This *MUST* be a bad luck streak!

[xkoliex]

So I took Tori for her follow up for her ear infection today and I brought up a few concerns I've been having... Like:

- tori eating EVERY hour for the past 2 months
- she never seems satisfied and is always cranky lately
- i tried pumping and each time i only got 1oz combined (20 minutes each side)
- i've lost 40 pounds since she was born

Turns out she's only gained a pound in 2 months so the doc thinks my supply is diminishing. She told me to call LLL which I plan to do in the am (they close at 3)... But I need help NOW!!

What can I do?? I don't want to lose my nursing relationship so soon!

[aisraeltax]

you may already be doing these things, so forgive me if i am suggesting stupid things that you are already doing, but:
mother's milk. are you doing this? i LOVE thsi tea with honey but have to be careful b/c it really does add to my supply.
oatmeal...oatmeal cookies, plain oatmeal. i have to limit the amt. i eat for reasons stated above.
Fennel Greek (GNC sells it so you dont have to wait for online).
other than that, i don't know anything else.
although i would love to have lost 40 lbs!!!
hope you get some answers tomorrow.

rach

[darkpear]

Has Tori ever seen a chiropractor? One adjustment did wonders for Amalie's nursing. The slow weight gain plus possible drop in supply (though you shouldn't read TOO much into the amount you can pump, unless you are accustomed to pumping and can usually produce more for the pump) makes me wonder if Tori is nursing effectively. Is she wetting and pooping enough?

Rach has great suggestions. You also might want to try having a beer, if you drink - something nice and hoppy like a pale ale. Beer always boosted my supply.

[xkoliex]

She wets and poops like always. I don't really like hot beverages or tea. BUT I am going to try and make just plain oatmeal cookies. (I hate raisins) And I hate hot oatmeal.
There's just something about warm mushy stuff in my mouth that I don't like. I'm picky and weird. Thats why the elimination diet worked for me. (For Tori's reflux). It was pretty much what I always eat.
I've heard of that herb and once I get some cash I'll be picking it up.
What if nothing works though? Thats what I'm most concerned about

[xmasbaby7]

It sounds like you have been through lots lately, and the LLL book I read also talks about stress ans milk supply. It sounds like your DH hasn't been as supportive and present as you have needed him, and Tory's ear infection must have been awful for both of you.

I would think about what you can do for yourself to make your next few weeks as relaxing and calm as possible on top of the great, previous suggestions and empty your plate as much as possible so that nursing Tory is your main activity.

Believing in the mind-body connection, your body and baby are asking you to slow down.

You CAN get through this nursing hump.

GOOD LUCK!!

[DreamsInDigital]

Originally Posted by aisraeltax

Fennel Greek (GNC sells it so you dont have to wait for online).

It's fenugreek, and this is your best option. I found it in the health food section of fred meyer.

[hottmama]

If she has 6 wet diapers a day, I wouldn't worry about your supply. Pumping is no indicator of how much you are actually producing, nor is the frequency of feeds. Both my nurslings nurse every hour, and I can't pump much at all anymore- yet they're both huge. Julian weighs 36 lbs. and Luka weighs 17! Luka is EBF and Julian skips meals all the time, although he almost always has breakfast. I've also lost 40+ lbs. since birth. Slow weight gain isn't a sign of low supply as long as she isn't losing and has plenty of diapers. Julian was a skinny baby, he weighed 8.3 at birth and only 18.13 at 1 yr.

That said, I second the suggestion for fenugreek if you want to boost supply. Also make sure you drink plenty of water, and maybe try iced Mother's Milk tea?

Poo on your dr. for causing you to doubt your body!!!

[mkoontz]

And the other thing, which may be impossible is skin to skin naked time with both you and baby. The classic is to spend a couple of days in bed, just the two of you feeling whenever and drinking LOTS of water. Of course thats easier said than done................

[IncaMama]

oh i'm so sorry you're stressing about this. i agree with everybody here...your body is just sending you a gentle message to take it easy and focus on you some more. i love the idea of skin to skin time, just some lazy days in bed with your baby. with a beer in your hand. LOL
beer always worked for me
and until i was VERY used to pumping after a LONG time of doing it (like 6-7mos) i didn't get much at all. now i can get more, but my boobs are used to the pump i think.

good luck, sweetie...have faith in your body. you can do this!!

[aisraeltax]

you can drink the tea cold too. sometimes i do a lot of it in the coffee pot and put it in the frig. thats prob. what i will do more in the summer.

[Kathryn]

How is her reflux? That can cause slow weight gain as well.

[xkoliex]

Her reflux is being treated and its under control. These cries are different than her reflux cries.

I bought the fenugreek (sp?) today. How long does it take to work?

I also bought the Mothers Milk tea and almost gagged on it. I'm not a big tea drinker, only green tea with mandarin orange for me!

[kir]

Fenugreek here is given not as a tea, but as a powder that is made into a sweet (the seeds are quite bitter). If you don't like teas, try this: roast a spoonful of seeds in a pan, then grind them in a coffee grinder or something. You can then just swallow this bitter powder (yuck) or make a sweet by adding ghee, flour, sugar....it's complicated, and I gave up on that.

