- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Houston Babies
Problems pumping - need advice
So I don't have a freezer stash, heck I only have 4 bottles in the fridge, and in the past 3 days my supply (or ability to pump) have dropped a lot.
I am freaking about about not being able to pump anything. Yesterday after every feeding I pumped and wasn't even able to get 1/2 an oz from both breasts. And if I pump between feedings I don't seem to have enough for the next feeding (every 2 hours). Evan screams and cries so I end up giving him whatever I just pumped.
The other day DH gave Evan a bottle of expressed milk for a feeding and I pumped and I only got 2 1/2 oz. I usually produce 3 1/2 to 4. I can't even pump enough to replace the feeding.
And breastfeeding is getting more and more painful. Evan has severe reflux and he contantly thrashes around while feeding. He is pulling me apart and I am so sore that I dread his next feeding.
Any suggestions? I am so upset about this and don't want to stop breastfeeding, but if I can't pump enough for him to take to day care in June, I will have to either supplement or switch to formula.
I am in tears and so stressed out about this. I'm sure some of this is from the lack of sleep (he is up every 2 hours again), but I just don't know what else to do.
Dx: PCOS and short luteal phase
18 cycles (3 with our RE) - Metformin + Clomid + HCG booster did the trick!
BFP #1 6/22/09 EDD: 3/2/10 DS born: 3/8/10
TTC #2 since Dec 2011
BFP #2 7/8/12 EDD: 3/18/12 M/C @ 9w1d: 8/16/12
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Problems pumping - need advice
Oh, Sigmunds... I wish I could give you a great big hug. I remember this time so well. It was so hard for me, and I cried daily. Dylan had silent reflux, and I too couldn't produce enough for him. I felt like I was tied to the pump and couldn't spend time with Dylan. I struggled until 5 weeks and threw in the towel. I'm not saying that's what you should do by any means, but I'm just telling you that I felt like you did while struggling. I cried daily. I felt like a failure. And then I found the right formula for him, and his reflux went away and he started thriving, and I realized that I made the best decision for us, and I had such a massive weight lifted off my shoulders. I just want you to know that so IF you decide this isn't going to work, that you know you are NOT a failure. NOTHING is wrong with formula.
With that said, if you decide to keep working at it, I'd recommend contacting a lactation consultant. Are you using a hospital-grade pump? Have you tried adding fenugreek and oatmeal to your diet? Are you drinking plenty of water? Those are all things I'd try. Hang in there! I know how hard this is. You will get through it, I promise! ((hugs))
BFP with no treatment!
There are some things I could suggest, but first and foremost, I'd recommend posting this on the BF board (https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/4615093/ShowForum.aspx).
I think the ladies there can give you a lot of good advice.
((Hugs)) It?s going to be okay! I remember those days like they were yesterday. My suggestion: stop pumping for a few days, maybe even a week. Evan could be going through a growth spurt and eating more than he has been. Your body probably just needs time to adjust. Are you getting enough water, calories, etc.? I know those things don?t necessarily increase your supply but your body does need a certain amount to produce milk. With all of the pumping and nursing it sounds like you?re wearing yourself out and your boobs too. Give yourself a break?you are doing a great job! Stop pumping for a few days and then re-evaluate. (or maybe only pump once in the mornings after his first feeding. You?ll be surprised how fast your freezer stash will increase by doing that.) Good luck!
First, stressing will not help! I know times I'm stressed because Cooper is crying (like this morning) or I'm needing to hurry to get out of the conf room at work I'll get 1/2 as much as usual. It sucks. So sit back and try to relax.
Also, you need to drink 100 oz of water daily. Make sure you are drinking it while you are pumping/nursing. It really wasn't until my last month off that I started to really put milk in the freezer.
I didn't have much luck with the Fenugreek but I don't think I took enough of it. I started drinking the Mother's Milk Tea a few weeks ago and I think I've noticed a big difference. I drink 1 cup 3x a day. I like hot tea, so it's not like I'm forcing it down.
I can't comment on the reflux but have you asked the pedi or put him on something? When I pump after C nurses I am lucky to get 2oz. I have to pump 5-6 times a day to get the 18oz he drinks at daycare! So that tells you that even after almost 5 months I'm not pumping what he eats.
I also think you get the most if you pump first thing in the morning. Does he still get up at night to nurse? If so, pump around 2-3 am after he eats and then again at the 6-7am nursing. You'll get the most milk then. C STTN so I don't pump then, but if I ever needed to stock up I'd just sacrifice and get up at 2am to pump. On a good day I can get 4-5 oz at 7am after he nurses, but I'm holding a lot of milk in my boobs from not getting up at night.
Good luck! Again, my best advice is to try to relax (as hard as it is) because that makes a huge difference. Also, don't watch the bottles. Try to read or nest or something. I find even at work if I watch them I get less, but if I read my book I'll look down and find 4-5 oz.
Also, pumping between feedings doesn't mean there's less/not enough for Evan at his next feeding. Your body is constantly producing milk. It just means that he may have to work harder to get the milk out, and he probably isn't liking that right now because he's not used to it, so that's why he's acting the way he is.
