I'm going to start this post now and keep adding a bit over the next few hours.
It's two am and I set my alarm to pump. I have been getting mixed information on whether I should be doing that but I figure trying it can't hurt.
My supply has sucked. For the first five days I just assumed it was because it wasn't coming in very fast. But now on day seven I'm starting to worry...get discouraged and frustrated. I'm lucky to get a tablespoon each time I pump. My right side is stronger than my left and the left is showing no real signs of catching up.
I've been googling and even got a book from the lending library about producing more milk. Most of the crap is about actually feeding a baby not exclusively pumping. I can't find anything about exclusively pumping. And what I do find is not encouraging information.
What I have found is that all of the following are reasons I specifically may have supply issues:
1. Premature birth
2. C-Section
3. Administration of Magnesium Sulfate (after my delivery for my blood pressure)
4. Administration of betamethasone (steroids)
5. PCOS (hormonal issues)
6. Need for fertility treatments
7. Gestational diabetes
8. Stress (ummm...how to avoid this one???)
I think that's it...long enough list for you? And on top of that, not being able to touch my baby doesn't help either. Skin to skin contact should supposedly help but I don't know when that's going to be yet. :(
I tried calling the lactation consultant today and the ICN paged her and she didn't answer her page in the almost two hours I waited for her. Now that's encouraging. :(
It made me cry to come back from the pumping room and still not have seen her and yet had another slow pumping session. On top of that, there was another mom in the room pumping one side who filled a bottle. Wtf? I know I can't compare but seriously, wtf? Not fair.
I have said from the very very beginning of our pregnancy journey that this is the one thing I really wanted to do for my children and was determined to do it. And now more than ever I know this is so important for Sammy and I don't feel like its enough! It's the only thing I feel like I can do with Sammy in ICN and I'm not even good at it! Sigh....
And see so now I was going to stops post there since I was done pumping and try to sleep...problem is I'm now wide awake. Ugh!!!
So let's continue...I am starting to think that food is definitely part of the problem. The mag sulfate really killed my appetite. And then being a stressed mess with two sick babies and then the loss of Andrew killed my appetite too. Now that I've been eating more and more often I do see a bit of a difference in my milk but not much. And I don't know whether that difference is because of time or food or both. :-S
Things I've tried and results:
1. Eating more (see above)
2. Watching tv and relaxing - no significant difference
3. Pumping right after spending time with Sammy - I feel the urge to pump in my breasts after being with him but don't feel it necessarily increases my supply
4. Pumping room after spending significant time with Sammy - only tried it once and the combination of waiting for the LC who didn't show and knowing other moms aren't experiencing the same issue just stressed me more and no significant difference.
5. Pumping next to Sammy - I find this the most effective as it is the most relaxing for sure, but I don't find it significantly increases my supply at all.
6. Pumping longer and more often - no real difference at all.
What frustrates me about pumping and makes me just want to give up:
1. All time consuming! A 15 minute pump session takes actually 30 minutes between getting set up and then cleaning up.
2. Cleaning up - washing all the parts and pieces is a pain in the ass. I gave in and bought a second set of supplies (one for travel, one for not). Also I received the tip from a former NICU mom to put the bottles in the fridge in between instead of washing. I do this st night to save me some zzzs (though as you can tell this doesn't really matter when one can't sleep anyways).
3. Jealousy over my production compared to other moms I see in the ICN bringing bottles of milk from one session. I am so scared to waste even one drop.
4. Can be painful. No matter what setting I try I can't find a setting that seems to work for both breasts but due to 1 above I am not feeling like doing two separate sessions. I have finally bought some lanolin to rub on my nipples to help. I also started trying to use the next size up of flange but I don't know that it's right, do another reason to talk to the LC.
5. Not feeling supported. Cam is great and helps clean bottles and pieces when I ask. And when he sees or I tell him I'm frustrated he is very supportive and encouraging. However, I haven't felt a lot of support at the hospital at all. The nurses are fine with me pumping there but then when I give them the milk after they don't really ask how it's going or say anything. I feel like they should know if I'm supplying enough and give me some feedback even if that is to contact the LC. But then we see how well that worked yesterday when I tried to do it on my own...another unsupportive feeling. All the NICU moms and friends I have shared with that I'm pumping have been supportive too but it just doesn't feel like enough and isn't the support I feel I need right now.
I feel like I am probably looking for a quick fix but I feel like if I don't establish a good supply now I won't get the experience of nursing that I feel is so much a part of the mom experience I wanted. And this is an experience I don't have to give up if I can get help early as far as I understand. I just am so discouraged right now!! :(
Here's hoping that the LC actually responds to her page tomorrow...I'm going to get some sleep in hopes that will increase my supply some...
Hugs hun. I'm sorry that your LC hasn't been responding and hope she does. I had a couple factors like you, C-section and PCOS and I was lucky to get drops of BM. This went on for a couple weeks and I also didn't get the support from a LC that I needed. I did a lot of searching and I started taking fenugreek (3 capsules 3 times a day) and it did wonders to my supply. Within a couple days, I was pumping oz instead of drops. I was never able to exclusivly BF but it did help. THere are other things out there to help increase supply. If you ever get ahold of the LC, it may be worth asking her. Or have someone run out to a herbal supplement store to find it. Low supply issues are so emotionally difficult to deal with, much less with everything else you have going on.
ReplyDeleteI'm praying for you and Sammy!
As an exclusive BF/Pumper, I too have had my ups and downs. The first two weeks were terrible, and I was constantly worried that I wasn't going to have enough, and my nipples were super sore -and other then being late and having a long labor, I had no other issues. I talked to a LC at this point, she said that it's important to remember that it is hard at first, but once your body adjusts from birth to motherhood your milk supply will be better. It's also important to remember that your body produces the amount your child needs. At birth the Baby's stomach is so small they only need 1/2 - 1 ounce at a time, this will gradually increase, so should your supply. There are things that were suggested to me that are supposed to help with your supply: a brand of tea called Mother's Milk that can be found at most drug stores, there are also other supplements like Fenugreek that you can use that help (also found at any drugstore). I am on Fenugreek and do feel like it helps with my supply, but you have to take like 6+ capsules a day.
ReplyDeleteHopefully by this time the LC has contacted you back… if not let me know and I will try to find the number for the one I used (she is at APD, but would probably at least talk to you).
All I can say is it’s a tough road, but stick with it and it will get easier. When I get down about it, I just think about how it is the best, most natural thing I can do for my Baby, and that somehow helps. Good luck Mel, my thoughts are with you! Let me know if you need to talk or anything!
~Amy
Pumping sucks at first, but it does get better. I had supply issues too, even with going full term, and I found that drinking three liters of water (in addition to drinking at mealtimes) helped a lot. I also took the supplement that they sell at the WHRC. It's pretty expensive though. I have some leftover if you want to try it. I think I have some Mother's Milk tea. I was about to say that it's in my drawer at work. :) There is also an olive oil based gel/lubricant that I found worked better than lanolin. I have some leftover if you want to try it. They had some little samples at DHMC. Good luck!
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