Need some answers from the pros, please.

[lellian]

Hi Ladies,

RARE moment to get on line, so I wanted to seek your advice.

I am trying to exclusively breastfeed DD. Labor was long, and I lost a lot of blood, so much that I was told it would take "a long time" for my milk to come in, and even told it may never come in. Apparently post bleeding at the level I was at can be irreversible to nursing. However. . .

I am taking every supplement under the sun. I pump 4x a day (I had to give myself a break on pumping after every feeding. I was BURNING OUT!). I've rented the symphony pump from the LC because my medela wasn't helping any.

My questions, your advice, please.

1) When is the best time to pump to build supply? Before or after? Or does it matter? I've gone from getting nothing the first 4 week of pumping after every feeding to now I can get almost half an ounce. How much is normal? Is there a normal?

2) DD is going to be six weeks on Monday. She's a trooper nurser BUT by the time her 5 pm, or 7 pm feeding comes around she is fussy and unsatisfied on the breast. She will spit it out of her mouth! She whines and fusses and cries until she gets a bottle (whether formula or donated bm) and not because it's a bottle, but because she's so hungry. Do my boobies "dry up?" towards the end of the day? I can let her nurse ALL DAY, and I still feel like by night time my supply, or lack there of, is causing her to freak out. I can hear her stomach growling. I also wonder if this fussiness is a growth spurt, and if so, what am I going to do but give her a bottle? I barely have enough to nurse her exclusively now.

I used the SNS for the first 5 weeks and now she pushes the plastic tube out of her mouth. I don't know why, or if she's just discovered it, but it was the one way of giving her an ounce or two of formula while nursing.

I've gone to far with her to throw in the towel now, but I'm very frustrated about these night time feedings. . .because I feel like I'm doing her a disservice by keeping her on my breast all day and maybe not having anything later in the evening.

I'm new to this, so please help me understand how to better nurse her.

I hope to sign on again tomorrow for some answers.

xoxo

[zinemama]

You are dealing with a lot of issues. My best advice is to ask around for a really good lactation consultant, one who will come to your house and work with you, do before and after nursing weight checks to determine if your baby is really fussy because she's not getting enough or not.

The hardest part about all this is the stress and anxiety. You need to talk to a real person, an expert, who can assess your situation. Good luck.

[lellian]

I saw the LC at the hospital once a week for a month. Insurance won't pay for more than 4 visits, and wouldn't cover the cost of the symphony pump at all.

Last weight check was awesome. She was getting at least 3 oz from me, that's from both sides, and then I was supplementing an additional oz from SNS for a total of 4. I think she wants more now. 4 oz isn't cutting it, and she's clearly not getting 4 oz each session or she wouldn't be fussing I THINK. I just don't know. The simple solution is to bottle feed, but I wouldn't be on here trying to figure that out if I were ready to do that. .. yet.

For something that is supposed to be so natural, it sure isn't easy. I envy the mamas who can breastfeed with no problems.

[MettaSutta]

When you say that you are taking "every supplement under the sun" does that include Reglan? I too lost a lot of blood after delivery and had a hard time producing enough milk. I was given a prescription for Reglan and my supply went through the roof! I remember pumping 8 oz. from one breast and crying with joy. If my IBCLC hadn't put me on the Reglan I don't know what would've happened, but I'm still nursing my 25 month old DD and it's been wonderful.

Good luck Mama! It can be hard, but I applaud you for your continued efforts!

[Spiralshell]

I will echo zinemama and say that you really need the advice of a lactation consultant. Do you have a local La Leche League group? There might be someone there who could refer you to an LC or give you some LC advice at a free or reduced rate?
It also sounds like this is stressful for you while you are still healing from birth. Are you drinking a lot of water? Eating healthy food? Managing to sleep when the baby sleeps? I had supply issues early on, and the stress didn't help... I wasn't taking good enough care of myself. I'm sure you've already thought about these things, but keep making healing a priority every day. You can't take care of the babe if you don't take care of you!
Hang in there!

[Lineymom]

Originally Posted by lellian

She's a trooper nurser BUT by the time her 5 pm, or 7 pm feeding comes around she is fussy and unsatisfied on the breast. She will spit it out of her mouth! She whines and fusses and cries until she gets a bottle (whether formula or donated bm) and not because it's a bottle, but because she's so hungry. Do my boobies "dry up?" towards the end of the day? I can let her nurse ALL DAY, and I still feel like by night time my supply, or lack there of, is causing her to freak out. I can hear her stomach growling.

This spitting out the milk does not give the indication to me that she is not getting enough. I am no expert... take what I say with a grain of salt, but this is something that all 3 of mine have done in the evenings. From my experience it is when there is too much milk/ to fast of flow. They kinda gag on it and may spit it out and you can hear their stomachs rumble like it is unsettling for the milk to be going down so fast. But again I don't know about your situation...

[zinemama]

I know times are tough, but in your shoes I would scrape together the $$ for an independent lactation consultant. The hospital ones can be great - or not. I have been in your shoes and the LC who came to my house was the best baby-related money I ever spent. And many of them will talk to you on the phone for free.

You want an IBCLC (someone certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners)

Here is a link to some in the Boston area:

http://www.ilca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3432

[ElliesMomma]

don't bottlefeed if you can't exclusively nurse. nothing wrong w/ doing both!

best time to nurse to build supply is *overnight*. sleep w/ her, offer constantly overnight (sleep topless?).

sounds like you are doing great! relax. if you have to give a bottle or two each day, no biggie. just keep nursing as much as possible.

are you eating lots of oatmeal?

[Italiamom]

It sounds like you are trying SO hard, so my first statement would be hats off to you mama! If only everyone were so dedicated to BF'ing their infant!! BF'ing is hard even for moms without all of your obstacles. So really, really kudos!!

Originally Posted by ElliesMomma

best time to nurse to build supply is *overnight*. sleep w/ her, offer constantly overnight (sleep topless?).

I second this sentiment. If you're not doing it already, bring your LO into bed with you. They'll comfort nurse ALL night long if they can. Sleep without a shirt and your daughter WILL find your breast. She'll also be sleeping, so she's less prone to fuss even if she's only getting very little milk.

Also, call your local La Leche League leaders. When I was having problems nursing my DS in the beginning, the LLL ladies were so much more helpful than the two lactation consultants I saw. Not to in any way discount how amazing LCs can be! They provide round the clock support, are well trained, and most importantly are FREE!

Here is the link for the Boston MA LLL website:
http://www.llleus.org/web/BostonMa.html

Good luck, and please pat yourself on the back and KEEP ON TRYING!

[ktmeyer]

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html

[Anna Phor]

Originally Posted by lellian

Hi Ladies,
by the time her 5 pm, or 7 pm feeding comes around she is fussy and unsatisfied on the breast

We didn't have any problems with supply (so far, fingers crossed) and my little guy was just a fussy fussy guy in the early evening from about 4-5 weeks tapering off around 12 weeks. So this might not be a bf issue at all.

Best of luck to you!

Let me add--you say you can tell that she's hungry & that she will take a bottle. My guy would get so overwrought that he couldn't latch on, even though he was hungry. What worked for us was to soothe him until he was almost asleep then nurse. It was often more effective if the soothing was done by someone who didn't smell like mama, too!