Breastfeeding

My boobs are breaking - vent

Hi ladies,

I'm very lucky to have been able to breastfeed DD with no issues until now. She's 6 months old. I went back to work at 6 weeks pp for 2 months, then had 6 weeks off and now I've been back at work for 3 weeks. The first time I went back to work I was pumping more than I needed to feed DD. But this time around I'm not getting enough. She eats three 4oz bottles while at daycare, but I only pump 10-12oz a day. I've been adding a pumping session after DD goes to bed, but even then I only get 1-2oz. This morning at my first pump of the day I only got 1.5oz (usually that's my best pump of the day with around 4-5oz). On top of my supply going down, for the last 3 days, daycare has been asking me to bring more milk. Saying DD seems very hungry. We did two days with 4.5oz and today they told me to bring even more. I don't know what to do, My boobs are running out of milk, my freezerstash is gone. I'm not ready to stop breastfeeding yet. I just want to cry, sigh.

thanks for "listening"

 

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Re: My boobs are breaking - vent

  • i feel your pain. when i went back i had more then enough. then i got the flu and had a supply dip. we ended up using up my freezer stash and was pumping day to day for dc. we ended up having to send 1 or 2 bottles of formula to day care. right now im unemployed and ebf. but iam only able to get 0.51 oz/pump.

    have you tried fenugreek/blessed thistle/mothers milk tea? a nice cold beer?

    i understand not wanting to be done bf. i just started fenugreek and hope it helps. at meijer they had the bottles buy 1 get 1 free the other day..
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  • imageandreab7412:
    Have you started your period? My supply tanks around that time. Also water, water, water. And remember bf is not all or nothing. If you supplement a bit it won't be the end of the world. Hugs!!

     

    This. I send one formula bottle a day to daycare. I only pump about 7 oz while at work. I also pump 2 oz off right away in the morning before I wake up DD.

     You may also want to look into solids. Once DD started taking more solids, I didn't have to send 4 bottles to daycare anymore; just 3. I am looking forward to the day that she only needs my milk again and not formula, but for now it is what we have to do.

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  • I tried so many things to boost my supply for DS1.  I pumped 4 times/day (3 times at work and 1 time before bed), took Fenugreek, ate lactation cookies, drank a ton of water, etc.  All to no avail.  I started supplementing w/ formula when he was 5 months old.  

    Good luck!! 

  • imagetheresat858:

    Maybe your LO is ready for solids?  I see in your ticker you are close to 6 months...and some babies are ready earlier.

    You could also try galactalogues if you haven't already - ground flax seed makes a huge difference in my supply.  Lactation cookies are a yummy way to get flax + oats + brewers yeast (the peaceful parenting recipe - just google 'lactation cookies' - is a decent one to start).  Oatmeal, mother's mlik tea, and fenugreek can also help.

    Also, having to supplement with a bit of formula isn't the same as 'stopping breast feeding'. Even if you are 2 or 4 or 6 ounces short a day at work, you can still BF the rest of the time and pump what you can.  

    I agree with Theresa as usual. The bolded is what I have to do because no matter what I do, I can never pump more than 11 oz at work, and I'm not willing to pump at home. So I usually have to supplement anywhere from 2-4 oz the days that I send DD to daycare. Not the end of the world, I still get to nurse her when I'm home and the majority of the milk she gets is breastmilk.

    Every bit counts! GL mama!

  • I have breaking boobs too :(

    I've been obsessing over my milk supply lately, as I have been 7 ounces short the last few days I've worked and my DH keeps saying DD could easily eat even more. Ahhh!

    I had a good response initially from Fenugreek and Vinacitiv's Lactation Blend, but that seems to have worked it's course. Tomorrow I'm going to buy The More Milk tincture (even though I've heard it's absolutely disgusting) and keep my fingers crossed. My MW suggested Alfalfa capsules as well, so I might get some of those too.

    When I was first taking my supplements and seeing an increase in my production, I was also drinking 2 - 4 cups of lactation tea a day, and I think that was helping. I'm out now and accidentally ordered pregnancy tea, otherwise I'd still be drinking it.

    My baby seems to nurse fine when I am with her, but I just can't pump enough at work, and the 1 ounce I get when I pump when I'm with her just isn't cutting it. I'm going to try to pump for a few minutes every other hour or so on top of feeding her tomorrow to mimic cluster feedings and hope for a boost in my supply from that.

    I'm getting so nervous about my supply and stash that I'm taking my good friend up on her offer to give me some of her milk (she can easily pump 10+ ounces in one session!) in order to stretch what I have out a bit longer. 

    All that to say that I totally feel your pain (and stress and heartache and disappointment and tears...) and to encourage you to keep going, even if you have to supplement, because even a little of breast milk is better than none!


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  • imageandreab7412:
    Have you started your period? My supply tanks around that time. Also water, water, water. And remember bf is not all or nothing. If you supplement a bit it won't be the end of the world. Hugs!!

    What do you mean by "tanking?" Do you pump less or does your babe seem less satisfied at the breast? I'm curious because I think the return of my cycle (which is so not fair!) is part of the reason for my lower than normal supply right now. DD doesn't seem particularly hungry, but she spends less time at the breast and wants to pop on and off and switch sides more than usual. 


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  • Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I haven't had a period pp yet. I will try some fenugreek or lactation tea  hopefully it helps 
    GBCB!!! Regs, lurkers and newbies we are leaving TheBump. Come join us at the new place ****/board/50/14 image
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