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Success after IF
schmoodle
member
Anyone's supply issues unfixable? (LONG)
schmoodle
member
It's been a week and a half since we saw the lactation consultant and started doing all the things she told me to do to increase my supply, and I feel like it hasn't increased AT ALL. I'm pumping, feeding him every 2 hours at a minimum (and he's at the breast for at least 40 minutes at each feeding although I wonder if he's actually getting milk at all for 95% of the time, especially since I can almost always still manually express some when he's "done"), doing breast compression during feedings, taking disgusting herbal concoctions, eating so much that I've gained back 4 of the pounds I lost post partum, drinking tons of water and yet, after four pumping sessions a day I'm lucky to get 2 oz of milk, and every time he finishes eating, no matter how long I leave him there, and even after eating 2 times back to back, he cries and sucks his hand and roots and is obviously still starving.
He had actually gained 8 oz. in 5 days at his last pediatrician appointment (thanks to us supplementing 1 oz. after each feeding for a week), but he also hadn't pooped. The pedi told us we could cut his supplements in half, but now that he's pooped and I've unscientifically weighed him at home, judged how thin he looks and seen how hungry he is after eating - especially when its not followed by a bottle - I'd put money on him weighing LESS next week than he did this week when we go back. I feel like I should re-increase the supplements, but then I wonder how we'll know if my supply is increasing or if it will make it decrease even more the more he gets the bottle. I ordered a scale to weigh him before and after feeding to see if I can find anything out that way but I don't know how accurate it will be.
Everything I read online and every conversation with the pedi or lactation consultant seems to imply there's no such thing as not making enough milk and you just need to do all these things to help - but I really feel like I just cannot make enough for him no matter what I do.
Did anyone else with supply issues fail to see any improvement? What did you do, continue to BF/pump for the benefits and bonding, however minimal, but rely on formula for nourishment?
I feel like an a$$hole being upset about this, especially after all we went through I'm so grateful just to have a live, healthy baby, but I really, REALLY wanted to breastfeed him and it just seems like it's not going to be possible.
Sorry for the novel and huge kudos to anyone who actually reads this whole thing.
*** It's funny because I'm fat ***
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Anyone's supply issues unfixable? (LONG)
I'm so sorry you're having such a tough time.
My situation is different since I pretty much had to pump exclusively (Ava never latched properly). My milk took 5 days to come in, and I never really established a supply. I was able to provide Ava with about 1/3 to 1/2 breastmilk until about 3 weeks, then my supply began to tank and never recovered. I stopped pumping around 6 weeks because I was barely giving her anything. I didn't try any herbal supplements, but I pumped as often as I could, drank a ton of water, did breast compressions, etc.
I hope that your supply improves -- I know that just having him on the breast should be a much bigger help to your supply than just pumping was for me. In retrospect I should have put Ava on the breast more for that reason, but it hurt so damn much because of her improper latch that I just couldn't stand it.
I have always been able to increase my supply back up but I know girls who haven't so I do understand that frustration. One of them went on Regalin (sp?) and it worked wonders for her for a while. I don't have any suggestions just empathy. (((((BIG HUG))))
As a side note I think BFing issues are hardest on those who it has taken a long time or a hard road to get pg. It is like our bodies are failing us all over again and it brings up a lot of the pain we had about IF. I know the same is true for me about my c-section. Does that make any sense to you?
Me....
I did everything to increase my supply, but little has helped. Reglan helped the most but it wasn't the silver bullet...
I'm still BFing 5.5 months later with still low supply. I supplement and I don't beat myself up about it. I pump 11oz for 3 or 4 sessions at work. I probably make another 20 oz the rest of the day, but this isn't enough for my son who also eats solids. He is tall and big like his dad...a big eater I guess.
At the beginning I would get not even 1 oz from my breasts. He also got more than I could pump (while I was on maternity leave, so my LC said). I also felt like I was always feeding him...a vicious cycle....he not getting enough and always feeding because he is hungry, but still not a lot coming out. I would have to feed at the beginning for 40 min each breast and then it was time to feed him again. I went INSANE! I really should have quit because i wasn't in my right mind honestly. now, i'm glad I stuck it out, but if I had another baby (very doubtful), if it didn't come easily I would just NOT DO it.
