Milk Supply - Highland Park, IL

Am I reading this correctly - you only pump, right? (Oh don't get me wrong I'm not judging; just trying to make sure I've got the whole picture.)

I was an EP-er for about 4 months as my son and I never got the latch down. Sure, I could have beaten myself up over it and continued to have many stressful days of crying and question...or I could pump, pump, pump and let him take it from the bottle. I chose the healthiest route for our family.

So anyhow, during the process I learned and used a lot of tricks and managed to become a virtual milk factory despite the fact that he never nursed at the breast. Once I really got going, I would make anywhere from 4-10 ounces per pumping session. Here are things that helped me:

-Sounds like your pumping sessions at work are limited. There may not be a whole lot you can do about that so focus on the home sessions instead. Can you pump before work, pump on 2 breaks and lunch at work, pump as soon as you get home, pump once in the evening, and then perhaps pump right before you go to bed? That would make 6 sessions - not too bad! Don't feel guilty if you have to skip a session every once in a while - you are a new M. and likely very busy so don't beat yourself up over it.

-If you can, really take advantage of the weekends to pump more frequently and for longer sessions (see next tip). You will probably find that on Monday morning you'll be a virtual fountain of milk!

-How long are you pumping? Do you stop after the milk stops? If so, add 5-10 minutes to the pumping session. Sure, right now nothing is coming out but this activity tells the prolactin receptors and the brain "Hey - get working buddy! We need more milk! I'm stimulating the breasts but nothing is coming out!" Pretty soon, the brain will get with the program and start making more milk SUPPLY in response to the DEMAND.

-Drink a huge glass of water when you pump. Now, realize that # of ounces drank will NOT equal # of ounces produce. You have to remember that making milk in your body is a chemical reaction (as well as everything else in your body is a chemical reaction) that requires water to function. If you become dehydrated, your body will choose to divert water to essential functioning (sorry, the body does not think milk production is essential; things like breathing and heart beating are essential). Ever get tired when you're dehydrated or hungry?

-I had oatmeal twice a day and it seemed to help. I even justified the oatmeal cookies too.

-Do not beat yourself up for using formula. Apparently this is the 'cardinal sin' of nursing. Since your child is not at the breast, he isn't "missing" a session; the milk production is being guided by your pumping not his nursing, so giving him a bottle of formula will do NOTHING to your supply. However, if you ARE putting him to breast but giving one bottle of formula it IS a missed session, thus sending signals to the brain "Hey, look the baby isn't eating as much so let's cut supply down a bit to compensate." I supplemented one bottle of formula for my son from the get-go because I wanted to stretch my breastmilk out for as long as possible. In fact, after I stopped pumping, I managed to still feed my son expressed milk until he was 6 months. My rationale, right or wrong, was that breastmilk for as long as possible with the one bottle of formula daily was better than depleting my milk supply at 4 months and then switching over to formula completely.

Good luck and hopefully some of these tips work out for you. In the end, your baby needs to be fed and you need to be a happy and healthy M.. Whatever decision you make will be the best one for your family!

2 moms found this helpful

I too had this problem with both of my girls, they were not "eaters " and I was not a "producer" but I did not give up. I was determined to make it to the 6 month mark for both of them to receive breast milk. I contacted a woman over the phone from La Leche (phone numbers can be found on line or you can contact your local hospital, or google it) and she told me if I stress over it, it will make it worse, your body will not produce if it forced.

So her suggestions were :

Drink a lot of water, normal daily recommendation, 8 -8 oz glasses a day, but if you are pumping you need as much as you can get beyond that. I would sit down with a 10 oz glass every time I pumped or nursed.

You can massage your breast to stimulate the let down , I thought it sounded funny but I did it

Have a recent picture of the baby with you so you remember why you are doing this

The more you stimulate by pumping or nursing the more you will produce. If you are only pumping 2 times a day and nursing the baby at night your brain is telling your breast that they no longer need to produce milk. So I would pump every two hours and only get 1 oz but, by the next week my supply doubled and I was getting 2 oz.

Try the mother's milk to tea to help, or you could talk to your OB/GYN for a script of Reglan, they will gladly give it to you if you call. I talked to my Dr about it and my husband and I did not feel comfortable to use medication because of side effects with the baby.

Just remember you have a right to pump at work, unfortunately it is probably only on your normal breaks, but it is only temporary .

Some breast milk is better than your child receiving none at all so don't beat yourself up like I did !

Best of luck to you.

2 moms found this helpful

It's funny how much people freak out about giving formula as a supplement. You really have to figure out what works for you, and I don't think there is anything wrong with supplementing with formula when your baby is getting some breast milk too. Try using the supplement fenugreek to increase your milk supply. The type of pump you are using is also really important if your supply has dipped. If I were you I'd rent a hospital-grade pump for a few months (you can call the hospital where you delivered - they might be able to rent you one). This will help you to produce the most milk possible. My hospital uses the Medela Symphony. It's great. Not terribly convenient to take to work, but superb at home. You could use it for morning and later afternoon + evening pumpings, and your other pump for work (plus as long as you have a place to clean it, you could leave your other pump at work and not lug it back and forth).

