Yet another supply/pumping vent

lauranicole91 · September 2012

I know some of you must be sick of my whining but I like the relief of just venting. Exit now if you're tired of my crap.

So recently I had issues with work regarding my pumping breaks. I then compromised and went from two pumping breaks within my 5 hour shift to just one. I'd feed Peyton right before work whether she was hungry or not. I'd get I work at 8am then pump at 11:30 and got off at 1:30pm then went home and it was time for Peyton to nurse.

Well after doing that schedule for about 3 days I'm not even sure if I'll make it trough the work day today without my husband bring Pey here to nurse. I have nothing in my fridge at home right now.

She's been drinking about 8oz total while I'm at work and I was only getting 3oz from my one pump session. Hence the lack of milk at home right now.

Well today I picked my second pump session back up. I first pumped at 9:30 and got only 1oz. I about broke down. I texted my hubby and he was so sweet and just told me to stop stressing cause it will only make things worse. I am about done with this pump now and I've got about 2oz.

Just those few days really messed with my supply and I am so upset with myself for not trusting my instincts and sticking with what I was doing. At least before I was only a couple ounces behind and could keep up by an extra pump at home here and there.

I really want to keep going until she is 12months but my body just will not cooperate! It saddens me so much.

So it's time to up my fenugreek and oatmeal and start back up with my power pumping at night.

End rant.

cbiewer · September 2012

I am on the board hit or miss and have problems very much like yours. I am nearing the end of my freezer stash. I pump 3x @ work for 8.5hours and once before I go to work. I get an average of 3ozs. But my baby Peyton eats more than I pump (or should I say they are feeding more). I have them adding a couple feedings of oatmeal but like yesterday he wanted nothing to do with it. I feel like all I do is pump and think about my inadequate supply. So frustrating! Power pumping at night, did it really help you?

DinabethL · September 2012

Try not to stress, you should be able to bring it back to where it was before with a little time.

Hope everything works out!

lauranicole91 · September 2012

cbiewer:
I am on the board hit or miss and have problems very much like yours. I am nearing the end of my freezer stash. I pump 3x work for 8.5hours and once before I go to work. I get an average of 3ozs. But my baby Peyton eats more than I pump or should I say they are feeding more. I have them adding a couple feedings of oatmeal but like yesterday he wanted nothing to do with it. I feel like all I do is pump and think about my inadequate supply. So frustrating! Power pumping at night, did it really help you?

It didn't help me pump more in general at other pump sessions but by getting that extra 3oz or so to put in the fridge it allowed me to keep up with her intake and make up for my lack of oz during my working hours.

My break is up now so I won't be back online till after 2pm. Just so it doesn't seem I just disappeared.

jenbelsan · September 2012

I've been out of fenugreek, so I have been using the tea, and it gives J so much gas and it is doing nothing for my supply. I only get to pump on my way to work, then after work (7-8 hours later) and once at night when we give him formula (which helps him sleep a whole 1/2 hour longer).

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be back up soon!!!

laurack · September 2012

Aw you poor thing. It sucks. One thing is that she is almost 6 months now and maybe will start eating more solids and therefore take the pressure off a bit?

The way I see it you can only do SO much. So if you are pumping as much as you can and not enough comes out then you really are doing your very best. If you had to introduce a little formula so be it. I know how you feel though as I really feel like I want so badly to accomplish what I set out to do which is feed my baby fully from my own body. To introduce formula would make me a little sad, but if it has to be done at some stage it has to be done.

I think the stress of it makes it even worse, when you are super stressed it seems the boobies decide they aren't going to let down properly for the pump. Very frustrating.

Good luck! The modern world really doesn't make this stuff easy for us.

ETA: well the modern world does provide us with Medela PISA and the like which of course beats the pants of what they may have had in the old days, ha

thadsrad · September 2012

I'm sorry you are having supply issues. The first week or two that I was back to work and not pumping for 4-7 hours at a time, my supply seemed to tank. But once my body caught up, I started producing 8-10 ounces at my night pump session. Don't stress, your body can surprise you!

hass2001 · September 2012

I am sorry to hear sweetie. I know how frustrating it can be. I am coming to the conclusion that I might have to bring DD to work once a week so I can nurse because I don't have enough to give her for 5 days while I am at work.

What does your work schedule look like? Is it consistant? If not I bet that doesn't help. Can you add pumping sessions in the AM or after a MOTN feed? That is when I get the most milk.

