breastfeeding help needed ASAP! - Page 2

[Heather Marie]

Just wanted to say you are an amazing mama Maisie! I know it is so hard not to get down on yourself, but you are doing great.

[Da WIC Lady]

Oatmeal is said to help increase supply too. The other suggestions about skin to skin contact and following your instincts about the pump are good too. You also might want to fiddle with the settings on your pump to find the right settings for you. I have to have the absolute highest setting on the electric pumps I've used to really feel like I'm getting everything I can. I don't know what pump you have, so I can't really make any good suggestions. I did see something on the Medela Symphony (and the Harmony manual) about how if you use the two stage pumping feature that you simulate the baby's patterns more closely. I guess if you don't have one of those pumps, go for a faster cycle until you let down then change to a slower one with a stronger suck once you stimulate the milk ejection reflex.

HTH

Anna

[maisiedotes]

Originally Posted by Da WIC Lady

Oatmeal is said to help increase supply too. The other suggestions about skin to skin contact and following your instincts about the pump are good too. You also might want to fiddle with the settings on your pump to find the right settings for you. I have to have the absolute highest setting on the electric pumps I've used to really feel like I'm getting everything I can. I don't know what pump you have, so I can't really make any good suggestions. I did see something on the Medela Symphony (and the Harmony manual) about how if you use the two stage pumping feature that you simulate the baby's patterns more closely. I guess if you don't have one of those pumps, go for a faster cycle until you let down then change to a slower one with a stronger suck once you stimulate the milk ejection reflex.

HTH

Anna

I have the medela PIS advance and I like it- it has the double pump and the cycles, but I find myself having to keep shutting it off and re-starting it to keep the fast cycle going for maybe three cycles before I can go to the slow cycle. I refuse to give up yet- I stick Mairaed on the boob every time I feed her (without the SNS at first) and she still seems to be getting some. The times that she is sleeping and I am due to pump, though, my supply definitely seems to be dwindling. ugh. Now I get almost nothing from the left one and maybe 10 cc from the right one. I feel like I am doing everything right- maybe I should increase my oatmeal consumption to 2 bowls a day. Hrmph. I am going to turn into the Quaker guy....