help! my breastmilk is dwindling...

[Genesisjoy]

my baby is a year old and i plan to nurse her until she's at least 2 but my breastmilk is running so low, i have tried everything i can think of and still no increase, i have never had a really good milk supply, but we got by.
I bought a hospital grade pump and have been pumping every 2-3 hours (during the day) for the last 2 months
I have been drinking that mothers milk tea since she was born
i drink plenty of water
i just don't know what else to do
I am lucky if i can pump an ounce right now

[ElliesMomma]

are you pumping b/c you're working? how many times a day does the baby nurse? is the baby satisfied with the quantity when you nurse? nursing very frequently is the best way to build supply...

[Aura_Kitten]

First, pumping is not always an indication of having enough milk!! It hugely depends on how good your pump is and how relaxed you are while pumping.

I would say... offer her to nurse more often (if you're not already)... and for me two things that helped (besides pumping often, drinking tons of water, and mother's milk tea) were beer : and oatmeal. I don't know why the beer helped as I've heard conflicting advice about that but a half bottle or so of beer while nursing in the evenings immediately increased my supply (that is, a half bottle or so once an evening not every time I'd nurse ). Oatmeal too, really helped ~ a large bowl of oatmeal once or twice a day increased my supply.


s Good job for making it to a year!

[Genesisjoy]

Originally Posted by ElliesMomma

are you pumping b/c you're working? how many times a day does the baby nurse? is the baby satisfied with the quantity when you nurse? nursing very frequently is the best way to build supply...

i am not working, i am pumping, because my baby doesn't want to nurse (since about 10 months) she will nurse for about 3 seconds and then pushes me away and off she go isit there with my boo boo's out almost all day tring to get her to nurse, but she never wants too

[Genesisjoy]

Originally Posted by Aura_Kitten

First, pumping is not always an indication of having enough milk!! It hugely depends on how good your pump is and how relaxed you are while pumping.

I would say... offer her to nurse more often (if you're not already)... and for me two things that helped (besides pumping often, drinking tons of water, and mother's milk tea) were beer : and oatmeal. I don't know why the beer helped as I've heard conflicting advice about that but a half bottle or so of beer while nursing in the evenings immediately increased my supply (that is, a half bottle or so once an evening not every time I'd nurse ). Oatmeal too, really helped ~ a large bowl of oatmeal once or twice a day increased my supply.


s Good job for making it to a year!

i have tried/try the water, tea & beer but not the oatmeal, I will give it a whorle tomarrow though, thanks so much for the suggestion, let me know if you have any more!

[Genesisjoy]

I would love some more suggestions!!!

[alegna]

Have you read up on nursing strikes? Are you giving her bottles? All non-boob sucking needs to be cut- no bottles, sippy cups or pacifiers.

Offer often. In new places and old. In all sorts of positions.

Does she sleep with you? Bring her to your bed and see if she will nurse while asleep or sleepy.

good luck!

-Angela

[CathMac]

Supply & Pumping Tips and info on (re)initiating nursing

Genesisjoy,

I have nothing but admiration for EP'ers. I pump at work and that's tough enough.

I have a bunch of Tips, Techniques and Links on Supply & Pumping. See below. If this seems disorganized it’s because I have combined some of my earlier posts. I know that some of the Links may not work but I don’t have time to check them now. I usually give the source of the link and the title so for any links that don’t work you may be able to find it by searching the relevant site. Otherwise PM me and I will try to hunt down any the current address of any link you need.

As another poster suggests you may want to consider trying to lure DC back to nursing (as time and energy permit). Your DC may have developed nipple preference or what might more accurately be described as “fast food” or “fast flow” preference. One of the articles linked below is about how to bottlefeed the Breastfed Baby; a number of the tips there help prevent or overcome flow preference. Basically you need DC to work for the milk she gets from the bottle so it doesn’t seem way easier than nursing.

