Really low milk supply- my story

Today I went back to the lactation consultant clinic for the 5th time in 11 days. Their goal is always to help mothers breastfeed when possible. I trust their advice. They have some of the best success rates and highest breast feeding rates in the country (Swedish Hospital, Lytle Center- Seattle.)

So I get there and tell her that over a 24 hour period I pumped 1 oz from each breast. Low milk supply is actually considered under 11 oz so I am very very low.

On Friday the RN recommended a boobie Boot camp this weekend to increase my supply. We didn't go anywhere or do anything. Breast milk was the #1 focus. On Saturday I pumped and breastfed. Sunday I followed the RNs advice and just pumped. Both days I pumped around the clock, even in the middle of the night. I pumped slightly more on Sunday, probably because I didn't breastfeed but it wasn't a lot more. Maybe 10 ml. This makes sense since at his before/after feeding weigh in on Friday he was getting 2 ml, which would nearly correlate with a day's worth of feelings.

I've continued the mothers milk tea, the fenugreek, the Guinness, the oatmeal, the lactation cookies and tons of water. I've taken every bit of advice given to me. We fed him for several days through a tube and syringe connected to my breast before switching to a Dr. Brown's preemie bottle. I've pumped and pumped. My supply just hasn't increased in over a week. I'm at the two week mark now and that's the end of the most critical time for bailing supply.

She said I don't have much of a chance of increasing my supply enough to exclusively breastfeed, or even feed him enough to nourish him by pumping and bottle feeding. I can feed him enough to comfort him, provide some antibodies, and bond. Today I did have an increase to 6 ml with the before/after weigh in but that's definitely not enough to nourish him. An average feeding would be 60-90 ml. (2-2.5 oz)

I could see an acupuncturist, a naturopath, or someone who does cranial sacral work (my good friend does this and did two sessions with him already and one with me.) If I didn't have a history of depression (which I do) there's an RX (reglan) my doctor could prescribe, or I could order an RX (Domperidone) that's not FDA approved in the US but can be bought online from Australia. She said even with any of those remedies the likelihood of developing a full supply is small. I might do any one of those things but will wait until Friday when I get a second opinion from my favorite lactation consultant whom I have another appointment with (I've seen four different ones not counting the two who came to our hospital room before we were discharged.)

This is why she thinks my supply is so low:
He was tongue tied and it didn't get corrected for 6 days. This impacted my ability to produce milk during the most critical time. My milk didn't even come in until after it was corrected, which is quite late- it was day 7. Everyone, including two lactation nurses at the hospital said he had a great latch. His lips do look good and look like they are latching well but he wasn't sucking the right way to produce milk.

On top of that my pediatrician put us on formula (it was necessary) but I wasn't told to pump in addition. So I lost some supply for those two days- the first two days my milk came in.

I'm also going to talk to my MD because I read that pre diabetes or diabetes can impact supply, and I had GD. They took me off insulin at the hospital but I wonder if I'm one of the rare ones who still has it after delivery.

After crying for two weeks it's actually a relief to have someone be blunt and straightforward with me. She said I had a lot stacked against me. I know I can handle formula since it's the only way my little one will get what he needs to grow.

It's sad and I know the breastfeeding advocates are going to say I am giving up. But if the lactation experts are saying this, I'm going with it. I know their ultimate goal is to help moms breastfeed and they wouldn't let me "give up" if it were possible to get a full supply. When I told her how much I had pumped over the weekend her response was "oh, honey... I'm so sorry."

Tonight I put him on my breast for comfort before bed. I know he didn't get more than a few drops of milk but it was the most relaxed and most precious feeding session I've had since he was born. I'm looking forward to giving him what I can and having that sweet experience of seeing him fall asleep on me every night as long as I can.