My dom adventure...

[emmabizo]

Hi!

Here's my progress so far. My milk came in at approx 3-4oz/day after ds was born. That's just an estimate based on how much supplement he needed to maintain his weight gain. I've fed him with a supplementer since he's needed it, (5 days after birth). So, he's been at the breast the entire time, never really had bottles.

I started dom 90mg/day about 3.5 weeks ago. I did that for 2 weeks and saw what I think was an increase to 6-8 ounce/day. So, good, 100% increase...bad that a 100% increase is still so little milk. I upped the dom to 120mg/day two weeks after I started dom and I'm about to re-estimate how much breast milk I think he's getting. I'm guessing it's around 9 ounces/day...but it could be less. I'll add up his supplement for the day Tuesday.

I've tried power pumping days -I'll do 2 or 3 days where I pump while I feed him on the other side, pump after the feeding for a while, and then pump about halfway in between the feedings. I don't think I've seen ANY improvement from pumping. In fact it feels like it decreases my supply somehow. I did it Thursday/Friday of this week and my supply seems down today. What the heck? When I pump the other side I feed him from I never get more than 1/2 ounce...and never more than 1/2 ounce combined when I pump between feedings.

I'm going to up the dom one more time to the max. dose, 160mg/day. I'm wondering if I should wait until next week or just do it now. I'll probably wait until I see how much 120mg/day helped me after 2 weeks.

I'm feeling discouraged. I want to keep trying to up my supply but I'm afraid I'm beating a dead horse. I don't have any medical issues that would be causing this but it happens every time. I don't know whether to be hopeful that I can build it up more or accept the lot that I won't be able to. I'm afraid I'll go up to the 160mg/day and see no more increase.

I just don't know how far to take this. At least I can still nurse him with a supplementer -if I didn't have that I don't think he'd be interested at all.

Hmmm....

[mama24-7]

Sounds like you are working very hard to give your baby all mama milk. What a lucky baby!

You don't say what type of pump you are using nor how old your baby is.

Have you talked w/ a LLL Leader? She may be able to give you additonal ideas on pumps/pumping/nursing techinques. Do you have your baby skin-to-skin at all?

Also, is this your first baby? You said this happens every time.

What a committed mother you are!

Sus

[anabellee]

i've tried everything under the sun but can't get anymore than 3oz per pumping session. i'm on 90mg of dom a day and i've been on it for 2 weeks now. my baby has GERD and often times won't nurse so i have to pump and then squirt the milk in his mouth with a medicine dropper. i don't have any advice since i'm stuck in the same pumping boat. i know it's not easy but just know that you're not alone and i know how difficult it is. i swear my whole days are consumed with setting up the SNS, feeding, cleaning the SNS pumping, cleaning pump parts and then repeating the process. : :

[emmabizo]

Oops,

My baby is 6 weeks old today, I'm using a Medela Lactina. I haven't talked to an LLL person but I have seen every lactation consultant in the area. They don't know what to tell me to help me anymore. We do skin to skin quite often and have since birth. I want to get one of those water slings so we can shower together -he really enjoys that, falls right asleep.

This is my 3rd child I've nursed, but I've had 5 children. I was a gestational surrogate for a friend so my last pregnancy was her twin boys -2 years ago this summer.

Yup, every time this happens with the milk thing. Everything goes fine until my milk comes in, a day after that starts the supply just isn't there and my babies begin to get dehydrated. Everything seems normal physically for me, glandular tissue, hormones, etc. I even had my thyroid tested this time -all normal.

Not sure what else to try.

[mwright]

Hang in there Mama! You are AMAZING for doing all that you are doing for your sweet baby. Trust me, I know how hard it is..I dried up when dd was 4mo old and had to use SNS and bottles. Thankfully she nursed nights just on my breast alone but it was very discouraging. After doing everything from pump/nursing around the clock to taking herbs and drinking tea, I was getting maybe a total of 2-3oz a day : So as my last hope, I have been on the Dom now for 3 weeks. Taking 120mg a day and I am now able to get 24oz of milk a day! WOW!!! I hope it kicks in for you soon! Don't lose hope..maybe try drinking alfalfa/blessed thistle/chamomille tea to help boost things! Or take Fenugreek and Fennel Seed to see if that helps ya out??? ((Hugs))

[Martha_2sons]

Could your baby be tongue tied? My DS2 was tongue tied and like you, all was okay with the colostrum but then my milk supply virtually dried up when the milk itself came in. I extensively supplemented at the breast until he was 4 weeks old and he had a frenotomy to correct the tongue tie. Within 1 week I didn't have to supplement any more.

[RootSnort]

The only things it sounds like you aren't doing is Fenugreek and oat products. Lots of moms swear my those, so I'm trying them as I increase pumping and use a hospital-grade pump, and as I wait for a box of dom. The recommended dose I have heard on the Fenugreek is 3 capsules three times daily. I think you get more of a regulated dose of it with capsules than with tea, as everyone makes tea a little differently. Good luck! If you need it, are you willing to consider donor milk from Milkshare?