Success after IF

Pumping/ low supply advice

Okay. So here's what has been going on recently. Hannah doesn't really like breastfeeding. She refused the left side from birth. My milk came in REALLY late. I've done everything I can to get help, nurses, my midwives, lactation consultant, la leche league meetings and feeding times have become stressful and I don't look forward to them, actually I was starting to dread them. I also don't have enough milk.

So after talking to my OB who helped put things into perspective for me I am trying to relax. What is most important to me is that she get breast milk. I've been pumping, but I'm not getting enough to feed her. I've been fortunate that I have some people donating milk to me, but I've also had to supplement using formula as well.

So far I'm taking fenu Greek, I filled my prescription for donperidone sp? and drinking mother's milk tea. Any pumping advice or anything else I can do to increase my supply would be most appreciated!
Diagonsed PCOS TTC since May 2009
First M/C December 2010 Second M/C August 2011
Oct 2011~Second round clomid 50 mg; BFN
Nov 2011~Third round clomid 50 mg: BFP
Dec 11- Beta #1 91;Dec 13- Beta #2 186.2
Dec 27- third miscarriage
May 25th- Beta #1 369;May 27th- Beta #2 798
Baby girl born Jan 23, 9lbs 3oz, 21 1/2" long
May 27th-Beta #1 80; May 29th- Beta #2 304; May 31st- Beta #3 860
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Re: Pumping/ low supply advice

  • I have had the same problems, i am doing the same as you, the domperidone should really help you out. I have been making sure to drink A TON!!! also I am pumping every 2 hours when I can and getting up twice in the middle of the night, once between 1-230am, that seems to be when my supply is the highest. its nice to get those few extra oz in the the middle of the night. occasionally i will pump and then an hour later pump again, so i am pumping every hour for 3 hours, that seems to help me get a little extra too. relaxing is an important part of pumping, sit down at the comp, watch youtube or tv and zone out and dont think about how much or how little you are producing. also a little bit of breast massage while pumping helps me get a little more. oh and one more thing, on my pump i have the let down button, i have found it takes me a little longer to let down with the pump so i will push it again for another 45 sec after it finishes itself..

    whew, that was long! I hope some of the things help you out!!!

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    TTC since 2005
    missed miscarriage nov 2006- 4 failed clomid cycles-
    3 failed femara iui cycles-
    moving on to IVF oct 2011
    ER nov. 7th
    tansfered 2 blasts on 11/10
    lots of +hpt!!
    beta #1 on 11/21= 50.4
    beta #2 on11/23= 90.8
    another miscarriage 12/23
    moving on to Round 2 of IVF with an auto immune dx
    ER 4/23-retrieved 12 eggs
    ET 4/28 3 transfered
    Beta #1- 356
    Beta #2- 870

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  • If your OB didn't check your thyroid level, have them do that -- underactive thyroid is also associated with low milk supply and treating it can help if that's an issue.

    PCOS is often associated with low supply (about a third of women with pcos end up with low supply, a third have normal supply, and a third end up with over-supply)- something to do with the hormones.

    Have you heard of power-pumping?  If not, google it. 

    Here are a few sites with info about low supply and a link to a facebook group that you can request to be a member of (I was a member when I was trying to BF early on -- unfortunately I never got any real milk supply at all, but I tried for about a month before giving up):

    https://kellymom.com/category/bf/got-milk/

    https://www.lowmilksupply.org/

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/IGTmamas/?ref=ts&fref=ts

    Good luck!


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  • Honestly, it sounds like you are doing just about as much as you can. Did you rent a hospital grade pump? That can help. I also know people that have had luck keeping lo on the breast by using a supplemental feeding tube. That way your lo is supplemented while still getting time on the breast.

    If all else fails and you start to resent your pump, just know that it is okay to stop. I personally hated that I was spending more time with my pump than my lo. I was in no position to EP, since I had a sucky supply.

    IVF #1 ET 1 d3 embryo 10/30/11 BFP
    3 Embryos frozen (1 d5, 2 d6)

    DS born 07/29/12

    FET #1 ET 1 d5 embryo 02/10/15 BFN

    FET #2 1 d6 embryo didn't survive thaw, transferred last d6. CP :(

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  • Hugs. Low supply can be so stressful. Ive been there. It sounds like you are doing lots. I heard that Dom will help tons. Also try eating oatmeal like steel cut oats. That really helped my supply too.
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  • I have been successfully exclusively pumping for over 5 months now. This website has been my Bible and greatest resource on how to do it: https://www.mother2mother.com/ExclusivePumping.htm

    The key in the beginning is consistent pumping every 3 hours around the clock. After the 3 month mark, your supply should be established and you can drop back to every 4 hours. Also, I believe having a great pump is key too. I have the Medela Freestyle and swear by it.

    Lastly, I have a regimen of supplements I take, which include the mothers milk supplement, blessed thistle, and a calcium/magnesium/zinc combo vitamin which helps greatly with supply. I drink a ton of water and use a heating pad on my breasts at each pumping. I produce 8 to 10 ounces of milk per pumping and now pump every 4 hours in the daytime, and every 5 hours at night.

    I'm not saying its easy, but I am living proof it can be done. I had to take this path due to LO not latching, but if you have determination and consistency, it can work. GL to you!!
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  • Hang in there Robeano! I had to pump to start because sweet baby j had a tongue tie. I second the power pumping. Even if you just turn off the pump, massage the girls and start again. 

    J is back on the boob, but with a nipple shield (which we are weaning off).

    Breastfeeding is hard, but pumping is really hard because it means not really being able to hold LO when you are pumping. Having a hands free pumping setup is key.

    Good luck!! 