When your DH gives him a bottle, how many ounces are you giving him?
K - I still have the email chain you and I went through a few weeks ago. Sigmunds - if you'll either post or PM me your email address I'll forward it. It'll save Kelly some time. :-)
D - thanks!
Sigmunds - I seem to recall you saying before that Evan was on something for reflux. What is he taking?
looks like you have some good advice but i just want to add that you can't let yourself get too stressed out. stress is a supply killer. also, BF babies don't eat the way FF babies do and, therefore, forumla-type measurements don't always mean the right thing.
also, if you have to supplement with forumla, that doesn't mean you have to stop BFing. it's not all or nothing. formula doesn't erase the benefits of BFing so if you continue to nurse, your baby gets those benefits.
HUGS! you'll get lots of good advice on BFing and there are also message boards on kellymom where you can get advice rather than just the articles
You've gotten great advice already - just wanted to confirm a lot of what was already said and ask about his reflux.
My Evan also has reflux, he was doing the thrashing during feedings and was wanting to eat extremely often making me sore. He was started on Zantac and this has helped significantly! Sometimes babies have a digestion pain and they can not differentiate this from a hunger pain and so their reaction is to want to suck. If he has had a good nursing session where you know he has gotten some milk down, even if you aren't sure if it is enough, if you are getting really sore you may want to try the pacifier to see if that makes him content and settle down (which takes some walking and giggling for my little guy but it worked several times before he was settled on the meds) The great news is that most babies grow out of reflux and so it should gradually improve over the next few weeks - a few are on meds til 6months or more but most can get off the meds by 4 months.
Is Evan currently on meds? What is he getting at what does if so?
My advice for pumping is to maybe lay off for a week or so on trying to get any extra. If you are pumping a feeding to give him and let you have a break from the latch that is great. This is also a huge growth time so give your body a chance to regulate to Evan before you start worrying about a stash again. Also, have you checked that the 'horns' to your pump are the correct size, moving up a size may help with your comfort level there as well.
The way I build my stash is opposite of most advice you will hear, I pump it at night. I followed the same schedule with Aidan and it just worked for me - both babies cluster fed in the evenings but were in bed by 8pm. I would then pump at 10pm before I went to bed - when I started i didn't get much but slowly my body ramped up for the session and I was getting a feeding and a half very easily. The only down side was that if we were going out I had to take my pump with me or I could end up really uncomfy by the end of the night/next morning.
Bottom line is that you are doing great! This is hard stuff and I don't care what any one says it is not all a natural process, a lot of this stuff is trial an error to find out the right combination for you and your baby.
I'm going to second a lot of what Karey said.
Cameron started out on Zantac, and it seemed like it was working briefly, and then everything went to hell in a handcart. We switched him to Prevacid, and that has made a WORLD of difference. The two medications work entirely differently. Zantac (and other meds like it) work to neutralize the acid that is already in the stomach. Prevacid is what is known as a PPI, and basically prevents the stomach from producing the acid in the first place.
Reflux babies often nurse better/more comfortably when they're sleepy/half-asleep/asleep. Before we got Cameron's reflux worked out, I found he did his "best" nursing (less thrashing/fighting/pulling) when I would nurse him laying down, and especially when I would do that overnight.
Like Karey, I've typically done most of my pumping right before bed and that has worked out well for me. I've just never been able to make pumping in the morning work for me. Occasionally doing some "power pumping" at that session can help some too, but like others have suggested, I'd probably take a break from it for at least a week or so.
First off, Hugs because I understand what you are going through!! I think you've gotten some great advice and I'll share my experience and what I am doing in case it can help. It became evident to me at Allie's 4 mo appt that my supply had tanked when she only had gained an oz in 2 mos. I got a baby scale and it confirmed that she wasn't getting enough BM. I think this happened when she started STTN. I wasn't pumping in the middle of the night, but I was pumping in the morning and throughout the day and feeding her about 6 times a day. I tried More Milk Pills, more pumping, more water, but not really much suceess. I also have read that PCOS can cause supply issues....don't know if that is true for me or not. I've also read that your body will produce what baby needs, but I just don't understand this and it doesn't seem to be true for me.
Anyway, I now feel about ready to throw in the towel, personally, but I've told myself I'll hold out a few more weeks till she is 6 mos. It just seems like so much time and work for so little milk. Currently I'm feeding her about 60% formula/40% breastmilk. I'm using the Enfamil Premium Lipil and the Enfamil AR which is thicker and has rice in it and which is supposed to reduce spit up, but the AR constipates her a bit so I alternate between the 2 each day. I read online of other people who had success with this method and it's been working for me. Anyway, good luck with whatever you choose to do. I know it's not easy and I'm still struggling with it but I had to realize that my desire to BF is not as important as having a baby who is thriving and happy.
This. My understanding is that you are *always* making milk. He's just ticked off that you're making him work for it.
I don't know what part of town you're in, but if you're interested, there's a LLL meeting tonight in Spring Branch at 6:30pm at 911 Bunker Hill, or tomorrow morning at 10am at the same location.
