What about mother's milk tea? I read somewhere something about Borage and milk increase too?

Jevin had jaundice too (and he also had Vit K, I think that is related personally but we'll see this time now that we arent doing that) but he was born in Oct (in California) so I just walked him out in the sun in a onesie everyday until he got better. December is a tad harder for that!!

I didnt get my milk in with Jevin until the 5th night. I even pumped everyday on top of him nursing the colostum but it didnt bring it in any faster.

 

I'm looking for some links for you because I recently saw something on this, but from what I know the answer is no. Beer will not significantly increase your milk supply nor will it cause your milk to come in any sooner. I have seen something that says that dark beers have something in them that can help with milk production and also that having a beer or glass of wine can help a mama relax if shes having probs with letdown. But there are herbs that are much more effective in stimulating milk production. I bought a tincture with dd, can't remember what was in it but I know there are mamas on here who are really knowledgable about such things and will advise. I think the biggest thing is just feeding frequently and properly and it sounds like you are preparing well for all the what if's.

 

Hmmm, if you know your body doesn't start with milk until day 4 or 5, there probably isn't much you can do to bring it in all that much faster. Your body is on a clock and it wants to give your babies several days of colostrum.

Would you consider using donated breastmilk and an SNS to get your baby breastmilk on day 1?

 

from purely anecdotal experience, a few sips of beer increased my milk letdown dramatically, but that was AFTER my milk was fully established. i never tried it in the beginning, so i have no idea if it would make the milk come in faster or not...

 

just lurking here (checking up on Spark and judybean...

), but had to share. I've heard brewers yeast can significantly increase your milk supply. if you post on breastfeeding support I'm sure you'll get even more suggestions!

 

I've been worrying about this too, as DS developed jaundice on day 3. We spent days 3-7 going to the ped every day to get his bili levels checked. I read somewhere that dandelion root tea (taken after the birth) could help. I think it's mentioned in Susun Weed's Herbs for the Childbearing Year. I haven't figured out how to make it yet, though. I'm not much of an herb whiz.

I had lots of breastfeeding supply problems, and the the LC I'm working with wants me to start pumping w/in 8 hours of the birth to help get things going. However, I know this is controversial because it can cause engorgement ( a problem I'm almost certain never to have because of my breast problems). I'm also considering using donor milk in the first few days (or as long as necessary)...I've already gotten my ped to say she'll write a prescription for the milk bank.

Good luck!

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geofizz Would you consider using donated breastmilk and an SNS to get your baby breastmilk on day 1?

Sorry to be so ignorant, but what does SNS stand for?

 

Thanks for all the thoughts, mamas!

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoveBaby if you post on breastfeeding support I'm sure you'll get even more suggestions!

Great idea! I'll head over there now . . .

 

Ooh! Just saw this thread and wanted to throw this out there. For various reasons I had decided before the birth of my baby to consume my placenta. One of the benefits I read was that it helps your milk come in faster! I did eat my placenta (2 pieces straight and then the rest blended with fresh squeezed orange juice...I definitely recommend the orange juice option, didn't even taste the placenta) and my milk came in almost exactly 48 hours after my placenta was delivered. Now I have no previous experiences to compare this with, but you might want to try it.

 

Allnaturalmama, I`m also a mom with coombs positive babies and I`m feeling more relaxed about it since you are so calm about it. I have also dealt with the pathological jaundice within hours and I had a c/s so I had a challenging time. I kept my baby on the breast every second that I could, he was on lights and I had him every 2-3 hours. I woke him up and nursed him each time and then kept him next to me for an hour, then back on the lights. At 24 hours pp I had my milk fully in, even with a c/s so it can be done.

Do you have any chance of not having a coombs positive baby, is your partner hetero or homozygous for your antibody? Do you know your titer? this may not even have to be an issue with this baby. You can pm me if you want to talk more about it. Also, now there is a new treatment for babies who get more severely affected by antibodies, they give the baby a dose of IVIG, basically a huge anti antibody booster, and these babies are going home that day or the next, without needing lights or transfusions. Thats something to ask about if your baby seems affected this time. It beats 7 days on the lights but not every area is doing it yet. Good luck!

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by allnaturalmama Sorry to be so ignorant, but what does SNS stand for?

Sorry for using an abbreviation!
SNS=Supplemental Nursing System. It's something so that you can give a supplement (formula or pumped milk) through a little tube on your breast. The sucking on the breast brings the milk, so you continue getting the stimulation and the baby doesn't develop nipple confusion.

 

liseux, thanks so much for posting to this thread. It's very comforting to hear from another mama who understands what this is about. Thank you, too, for the valuable information. Another avenue to research!

I don't know my titer or if DH is hetero- or homozygous for my antibody. Didn't even know these tests were available! Everything was so poorly explained to me with my first two kids -- I've basically figured out this whole ABO incompatibility thing on my own research by requesting my children's medical records when I left their peds office after switching to our current crunchy lifestyle.

Without having specific genetic information or lab results, I do have it in the back of my head that there is small chance this will be a non-issue for this baby, but am trying to be prepared for the worst. I call it optimistic pessimism -- prepare for the worst, and I won't be devasted if it turns out differently than I've prepared for.

Geofizz, I should have been able to figure out SNS. I used it with DS1. Just a duh! moment, I guess.

Thanks again to everyone for posting here. It's very encouraging just to talk it out with all of you.

 

I have not researched the jaundice to much in detail, but to bring in and establish milk supply the basic is stimulate and empty the breasts frequently. do everything possible to make sure the baby is nursing effectivly (check for latch and suck problems, an LC can help) and as often as possible. Is there any way a bili blanket can be used while feeding? Can the bili light unit be brought to your room to facilitate more frequent feeding? Colostrum has a laxitive effect stimularing the baby's bowels to expel the bilirubin rich stool before his/her body can reabsorb it. A newborn's stomach is tiny, only about a the size of a thumb nail so fequent feeds of the colostrum is ideal for a new born. There was a study which looked at jaundice and the more a baby nursed in the first 24 hours, the less severe the jaundice was by day 6, with 0% of the baby's breastfed 9 -11 times in the first 24 hours having exagerated jaundice by day 6. This was for physiologic jaunice, I am not sure how it would relate to coombs positive,a pathologic jaundice. This would mean breastfeeding every 2 hours during the day with one 4 to 5 hour sleep period at night. Babies with high bili levels can be sleepy and hard to rouse. Good luck!