As everyone I am sure can relate, its been a super long 40 days! The girls came on January 11 at 10:14 and 10:15 pm after an emergency C-Section (they could not stop labor and I am glad they didnt) I had a placental abruption. Baby A was not breathing and her sac was filled with blood. They told me a few minutes later and chances are none of it would have made it. I was also bleeding internally and anemic. Dylan Marie (Baby A) was 1lb 3oz and 11 3/4" long, Hayden Rae (baby was 1lb 7oz and 12" long, both girls are now about 1/2lb and one inch bigger, only took 40 days (:
SO fast forward 40 days and after not being able to fully understand what has all happened to us I am pumping. I am still only getting 1/2 oz (if I am lucky) each side and one of the girls is depleting my supply. I have ok'd donor milk but would very much like mine to go to them. I am drinking tea, taking mothers milk tablets, moringa powder, pumping every 2-3 hours, even was getting up in the middle of the night until I couldnt handle being back at work with no sleep and wasnt getting any more millk anyways, I dont go longer than 6 hours w/o pumping even through the night though. I look at pictures, drink water and TRY not to stress. I havent been able to start kangaroo care but I cant wait until I do. Does ANYONE have any advice or other suggestions? This mama is starting to feel like she is not giving her girls what they need even though I know its not my fault.
Re: 16 week early identical twin girls - Intro & Pumping Q
Welcome! I'm sorry you're here, but it sounds like your LOs are fighters!
As for pumping, I had a slow start, myself -- but the best thing for me was pumping like a maniac. Like it was my full time job (I was luckily enough to not have to go back to work). I pumped every 2 hours during the day, every 3 hours at night. Probably not feasible for you if you're back at work FT....so I would just pump as often as you can, and you do need to pump at night -- you can get up every couple of hours (I did it the 12 weeks the girls were in the NICU, and then spent the whole day in the NICU -- you get used to smaller amounts of broken sleep in time).
Power pumping also helps (10 mins on, 10 mins off -- for an hour). Honestly, I tried fenugreek, oatmeal, etc -- none of that really helped (and fenugreek only irritated my LOs tummies)... for me, it was all about supply and demand. It took 12 weeks, but I'm now pumping 50oz a day. But, it was WORK. Like, 7 hours a day attached to the pump.
Just do what you can -- know that you don't have to provide 100% of your LOs intake -- anything you can provide is better than nothing, but do decide what can work best for you -- pumping is HARD work. Big time. Keep it up!
Welcome and congrats on your girls! I had a slow start as well and a bout of mastitis didn't help, so we used donor milk in the beginning. I found that taking hot showers helped me get a bit more, as did doing 2 four hour stretches at night. The LCs in the NICU said not to go more than 3, but I really needed the sleep and I think it helped. I also do a little boob massage before and during the last few minutes of pumping to sneeze every last drop. I hope you can start kangaroo care soon and try to pump right after.
Even if you end up needing to supplement, every drop of your milk they get is so good for them! We all know how hard it is and how much it sucks to be attached to the pump all day (pun intended!). Please remember how much you are doing for your girls already and know that breastmilk isn't everything! Your physical and emotional health is so much more important for them right now.
Welcome and I'm glad your babies are doing well.
DD was born 16 weeks early and I pumped the whole time she was in the hospital. Sadly, I was never able to get up to full supply. Unfortunately, sometimes that does happen with preemie moms. If you are unable to get up to full supply, it's okay. I know how hard it is to not be able to make enough no matter what you do, but in the end, as long as your babies are getting enough to eat, that's what's most important.
Don't give up yet, though. Everything PPs have said can be helpful. In addition, have your thyroid checked. Talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for domperidone or reglan. Reglan can have some nasty side effects, but not always. It gave me PPD side effects, but there are several ladies on the BFing board who have used it with good results.
I'm not trying to be negative, but one of the things that stressed me out the most was the fact that no one told me it was okay to not make enough, that I hadn't failed. Hang in there! You can do it!
Edited because I didnt write anything: You are all wonderful!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! it is so hard to talk to anyone about this. I couldnt even post on the boards I had previously been on becuase I felt like I let my girls down giving birth to them so early. I felt I robbed them because I feel the abruption was physically my fault. I was doing too much and actually had two incidents in a week where my seat belt ended up giving me bruises slamming on my breaks. Ugh. I will never know, but have since tried to let that all go!
I am taking reglan too I forgot to mention that but I will continue as long as I can get some milk, you all just made me feel so much better, and to those who have been donating THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To anyone else reading this ill take all the advice I can get! I love it!
Congrats on your sweet girls!!! One pumping is HARD stuff and even harder for others to get how much of it is a mental game it is for preemie moms. I remember becoming obsessed with it when dd was in the NICU because it was the ONE thing I coud control and do to help her! You are doing awesome! PP's all gave great advice so I just wanted to cheer you on! And in the long run if it doesn't work out, you tried everything in your power and you provided both girls with what you could!
Also in regards to the abruption, it's normal to "blame" yourself and your body for having preemies, I've been there, but one of my best friends had abruptions with both her pregnancy's and she didn't have any issues with a seatbelt, so it just happens to women for no reason and it sucks! Especially because we as women always want to find a reason and an answer!
Congrats on your babies!
I have an almost 3 year old Dylan Marie!!
Anyone who has ever pumped long term knows that it sucks. Keep at it and it can only up your supply. My only suggestion is can you have a blanket with the girls most of the time and take it home/to work to you smell them?
You are awesome, momma! I want you to know that for my 24 weeker, I did everything: always frequent pumping, power pumping, crazy supplements, breast massage, ..... Bottom line was that I simply never made more than 4oz total per day of milk. I, too, was lucky if I got 1/2oz per side per pump. That would be a HUGE pump for me.
I don't have any advice; just wanted to let you know that you are not alone in this super low milk supply situation but you are doing everything you can for your babes and that includes giving them your precious milk as well as donor milk and that is awesome. Remember that low supply is NOT YOUR FAULT and that it is ok to stop if you reach a point where the crazy hard demands of pumping is no longer best for your family.
(I am also not trying to discourage you from pumping. Pumping is awesome; pumping as long as you can is awesome; ANY amount of breasmilk you get for your babies is awesome; allowing yourself to stop pumping if it feels like the right thing and best thing for your whole family is also awesome and there needn't be any guilt in that.)
Eli 6.18.09 35.5w
Silas 1.25.13 35.4w 10 days NICU, allergies/asthma, gluten intolerant
Congrat's on your little fighters!!!
My milk came in like 3 days after the twins were born and stayed for a bit then dwindled down. I had to pump every few hours or it just didn't work. I was irritated because mine would go back and forth between too much milk to not enough! The only thing that helped me was getting on a regular pumping schedule. Then if you use something to help stimulate the milk like a noise you will always hear while pumping. ( .. in the end the noise for me was the stupid pump itself.. ha!) With my twins could only pump for a few months .. I ended up being put on some med's in which I could not breast feed and it could not be avoided.
My older son was a 28 weeker and I had a hard time pumping with him. My milk did not want to come in for nothing. Then as irony would have it my milk came in MONTHS after I stopped trying and stayed for years!
My oldest daughter i just had to give up trying to pump or breastfeed as my body just flat out would not make the milk. =( I kept trying and trying and ended up with an infection .. mastitis or something like that (I can't spell it)
My point being .. all you can do is the best you can do. Pump what you can and when you can. Any amount of breast milk is better then none. Good luck.