So sorry you're having such a hard time! I had some trouble with my daughter (breastfeeding failed!) and my son (pain and bleeding, but ultimately a success).
It can be hard to pump a backup supply with such a young baby who wants to feed CONSTANTLY. Will your employer allow you to pump at work, or is it possible to bring him up there? It sure would relieve the stress now if you didn't feel like you had to stockpile a huge supply by June. Once your breastfeeding relationship is well established with your baby, it will be easier to pump. And if you have to give formula just while you're away, you can continue feeding in the morning and at night. Your baby will still benefit from that.
I agree that a lactation consultant could help your baby get a better latch, maybe reducing the pain. Is your baby still growing and gaining? I also experienced some trouble pumping, and it helped to look at a picture of my baby and relax, and also gently apply pressure to my breasts where I could feel fullness. Pumping sometimes just can't do as good a job as your baby when it comes to emptying your breasts.
One thing that I noticed contributed hugely to pain in early nursing was my son latching and sucking when no milk was flowing... such as before let-down and after one breast was empty. It was EXCRUCIATING, but as soon as the milk was flowing, it was better. I had to learn to really make my body relax before let-down, b/c if I was too tense, it would hinder the letdown and ultimately cause more pain.
I hope you can get some relief and a solution soon. And speaking from 2 totally different experiences (failed and also successful breastfeeding), both kids are happy, healthy, and smart (yes, even my formula baby :-)
I had a lot of supply problems too. I was never able to pump enough to get a freezer stash before I went back to work, and when I was at work, I couldn't pump as much as he ate, but IT'S OKAY.... supplementing or formula feeding is NOT the end of the world. And like pp said, it's not all or nothing. I personally didn't want to quit BF all together, but I knew I wasn't producing enough milk for DS, so we supplemented with formula on days that I worked. On my days off, I only BF. Then when I was at work, we alternated bottles of BM and formula (it was usually about half/half). It made me feel better that he was at least getting *some* BM, and I was able to continue to BF to 11 months that way.
One thing that I did notice was that I rented a Medela Symphony for a week (to see if it helped) and I pumped way more milk with that thing! I wish I was able to keep it, but it just wasn't practical for long-term pumping for me. Maybe try renting the Symphony for a month or so if you really want to get a freezer stash. It may help your overall supply too, you never know.
Hugs to you. There is a lot of good advise here and I agree stressing is only going to make it more difficult. My little one was going through a growth spurt and my DH left for a three wk business trip, so the stress got to me for a couple days and affected my supply.
Here is a post of reviews on supply boosters from BF board. I ended up trying Motherlove which helped me through those couple days. Chin up you are doing a great job!!
Thank you so much for all of the wonderful advice and support. Sorry I didn't respond earlier, I needed a break today so I went to my mom's house for the day.
As for Evan's reflux, we have him on Prevacid and Bethanechol. The pedi said that with some babies Prevacid is a miracle drug and the baby is as good as new, but with Evan, less pain and spit up is the best we can hope for. Now we just have to let him out grow it. I was in tears today when I finally went out shopping with him and my mom and after I fed him his bottle he spit up about half of it.
When we give him a bottle we give him anywhere from 3 - 4 oz. The pedi also said we need to make sure we don't overfeed him since he will spit up a lot of it anyway. I only let him nurse for 15 minutes per side. I have recently started giving Evan a paci after feedings and have noticed that it helps soothe him. He is constantly wanting to suck (his paci, hand, fingers, wrist, my shoulder, etc.) and we are trying to help him with this as best we can. A lot of times he will spit his paci out and cry even harder.
This has been such an emotional experience that I wasn't prepared for. I appreciate all of your suggestions and support and I will check out the links y'all posted tomorrow. And I will try to quit stressing. I am making a list of questions for the pedi for Evan's 2 month checkup next week and will ask about rice cereal, and supplementing with formula if I need to. I really want to keep with breastfeeding, even if it isn't full time. And if I need to switch to formula, I know Evan will be better off with a happy mommy.
Thanks again, it really means a lot!
Dx: PCOS and short luteal phase
18 cycles (3 with our RE) - Metformin + Clomid + HCG booster did the trick!
BFP #1 6/22/09 EDD: 3/2/10 DS born: 3/8/10
TTC #2 since Dec 2011
BFP #2 7/8/12 EDD: 3/18/12 M/C @ 9w1d: 8/16/12
I'm trying to drink even more water, started eating oatmeal, and am trying not to stress. I plan on giving myself a break from pumping for a few days and then starting again.
Thanks again, I really do appreciate the advice.
Dx: PCOS and short luteal phase
18 cycles (3 with our RE) - Metformin + Clomid + HCG booster did the trick!
BFP #1 6/22/09 EDD: 3/2/10 DS born: 3/8/10
TTC #2 since Dec 2011
BFP #2 7/8/12 EDD: 3/18/12 M/C @ 9w1d: 8/16/12
15 minutes is probably enough time for him to drain the breast. Except for at bedtime, Samantha RARELY stays latched for longer than 10ish minutes.
At this point, the same is true of Cameron. When he was Evan's age, though, he was routinely still taking at least 15 minutes. It just depends.