Breastfeeding confusion HELP!!! (long)

lissbright · November 2014

My son will be 8 weeks old tomorrow. He did great with breastfeeding right from the start, there have been absolutely no issues. I do have to go back to work and he did so well with the breast feeding so I started pumping in addition to breast feeding. I give him about a bottle or 2 a day-there's no nipple confusion issues he can go back and forth no problem. If I give him a bottle I make sure I pump to keep up my supply. Plus I do have to do stuff like go grocery shopping and all and I'm not comfortable with public breastfeeding lol. Anyways, my period returned yesterday. For the past couple days my supply has been SOOOO FRIGGIN LOW!!! Normally when I pump I can get 2 oz, but when I pump with the period I'll be lucky to get 1/2 an ounce! Today pretty much every 1/2 hour my son was freaking out cause he's hungry and he wasn't getting enough from the breast. I felt so bad because I just don't have enough milk-he's a big baby, he was over 10 pounds when he was born. So I had to dip into my freezer stash and give him a bottle (I was hesitant to give the bottle-I wanted him to nurse to try to get the supply up but nursing so much so often has made me really sore)...sooo I called the pediatrician's office and spoke to the nurse-she said it's so common and that I can supplement with formula when the period happens, but to try to nurse more often (like every hour instead of every 2-3hours to help build up the supply). She also said if I wanted to, I can check with a lactation consultant.

So I called a consultant from the hospital where I delivered. The lactation consultant told me NOT to supplement, she said I shouldn't introduce bottles until I am actually back in work (totally contradictory to what my pediatrician told me at the last visit-she said I can introduce bottles as long as I keep pumping to keep up the supply). Then the consultant said to not supplement with formula and just keep letting him nurse. I explained to her that he wasn't getting enough and he wasn't satisfied today until I finally just gave him a bottle with 2oz in it. She said I made the supply go down by introducing bottles (which I don't get-cause if I go to the store and bring a bag of milk and bottle, I pump as soon as I get home to make up for that missed feeding-which the pediatrician said was fine). I kept telling her it only dipped with the period, I've had this routine for weeks now and haven't had any issues until the period started. She told me that it's my fault the period came back by introducing bottles (what!?)....anyways...I'm completely confused-should I supplement with formula until the supply goes back up? Or should I just let him nurse nurse nurse nurse until I'm sore and he's still hungry and frustrated? What have you guys done?

clwheel · November 2014

Step 1. BREATHE!!

I tried to limit bottles before LO went to daycare to make sure my supply was good and established but if you are keeping up you should be fine. I have read that AF will come back when you start consistently going longer than I think 6 hours without feeding/pumping. But mother nature will always do her own thing, I don't think it was fair for her to BLAME you for it.

I would agree with trying to get LO to nurse as much as possible to signal to your body to make more. I also have a dip during AF but rest assured mine at least has bounced right back after she takes a hike.

A couple things I have gathered between here and the LC at our pediatrician's office to help is:

1. Fenugreek - 3500 mg per day is what they told me to start with

2. Power pump - not going to lie, it sucks but I got double whacked with AF and dehydration from being sick and had to do it one night and it helped. 20 minute pump, 10 off, 10 on, 10 off, 10 on. I did it after LO went to sleep

Make sure you are getting plenty of water as well. I would be hesitant to jump to formula as it should bounce back.

Hope that helps!!

lissbright · November 2014

Thanks! I might try the power pumping and if that doesn't work I'll add the Fenugreek. I really am stressing, I'm a first time mom and it's very frustrating hearing conflicting things like this. I'm doing what the doctor said but then the consultant acted like I was an idiot and shouldn't be doing any of that.

The lactation consultant said pumping causes a decrease in supply...I don't understand, then what do people do when they go back to work? You obviously can't bring a baby to work and nurse all day.

nolemomma14 · November 2014

When AF came back the first time, my supplied dip. The LC I spoke with told me to nurse every hour, especially in the afternoon hours when supply tends to be lower anyways. As soon as my period was over with my supply went back up, and it only happened with my first period pp.

I don't think pumping will decrease supply, but your LO is way more efficient at removing BM from you than a pump. If you're still trying to establish a good supply, putting LO to the breast is the best way to do that.

I wouldn't supplement with formula though. Just keep putting LO on the breast, that will be the best way to get supply back up, and if you feel you have to give a bottle you could use pumped milk

clwheel · November 2014

I know it's hard but try to relax too. Stress definately effects supply. Curl up on the couch or in a chair with LO and let him nurse all he wants

lissbright · November 2014

Thanks for the replies and good tips

good to know I'm not the only one!!

skfg · November 2014

I found taking a calcium supplement with magnesium before my cycle started was helpful. I also needed to eat and rest more during my period. Keep up the good work!

surpriseaddition · November 2014

I thought AF had returned when I had bleeding at 8 weeks, and I was bummed because with my first 2, AF didn't return until 9-10 months. Well after that initial bleeding, it never came back again until 10 months. So, there's still hope you won't have this issue each month. If LO is really fussing, I'd only supplement with some of your milk stash. I wouldn't do the formula because you have milk available already. GL going back to work!

2ndGeneration · November 2014

lissbright said:

Thanks! I might try the power pumping and if that doesn't work I'll add the Fenugreek. I really am stressing, I'm a first time mom and it's very frustrating hearing conflicting things like this. I'm doing what the doctor said but then the consultant acted like I was an idiot and shouldn't be doing any of that. The lactation consultant said pumping causes a decrease in supply...I don't understand, then what do people do when they go back to work? You obviously can't bring a baby to work and nurse all day.

OP, I think you are just having a temporary decrease in supply due to getting AF. I also don't think pumping caused it to return-in my experience this didn't happen. With my oldest, I had to return to full time work at 6 weeks, I introduced a bottle at 4 weeks and pumped at work just once a day (this was before laws that give time for pumping) and I didn't get AF till he was 9 months old and he bf well past a year till self-weaning.

My babies always got fussy for a few days during af. I would just nurse more, and me personally I'm not opposed to giving a bottle. But I'd try nursing more first. And like another pp said-af may not be every month right away, mine was always very irregular at first.

I am totally in favor of bf and do/did it myself, but sometimes I think lc's say things that put so much undeserved guilt on moms.

lissbright · November 2014

Thanks for the support guys! The consultant was very condescending and made me feel guilty and like a bad mom. I have a small freezer stash so I'm gonna use that before formula but keep nursing. Today is day 3into my period and I've been nursing him more since yesterday. I don't see an increase in supply yet, but I know it can take a day or so. In the meantime if he's still hungry and fussy I'm using the freezer stash. I'm going to get the magnesium and calcium supplements too!

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