Exclusive Pumpers Tribe - Page 2

[TurboClaudia]

i was also going to suggest the craniosacral therapy for your little one, BakerALM. many chiropractors are also trained in this technique and you can look at www.icpa4kids.com to locate one in your area that specializes in working with children.

~claudia

[mom2ken1cam2]

Just looking for some answers!

Are there any EPers with a low supply also??? I'm at the end of my rope! I felt like there might be some hope when I heard about Domperidone, so I ordered some (it's on the way...I haven't used it yet). The one LC that I have been working with said it works pretty fast so I was really excited about trying it UNTIL the other LC I know printed out all of these warnings against Dom and told me that a low supply wasn't worth my children losing their mother over! She sounded pretty serious about me NOT taking the DOM. I'm SO confused/frustrated/emotional etc. I've been pumping for 10 weeks now and felt like I was getting into a "routine" with it. Now I feel like it's not even worth it to give him only 1/2 of the nutrition he needs! ALSO, I'm thinking I may be battling thrush. I don't know for sure though. The pain is not unbearable, but my nipples are pink are raw feeling (I just thought it was from pumping like crazy with the suction turned all the way up). I have some pains in my breast after pumping but my terrible...could this be thrush? I don't have any way of telling by my babe b/c he hasn't nursed in weeks!
Could he have it as well...even if he doesn't nurse??? Just looking for some answers! THANKS!

[MaryJaneLouise]

Originally Posted by mom2ken1cam2

The one LC that I have been working with said it works pretty fast so I was really excited about trying it UNTIL the other LC I know printed out all of these warnings against Dom and told me that a low supply wasn't worth my children losing their mother over! She sounded pretty serious about me NOT taking the DOM. I'm SO confused/frustrated/emotional etc.

Well, I'm not a health professional, so I can't really tell you what to do.

I would advise you to read as much as you can about the Dom. I've been taking it for at least 6 months now, with no problem, and know many, many other women who are taking it as well.

Have you read up on Kellymom and the BFAR site about this?

http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/...actagogue.html
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/19a-domperidone1.html
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/19b-domperidone2.html

http://www.bfar.org/domperidone.shtml

You might print these out and ask if the LC has better information, or why she disagrees with all these assessments.

[mom2ken1cam2]

Thanks for this info. I had seen it all except the BFAR link. GOOD STUFF! Do you think it would be too forward to print and give to LC??

[mama-a-llama]

Originally Posted by mom2ken1cam2

The pain is not unbearable, but my nipples are pink are raw feeling (I just thought it was from pumping like crazy with the suction turned all the way up).

I don't know about thrush. Are you using olive oil or any other lubrication when you pump? It made a big difference for me.

[mimid]

I have some and took it for a couple of days before realizing that I should wait until I can devote the needed time to regular pumping. I did notice more of a swollen feeling and it lasted a few days after I stopped. Next week we should be getting our help so I can start again and I will definately let you know!

[MaryJaneLouise]

Originally Posted by mom2ken1cam2

Thanks for this info. I had seen it all except the BFAR link. GOOD STUFF! Do you think it would be too forward to print and give to LC??

No. I think she needs to know all the information out there about this.

Again, this is your choice, with the ASSISTANCE of your health care providers.

I know I resisted taking a drug for this for the longest time, but now I am glad I made this choice.

[loraxc]

from a retired EPer. My DD has a very high "bubble palate" that made nursing excruciatingly painful for me, always. (My nipples are permanently scarred and altered from the trauma.) She also did not transfer milk very well and as a result weight gain was low and all nursing sessions were 20 minutes+. I nursed her at the breast through agony till 6 months because I knew I would not produce enough through EPing and wanted her on 100% breastmilk till then. At 6 months I went to EPing (almost--still occasionally nursed at night or for comfort) and continued to pump till she was 15 months old, when I hung up the horns in exhaustion and pride.

