I was going to post this on the BF board but it doesn't seem like a lot of people reply there and I love this board so much more. Anyway, I have maybe 8 oz of frozen BM. I wish I would have been more diligent about
getting a stock while I was unemployed. Now that I am working a full
time plus a part time job, I am barely treading water keeping up with Fifi's eating. Not sure what to do to get my supply back up and finding
additional time to pump. I'm trying fenugreek now. I pump only one,
sometimes two times at work, then I can usually pump as soon as I get
home, before bed and as soon as I get up but sometimes it's not enough
to get her through the work day. Also, we are going to start solids this weekend. As a FTM I have no idea: when can I expect that solid foods are going to start replacing some of her BM drinking? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advanced.
Re: another ? for BF moms
Sorry you're having a hard time keeping up... I'm just getting out of a funk right now so I know how it is!
I actually asked the pedi this last month because I really was hating BFing and being a slave to the pump. She said babies should either have formula or breastmilk as their primary source of nutrition for their first year of life. (bummer, I know.) But it helped me get in a mind set at least and now I have more a routine for pumping and when DS will nurse, its actually a relief instead of the chore it used to be.
Just to add, if you are having problems keeping up with your supply, formula is an OKAY option! Don't let the recent crazy media scares worry you into thinking you're not giving your baby what she needs.
DS #1 born 05/25/2012
BFP#2: 06/12/2013 ---- loss
DS #2 born 4/08/2014
BPF#4: 2/1/2016 --- 2/23/2016 suspected molar pregnancy--- 3/15/2016 D&E - diagnosis MM
BFP#5 - 9/22/2016
* formally bornmommy
I find mothers milk tea is helpful. If you can drink a cup about an hour before you pump. It helps me get an extra ounce or two.
You can also try eating more oatmeal which should help. And Pinterest has some lactation cookie recipes you can try...
HTH
Kellymom has a great article about pumping. I have the link below. I think I saw on Kellymom that breast milk consumption doesn't go down at all prior to six months. Even then breast milk should always be the number one source of nutrition.
I know for me I really need to relax or I don't pump enough. Looking at pics of A sometimes helps but what helps most is if I just keep distracted from the pump instead of keep looking to see how much I'm pumping. Also water, water and more water. I can tell the next day if I didn't drink enough the day before by my pumping output.
Lastly, can you add to your freezer stash on weekends? I pump one side in the morning while A eats off the other sideand that has really increased my freezer stash.
https://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/pumping_decrease/
Have you tried different sized flanges or compressions?
Photo/Family Blog
I work 8hr days and pump 3 times while I'm there. I also pump before work and before bed. We also nurse when I'm with LO. When LO was around 3 months old I had supply issues. I think it was bc he was in a growth spurt and I just wasn't able to keep up. I went through my freezer stash (70 oz) then had to supplement with formula for about 3 weeks. Now I know what I have to do to keep my supply up. I'm unfortunately not one of those natural people who produce tons of milk. I have to keep my water intake up! I notice that Monday's I usually don't produce as much milk as I do on a Wed bc the weekends I'm not good about drinking water. I also make sure that I eat oatmeal daily. I hate oatmeal! so I have to get creative. I love these homemade granola bars!
https://www.laurenslatest.com/no-bake-chocolate-chip-granola-bars-easy-healthy/
So simply and yummy! Another thing that slows my production is stress. Even worse than not eating oatmeal or drinking enough water! I've tried Fenugreek in the past and have seen some good results, but I have now stopped it. I really think every mom is different and you'll have to do a "trial and error" to see what works for you. Good luck, and keep at it!