes in the middle of the night, when my breasts are pretty full and the baby is satisfied after emptying one side (not during a growth spurt), I use the hand pump on the other side when she feeds. I get more milk then than during the day. If you're getting long stretches at night you could try that because there's probably quite a lot of milk built up. It might help build/maintain supply too. The hand pump is crucial because the electric pump is too difficult to use when also feeding any time, let alone in the middle of the night.
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