EPing is SO HARD. I want to give all of you a HUGE round of applause. It is kind of like having two babies--one live one and one mechanical one! I hauled that thing everywhere. I can still hear its sound in my head...

I did have to supplement, which crushed me at first, but I had tried everything short of the meds (my husband was v. opposed) and fortunately I never needed to supp more than about 4 oz/day. I just couldn't quite get all the way there. I hated that she got that formula but I had to make peace with it.

and to all of you.

[HippieMamaBE]

Joining you all! I've been EP'ing for my DS for ten months now. When he was born he just wouldn't suck, I could get him to latch, if I tried for a long time, but he would never suck...so I started pumping, hoping he would eventually catch on, but he never did. I'm still sad from time to time, well, actually most of the time, that he never nursed, but I'm so glad that I can pump. It is a challenge, and there are times when I just want to stop. But, I keep on going. I'd like to pump for at least another year, or as long as I can.

How many times a day is everyone pumping??? I pump four times a day, every four hours when I am awake. I stopped pumping at night a long time ago, and I pump while driving too....

Also, at this point, I'm wondering if its possible to increase my milk supply? I'll be graduating from nursing school here in a few weeks and will be able to better keep on a supply schedule...thinking of calling my MW for a Reglan script? Any thoughts? Looking forward to this thread!

[sehbub]

I'm pumping at least 8 times a day (every three hours-ish) because DD is only 7 weeks old, and I"m trying to increase my supply, as we have some issues with that, and she's eating more every day!

Actually PAK now, since she just ate.

Ah, sleep would be so wonderful. I've only gotta wait like 10 years before I get to sleep through the night again, right?

[fireant]

Thank you so much for starting this tribe!

I've been pumping with an older version of Medela's PIS since my DD was born 6 weeks ago. She was 6 weeks early and was in the NICU for 3 weeks. I was able to nurse her a little bit in the nicu but never a full feeding so she would be gavaged or bottle fed afterwards.

I've had mastitis twice, low milk supply, and I am currently battling thrush. I try to nurse her a little everyday but she is having a hard time with it. I think she has a bit of nipple confusion because now she doesn't open her mouth very wide and she chomps on me hard enough to break the skin. She gets pretty frustrated while nursing too and it breaks my heart to see her so upset.

There were so many things that I had planned for with this birth and baby that hasn't gone the way I hoped. It's so frustrating. I want the mother-child nursing bond that I've read about but it hasn't happened. We had a bad NICU experience and one of the criteria for getting her out of there was that she needed to be taking her full measured feedings every three hours for 2 days. She couldn't do it at breast alone so my DH and I really struggled with the decision but ultimately we agreed to let the nurses bottle feed her expressed milk so she could come home. I really thought it would be much easier bringing her back to the breast once I got her home but it hasn't been.

I pump every 4 to 5 hours and I am getting a good amount of milk now. For me pumping has been quite painful but I'm really hoping that when the thrush is gone it will be easier. I found that getting the bigger horn parts has made the pain lessen a great deal. Sorry for rambling.

Thank you again for this group!

[Fiercemama]

I'm a former EP'er, and had to just jump in an show my support! You mamas are awesome! EPing was exhausting at times - I remember many a night leaning over the kitchen sink at midnight cleaning and sterilizing everything, in tears and bone tired.

Here's my story. I had awful thrush within about a week of DD's birth. Nursing was incredibly painful and I dreaded every session, so I let DD nurse with an awful latch. Soon my nipples were severely abraded - I still have a deep crack in one of them, although they healed up years ago. At about 6 weeks, I finally got rid of the thrush, but still couldn't get my nips healed up. One morning I found my nipples bleeding again, and that was it. I was determined to ep. I did it for about 10 weeks, til my nipples were healed.

I had a very abundant supply, and I guess a large storage capacity, so I was able to get away with only pumping about 5 times a day. I got about 1/3 of what I needed each day during the first session in the morning. My heart goes out to all of you who are EP'ing AND struggling with supply issues.