Is there any way you can extend your pumping session to 30 minutes and take one pumping session instead of 2 - 15 min sessions? I know for me I have to pump a full 30 min to get at least 3 oz. Sometimes I suprise myself and get 4 or 5. If I just pumped for 15 min I'd probably only get 1 or 2 oz. With the additional time I get extra let downs.

Good luck, just know that any bm you can give is better than none at all!

mumegs · September 2012

I am right there with you, I can only pump enough for 3 4 oz bottles while I'm at work for 8 hours, and she was finishing them every time. So now we give her an extra ounce of formula in her bottle. I have come to terms with it because she is still getting the same amount of breast milk every day, just with formula on top of it. I wish I could pump 18 oz a day, but as long as she is happy and healthy and getting enough food that's really all that matters.

Tambcat · September 2012

I hope adding the second session back in, along with the other measures, will get your supply back up. BUT (annoying formula-feeder comment coming) at this age, we are starting or getting close to starting to introduce solids anyway, so I don't feel like supplementing with formula would be as "bad" as it would have been in the beginning. kwim? Like, pp said, she'll still be getting breast milk too.

Ruby412 · September 2012

Tambcat:
I hope adding the second session back in, along with the other measures, will get your supply back up. BUT (annoying formula-feeder comment coming) at this age, we are starting or getting close to starting to introduce solids anyway, so I don't feel like supplementing with formula would be as "bad" as it would have been in the beginning. kwim? Like, pp said, she'll still be getting breast milk too.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this stress, Laura! But, like Tam said, if we are intro-ing non BM foods at this point, would you be open to supplementing with a little formula? The idea of EBF is to support the virgin gut. But once you introduce solids, there are many things going into the gut.

I sort of agree with Softskate that 2 pumping sessions in a 5 hour shift is not reasonable. Maybe adding back in the power pumping or getting up one time in the MOTN to pump when Pey is sleeping would help?

You have given her just BM for this long and that is a huge accomplishment!

Mamasaurus · September 2012

Tamb has a good point. If you want some pumping tips anyway, though, here are mine. You might already be trying them, but I'll share them in case.

--I can sometimes get a second letdown if I break suction, pump, break suction, pump etc a few times. It's not as big, but an extra 1/2 oz from each side can add up over time.

--Sometimes changing the speed/setting a few times will do this too.

--Try hand expressing.

--Try using milk savers. They are great at catching the milk that leaks from the breast you aren't pumping.

Tambcat · September 2012

Mamasaurus:
--Sometimes changing the speed/setting a few times will do this too.

Oh yeah, my pump instructions said to do this when you noticed your flow was slowing down.

lauranicole91 · September 2012

Thanks everyone for the kind words and suggestions. Mamasaurus I am doing most of those although I will start the breaking suction thing and see what that does.

To those who state my 2 pumps in 5 hours is unreasonable. I would be more concerned about that if I didnt get such positive reinforcement from my hea HR boss. When I sat down with her to explain the flack from my coworkers and supervisors that are below her she was appalled and then shocked that it was making me consider changing my schedule. So knowing I have her support I have a hard time wanting to shift my plans.

To those talking solids. We do currently do oatmeal and a veggie at night. We planned on introducing fruit in the morning in addition to our current set up this coming week when she's officially 6 months. So hopefully that will cut down her milk intake a little. We still plan to offer milk first regardless but it will hopefully tide her over longer and maybe even long enough for me to get home so she's only taking one bottle while I am gone.

I have no issues with formula for babies. But I definitely am and have been trying my hardest to avoid it to the best. My abilities.

Thanks again.

kkfeb04 · September 2012

I'm glad you have a supportive HR person. But it is unreasonable to need more than one pump session in 5 hours, it may be time to start clocking out because it is unfair to your coworkers who don't get any paid breaks in that time.

I personally go 5 or more hours between nursing/pumping sessions while at work. I pump around 7 am and then nurse/pump at 12 pm and then I nurse when she's due to eat, sometimes she holds off until I see her at 4:15 (so she eats about 5 when we get home) or like tonight she didn't eat until 6:30, last night was 7:25 and she nursed at 11:30 prior. I get one half hour break in my 8 hour shift, I use that to either nurse or pump (she's at daycare onsite).

I also second the hospital pump. I'm personally thinking of renting it again (I rented it for 9 months with DS) as my output was much better with that pump.

Good luck.

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