bi weekly chat June 18-July 2 - Page 2 « Back to Group Discussions

[CarlyVHT]

Chiro - what pump are you using now? If you are already using a quality double electric, I'd try to stick with that for now because I'm not sure how much a hospital grade pump would really make a difference.

I HAVE to drink 2 liters of water per day to keep my oversupply up enough to pump what I want. So first things first: drink LOTS.

As for other things:

Oatmeal

Mother's Milk Tea

Fenugreek (I am taking 1200mg but I know people with real supply issues who take LOTS more - like 5400mg/day)

Drink a dark per each day

[NicMom]

I am pretty sure I am going to have the same issue when I go backe in a few weeks. I bought a lb each of mountain roses's nursing tea and goats rue. I have read great things about goats rue. I ordered pumpin pals kit to see if I can get more milk out of each pumping. I am definitely in sync with savian's needs right now but I feel like I will need an oversupply in order to get what I will need out of pumping

[chiromama01]

thanks nicmom, i just ordered the motherlove more milk special blend, so hopefully that will help.  (just as an aside, it was $29 for 120 capsules on amazon, but $42 for the same qty on motherlove's website... kinda sketchy.  i ordered from motherlove thinking that would ensure quality...hope i didn't just pay 2x as much for no reason...)

carly-- I'm using a medela double (freestyle) it was quite expensive, but it is 3 years old now since i bought if after i had dd.  did you mean drink a dark beer each day?  I could try that.  don't actually drink beer, any suggestions?

[Thursday Girl]

OMG, I had Coraline in the moby and I bent over to grab something from a drawer and she fell out, or the top of her fell out, I reacted quickly and caught her but not before the back of her head hit the drawer. It was so scary, she cried for awhile and fell back asleep, I woke her right up and watched her eyes for a bit then let her fall back asleep. She seems okay and her head didn't hit hard, there was no bump or bruising or anything and I put arnica on it right away. I have some mistrust of the moby now. I just learned the high back cross carry today, but I don't think I want to use it because I could never even sort of catch her if she fell or even see if her wrap was mispositioned or came loose or something. I'm trying to figure out if I put her in wrong or something, when she was half out it seemed like maybe one of the straps was under her body instead of around it but I just can't be sure. She's my third kid I've used a wrap with and nothing like this has ever happened before. It sure does make me glad I won that Boba though

[flavorfull1]

i am sorry courtney. That sucks and sounds scary. Dd is always in a wrap, either bali breeze or moby and i always have my hand on her when i lean over bc i am paranoid of dropping her. I carried ds in ergo for the majority of the time and felt like he could slide easily if i leaned over so i held him w one hand leaning too. I would love to master the back carry in a wrap for dd. She isnt ready for it yet though.

[CarlyVHT]

Chiro - I hate beer, so not suggestions there :)

WIth the pump - does it feel like it is suctioning well?

You probably need to replace the membranes - they are little white disks where the millk drips down. They are like $3 and replacing them in an old pump often makes a world of difference in suction pressure.

[chiromama01]

Courtney-- that is so scary! glad she's ok though!  I'll have to remember to be super careful next time Collin is in a wrap!

Carly- I replaced everything right before he was born.  The suction feels sufficient.  I tried a beer (Newcastle) and it was awful, I just can't do it!  I almost got sick! So i will have to find other ways to up the supply!  Ironically enough, I saw a HUGE increase in supply after eating red meat (happened to have a burger for lunch and ribeye for dinner) I almost NEVER eat red meat (maybe 1xmonth) but I kid you not, I pumped 7 oz after 3 hours of separation the next morning, whereas i would usually only get about 4.  Granted, he still consumed 8oz while i was gone, but at least i'm getting closer! So now i'm making it a point to get read meat a few times a week.  (thank goodness the local butcher now keeps grass fed beef in stock!) I'm waiting on the motherlove herbs to arrive, and I'm being extra diligent about my water intake. so here's hoping.  thanks for all the help!

[saudade]

I had to start supplementing (breaks my heart) at 6 weeks after exhausting everything except domperidone due to lack of funds bc lennon still wasnt gaining, so my supply is hurting even more now. i'm taking motherlove more milk plus (a lot more than suggested dose) and in a week when im able, i will order domperidone from http://www.inhousepharmacy.biz/c-104-Breastfeeding.aspx

theres info here: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/meds/prescript_galactagogue/ This is the most effective and safest galactagogue but you cant get it in the us except by prescription and from a compounding pharmacy but its more expensive compounded than ordering from overseas.   sorry nak

[adoremybabe]

nak

how scary courtney! when i have juliet in the wrap i tend to place my hand on her when i lean over. I too want to master the back carry with a smaller babe. cooking and cleaning would be so much easier!

Allow me to freak out a little bit please! I stopped bleeding at around 5 1/2  weeks pp. Today I did quite a bit of garden work by myself (I haven't done too much in the past because DH has been taking care of it) This afternoon I had a bit of brown tinged discharge and this evening I did too. So it could be because I did a lot of work today at 8 weeks pp, i am by some freak event getting a pp period ( I usually get them close to a year pp), or I'm pregnant!!!!  ....but I've never had any implantation bleeding in the past.

okay gonna stop thinking about it now. We are leaving on a little vacation tomorrow and I want to enjoy it without freaky thoughts.