I wanted to bring my DD back to the breast once my nipples healed, but I did know that she might prefer the bottle. Once I was ready, I planned a day where we lolled in bed, had everything we needed around us, and had lots of skin to skin contact. I didn't know anything then about techniques to get her back, but I guess it worked. She latched on at the very end of the day, and never looked back. DD is 4.25 yrs and we're pretty much finished with natural weaning (I think...).

I know that there are many different circumstances on this thread, but sometimes it helps to know that there is someone else out there who has done it. I didn't know anything about ep'ing or e'ing groups online when I was doing it. How I wish I'd had something like this. I just went on my gut instincts and dumb luck.

Oh, I used an Avent Isis. Used it when I returned to work too. Awesome customer service. I loved that I could pump anytime anywhere. I was pretty immodest - I pumped EVERYWHERE with a receiving blanket over my shoulder - parks, train stations, parades, concerts, you name it. Maybe because I had absolutely no point of reference for what I was doing.

Hang in there mamas. You will never regret the efforts you're making for your DCs.

[bri276]

OMG I can't believe I just found this.

I'm an EP'er. 11 months now & still going strong. Pumping 5x per day (okay, sometimes 4...heehee). DD eating about 30-35 oz per day, plus some (whole grain, organic) cereal, bananas, sweet potatoes, pears, peas, and sips my water now and then.

DD has a chromosome disorder, so she was born with a bilateral cleft palate (only behind the gumline, no cleft lip). She is also tongue tied and has low muscle tone, so I think she's be a poor nurser even w/o the cleft palate. She uses a Haberman feeder, and can drink from a cup but gets frustrated after 1/2 to 1 oz and wants the bottle back she's had one surgery so far and another one is scheduled for Oct. Hopefully that will be the last one, or maybe one more.

I have an Ameda elite. I've been very happy with it. I only experienced one significant drop in supply, at around 4 months, I got 4.5 oz every 3 hrs instead of 5 oz. However, because I was making more than the baby ate anyways, this didn't affect us, and we have never had to supplement with formula (except in the NICU before my milk came in, hospital policy forced it on us).

I've had mastitis five times. I've had a blood blister pop inside my breast causing me to pump up to 1/2 oz of pure blood before milk would come out, several times over the course of two days. During that same time, I had about a month where I had chronic blisters on one breast. They spontaneously resolved and I have no idea what they were or why they happened. But they were VERY painful! glad that's over.

I'd like to continue to her second birthday, but we'll see. I'll make EVERY effort to at least continue through her next surgery, but there is a chance that after that, I could just have a mental breakdown and throw the darn thing out the window. I haaaaaaaate it. I'm so sick of it. yes, it's easier now than the 8x a day for the first few months. But it's still awful.

Like yesterday. We went to the park to check it out as a location for the baby's 1st birthday party. It was a beautiful day, the first without rain in weeks. On the way back through a quaint town, DH said "I wish we could stop for lunch." Of course, I looked at the clock, and said "Sorry. I have to pump in 1/2 hour." I really can't wait for the day when I can just say, "Sure! let's go out to lunch on the spur of the moment!"

and yes, I do have a hookup to pump in the car, but I don't pack everything every time I go out, nor do I want to! it's just not a great way to live, I feel so trapped sometimes. DD is great about playing with toys by herself for 20 minutes, usually she doesn't even have to because either I do it while she's napping or when DH is home. sorry this was so long. no one else understand

[bri276]

Originally Posted by MaryJaneLouise

Plus there are wonderful bonding and oral development pluses to the direct bfing.



ETA: I hope I didn't offend any of you valiant EPers. I'm not always good with words. I'm just saying that since EPing is SO hard, that she might want to TRY to continue the partial direct BFing.