I'm here raising my hand that I have issues and MOST PEOPLE in the world don't have this issue...so the drs are right, but I did ask my LC what do ppl in 3rd world countries do and she said they pay or hire a milk nurse - or they do it free in those poor countries. They said 95% of the ppl will make enough naturally....me not so much.
Reglan is a drug that tells your body to do it and they would only let me take one dose of that (42days) and that *barely* helped...and that told my pituary gland to JUST DO IT.
I was so so upset that this was like this for me. But I make a little more and I do enjoy it, but it took me until 3 months to like BFing.
Oh my LC always told me to supplement very little, but DS screamed for more food and she didn't know why he was so hungry. He was getting an OK amount from me, but always wanted more....so I gave him what he wanted, didn't quite listen to her when she said 'just don't give him so much formula'.
Sorry my response is long, not sure if it helps or not. I will jsut say that some days I suopplment zero and some days it is 4-6oz.
but at the beginning i supplemented more than 6oz a day. My LC would always weight him on the baby scale - before and after a feed...without a diaper.
I remember my LC would always tell me that I was giving him more than I thought because when he did finally start gaining weight she told me that it was not based on the amount of formula that I was giving him that he must be getting more.....But I never felt that way....I always pump less than she said he would get from me.
I know and totally understand that this is upsetting. I was there and it is a dark place. I beat myself up for supplementing, but in the end, my neighbor put it this way 'if he gets 1oz of BM that is something' (no offense to those who FF because I do too....To me and this is me, it put things in perspective. I felt that I really was wanting to keep going even if he just got 1oz a day. that was me though. I'm stubborn and just wanted it to work.
But nothing has every truly increased my supply but time...as time goes by I started getting slightly more (still can't keep up,e tc0.
Oh man I can understand your frustration! It must be very tiring to feed and pump all day long. I think it is an excellent idea to weigh your little guy before and after a feeding so you can see how much he is getting.
For what it is worth, Reed always always rooted and sucked his hand, and I had tonnes of milk. (Like spraying out.) I ended up giving him a paci to soothe him. Some babies just like to suck.
If your baby has a good latch and you are producing milk, you are doing AWESOME!!! Seriously. I have a friend who tried everything and she would get like not even an ounce with pumping after a full day of trying.
Keep up with your efforts and wait until you go back in for next weigh before getting too discouraged. Hang in there, you rock!!!
You are probably at the 3 wk growth spurt, so maybe you will have some luck on increased supply.
Reglan didn't really work for me, but others have used it with sucesss. AvaLikeLava used it and Jody used it for awhile (more than my doc will prescribe. They told me I could only have one dose (42days or whatever). They said it like this 'it either works or it doesn't'. Oh, my obgyn prescribed it after my obgyn told me what to ask for -reglan.
I was doing the herbs, hell even did acupuncture. Nothing really helped, but like I said Reglan helped a little and time helped as over time you start making a little more and a little more....so I'm happy with my supply now even if it isn't enough. I don't even do blessed thistle and fenugreek anymore...they helped so slightly and I didn't like taking them.
sweetie i am so sorry you're dealing with this. i can completely understand how important it is to you and i think like kittylove said it can sometimes be even more loaded for us IFers. we want to be able to do something and just have it WORK. at least that's how i feel.
i don't know too much about increasing supply but i do know that you are doing AWESOME and like dundasgirl mentioned - both of my LOs also rooted right after eating for a long time. still do sometimes. and they are getting plenty to eat. so i think the scale is a great idea. i also could not pump more than an ounce over a couple attempts in the first month or so. it was all going to the babies directly from the breast, AND i think my breasts were resistant to being pumped for some reason. leftie esp. now they do better. but it took a WHILE.
i just want to give you a big hug. i wish this was easier for you. it makes me angry that you have to go through this. i am here for you if you need anything, and sending you all the milk-makin vibes in the world...