    TTC Since 3/2010
    Me-36, Unexplained Infertility, DH-35, all clear
    Clomid 50mg 12/2011 = BFN
    Clomid 100mg 1/2012 = BFN, with Cyst
    IVF #1 Lupron/Menopur/Gonal-f/HCG Trigger
    ER 4/19/12 = 11 retrieved, 6 fertilized,
    ET 4/22/12 = 2 transfered (day 3), remaining 3 weren't good enough to freeze
    Beta 5/3 = BFP, 87 Beta #2 5/7 560.9 Beta #3 5/9 1376.5 First u/s One Baby, 125bpm!
    Second u/s, 176bmp! Kicked over to the OB by the RE at 8w. Team Green!! 
    Baby girl J arrived two weeks early! Born into water, med-free. Hooray for Team Pink!

    TTC #2 - back to the RE, treatment started 12/2014. 

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  • Hmm... My supply isn't low because LO gained two pounds in one month but I have a hard time getting much from pumping right now.  I am going to try a larger flange to see if that helps.  I was told your nipple should not touch the flange.  That is the only trick I haven't seen you try.  My Milk didn't really regulate until week 5.  It is tough but if you stick with it hopefully it will work out. 
    TTC since June 2011
    DH diagnosed with Testicular Cancer 8/2010
    Low sperm count. Only option IVF with ICSI
    Starting First cycle Jan/Feb 2012- Canceled due to not responding to BCP and/or Lupron
    IVF 1.2- stims March 14, ER March 24, 16 R 10F 6 made it to blast
    ET March 29- transferred two blasts, 4A and 4BA, froze 4
    Positive HPT 9dp5dt Beta 1- 385 11dp5dt
    u/s April 25- one healthy heartbeat
    EDD 12/12/12>


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  • I'm so sorry you're having low supply too.  It is such a hard thing to deal with.  It sounds like you're doing a really great job though.  And the dom should help.  I took 12 (610mg) fenugreek caps per day in order to smell like maple syrup.  I think I found though that the mother love more milk plus worked a little better than fenugreek with less stomach irritation, so consider that as well.  You can also make lactation cookies.  The recipe I use is the first one on this page:
    https://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/lactation-cookies-recipe-increasing.html
    Make sure you are drinking plenty of water, like 100 oz. per day, and eating plenty of calories, at least as much as you did when you were pregnant.  Are you on metformin?  For some girls with PCOS taking metformin can help with milk production, but I don't know about taking it with dom.  Pump every 2 hours during the day, and every 3 hours at night, for 20 minutes.  The advice above about power pumping is great too, do that once a day for a week.  While pumping, look at pics or videos of LO, hold one of her onesies or a blanket that smells like her.  Put a blanket over the bottles so you can't see how much you are pumping. 
    Have you tried laid back nursing and/or side lying nursing?  My LO had a much easier time latching using those techniques than she ever did with the boob sandwich thing.
    Sorry this is so long, but I went through this too and it was so hard!  This is all the advice I received from the BFing board.  T&P that you can make it work.  Huge hugs mama.

    TTC with PCOS since November 2009
    IUI#1 Femara/Ovidrel (cd 3-7) = BFP, m/c
    IUI#2 Femara/Ovidrel (cd 5-9) = BFN
    IUI#3 Femara/Ovidrel (cd 3-7) = BFP!
    beta #1 11/23 = 270, P4 = 75
    beta #2 11/28 = 2055
    Our daughter E was born 7/29/2012!
    Surprise, our 2nd daughter P was born 5/22/14!
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  • Thank you so much ladies for all your support, I don't know why it took me so long to post this. Probably I was feeling too emotional about the whole situation.
    Diagonsed PCOS TTC since May 2009
    First M/C December 2010 Second M/C August 2011
    Oct 2011~Second round clomid 50 mg; BFN
    Nov 2011~Third round clomid 50 mg: BFP
    Dec 11- Beta #1 91;Dec 13- Beta #2 186.2
    Dec 27- third miscarriage
    May 25th- Beta #1 369;May 27th- Beta #2 798
    Baby girl born Jan 23, 9lbs 3oz, 21 1/2" long
    May 27th-Beta #1 80; May 29th- Beta #2 304; May 31st- Beta #3 860
    Image and video hosting by TinyPicImage and video hosting by TinyPic
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  • I was really emotional about it too. I have shed MANY tears over BFing. The day I walked onto my BF support group, I was crying before I even finished signing in. It's ok, we're here for you.
    TTC with PCOS since November 2009
    IUI#1 Femara/Ovidrel (cd 3-7) = BFP, m/c
    IUI#2 Femara/Ovidrel (cd 5-9) = BFN
    IUI#3 Femara/Ovidrel (cd 3-7) = BFP!
    beta #1 11/23 = 270, P4 = 75
    beta #2 11/28 = 2055
    Our daughter E was born 7/29/2012!
    Surprise, our 2nd daughter P was born 5/22/14!
     image
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  • imageTJ1979:
    I was really emotional about it too. I have shed MANY tears over BFing. The day I walked onto my BF support group, I was crying before I even finished signing in. It's ok, we're here for you.

    Me too. I have bawled so many times. But reaching some form of decision has been very good for my mental health.

    Diagonsed PCOS TTC since May 2009
    First M/C December 2010 Second M/C August 2011
    Oct 2011~Second round clomid 50 mg; BFN
    Nov 2011~Third round clomid 50 mg: BFP
    Dec 11- Beta #1 91;Dec 13- Beta #2 186.2
    Dec 27- third miscarriage
    May 25th- Beta #1 369;May 27th- Beta #2 798
    Baby girl born Jan 23, 9lbs 3oz, 21 1/2" long
    May 27th-Beta #1 80; May 29th- Beta #2 304; May 31st- Beta #3 860
    Image and video hosting by TinyPicImage and video hosting by TinyPic
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