I won't take offense where none is intended, AND I totally agree with you about the oral development bonuses, but I must say the bonding issue is complicated. Surely, for a mother who had her heart set on bf'ing, and has to deal with rejection issues, and those types of situations, bonding can be interrupted. But for me, it wasn't like that. I felt briefly disappointed that the cleft palate meant we wouldn't be able to nurse, I gave it a few tries with the hospital LCs on the off chance that it might, and then I simply gave up, gave in, and got to business EPing.

no one is more bonded to their child than I am. period. I know some people might think "well you don't know because you've never done it." Ok. You are allowed to think that. But you're still wrong if you do, because I've been to hell and back with this kid, especially with all her medical issues, and I've still had all the bf'ing hormones, and I've sat there and hand expressed into her mouth as she smiles and laughs for months. Again, I don't take offense to your specific comment, because I know you meant it kindly. But I would take issue with anyone who would look down their nose to an EP'ing mom and say we don't have the bond they do with their nursling. there's no way I could have made it this far EPing if I wasn't 1,000% devoted to her, and I know she feels the same towards me.

[letniaLynne]

Originally Posted by mom2ken1cam2

ALSO, I'm thinking I may be battling thrush. I don't know for sure though. The pain is not unbearable, but my nipples are pink are raw feeling (I just thought it was from pumping like crazy with the suction turned all the way up). I have some pains in my breast after pumping but my terrible...could this be thrush? I don't have any way of telling by my babe b/c he hasn't nursed in weeks!
Could he have it as well...even if he doesn't nurse??? Just looking for some answers! THANKS!

I am in the same situation.. My nipples are either purple, red or white and always look irritated. I am working with my doc to figure out what is going on. Also my breasts always sting, feel like they are on fire (espeically when it is cold or I go into the frozen food section of the grocery) all the way to the chest wall. We are sure that I have Reynaud's but are not sure if that is all that is going on since it can be caused by other irritants like nipple damage from the pump, Thrush, etc.

(On a side note...why do you turn the suction all the way up? That could be causing some nipple trauma and causing your nipple to get really irritated. ???)

I have been doing alot of reading to find out what to do if I do have thrush. What I have found/deduced is that my girl could have thrush also even though I exclusivly bottle feed but she can not pass it back to me since she is never on the breast.

Love to hear the outcome on your end! I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Byeee

[mamanurse]

Nursing failure in da house!!!

My dd and I struggled to bf for the first 4 months of her life. I saw about a half-dozen IBCLCs and worked REALLY hard to get her to bf. We made a few mistakes along the way that definitely impacted bf like going back to school at 4 weeks post-partum, using a Haberman feeder at 3 weeks, and using a nipple shield from day one.

Anywho, I am an exclusive pumper for my six month old dd. I am totally in the closet about this to my fellow nurses and some friends/family :. I feel guilty that we're not nursing and feel like I'm a bad example to the profession and other people when I bottlefeed in public (BIP).

I know I should feel proud that dd never received a drop of formula, but I still mourn the loss of our bf relationship every day.

Thanks for making this tribe.

[sehbub]

I'm so exhausted, mamas. Guess I just need some encouragement to keep doing this.

DD is only 7 weeks old, but I've been pumping 8-12x a day since she was born, trying desperately to increase my supply.

Yesterday was another low day, and I was only able to pump around 6oz total. DD drank about 16oz. At almost every feeding, formula was added to her milk to get the right amount for her to drink.

I walked to the park with DD yesterday, because it was a gorgeous day. Once there, we got the usual stares and flock of people, because DD is a novelty...she is a 30wk preemie, so she's still very petite...less than 6 pounds. One mama came over to talk to me and had a babe in a sling, happily nursing away. DD started to wake up and fuss, and I reached over to the stroller and got her bottle. This woman looked at me and said, "Oh no, honey, you really should have been breastfeeding her! I can't believe you would deprive your DD of those important nutrients, not to mention the relationship the two of you are missing! You know, you should really talk to..." she just kept going on and on about how I was doing things wrong because I wasn't nursing my babe, and that I should really think twice about giving her formula, and don't I want the best for her? Shouldn't I be more concerned about her health?