If you are interested in nursing DC please know that it doesn’t have to be an overnight do or die mission. You can make it a relaxing and playful experiment. Kellymom has some good info that you may be familiar with (see link at the bottom): trying when baby isn't hungry, when baby is relaxed (perhaps sleepy), skin to skin contact, etc. Kellymom also has a link to an article on re-birthing in a tub. I wouldn't try that while sleep deprived and would certainly have someone there spotting you, just in case. The last technique sounds a little wacky but elsewhere --maybe on one of these boards-- I read a very touching story about a woman who was forced to wean her DD at 3 months and some time later when she was sharing a bath with her DD the baby expressed an interest in picking up where they left off. If I remember correctly she wound up nursing her again. So it would seem that this woman discovered the technique by accident.

TIPS & TECHNIQUES FOR PUMPING: AF info, Reverse Cycling / Co-Sleeping, Bottle Feeding, Supply Boosting and Pumping Tips. I know it's a lot of info but I'd rather let you decide what might be helpful to you or not.

AF - SUPPLEMENT RECOMMENDATION
I have heard that supplementing with Calcium/Magnesium may help with AF related supply issues. Here is a Kellymom link for various “Natural Treatments” Jump to the section titled, “Low milk supply associated with menstruation: Calcium/magnesium supplement”.
http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/natural-treatments.html

REVERSE CYCLING
If it is consistent with your sleep needs and parenting philosophy you might want to consider co-sleeping and keeping the self-serve Milk Bar open all night to encourage reverse cycling. The more milk your baby gets overnight the less he should need during the day. If safety is a concern check out Kellymom and look up the family bed. They give lots of safety tips.

BOTTLE FEEDING TIPS
Are you using slow flow nipples? If not, you might want to pick some up to try and slow down his bottle feedings and give him a chance to recognize that he is full. That may minimize the pressure on you to produce more milk than you should have to. Here is a link to a Kellymom article on how to bottlefeed breastfed babies. One of the best tips is to remove the bottle every couple of swallows to slow the feeding down. Of course this requires more effort on the part of the caregiver. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bottle-feeding.html

SUPPLY BOOSTING TIPS
Again, start with the basics, make sure you eat enough protein, drink enough water and limit your caffeine and get enough rest (good luck with the last one). Regarding supplements, consider trying herbal combinations such as "More Milk" or "Rescue Remedy" or have you considered "Mother's Milk Tea?

Or you could try some of the various herbs by themselves: Fenugreek, Red Raspberry Leaf, Nettle, Alfalfa, Etc. (check Kellymom.com for a more complete list and info on dosages).

It is important to do your own research on each of these herbs and decide whether you are comfortable with them or not. I don’t remember much research regarding Alfalfa however, I stopped taking it when I learned it is not recommended for anyone with Lupus. I don't have Lupus and neither does DD but Lupus runs in my husband's family and I don't want to pre-dispose my daughter.

Something else to keep in mind, if I remember correctly Fenugreek is in the peanut family so you may want to avoid that particular herb if you have a history of peanut allergies in your family.

Regarding oatmeal (cereal, cookies, etc.), I have always eaten a lot and couldn't say whether it ever made any difference. You could also try Oatstraw Tea. If you are take oatmeal to help boost supply keep in mind it can be filling so don't let it replace your protein/fat. For instance, you wouldn't want to trade your egg and cheese breakfast sandwich for a bowl of oatmeal. Or if you have the oatmeal add plenty of walnuts &/or peanut butter.

Also, some women seem to respond well to a nice piece of steak. Oddly enough, the steak would seem to work occasionally, but not always, for me.

I have also heard that the milk boosters oatmeal and brewer's yeast have two components in common, Inositol and Choline. Inositol is a B vitamin (It may or may not be unofficially "numbered" B8). Supposedly Inositol and Choline work together to increase the effectiveness of Oxytocin. If you are curious --or for the benefit of anyone else thinking about trying this-- I tried a regimen of 400 - 500 mgs of Inositol and 2.5 grams of Choline.

