Supply Issue, please help

[lovepinkroses]

I have talked to the LC's in my area and they tell me I'm doing everything right and my body will adjust.  That's not helping me!  I'm starting to have major supply issues.  Ryan is 8 months old and EBF.  I don't want to have him on formula at all. I used to have an over abundance of milk, now I'm playing catch up during the week to make sure he

Comments

[speck]

He is older and in your shoes I would do food, then milk (and send more bottles with smaller amounts). But I am not an LC, just BTDT a bit.

Have you tried increasing your protein? For me that made a difference. So did pumping a bit longer sometimes, getting the occasional second letdown. I also did a lot of breast and armpit massage.

Good luck.

[lovepinkroses]

I send all freezer bags of 2 and 3 ounces. She's really good about listening to his needs and also what I need.

I'll try more protein, thank you. I saw this message before I went to the store, so I got some cottage cheese, yogurt and granola. I'm also just generally trying to eat better, so it goes hand in hand. :)

Thanks for your help!

[rae_anna46]

How often are you nursing at night? What is the longest gap you have between nursing/pumping each day/night?

[lovepinkroses]

As soon as he goes to bed (7:30pm), I pump whatever is left. It's not usually more than an ounce, but it's something! Then, I pump again at 10, right before I go to sleep.

The longest gap is bedtime. If he wakes at night, I do feed him thinking it will just help my supply, but generally he'll sleep until 4:30 or 5:30 and eat then. During the day it depends on if it's a work day or I'm home.

Three days a week I work. Those days I pump twice at work. I feed him at 7:30am, pump at 10:30/11 and 2:30/3. Then, I feed when we get home at 5:30 and again before bed. Then, the pumping I mentioned above.

If I'm home, he eats about 5:30am, then after each nap. I pump each time he goes down for a nap. He generally takes two good two hour naps. Sometimes he'll do a short nap around 5, but not always.

[merjmo]

What kind of pump are you using? Have you changed valves/membranes ever, or recently? At 8 months it's still really milk, then food. I've seen it be suggested that you can nurse, then one hour later offer solids, and top off with nursing if you want. You can see if he'd nurse more often on the days you're with him if you want...how much are you pumping each day.

I'm confused at how your tea wouldn't taste like licorice if it has fenugreek (or enough fenugreek) in it. The protein idea is good, and have you taken fenugreek and blessed thistle capsules to try to boost supply?

[speck]

bingo - I forgot about those valves and membranes. BIG diff when I swapped out to new ones.

[lovepinkroses]

That helped you, too? I just did that a few weeks ago and haven't noticed a difference. Although, I did it for cleanliness, I wasn't aware it could help supply.

[conneals]

When my daughter started sleeping thru the night, my supply dropped dramatically. I would nurse around 7pm and then not again until 6am, so I added a pumping session at around 10pm. It helped alot.

Now, I am going to buy new membranes today...just to see if that helps with the pumping!

[lovepinkroses]

I do 7:30pm after he goes down for the night and again at 10 before I go to bed. I'm going to try the membranes, too.

[jessotr]

One thing you can do while pumping to increase supply is to pump 10 min, rest 10, pump 10. That's what my LC told me to do when I was trying to pump enough to get ahead of my DS's schedule in the NICU, and it worked.

[merjmo]

ooh, that's a good one - it's called power pumping. On Kellymom they've recommended 3 10-min pumping sessions (so 10 on, 10 rest, 10 on, 10 rest, 10 on) which takes about an hour. It simulates a growth spurt or something.

[jessotr]

Yep, that's what I meant! Power Pumping...I like that!

[lovepinkroses]

Hum, I tend to give up once nothing is coming out. I'll have to try this.

So, keep going even if nothing is coming out, right?