help! re: pumping!

ginanddavid

I know there's a BFing board too and I'll copy it over there as well, but HELP ME!

Ok- two weeks ago, we brought DD to the pedi for her "constipation". we found out, again, that she was losing weight. They changed her schedule from 4 hour feedings (she has always been like that, from birth) to 3 hour feedings WITH cereal in the mix. Well, stupid me, instead of pumping from one side for enough to mix with the cereal, I just took a bag out in the morning and used it for her cereal. I fed her cereal last, but because I was throwing in "food" AND making her eat more often, I KNEW she was nursing shorter periods of time. Well, I'm still home on summer vacation, so I haven't been pumping as much. I haven't lost much of my supply but last week and this week, she has gone to stay with the IL's while I do "grown up" things.

Today, I was in training. So I fed her at 7 before I left, pumping just enough to get her cereal before letting her nurse off of both sides. Then I went to school on my lunchbreak to pump. from 7-1pm I only was able to pump 2.5 oz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I went back to school (work) in May, I pumped about every 4 hours and EASILY got 4 oz.

Here I sit, pumping again, 3 hours later, and can't even get 2 oz... so i lose a whole bag of milk since DH used 2 bags while I was gone... Is it because she's eating cereal now? are we saying DD only eats 2.5-3 oz. a feeding now? What can I do to get it back to 4 oz?

DD is a good sleeper, very good sleeper... sleeps 12 hours a night, and has never slept less than 8 hours (don't throw anything at me!) at night... So I have always pumped in the morning and got at least 4 oz. each morning. Well, on maternity leave, I really got a stash going. I think, currently, I have like 60-70 bags of milk in the freezer.

MMS2007

i'm sure you've heard it before, but it's worth saying again.  nurse, nurse, nurse (or pump in your case).  there's a tea you can buy to help stimulate i think and my danish friends swear by drinking a beer a day and oatmeal.  (i just like the idea of that so did it)  try looking on kellymom.com too, it's a great place for support.  or call the ladies at a woman's work.  they're great there and will be able to offer help i'm sure.

good luck.

smashey

Drinking "Mother's Milk Tea" really helped me. I had the same pumping issues. You can get it at Whole Foods. Also, taking milk thistle helps a little. And, of course, drink lots of water.

SigmundsGirl

Drinking lots of water, eating oatmeal, and pumping every 3 hours worked for me when DS was only eating 4 oz. Starting at 4 months we started supplementing with formula, but I was still able to pump the same amount, which helped me build a freezer stash.