Breastfeeding
NetPetal
member
Options
Intro & Question: Did seeing a LC truly help you increase your supply?
NetPetal
member
Hi all - FT mom here with preemie twins (born at 34 weeks). They spent 3 weeks in the NICU and have been home just a few days. My dream is to BF my little ladies but I feel like that is slipping away. Have been pumping 8+ times a day since delivering them and cannot seem to increase the volume of BM that I produce. I spent time with the hospital LCs every day that my LOs were in the NICU. I've done everything they suggested and more to no avail; I only get 7 - 8 oz of BM total per day and I have to pump for 30 minutes at each session to get that.
Our pediatrician has a LC on staff and I am trying to decide whether or not I should make an appointment. Did any of you truly benefit from seeing a LC; specifically with regard to increasing supply? I'm finding it hard to imagine what else there is that they can have me do/try.
Our pediatrician has a LC on staff and I am trying to decide whether or not I should make an appointment. Did any of you truly benefit from seeing a LC; specifically with regard to increasing supply? I'm finding it hard to imagine what else there is that they can have me do/try.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Intro & Question: Did seeing a LC truly help you increase your supply?
I wasn't an EPer but here is some advise I have:
Are you using a hospital grade pump? If not, see if you can get one.
Pumping every 2 hours during the day and do one (maybe 2) 3 hour stretch at night.
Be sure that you are drinking a TON of water
Try not to stress out. Stress is a huge supply killer, so if you can cut stress out, as much as possible that will help.
When you are pumping be sure to NOT, look at the bottles. A watched pot won't boil, well a watched pumping bottle will never fill. Try and do something while you are pumping that will take your mind off the milk and on your LO. Hold your girls while you pump if you can, or look at pictures or video of them, smell something that they have worn. Those can help with letdown and flow.
I ate oatmeal and lactation cookies everyday for awhile as well.
A LC could help you to get your girls to the breast if that is possible for them. Having someone see your girls latch in person is the best way to know if they are able to nurse or not. Also, if you have a La Leche League in your area the leaders could be very helpful with that as well. At my local meeting we had a mom of twins who was trying to get her LO's to the breast and the leader worked with her at almost every meeting and times between the meetings to get one of them to the breast, the other one had some issues that ultimately didn't let her nurse.
Pump every two hours
Drink water constantly, get a reusable mug, the bigger the better, and set goals: I will finish this 24 oz tumbler of water by the hour mark every hour.
Dark beer. I don't like it, so I mixed a bottle with cranberry juice and just sipped all day. One bottle in te am, one bottle in the pm. I never once felt buzzed or tipsy, but it did make a difference
Oatmeal
Someone on here suggested almonds and another mom suggested Gatorade.
Eat and watch a movie or something while pumping. Anything to help you relax! For me it was eating!
I agree with others that you need a hospital grade pump if you don't already have one, and I think in the early days you probably need to be pumping more like 10 to 12 times a day for about 20 minutes or so per session - you basically need to be pumping as often as your babies are eating. Other than the Mother's Milk Tea which I drank starting at 6mos postpartum, I can't recommend any supplements or galactagogues, as I personally wasn't comfortable taking domperidone or Reglan (and ultimately didn't need to).
I'm glad your babies are doing well, and I hope you take care of yourself.
Married Bio * BFP Charts