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Success after IF
ejgballerina
member
I am SO tired of obsessing about my supply! ~A Vent~
ejgballerina
member
I love BFing, but I hate I hate I hate pumping. I know my supply in general is fine. When DS nurses, he gets more than enough. However, I can only pump a little bit at a time, my body just doesn't respond to the pump very well anymore, even though I know there is more milk in there because if I put DS to the breast right after pumping for twenty minutes, I can hear him swallowing milk. Is it possible to build up a pump resistance? My life has revolved around my Medela PISA. I pump before work, three times during the workday, and once before I leave work. After DS goes to bed, I pump again. Even with all of these, I either juuust meet what DS needs for the next day or am a few oz under and the daycare dips into my frozen stash (which really has dwindled down to about 30 oz from about 300 at one point). I then spend my weekend sneaking in pumps here or there to replace the frozen that was used during the week. Oh and this is in addition to oatmeal, fenugreek, blessed thistle, power pumping, and more water than you can believe..... although these have all done great things for my supply, nothing changes my pumping output. I can't wait until one year gets here so I can stop obsessing about this and have only one blessed pump session a day and still BF morning and night. That sounds like the ultimate luxury. Thanks for listening! 
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Re: I am SO tired of obsessing about my supply! ~A Vent~
Ugh, I'm sorry pumping is such a struggle. I haven't gone to quite the same lengths, but I also have to pump 4-5 times a day just to keep up with what E takes at daycare (three bottles), so I understand. I think I pump as many times as some exclusive pumpers do and I also BF morning, night and usually once during the night.
I don't want E to grow any faster, but I'm counting down the days until I can ditch the pump at 1 year and if I decide to continue BFing, just do it in the morning and night.
Hang in there! Your dedication is awesome!
Oh my gosh, now I feel guilty for complaining about pumping!! I've always been so fortunate in that I got plenty when I pumped. The most I ever pumped was twice/day - once at work in the AM and once again at work in the PM. I pumped only 1 side per session and stopped at 8 oz (total). I could have pumped more b/c I had plenty, but chose not to b/c Cal didn't need it (I also have always nursed him on my lunch break). When he was 12 months I cut back to once in the PM.
So, wow...yeah, I don't blame you for hating it! You poor thing! Bless your heart for keeping it up!!
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
I understand... I hated pumping more than anything too. I also went through all of the herbs, foods, drinks, etc. that were supposed to help build my supply, but nothing really worked. Near 6 months I was only getting about 0.5 - 1 oz per side when I pumped. It was impossible to keep up. I eventually had to stop... I was devestated. I will note that DS was in the hospital (and stopped nursing) for 10 days around 4.5 months old and that is a HUGE reason why my supply tanked, but I was never one that had a big supply. I was always just keeping up with DS's needs.
For me, the thing that would help my pumping output was to get multiple letdowns when pumping. The way I did this was to cycle the machine bet/ the different settings and to massage the heck out of my ducts (I could still feel the hard ones) and hopefully I would be able to get another letdown.
GL, I am thinking about you...