The first time I tried this regimen I didn’t really stick with it long enough to see if it made any real difference but my impression was that the tea regimen of RRL, Nettle, & Oatstraw worked better for me. I tried the Inositol / Choline regimen again recently and saw a pretty dramatic increase, anywhere from a 50% to 100% increase after about a week to a week and a half. However, it seemed to make me dizzy. The dizziness went away about two days or so after discontinuing the Inositol and Choline regimen. If I were desperate I might try it again on a very reduced dose, which would mean cutting the tablets.

PUMPING TIPS
Make sure to read the Marmet (massage) technique to improve your pumping yield (see link below). I recently read that the ducts extend up to the armpits so you might want to modify the technique to include this area. Another poster, made this additional suggestion to enhance the Marmet technique, I haven't seen it anywhere else: move the horns a little off center in between massaging, in a pattern, (e.g. slightly up, slightly down, slightly right, slightly left) so that the suction is reaching ducts it might not otherwise reach. Try to follow the same pattern each time so you're less likely to skip an area. This increased the amount of "hind" milk I was able to pump, which has a higher ratio of fat and protein so it is probably more filling. Once I go through the first pattern (12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00) I run through a second pattern (halfway between 12:00 and 3:00, halfway between 3:00 and 6:00, etc.) I was really surprised at how well this worked for me. As much as I would rather just sit down and let the pump do the work it is much more of a "hands on" experience than I would like; but it does work.

Also, if you are coordinated try experimenting with breast compressions and/or massage **while** you are pumping. This saves some time on doing that in between moving the horns around.

Also, if your nipples are blanched (white) after pumping you may need bigger horns (aka funnels, shields, etc.). One of the Medela web pages has a picture of what it looks like if your nipples are getting squished. (link below)

Finally, here are a couple of miscellaneous tips I read recently that I’ve never tried myself but may be helpful: 1) a hot shower between your shoulder blades before pumping. 2) non-alcoholic beer, and 3) smelling your baby’s head, looking at her picture (to facilitate Visualization), etc.

With DD 1, when my supply issues were the worst, I would nurse on one side and pump on the other before going to work. This has a couple of advantages: 1) Your Prolactin leveles are probably higher, 2) You pump more efficiently this way if you are more conditioned to the baby than you are the pump , 3) You may be squeezing in half a pumping that you otherwise wouldn't be able to, 4) etc.

Also, give some consideration to additional "conservation" methods besides those tips on bottlefeeding a BF fed baby. Such as trying to store milk in "serving sizes" to avoid waste if the caregiver isn't cautious about pouring out only what is needed. This is especially important for the milk that gets frozen because you only have 24 hours to use it once it's thawed. Try storing half portions for the same reason. If baby is extra hungry the caregiver won't always have to waste a whole frozen bag if only half a bag is necessary. Note, the serving size will probably change over time. Depending upon your pumping routine you may be able to tell when you are pumping fore milk versus hind milk or a combination of the two. The hind milk usually comes in towards the end of a feeding/pumping it is higher in fat and protein and it looks more like whole milk. That milk tends to be more filling so you might want to put a little less of that in a serving size, and vice versa. So I mark the bag accordingly. As an added bonus, when DD2 was younger DH would notice she'd fall asleep more easily after a serving of hind milk which is nice for the caregiver when it comes time to planning a nap.

OTHER LINKS
What is a galactagogue? Do I need one?...Herbal remedies for increasing milk
http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milks...actagogue.html

Increasing Low Milk Supply
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

Let-down Reflex: Too slow?
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/letdown.html

Marmet Technique
http://www.lactationinstitute.org/MANUALEX.html

I'm not pumping enough milk. What can I do? http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/letdown.html

Pumping Tips
http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com...mpingtips.html

Choosing a Correctly-Fitted Breastshield http://www.medela.com/NewFiles/faq/b...hield_fit.html

How to bottle-feed the breastfed baby
...tips for a breastfeeding supportive style of bottle feeding http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bottle-feeding.html

Co-Sleeping – Making it Work and Making it Safe http://www.kellymom.com/pantley/pantley21.html


I have read some pretty amazing stories about Moms that have induced lactation or re-lactated under all sorts of circumstances; and successfully taught their baby how to nurse.

