Owen is chugging bottles like a madman when I'm at work lately. Even though I fed him twice before I left this morning, he's already gone through 16 ounces, which is very unusual. I'm only pumping 10 oz or so when I'm at work, so clearly I can't keep up. I've been trying to pump on the days I don't work, but even then I'm only getting 1-3 oz. so it's not enough to get me the ounces I need for the week. We're burning through my freezer stash and I'm starting to feel worried we won't make it to a year if he keeps up at this rate.
Do you think I should try fenugreek etc? I never did any of that with Maggie, and he seems satisfied when nursing, but he's a grazer. Nurses every 2 hours when we're together, so at least 7 times a day. Right now his bottles are 4.5 oz, now that he's on solids should we try to offer less since he seems to want to eat more frequently regardless of the amount? I'm stressing out!
Ready to rumble.
Re: ack. I can't keep up! (pumping related)
new membranes would probably help too
and I'm available for lunch.
Are you biotches planning a lunch without me?
We hit our peak BM intake at 7.5 mos... and then he was interested in more and more solids (eg, pancakes and other soft interesting foods). So *hopefully* it'll trail off a little. I will say that we had a growth spurt at 6 mos and 7.5 mos... so maybe it's a little 'off' that exact timing, but that's what you're experiencing?
Definitely look into replacing your pump parts- new membranes and even new tubing can make a bit of difference. You might also try pumping after each nursing session for 10 mins. Even 1 oz could make a difference. Heat also helped me- pumping immediately after a hot shower, or using a heating pad. Also, did you ever see the Stanford BFing video about maximizing production through a pump? I found that info, as well as everything on their site, very helpful. https://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html
Has your production gone down? Maybe AF is rearing her ugly head?
GL, and hopefully it improves soon.