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Yes, mine was unfixable. I tried EVERYTHING....oatmeal, water, Reglan, fenugreek, blessed thistle, puming a zillion times a day, relaxation techinques, etc etc etc. I'm convinced that my problem was linked to my IF hormonal imbalance. So, what I did was pump as much as I could each day and supplement with formula. (BFing did not work due to multiple issues so I was forced to only pump.) I did that until it just got to be a ridiculously low amount (less than a bottle a day) pumped and then I stopped after 8 months of struggling.
It's upsetting but it's also OK to formula feed. There's nothing wrong with it. Your baby will do just fine if supplemented or even if 100%. Don't beat yourself up! You are a good mom no matter what. And don't feel bad for being upset - that's normal and natural.
(hugs)
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I tried everything and never could increase my supply. We did okay for the first three months. He was getting about 3-4 ounces every 3 hours or so and he was fine with that. Then right at 3 months he started needing more milk and my supply never increased with his need. I did work with an LC. I tried doing the nursing vacation where I just nursed him constantly for days. Tried upping water, food, fat in my diet. Tried fenugreek, blessed thistle, more milk plus. Had my thyroid and iron levels tested. Finally tried Reglan through two cycles of it (I think it was 10 days each time, maybe?), which was the most my doctor would okay. I never saw any increase in supply at all. I did keep BFing until he was right at 6 months. Most of that time I was getting 2 ounces every 3 hours and supplementing the rest with formula. It was about 1/3 bm and 2/3 formula with each feeding. At 5 months I got my first postpartum AF and my supply cut in half again. I was only getting one ounce every three hours. I kept it up for one month because I really enjoyed BFing him, but it was definitely a pain to prepare a bottle, BF for him to get just one ounce, then he would freak out when I ran out of milk until I could grab the bottle, get it to his mouth and get him settled down, etc. It finally just wasn't worth it anymore. We never knew what my problem was, although the LC suspected when he started sleeping 8 hour stretches around 3 months my body was unable to figure out that it was supposed to keep producing the same amount of milk during the day even though he wasn't eating as much at night. Basically my body somehow just didn't "get" the supply/demand thing like most people's do.
Definitely do whatever is best for you and your family and don't worry about what anyone else thinks is the right thing for you to do. You are doing a great job! I agree that he could just be rooting because he is looking for something to suck on for comfort. So if you do find that he is gaining weight and he has the appropriate number of wet diapers then he is probably getting enough food and just looking to comfort suck. Having a scale really did help me relax a lot. We spent a fortune renting a scale last time, but it definitely did give me peace of mind to know exactly what he was getting and how much I should be supplementing! I think we are also going to buy one this time around. If you find that he is not gaining weight and not getting enough milk then it really does come down to what makes you the happiest and the least stressed - bfing and supplementing or switching to formula. Either decision is a good one if it makes you happy and less stressed!
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I am so sorry you are dealing with this. This happened to me. I never produced enough milk and my daughter had a weak suck and never got the hang of BFing, which didn't help matters. She was actually losing weight again when she was two weeks old and though the nurse practitioner at the pediatrician's office said we didn't have to supplement her with formula, I started giving it to her again that day. When I started seeing another lactation consultant, she agreed that we absolutely needed to give formula too and it was OK.
I never thought it would be that way and there were lots and lots of tears over it. I ended up pumping for 5.5 months and supplementing her heavily with formula (at least 50% formula each day). I worked closely with lactation consultants for two months, took supplements, ate oatmeal, and drank water all day long, but the absolute most I could EP in 24 hours (8-10 pumping sessions) was 13 ounces and that happened after two months. I kept trying to get her to BF, but she wasn't capable of getting more than half an ounce after forty minutes, so we opted for some comfort nursing and relied on bottlefeeding her for nutrition. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Just do what you can. There are definitely women with 'unfixable' problems. I have a good friend that has insufficient mammary glands or something like that and I know with both kids she's had to heavily supplement...like more than 50% formula each day. She still nurses for comfort/bonding but definitely uses formula.
Just do what works for you. Formula is fine. Sometimes it is what you need to do, and it may help you relax some knowing he's eating plenty and then you can enjoy nursing more.
It wasn't possibel for me because of some of my complicatins from my c/s. I had to pump and dump for the first 6 weeks, and couldn't keep my supply up when I would have finally been able to bf him.
He turned out ok though. :-)