With some effort you may be two of the lucky ones; or should I say your babies would be among the lucky ones. I hope these links help.

Keep in mind it doesn't have to be all or nothing. A partial supply is an invaluable gift as well.

LINKS
La Leche League article: Phoebe's Journey (re: a Mom that re-lactated for a 10 1/2 month adopted Chinese girl)
http://www.lalecheleague.org/NB/NBJulAug06p166.html

Link to Earlier Thread on this topic:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=287357

Relactation and Induced Lactation Resources
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/adopt/rel...resources.html

Adoptive Breastfeeding & Relactation
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/adopt/index.html

Relactation and Adoptive Breastfeeding: The Basics
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html

Help -- My Baby Won't Nurse!
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...to-breast.html

Re-Birthing: Help For Latch On Problems
http://www.lactationconsultant.info/rebirth.html

When a Baby Refuses to Nurse
http://www.mobimotherhood.org/MM/article-refusal.aspx

Helping a Mother with a Baby Who Is Reluctant to Nurse
http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleade...tNov99p99.html

My Baby Just Doesn't Get It
http://www.wiessinger.baka.com/bfing...e/babyget.html

The Protocols for Induced Lactation A Guide for Maximizing Breastmilk Production http://www.mamadearest.ca/en/info/ne...-lactation.htm

I would like to resume breastfeeding after an interruption. How do I relactate?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/relactation.html


Help -- My Baby Won't Nurse!
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/...to-breast.html
EXCERPTS
The following techniques have proven helpful for a wide range of problems with baby refusing the breast. Some of the babies who might benefit include:
a newborn (or older adopted baby) trying to figure out how to breastfeed
a previously-weaned baby whom you wish to breastfeed again
a baby who seriously resists nursing (or even being placed in a nursing position)

Rebirthing: Another technique used to get babies to accept the breast is known as rebirthing. Rebirthing can be very helpful for preemies (or any baby who spends time in the NICU), even if nursing is going fine. Mom gets into the bathtub, full of warm (not hot) water with baby. Place baby on mom's tummy, in the water. Stroke baby, talk to baby. This may take time, but baby may begin to work his way up to the breast, search it out, and begin to suckle. It's important to have a support person with mom when doing this, for the safety of the baby. See Rebirthing: Help for Latch-on Problems for more information.

[Swirly]

It truly seems impossible to keep up a good supply via pumping after one year. Most of us in the EP club suffer from ever-dwindling supply after that time and are forced to supplement. Basically, I think your breasts are smart and know the pump is not a baby and stops responding to it.

[Aura_Kitten]

Ah yeah pumping does tend to not work after awhile.



This may be a dumb question but have you ever, ever checked her latch -- ???

And possibly she refuses to keep nursing because you have continued to give her bottles?


Just throwing out ideas.

[RootSnort]

Originally Posted by Swirly

It truly seems impossible to keep up a good supply via pumping after one year. Most of us in the EP club suffer from ever-dwindling supply after that time and are forced to supplement. Basically, I think your breasts are smart and know the pump is not a baby and stops responding to it.

I think AF ate my supply, I don't think pumping is what did it to me. I've been going for 15 months now, and I'm getting about 34 ounces a day, down from 40+ ounces a day, but up from 30 a day. However, I think that each person needs a different pump, and it's a shame there's not a way to try before you buy to find out which is the best pump for you.

As far as herbs, I think the teas are a step in the right direction, but I don't think there's enough "herb" in a tea to do a lot of good. I would suggest Fenugreek capsules 3 caps, 3 times a day. I have to take them after I eat, or else I get some bad heartburn.

And with oatmeal, I'm told that steel cut is best, and that you can bake with it. Good thing, I've had a box on my counter for a week, and like I have time to cook breakfast? So I plan to make bread and cookies which I can eat on the run.