milk supply questions

wille2b · December 2012

I just had twins last week at 33 weeks. they are both up to their max for feedings which is 26ml and 28 ml.. well i am pumping maybe 20 at each session, so they are being supplemented with donor milk(which i am grateful for). however, i am getting really impatient waiting for my supply to amp up. i am taking supplements and pumping as much as i can(well i could probably do a little better) which ends up being about every 3 hrs give or take 30 min.

when did you notice a big change in supply? am i just too early and trying to figure it out still or is there and issue? I would just love for one thing to be easy with this preemie train, lol. i would feel like a better mom if i could feed them both.

TIA

Sept30Madison · December 2012

Congrats on your twins! I remember you from the infertility board. You are already a great mom irrespective of how much milk you produce. You overcame hardships trying to get pregnant and carried a twin pregnancy to a great gestational age!

I pumped for 10 months for DD#1 (not a preemie) and I am on month 5 with DD#2. I have a much better supply this time around because I knew what I needed to do to pump and establish the supply.

First, don't be shy about seeking out a lactation consultant and asking her to watch you pump to make sure that you are doing it the most efficient way (turning up suction throughout, correct size horns, using a good pump, etc).

My milk took about 1 week to come in. In establishing supply, pump a minimum of 8 times a day (but 10 or so if possible, especially given you're feeding twins). My pumping sessions lasted 15-20 minutes at first, but as my milk started to come in, I pumped 20-30 minutes each session to make sure my breasts were empty. Remember to turn up the level of suction during the pumping session (I usually start on 3 and increase throughout the session so that I'm on the max level of suction by the end of the session). Also remember that it's important to eat and drink. I also did a 4 hour stretch of sleep at night because I think being excessively exhausted negatively effects milk supply.

thishappyhouse · December 2012

congrats on your twins!

What supplements are you taking? If it is fenugreek, you can take much more than what is indicated on the bottle. Ask your LC. I had some success with mothers milk special blend caplets.

My milk was slowwwww to come in. I had a singleton and she was itty bitty at 1# 7oz, so her initial demands after coming off of TPN was pretty low so I was able to keep up. My supply was averaged 10cc per session when my milk "came in" on day 4 and seemed to increase 1 cc each day for the first 6 weeks.

I wouldnt let the volume that they need be your focus right now, they are both getting breastmilk and you are providing so much for them. Try to just focus on doing what you need to do to increase your supply regardless of what their current needs are. Increasing pumping is the number one way that I achieved this. Even a few days of doing 9 or 10 sessions a day can do alot to boost your supply. My sweet spot in those early days were pumping every 2 hours when I could (either while in the NICU or while at home) and allowing myself 2 four hour stretches at night. I think my schedule in the first month generally was 7am, 9am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 7pm, 9pm, 11pm, 3am . Power pumping during my lower supply hours also was helpful. 10 min on 10 minutes off for an hour.

DrRx · December 2012

Pretty much what PP said. I've also heard that eating oatmeal helps. Also, make sure that you have a hospital grade pump--they definitely provide better suction than the at-home ones. I found that the $30 hands free bra from Medela was the best investment I made. It really helped with the suction and allowed me to go on the computer, eat, etc. you can make one yourself with a sports bra and cut out holes, but to me it was worth it to just buy it.

Brummy14 · December 2012

My supply also took its dear sweet time coming in I have pumped 10x per day from the start. I got to 350ml/day by day 4 or 5, and have experienced super slow daily increases since. Now at 4.5 weeks, I'm up neat 850 ml/day.

I did start taking fenugreek but I'm not convinced the increases I've seen are a result of that at all.

Best advice I can give is to work with your LC, be patient, and just keep on pumping you're doing exactly what you need to be doing for those babies! ;

Mrs. Alice · December 2012

Congrats! After about day 5-6 my milk supply gradually started increasing. I don't remember specifics but I think by the second week I was pumping about 60 mls a session. I also had earlier preemies so they had very low needs in the beginning. Try not to stress too much about it at this point. I aimed for 7-8 pumps per day and would try to get about a 4-5 hr stretch at night. Also try massaging your breast while you are pumping. I found it really helped bring the milk down. If it helps to encourage you, I was able to BF my preemies until after their first birthday. Keep up the good work - it will pay off soon!

PhillyGal34 · December 2012

Congrats!! sounds like the babies are doing awesome with eating! And you are doing great with pumping... it can be frustrating. My milk came in about a week after I had my son. I remember cracking up laughing in the pumping room in NICU because it suddenly started to just shoot out and I felt such relief. I probably sounded crazy though.

A few things that helped me. I had to get bigger flanges. The standard ones were too small and pinched and I was getting very little milk. As soon as I got the right ones my supply was higher. Also, Faster/stronger suction does not equal more milk. I thought it would help, turns out I set myself back a few days. I also talked to the LC at least twice while I was still at the hospital and then again after I was out and he was still in NICU. Oh and I massaged my breast while I was pumping. this helped me a lot. You can also ask to pump at bedside and that might help. When I pumped at home I had a picture of my son there to look at and I think that helped me.

GOOD LUCK and CONGRATS!!!!

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