You can also sprout the fenugreek seeds, just as you would sprout moong beans or any other beans, and add them to a salad or a vegetable dish.

If you want more details about either method, I can provide more details. Both are really potent,IMHO

People also take asparagus extract here for milk supply, but i don't know how that works. I definitely noticed a difference with the fenugreek, though.

[spiralmg]

Is there any way you can find and visit a good acupuncturist? I have been seeing an amazing woman for the past two months or so, and she has helped me and DS so much. She is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor (and mother) who practices acupuncture and also prescribes herbs. She said that if I ever have problems with a too-low milk supply, that she can fix that with one needle (I'm not sure which point, however). They also can do acupuncture and herbs for infants (with very very tiny needles and low doses). She said that it is important to treat the infant directly and not through the mother's milk, however.

Just case it's useful, here is the website for her practice:
http://www.liferising.com

Maybe I will try to call her and see if she has any ideas...she is really good about making suggestions over the phone.

--
And oh, yeah - until she told me to stop drinking beer because of my personal condition, I LOVED drinking my daily dose of Guinness - I swear it really increases your milk supply.

--

And (one more edit) - please don't think that not pumping much milk out means that you are not producing much. I have always had an overabundant milk supply, but I am a terrible pumper. I just can't do it. Something psychological in my case, I'm sure, but whatever.

[aisraeltax]

i sweeten the tea ALOT!!!

[judybean]

Ditto the posts regarding pumping output not being at all comparable to your actual supply. My first times pumping I couldn't get more than a few drops. So, when paired with a babe not gaining much weight I was sent into a panic.

I can pump a bit more, but the circumstances have to be Just Right (and I don't even know what makes one chance better than another!). But even on a 'good' session I only get about 2 oz max. But I know Lucy is gulping down far more than that (if I forget to burp her, I am not-so-gently reminded by the gush of spit-up later!).

Lucy has been a slow-gainer thus far in the weight department. Honestly, right now I have no clue what she weighs, but I might take her to the four-month well-baby. We'll see. The dr. might inquire about us missing the 2-month shots and I'm just not ready to deal with that face-to-face yet, being quite non-confrontational right now.

Anyway... after I found out she had gained less than two pounds in two months (she was born at 8 lb 12 oz and at two months weighed 10 lb 4 oz) I suddenly doubted everything we had done, doubted myself as a mother, provider and food source. My world really did seem to nearly crumble in because of my seeming failure to fatten up my baby.

But then... I realized she had plenty of wet diapers. And plenty of poopy ones as well! And, the low weight gain occured also on the clock of some formula time (while we were working out the latch kinks), so it wasn't even *all* up to me. And, she was alert, meeting the milestones she should have been meeting... and generally seemed okay.

How do you think Tori's latch is? I can't tell you exactly when, but with Lucy, I noticed early on she was *very* needy on the boob (it seemed like days were just long nursing sessions -- quite literally) and it was sometimes more than just a bit painful. But then one day I suddenly noticed the pain was not there, and that she wasn't seeming hungry all day long (heh... still quite often, but at least she'll nap a bit or something). So, I really think that for a while she wasn't getting all that she needed, even though she had an adequate 'output' of poo and wetness... and didn't even have green poo.

Give yourself a big ol' hug. Right now. Because the reason you're so worried is because you're trying to be the best mom you can be... and that in turn *makes* you the best mom you can be!!

[Thursday Girl]

remember some babies just gain slowly and all have diffrent eating patterns. some do little meals often others do large meals spaced out and any variations beyond that as well.

i have heard that hard boiled eggs rolled in black sesame seedscan really boost your supply, but have not personally tried it.

i agrre with the previous posters as well. good luck mama

courtney

[atozmama]

How have you been feeling in general? Thyroid problems are common in post partum women. Thryoid affects the whole body and can diminish milk supply. I have also head of mothers losing weight to fast having a drop in supply. Could you slow down your weight loss? Though it sounds like you haven't tried to much to loose weight.

I am sorry that you have been having such a rough time lately. I have heard of some new research recently that shows stress does not have as profound effect on supply as once believed. I would have to do some digging to find the specifics though.

[amygoforth]

All you wonderful mamas have summed up everything that has worked for me in the past whe my supply seemed to take a dip. I work full-time, so I pump at work, and can see when I'm not producing as much. These definitely helped:

1. WATER. Tons of it. Just keep a bottle with you all to sip on all the time.
2. Fenugreek caps. These were wonderful. I read that it may take a few days to really work, but I noticed a difference right away. I took 1-2 with each meal.
3. More sleep. It's incredibly hard with a baby, but if you can get a little more sleep, that can really help.

A friend of mine is taking prescription Reglan for milk supply, and she's noticed a big difference.

Don't give up! You're body is made for this. Take care of yourself and you'll be able to take care of your baby.

[xkoliex]

I started taking the Fenugreek, two capsules a day. She has had NO problems whatsoever yesterday or today. She's back to nursing every two hours and for longer periods of time. I can actually HEAR her swallowing mouthfuls and I feel fuller too. I'm so glad you mommas helped me out. I wouldn't be able to do it without you all!!