Need help with new ideas for increasing supply (long sorry)

gidge

We have had to supplement DD since she was born. After a few weeks we were down to supplementing with 4oz of BM and I had a short supply dip and increased that to 5oz after a couple weeks of very low weight gain.  To get the 5oz I pumped after all daytime feeds. 

A few weeks after that and she was up to gaining about 3/4 of an ounce a day (an all time high for her!).  I had just rented a scale so we could start weaning off the supplements when I had another supply dip and she stopped gaining weight again.  Ended up increasing her supplements to 7 oz a day and that seemed to help.  Adding a pump after the night feeds got me the extra 2oz to be able to continue with BM.

 Now I'm back at work and yesterday pumped 8oz over 4 pumping sessions ( i would like to send 4 3oz bottles with her to daycare).  I really don't think I will be able to continue pumping 4x a day or at night and be productive at work but I am out of ideas to increase my supply.  I power pump a few times a week, take 12 Fenugreek a day, and wake her once over night to get an extra nursing session in.  The standard of nurse/pump more just doesn't seem to work for me.  My whole maternity leave I nursed every 2 hours during the day and left one gap at night that would give me 4 hours of sleep and another 3 hour gap for a nap or if she was deep asleep.

 I think i'm eating plenty because I have not lost any weight since the initial loss after coming home from the hospital and I always have water around to drink when I'm thirsty.

DD already doesn't like nursing much in the evening because the milk flow/quantity is so much lower and she gets frustrated.  I am worried that she is going to get a strong preference for the bottles and not want to nurse anymore.  There are already some evenings where I have to give her a small bottle in order to get her to latch and then more after she is done.  I think this is probably frustrating to her also.

Any ideas for things I haven't tried?

Also, when pumping at work is it better to pump at a set time everyday or base it off the last nursing session in the morning? Would one be better for my supply?

 

kcircell

Hang in there, breast compression, Hitting the let down button, and a middle of the night pumping session helped me. I also respond well to a manual pump the advent brand so that is what I use for that middle of the night pump.

KatFCo

Have you had your thyroid checked?

jcsumm0

Has her latch been evaluated by an IBCLC so that you know she is transferring milk effectively?

Have you been checked for some underlying health issue that might cause low supply?

Do your pump flanges fit properly? 

The evening fussiness thing does NOT necessarily mean she is not getting enough milk.  It is very common. 

https://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/fussy-evening/

jcsumm0

Another option would be looking into getting some domperidone.

shotzie

Hi gidge! Sorry to hear you've had a bit of a rough road with bf'ing. I wonder if you used a supplemental nursing system for those evening feeds, or any nursing session where you give her a bottle afterward, if that would help. When you use an SNS, baby gets the supplement *while* nursing, so they are happy with some instant gratification, and your body gets the stimulation from nursing, which is beneficial for your supply. 

Have you tried eating oatmeal? It's a natural supply booster for some women - it works great for me. You could also try Mother's Milk Tea or here are some other suggestions from kellymom:

https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/pumping_decrease/ 

https://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbal_galactagogue/

Have you changed the membranes on your pump recently? That can help, if your pump doesn't seem as efficient as before.

And like pp said, it wouldn't hurt to have your thyroid checked, as that can effect your supply.  

You also want to make sure you're using the slowest flow nipples possible and that the dcp is giving LO her bottles in a bf-friendly manner, to minimize the likelihood of her developing a bottle preference:

https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/feeding-tools/bottle-feeding/ 

 

gidge

Thanks for the ideas.  I think I've tried most everything except the  SNS and domperidone. 

For thyroid - would I check with my OB or familiy practitioner? 

shotzie

gidge:

Thanks for the ideas.  I think I've tried most everything except the  SNS and domperidone. 

For thyroid - would I check with my OB or familiy practitioner? 

Either one can order the blood work. It's routine for the 6 wk pp check up at my OB's office. But it'd be fine to ask your pcp to order the test since they'd probably be the one to manage it if it does turn out to be an issue.  

gidge

Thanks!  They didn't take any bloodwork at my appt so I don't think it was checked.

I wanted to find/switch to new pcp anyway, so maybe I'll start with this.