Twins in NICU; low supply advice

Re: Twins in NICU; low supply advice

• TheAnalyticalMommy member

  June 2014

  I'm so sorry to hear your LOs are in the NICU! I hope they go home with you soon!

  
  

  My first son was in the NICU for about 2 1/2 weeks and during that time I found that it helped for me to pump next to him in the NICU a few times a day. Just being around him really helped. I also had a Madela Freestyle which I used at home but when in the hospital I used the hospital pump. Some women rent the hospital pump too and find that it helps.

  
  

  Also, this time around, I've been eating lactation cookies and drinking about a gallon of water a day! I find that my calorie intake and water intake affect my supply drastically. I know everyone's different but maybe some of that would help you too!

  
  

  
  

  Good luck!!

  Rachel (a.k.a. The Analytical Mommy.com and @analyticalmommy on IG)
  I'm just trying to make sense of things :-) 
  

  Report1 Reply
• Loading the player...
• opheliainwaders member

  June 2014

  I don't have too much to add to PPs - great advice already! I also second @jfresh‌ - it's truly not the end of the road if the babies get some formula - I'm a huge breastfeeding advocate, but when you're faced with a preemie, you do whatever you need to do to feed that baby (or both of them, in your case)!
  
  I will also reiterate the need to rent a hospital-grade pump (I liked the Medela Symphony best). It made a big difference for for me vs. a "regular" pump.
  
  Good luck, and hang in there! Try to make pumping into a routine so it isn't so stressful. Whatever you can do--and you are doing SO much already--is so great. Good job, mama.

  

  Report1 Reply
• 4510heather member

  July 2014

  My twins were also in the NICU (but only for two weeks).  I struggled with supply initially, as well.  I pumped every three hours, but took a 5.5 sleep "break" at night - that is I made sure to pump right before I went to bed, then slept for about 5.5 hours.  The NICU nurses convinced me that sleep was just as important for supply, so I gave it a try.

  I also did all of the following:

  1) power pumping (pump 10 minutes, break 10 minutes, pump 10 minutes) each morning and night to establish supply

  2) fenugreek

  3) lactation cookies (lots of recipes online if you google)

  4) lots of water

  5) looking at pics and videos of the babies while I pumped

  6) breast massaging while pumping (google for directions)

  7) hand expression to get the last few drops after a pumping session (I could usually get about 0.75 oz total through hand expression and in the early days that was HUGE!)

  8) mother's milk tea

  9) lots of food - higher fats (nuts, avocado, etc)

  10) bad, low quality carbs (on low supply days, a donut or muffin would really boost my supply)

  11) pumping as much as possible near the babies

  
  

  I ended up making it to a year, and after the twins came home, I think we only used formula 3-4 times total (mostly when I was traveling for work).  So, I know it's tough, but it is doable!

  
  

  Best of luck!

  
  

  Report1 Reply