What is wrong with my body??

[homemademom]

I'm just so sad right now. I posted recently about suspecting my baby has a posterior tongue tie and the fact that he is not able to transfer milk. We're addressing that this week with a doctor.

My main problem is that my body is not making enough milk. I nursed my other babies for two years each. I had to pump for my last child for his first month of life and produced much more milk than he needed. So, I know my body knows how to make milk, and I know it knows how to respond to the breast pump.

So, what's going on now? I've been taking herbs, eating oatmeal, switched to proper flanges, but still, I'm not getting more than 2 oz per pumping session (on avg). I pump 8-10x daily, including 2-3 times at night.  I pump for 15-20 minutes. My breasts are soft and drained after pumping.  I eat and drink plenty. Losing baby weight is not even on my radar.  And yet, my body will NOT make more milk. 

[Since I started pumping 9 days ago, my total output has gone from 13 2/3 oz to 20 2/3 oz--a very small increase over such along period of time, imo.]

I know what everyone says about a baby being more efficient, etc. but I've pumped successfully before.  I just can't understand why my body is failing me now!  I hope. Hope. HOPE that after his tongue is released, that he'll be able to nurse and by some miracle, get my supply to where he needs it to be. But I've got to say, I'm feeling really discouraged and depressed. I hate that I have to supplement my baby with formula. 

I don't know what I'm looking for.  Support, encouragement, success stories, perhaps?  I feel like a zombie right now. Dh and I are both so tired and we're just going through the motions until our appt. this week.  :(

[NewBeginnings1]

Keep fighting the fight momma, this is a worthy cause. 

[ElliesMomma]

sounds like the reason you are not producing as much is due to the tongue tie. this is a newborn, or young infant? basically, your breasts have already regulated to producing a lesser amount of milk b/c that is the amount that was extracted in the initial period of nursing (less, due to the tongue tie). 

with my first baby, she was given a bottle in the hospital (slight jaundice, and the nurses told me she had to have formula to poop it out -- that nursing would not be adequate and that i should do the bottle if i wanted her to come home when i was released. i didn't know better so i did it). it screwed up her latch. for about 10 weeks. nursing was excruciatingly painful. and, i suspect, less than efficient. she was a slow weight gainer. i very slowly weaned her from the bottles and nursed more. but never achieved "exclusive" nursing status with her. however, i vowed that i would make up for it with length of nursing. she is going on 5 now, and i still let her nurse a bit before bed. she would love to nurse more, but i also have a 1 year old, who was exclusively nursed BTW -- he too had jaundice, but i knew better this time, and let him get the bili lights instead -- and anyways, there's only so much i can take.

so BTDT in a way. in my experience, the first six months or so are when you feel the angst that you have now. after you start introducing solids, you can cut back on the pumpings and just concentrate on nursing before meals, nursing frequently, etc. you will worry a lot less about how many ounces produced after six months or so. PROVIDED that you don't give up. which it sounds like you won't. 

try not to fret about it. your baby is getting momma's milk -- that's what matters. you will nurse him/her until at least age 2. that's a huge gift. he or she is going to be just fine!!

[homemademom]

Elliesmama, he's 3 1/2 wks old. I started pumping when he was just over a week (though been tracking for 9 days). Can my body really be programmed after that short time?  That's what I'm wondering. And if so, why? I started pumping at just under a week with my last baby (different situation, but eping nonetheless) and went from nothing to full bottles in just days.  I don't get why it's so different this time. . .

[PatioGardener]

have you considered domperidone? 

nak

[homemademom]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener 

have you considered domperidone? 

nak

I'm in the US, so I guess I was under the impression that it's not readily available.  Maybe that's not the case?? I'll call my mw today and see. 

Thanks to everyone for your advice and support. I appreciate it so much.  Very few people irl can understand why bfing is so important to me, so it's nice to come here :)

[Buzzer Beater]

Homemademom,
I'm sorry you're going through this. Hopefully your doc will have an idea about the tongue tie. We are still looking for answers to our babe's bad latch at nine months, but luckily she transfers milk fine. How old is your babe?
If your mw doesnt presribe dom PM me and I will send you a link for it. I buy it in NZ and it's really not that expensive.

[PatioGardener]

20 oz at 3.5 weeks is awesome!  My book says that a newborn (4 week old) baby only needs 23 - 27 oz a day, so you are almost there AND you are pumping which is we know is not as efficient as a baby! Go you!

Is baby taking anything from the breast at all? What about donated milk to get you through until the tie is clipped?

Hang in there Mama - you can do this!

[homemademom]

Pm'd you, Buzzer Beater. Thank you.

Thanks, PatioGardener :)  You've been so supportive and informative on all my threads. I appreciate it!

We're leaving town in 3 days to have the procedure done, so I don't think there's time for donated milk.  When he latches on, he chomps down several times until the milk let's down and then, he sucks/drinks that, but he's REALLY inefficient at sucking. During his first week, he would suck as hard as he could for long periods of time (ouch to my lipstick shaped nipples!), but now he doesn't make such an effort because he knows he won't be rewarded for it.  I keep putting him to the breast, though, so he doesn't forget.

When you had your lo clipped, what happened? How quickly did your lo take to nursing normally?
 

Originally Posted by PatioGardener 

20 oz at 3.5 weeks is awesome!  My book says that a newborn (4 week old) baby only needs 23 - 27 oz a day, so you are almost there AND you are pumping which is we know is not as efficient as a baby! Go you!

Is baby taking anything from the breast at all? What about donated milk to get you through until the tie is clipped?

Hang in there Mama - you can do this!