Basically you need to tell your body that more milk is required than what it's producing. It's possible, if you are committed to it and I would definitely use the help of the best-grade pump. It should make a big difference. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Two things will help, go to Whole Foods and ask them, but they have a tea that is called mother's milk or something like that. When I have trouble I have a cup of tea at bed time and on my way to work and that day I pump double the milk. Its wonderful. They also have drops that you can put in your water, but I have had trouble finding them. If you don't have a whole foods, google 'mother's milk tea" and you'll find a couple different kinds for about $5 a box. Your baby will find much more milk than your pump. I pump 3 times a day at work and barely get 2 bottles full, which isn't much for my 8 month old. Good luck!

Also, drink tons of water, like 64OZ per day...the more water the more milk I get. Hope that helps. DO NOT GIVE UP! Its worth it. Also, look up La Leche League and call them, they are wonderful and knowledgeable!

1 mom found this helpful

Oh, the memories.

Unfortunately, returning to work has one downfall and it's a challenge to continue to produce milk. I nursed both my kids and within a week of returning to work, my supply dropped more than 1/2. I tried different supplements and in the end, it really wasn't worth the cost. In order for you to succeed in pumping and getting enough is a) drink a lot more water than you think you need. b) pump every 3 hours and every day. If you pump on a schedule, your body will adjust and create more milk because of that.

Also, are you using an electric pump? You should get a lot more from an electric pump and you should be pumping both sides at the same time for at least 20 minutes per each session.

You may also want to take a picture of your child crying and bring that to work with you so that you can see it while you pump. Most importantly, you need to relax while pumping.

While you are at home, you may want to pump the side that he/she is not nursing on. It's all about supply and demand. If you aren't using all your supply up, your body will not produce.

It has also been suggested that it can take up to 3 days before your body starts producing more.

A great website to check out is www.kellymom.com

It's all about nursing.

If for some reason you chose not to continue, don't feel guilty. What you have given him so far has been great and many moms don't nurse at all.

Congratulations!

~C.

1 mom found this helpful

Oatmeal boosts milk supply. Eating a bowl everyday has helped me. Also check out the website www.kellymom.com. They have lots of tips and tricks for breastfeeding moms.

Another option is taking the herbal supplement fenugreek. You can find it at vitamin stores. I have it, but have not tried it yet. I have heard it works really well.

Also, a friend of mine decided to pump after each feeding when supply dropped. She said, even though having to do this at 3am, it brought her supply back up and really helped.

good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I had problems producing milk due to stress and my doctor recommended I start taking the herb Fenugreek. It worked for me. I would talk to your doctor before you begin taking this.
http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/fenugreek/all_abou...

1 mom found this helpful

Dear M. M

I will preface my response by saying that I am no expert or lactation consultant - but with my first baby due in a couple of months I've been taking classes and reading books. In fact, my copy of "Breastfeeding Made Simple" by Mohrbacher, is sitting right next to me.

From what I've learned from lactation consultants (my birth class instructor is a certified LC and La Leche League leader), and my research, is that the more you breastfeed the more milk you will produce. So I wonder if you were able to incorporate more actual breastfeeding (rather than pumping) when you ARE home that would help with the supply.

There is also something in the skin-to-skin contact with your baby that encourages 'let down' or the milk-ejection-reflex, that doesn't happen as easily with a pump.

I also wonder what brand of pump you are using. The LC recommended only the following brands - Medela, Ameda, and Lansinoh.

Other pumps on the market tend to be made by (or there is some financial link to) the same companies that make formula. And they are actually made in a way that will lessen your milk supply, because (gasp) that will leave you more at the mercy of using only formula (which you buy from them and send their profits up. They ARE a business.)

Apparently the 3 brands I mentioned above are all above board and really value breastmilk.

Finally, have you considered a visit with a lactation consultant or going to a La Leche League meeting? Info on their meetings is on their website, and I know the monthly Lincoln Park meeting is tonight at Illinois Masonic Hospital.

Hope this helps.

1 mom found this helpful

Keep pumping, the more you pump the more is the produccion, and when you are at home feed the baby. I pumped for six months. For six months my baby had nothing else but breast milk. Good luck.

I take Fenugreek. The same thing happened to me when I started working. I called La Leche League and they suggested that I take Fenugreek. You can purchase it at the health food store or GNC. The brand from the health food store is better, though. Just take 2-4 about three times a day until your urine smells like syrup. I know it sounds crazy, but it works! Fenugreek is made of the same stuff that gives syrup its smell. It maintains my milk supply so that even if I'm not able to pump, I can still nurse my son every night when I get home. He drinks formula during the day and he's now on stage 2 foods as well.

