Solids, formula, or water?

[mayamama]

Well, I'm a WOHM who pumps. I have a problem because I'm not pumping enough even though I pump every chance I get. We co-sleep so she gets all she wants during the night. I nurse her and pump at the same time before I go to work, then I pump right when I get to work, during my lunch, and during my planning period on MTThF she comes out and I nurse her and pump at the same time. She only needs to be fed usually 2 times in the morning after I leave for work and she can hold out until I get home from school. Then I pump and nurse two more times in the evening and round it goes.

But on Wednesdays she doesn't come out (and sometimes when it's bad weather) and on those days I never have enough ebm for her. Today I left in tears because as I left my 2 oz in the fridge from the morning pump I could see that there wouldn't be enough for her all day, even after what I pumped the day and night before. I don't know what to do because when I tried to feed her solids (just a little-she'll be 7mo in a week) she got really painful and sometimes bloody poops, so I stopped solids for 2 more months. She'll take a bottle of water but we have also formula from all the samples we received. (We got off to a rocky start and her first 2 months were about 1/2 and 1/2 formula and bm.)

ETA: On Wednesdays it's usually around 2-4oz of formula that she would be fed.

By the way, I'm taking about 7000mg of fenugreek daily, eating oatmeal twice a day, and drinking 2-3 liters of water. I feel like I'm getting plenty of rest because I sleep with her and she'll sleep for 3-4 hours at a time and only wake up to switch sides which only disrupts about 1-2 minutes of my sleep.

My question is, which is the lesser of the 3 evils? Solids that make her cranky and her poop painful, water that gives her no nutrients or formula which is evil in so many ways?

[quirkylayne]

IMO, the lesser of the 3 is formula. Blood in stools is a big problem, I would not do that. Water doesn't have the nutrients that she needs.

It seems like you are being really proactive about getting your supply up, which is great. What kind of pump do you have? Can you pump both breasts and once?
Check out this for more ideas on supply -
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/p..._decrease.html

[eclipse]

I would have the DCP offer the breastmilk first. If that runs out for the day, I'd offer water first, then formula if water doesn't seem to satisfy her. Water isn't necessary for a baby at that age, but all three of mine were at least experimenting with it. Since you're cosleeping and night nursing, and leaving some EBM, and your baby is coming to you most days, unless you're having weight gain problems, I don't think water in a bottle or sippy will hurt. Sometimes babies nurse for hunger, sometimes for thirst, sometimes for comfort, sometimes out of boredom. If she's asking for a bottle for hunger, water won't do and she'll make it known. If it's for thirst, boredom, or comfort - water might do just fine for her.

[mayamama]

Originally Posted by quirkylayne

What kind of pump do you have? Can you pump both breasts and once?

I have an old PIS from a friend which I've been using for 6 months. It's only recently that I've had problems with my supply (because I was taking cold medicine I didn't realize was messing with my supply and because I was sick for 3 weeks). It worked so well that I actually had a stock of 20oz extra by in December, but after the break it just went down because of the illness I guess. So yes, with the PIS I pump both at the same time.

[RootSnort]

What about donor milk? Get yourself a little freezer stash, take some of the pressure of yourself?

[cchrissyy]

"which is the lesser of the 3 evils? Solids that make her cranky and her poop painful,"

have you investigated why that happened? It would be rather rare for a baby to have a severe reaction to solid foods in general. there must be something she can happily tolerate. If you find it, then that food plus water could substitute a little.

[soygurl]

Originally Posted by eclipse

I would have the DCP offer the breastmilk first. If that runs out for the day, I'd offer water first, then formula if water doesn't seem to satisfy her. Water isn't necessary for a baby at that age, but all three of mine were at least experimenting with it. Since you're cosleeping and night nursing, and leaving some EBM, and your baby is coming to you most days, unless you're having weight gain problems, I don't think water in a bottle or sippy will hurt. Sometimes babies nurse for hunger, sometimes for thirst, sometimes for comfort, sometimes out of boredom. If she's asking for a bottle for hunger, water won't do and she'll make it known. If it's for thirst, boredom, or comfort - water might do just fine for her.

