Help my poor boobies!

[Laurski]

Howdy all!

I'm hoping some experienced mamas can help me (and my poor boobies) out.  The backstory is this: DD is almost 5 months old.  Early on I had a few plugged ducts, nothing major, worked them out.  In November, when she was about 3 months old, I suddenly got lots of plugged ducts in my left breast.  On the advice of the LC at the hospital where DD was born, I started taking Lecithin granules--first 1Tbs, then, when it seemed the plugs needed a little more help, 2Tbs.  Bad idea...although the extra Tbs did help me get out the plugs, it also did a number on my stomach, and I ended up in pretty bad pain for a few days.  So, back to 1Tbs, taken faithfully every day, which seems to keep things flowing.  If I miss a few days of Lecithin, then it's plugged duct city.

Cut to January, when I went back to work part-time and had to start pumping regularly for daycare.  Pumps and I aren't friends.  I don't produce a whole lot when I pump (on an exceptionally good pumping session I can produce 4oz total, pumping about 20min. each side, and I have to do compressions to help things along), so I decided to drink some Mother's Milk tea.  It seems to have worked, based on the sudden number of plugs I have all over both breasts.  They are both crazy, crazy lumpy, hard, and painful (and, ironically, not producing much when I pump, given the plugs...).

To work them out, I've been feeding DD as frequently as possible, using the "massage" setting on my shower head with super warm water to loosen the plugs and then trying to manually express them out, pumping (and compressing) as much as I can whenever I'm not feeding DD, using the heating pad when I can (I know moist heat is better, but I don't always remember/have time to moisten something), and taking 2 Tbs Lecithin (with the hope I can stop before the stomach pains start again).  Oh, and I've stopped drinking Mother's Milk for now...I figure why add to the supply when it can't get out?

It feels like I keep getting plugs out (I saw some actually come out in the shower) only to have new ones form again. 

So, if you've taken the time to read this tome (thanks!) what am I missing?  What else can I do to help my poor boobies get back to their normal happy selves?  And how can I prevent this from happening again, since I'd really like to be able to up my supply to pump more for DD in daycare?

TIA!

[peacelove&camping]

oh jeez! i don't have any words of wisdom for you. but i did read the whole thing :) i agree with you stopping the tea. maybe try a different pump? see if you could rent one first. i mean, pumping is pumping, but still, maybe a better one would help you out a little. also, could you call the lc back and see what they have to say? good luck! :)

[Laurski]

Thanks for reading...and your reply!

Yeah, I've been meaning to contact the LC...hopefully she'll have some good advice about increasing my supply w/out causing plugs.

The good news is that after several really painful days, the ducts finally seem to have cleared and not replugged again.  Yay!

[peacelove&camping]

awesome, good luck! :)

[Anna Phor]

on an exceptionally good pumping session I can produce 4oz total, pumping about 20min. each side, and I have to do compressions to help things along

How often are you pumping? 4oz a session is not bad, IMO. How much do you leave for your daughter? I left about 12oz/day for my son at that age, and I was gone for about 9 hours per day. And I definitely used compressions; also, I could sometimes get another half ounce or so with hand expression after I finished pumping. I think I also warmed up to the pump over time. And are you double-pumping? 

Instead of the tea, I wonder if oatmeal might be a more gentle supply-booster for you?

[Ellien C]

I agree that 4 oz over 20 minutes sounds normal to me. I pumped 3x a day and send 12 ouces divided into 3 bottles. How long will be you away from the baby? As a rule of thumb it's 1 ounce per hour. How much milk will you need to pump? Are you drinking a LOT of water? THat will help with the amount you pump as well. I'd try that over the tea.