Hello -
Stress can be a major reason why your milk supply is low. I never believed this, but experienced its effects when I went back to work after I had my first child. Make sure to stay hydrated with water and other good things. If there is ANY way you can pump sometime during your workday, that might help too. The more you demand of your breasts the more they will produce. Don't know how long your commute is, but can you pump in the car as soon as you leave work? During lunch? It takes a little creativity, but soemtimes you can find at least 15 minutes in there somewhere. I used to pump while I typed while I ate in an office I was able to find with a lock on the door (my main station was in a common cubicle area). Also I took the herb fenugreek, which helped increase my milk supply. I researched and found that it had no ill effects on my babies and the only mildly unpleasant side effect was that my sweat sometimes smelled like maple syrup (no one noticed it but me - but my husband started calling me Mrs. Butterworth to make me laugh about it). I pumped for 1 year with my son while working full time and was able to bring home milk to leave and freeze. I also was able to pump enough to feed my twin girls for 6 months (I just couldn't keep up with them at that point and had to stop to stay sane and had to chase around after my then 2 1/2 y/o son)
I hope this helps. Don't give up!

drink lots
mothers milk tea
find time to pump the more you pump the more your body will produce
have a pic of the baby while you are pumpming then close your eyes and relax

I also had problems pumping. I would agree with what everyone has said so far, and also let you know that the prescription Reglan can help and you can take that along with the mothers milk tea. Also, antihistamines, which a lot of people take this time of year for allergies are ok to take while breastfeeding in terms of safety sake, but will often dry up your milk supply.

Hi- let your son nurse in the morning before you go to work and again at night before he goes to sleep. Babies are the best pump and he will bring your supply back up. Or if that is not an option- take a hand pump as well to work and even if you can sneak off to the bathroom for just 5 minutes pump as often as possible. Good luck- I just went back to work as well and am pumping for my five month old- I know what a pain pumping is but stick with it- it is worth it.

I had the same problem going back to work. Eat a lot of oatmeal. Any kind but the best is just regular. Trust me you'll produce more breast milk. good luck

Hello M. M:

Unfortunately, if you neglect to pump on a continuum each day at regular intervals, the breasts will not produce. As you stated, you are currently supplementing the breast milk with formula and since your son is now 11 months old, you can give the child regular milk now. I am not a doctor and some doctors recommend herbal supplements but I would not make this my first choice.

As for your working, you may not have the time for all that pumping. I recommend giving the baby milk because he is now 11 months old. It's easier for you and the baby's sytem can handle it for I did this with my son Your son already has 11 months of breast milk in his system. I fed my son 10 weeks of breast milk, then he was given powdered formula (made fresh daily with hot water in a glass pitcher and refrigerated) until bottle feeding. At 11 months, I switched to milk. My son will be 7 in July and he has never had an ear infection, nor was his bowel movements rancid and vulgar. He is healthy and happy.

A word of advice on the milk--To minimize constipation, blend 2% and whole milk equally before feeding. The baby will love it.

There are huge chunks of information missing to be able to acurately help you with your situation. Please seek out help through a lactation consultant or La Leche League.

I had the same problem with my first son. The biggest things that can affect your supply is if you are eating/drinking enough and if you are getting plenty of rest.

You may also just be having a problem with let-down. If you have a picture of your baby to look at and think about while you pummp, it may help.

What kind of pump are you using? Maybe it's not stimulating you properly.

There is a tea called "Mother's Milk" tea that helps. You can get it at Jewel or the Vitamin Shop.

La Leche League is also a wonderful resource to check out!

Good Luck and don't give up!
The more you pump/nurse, the more you will produce! Keep trying!

I grew up in Germany and when I was nursing my children my M. sent me a special "nursing tea" to support breast milk production. You might want to check into that. I also remember that I was drinking A LOT of water, especially when I was pumping. Good Luck!

Once I started supplementing formula, my milk production dropped dramatically. Lactation Innovation is a fantastic lactation consultant. I went to a workshop she did and she was amazing. I think she does phone consults, she is out of Naperville. Good Luck!

With my 3 children I was always a supply/demand milk producer. If they weren't nursing, I wouldn't produce much milk. No amount of pumping, fenugreek tea or other remedies made an appreciable difference. Have you tried fenugreek? Some women produce lots of milk if they drink the tea. I hope you find a solution you are peaceful with.

Hi!

I have 7 month old twin boys that are exclusively breastfed without any supplementation. I returned to teaching when they were eight weeks old, and I experienced the exact same problem. I immediately called a lactation consultant who told me about Reglan, a prescription you can take to increase your milk supply. I took the prescription for three rounds (the max you can do) and it increased my milk significantly. I am only able to pump twice a day, but I was able to produce enough to cover the feedings I missed while pumping. Contact your ob/gyn or a lactation consultant to see if it is right for you.

Good luck!

Get thee to a lactation consultant. Professional help is worth it in this situation.

you need to call your local La LEche League for help. You need to pump every 3 or 4 hours and increase fluids and decrease of eliminate all together caffeine will help. the pump stimulates your breast less than a baby does so try to have the baby nurse from you as often as possible when you are home

The only surefire big way to increase your supply (though you can take fenucreek which I'm told helps) is by pumping more but if you can't do it at work, pump extra at night, at lunch, and in the morning. Like pump in an extra time slot.