:

IMO, formula is evil, but it's not THAT evil! Solids clearly aren't an option until you can figure out why she had such a bad reaction (allergy testing maybe?). Water generaly isn't necessary and has no nutritional value. Formula is nutritionally balanced for babies (not completely of course, no one is arguing that) and many, many babies do very well on formula alone from day one. First choice? No, but I'd say it's definitely the best option for you. Well, like someone else mentioned, there's always donor milk, but that's easier said than done in most cases from what I hear. Good luck!

[mayamama]

We're pretty sure she had bloody poops because they were just too big and hard for her little bottom. We were feeding her rice cereal and banana, but just not watered down enough. Also happened when we fed her peas from a natural food store here in town. The only thing that hasn't affected her like that is fruit, like the fruit that makes your bowels move, prunes, apricots & apples, stuff like that. I don't think she has any allergies, I think we just weren't making the food we were making watery enough. We've been feeding prunes and her poops have been fine, but only once a day, maybe 1-2 tablespoons or so.

DH and my Dmother always give her the ebm first and also always try to play with her or otherwise engage her so she's not just eating for boredom. They make sure she's really showing hunger signs. Thanks for the advice. I think it'll be a little better now that we know what we were doing wrong as far as the solids were concerned. Thanks for all the help, and keep it coming!

[CathMac]

Have you tried the Marmet/Massage technique to try and increase your pumping yield? Check out these links.

What about moist heat, non-alcoholic beer (O'Doul's?), etc.

What about Mother's Milk tea?

As a Working & Pumping mom, when my supply issues were the worst I would nurse DD1 on one side and pump on the other in the morning before going to work. Essentially you are squeezing in half a pumping at a time when your Prolacting levels are higher and your let down should be better because you are nursing.
Good luck, ~Cath

MARMET TECHNIQUE
http://www.lactationinstitute.org/MANUALEX.html

Links: Milk expression tips & pump information
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bf-links-pumps.html

[Satori]

I would say formula or purred baby foods. I know my baby gets backed up if there's not enough liquid. When I give her oatmeal or banana (the only foods she's on yet) I have to nurse her as well or she gets really backed up.

[eclipse]

OP, bananas tend to be constipated, and my oldest DS had the same reaction to rice cereal. He never had problems with rice after that, so I think it was the iron added to the cereal that really caused him trouble. It's good that you're experimenting with different foods for her

[ltk]

I had the same issue when I went back to work. I have only rarely been able to pump enough. My DD (now 9 months) has had an average of one bottle of formula on those work days. I opted for organic cow's milk formula. Now he is eating solids like a champ, so I switched to whole goat's milk. I am not sure if my pediatrician would agree...but I feel like this is a suitable age to switch. He still nurses morning and night and the alternate days that I work from home...plenty of BM to go around. Good luck, it is such a challenging issue. I just think some of us don't let down well for the pump. :

[KrystalC]

I couldn't keep up with my son's latest growth spurt because I'm not able to pump often enough due to my school/work schedule. Furthermore, my supply seems to be dwindling, so I have had to supplement with formula. He doesn't get much... just enough to get him through the day after he runs out of breastmilk. It certainly doesn't help that I have the flu and ran a fever for two days, which further decreased my supply and I couldn't even produce enough to satisfy him when I was at home with him this weekend.

I'm eating oatmeal, taking fenugreek, drinking water, and drinking Mother's Milk tea to try to increase it. I'm hoping to get rid of the formula soon. Ultimately, we have to do what we have to do to keep our children fed. It wounded my pride bigtime to even BUY the formula, but my pride isn't as important as making sure my son has enough to eat.

Working and pumping isn't easy and just remember that you're doing the best you can for her. Every bit of breastmilk she gets is beneficial.