[Thursday Girl]

brown tinged means it's older, I think it's just the extra work. All implantation bleeding I have heard of was red, and period blood, especially at the start of the period has always been red for me.  Plus 8 weeks isn't so far past having the baby. I think you are probably good.

[daylicious]

Saudade: good luck with the Domperidone. I'm in Canada, and my friend was prescribed it by her Dr for her low supply, it really helped her.

Courtney: that's so scary! Im glad she seems ok. I think you'll love your Boba! It's the one I picked after trying on the Ergo, Boba, and Beco at the store. Both my DH and I love it. It's very comfy.

Edited to correct name! Sorry Courtney!
Edited by daylicious - 6/24/12 at 12:39pm

[adoremybabe]

Thanks Courtney! I'll take it!

[piratemere]

Sorry I'm kind of quiet these days, but with summer here I find I get less and less time on line.  It's a good thing for everyone, but I do miss you ladies!

Best story ever: On Thursday I was at Costco with Atticus in my Moby and this lady walks right up to me and asks if I want all her old wraps.... um, yes!  She gave me her number and I called her and went to pick them up today. There were two Mobys, a beautiful wool woven wrap that is made in Germany (they are still in the car, otherwise I'd tell you the name), a Gypsy Mama Ring Sling, and a couple nursing covers.  The covers will be gifted right away (I'm a firm believer that if I'm comfortable NIP, I had better do it to normalize nursing) but the wraps are awesome!  I'm always frantically washing and searching for my wraps, but this way I will have some options.  But, the best part was having such an amazingly kind thing done for me. I honestly came home searching for things I could give away to people. It made me feel so wonderful to receive it, and I'm excited to do the same for someone else.  I'm also going to knit her up some hats for her four kids and drop them off as a thank you.  I love reminders of how good people are.

[saudade]

That is so awesome! Pay if forward! Good story.

[Aletheia]

I'm reading to get caught up on how everyone is-- I've not been around much as it has been so crazy around here.  Lots of visitors in town for Mo's baptism and then DH was out of town for four (very long) days.  I'm truly enjoying sitting on the couch under a sleeping baby while DH plays with the big boys outside.

Jenny- love that story.  You'll appreciate this great news piece if you haven't seen it already.  It is truly inspiring.  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/20/it-aint-over-the-business-secret_n_1607385.html 

Courtney- so sorry about your wrap mishap!  I still think the closeness babe feels in the wrap outweighs the occasional small accident.  We've been using a KKAFP and more recently a too small Baby K'Tan.  Maybe I'll dig out my Gypsy Mama.

adoremybabe-- I so could have written your post.  I'm trying not to worry about it, too, but I am also suddenly having brown and even pinkish discharge.  I stopped bleeding by about 3 weeks pp so this is totally unexpected.  I have occasionally spotted midcycle though, and have read  that hormone levels changing a bit erratically can cause light spotting.  I've also begun having some mild night sweats, so I am chalking the tinged discharge up to hormone changes.  But then too I've been running again, and that might have something to do with it.  But let's both try not to worry!

You pumping/working mamas amaze me.  I try to pump once every few days to build up a freezer stash, and to give DH a chance to feed Mo.  But it is hard work and not all that pleasant.  I think ladies who pump regularly should get some sort of prize.  A check from the government.  Something.  

Saudade- it's hard to tell if you are worried just about supply (a warranted worry) or more ultimately about Lennon's weight gain.  How are you doing?

[chiromama01]

pumpimg at keyboard... super frustrated and still having supply issues here too. waiting n motherlove supplements and hoping for improvement...

aletheia u crack me up :0

hoping there arent any surprise babies for any one! (myself included!)

jenny--love the story! thx for sharing!

[saudade]

Originally Posted by Aletheia 

Saudade- it's hard to tell if you are worried just about supply (a warranted worry) or more ultimately about Lennon's weight gain.  How are you doing?

I'm not as worried about her weight gain now that I'm supplementing her and she's gaining well now. She has put on almost 2 lbs in 3 weeks since starting supplementation. I'm more worried about preserving our breastfeeding relationship and I've accepted that it may never be exclusive again. I'm not ever going to give up, though. Even if she gets most of her nutrition from formula, I want to nurse her until she self-weans. I've been very sad about it all, but I've done all I could within my financial abilities. Hopefully once I start Domperidone, that will keep my supply up enough that I won't be constantly stressing about it dwindling. I bought a baby scale and keep track of her weight now, too. She just wasn't gaining on breastmilk alone no matter how much I tried. I was drinking $30 worth/ 4 ounces of Fenugreek tincture every two days and it still didn't help. It seemed like breastmilk was enough to maintain her weight but not gain. She is almost 11 lbs now, which is still only the 5-10% but she is a happy, healthy baby, hitting all her milestones early. I am just desperately trying to keep up my milk supply so we can preserve that relationship. This is not what I had planned at all...I've been going through lots of feelings of failure. But it does make me happy to finally see her chins and cheeks coming back!

[Thursday Girl]

saudad, i have an unopened bottle of motherlove more milk plus herbal supplement i can send you if you want, someone gave it to me and i am afraid to use it.

[saudade]

OMGosh! I'd love to take it off your hands! I don't have anything to send you for postage until next week though. Let me know!

[flavorfull1]

Courtney i can send u money for her postage, no prob. Just pm me your address. Im sorry that you have to supplement, hugs saudade. You are doing a great job doing all that your miracle girl needs. I know it is disappointing but please dont feel like a failure, you are being a very good mommy, lots of hugs