I'm so tired of defending myself, and battling the dirty looks. DH wonders why I don't want to leave the house...that's why! We get stared at enough as it is for having a teeny babe, and then when we have to feed her in public and a bottle gets whipped out, we get even more stares or derisive looks. Sometimes I just feel like quitting, so that at least that way people would be right about their assumptions that I'm being a bad mama. :

And, tomorrow I'm spending the day with my sister, who's flying in to DC for a business conference, and I'm trying to decide which pump to take and how best to manage pumping while we're walking around the Smithsonian.

As a PP said, this is the only place I can go where anyone understands.

I can't imagine how some of you have done this for a year or more!! I feel like such a loser for feeling like this at less than two months! :

[bri276]

sarah, if it's any consolation, I felt WORSE at 2 months than I do at 11. much worse. I doubted myself all along.

what kind of pump do you have? have you tried any herbs or meds (or do you not want to?)

I'm sorry that mama made you feel bad. If she only knew! you should come to RI, no ones looks twice if you whip out a bottle, quite the opposite. though one time at Whole Foods I got a dirty look from a woman when I was in line telling my stepfather how the baby can hold her own bottle now- I must have sounded so very un-AP

[mamanurse]

Keep going Sehbub!!! I lurked on your thread after your babe was born and I think you're doing an awesome job. Keep taking the dom., eating oatmeal, and fenugreek. It does get easier once your supply is established. I was pumping 12 x's per day the first two months, then went to about 8-10 x's per day. At about 3 1/2-4 months, I dropped down to 6 pumps a day. Now, I pump 5 times a day and my babe probably only needs about 4 times a day, but I'm afraid my supply will drop and her needs will increase. Keep up the hard work and don't be afraid to get a bit snippy when someone doubts your mommy skills!

They probably didn't have a premie and they are not walking in your shoes. Don't be afraid to say "Even though it's NONE of your business, there is mm in here!" and then go into your story.

You're a great mom and you're doing a good job! Don't lose faith now.

[letniaLynne]

Originally Posted by sehbub

I'm so exhausted, mamas. Guess I just need some encouragement to keep doing this.

DD is only 7 weeks old, but I've been pumping 8-12x a day since she was born, trying desperately to increase my supply.

Yesterday was another low day, and I was only able to pump around 6oz total. DD drank about 16oz. At almost every feeding, formula was added to her milk to get the right amount for her to drink.

I'm so tired of defending myself, and battling the dirty looks. DH wonders why I don't want to leave the house...that's why!

And, tomorrow I'm spending the day with my sister, who's flying in to DC for a business conference, and I'm trying to decide which pump to take and how best to manage pumping while we're walking around the Smithsonian.

As a PP said, this is the only place I can go where anyone understands.

I can't imagine how some of you have done this for a year or more!! I feel like such a loser for feeling like this at less than two months! :

Don't fret! Many of us felt and still feel many of the same things that you are feeling now! How I get though it is just telling myself that I will do it "just one more day" I don't set any lofty goals just take it one day at a time. Of course I would love to do this for as long as possible but I don't want to put any more pressure on myself than already is there from myself, family, friends and every other "normal nursing mom" out there.

I also started with a very low supply! About the same as you. Now I am up to approximately 27oz and climbing. :-D I just kept switching pumps and I self express while I am pumping to get every last bit out. It has made a huge difference. Just find what works for you...try it all and have some patience. My girl is 18wks now and her appetite is about 35oz a day so sadly I still can’t meet her need but as I see my supply grow I have hope that someday I will!
Check out the Yahoo group exclusively for EPers...it is another great resource for technical and emotional questions!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPers

Also bring an extension cord to the Smithsonian, the bathroom may have an outlet that you can run into a stall to get some privacy and not make a big deal of it. GOOD LUCK!