Chewing Gum and Pumping???

J.:

I have never heard of this... unless it is gum made from a galactogogue....

P., RLC, IBCLC, CST
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

When my supply started to decrease I talked to my Edward Hospital lactation nurse and I now take an herbal supplement called Fenugreek. I take six a day and it helped immensely (have to take at least six). You can buy it at GNC however, the nurse asked me a bunch of questions before she said I should be okay to take it. You call their dept and ask for a nurse to call you back, they will help you out. I was afraid to take it initially but it was better than using formula. The other thing is to eat alot of oats and believe it or not, it works too. Oatmeal cookies, Banana Oat Bread, etc... Good luck, hang in there you can do it!!! It is the best thing for your baby!

The less she nurses the more your milk will dry up. If you want the same milk supply then you will need to pump during the times she has stopped nursing.

I nursed mine until they were a year old. Your body will continue to produce according to demand. When they start solid foods, they nurse less. Mine started solids at about six months. I even introduce a sippy cup at about nine months. But they still nursed until they were a year old. My oldest was down to one or two nursing times a day. On her first birthday I nursed her one time and that was it. I was almost dried up at that point so I didn't endure any pain of anything of that nature.

If she still has six to ten wet diapers a day then I would say she's getting plenty of breastmilk.

You should always nurse before you give solids. That should help if you do that. Good luck! I think it is great that you are so dedicated to nursing :) I still nurse my 13 month old :)

It's normal for the body to slow down it's milk supply when it's less needed. She's getting foods and they're taking the place of the milk she use to fill up on so she won't suck as much.It's hard to feel that they don't need us like they use to but you'll think that sooo many times during her life and understand that they just need us in different ways, all our lives. A sad ending is always a new and happy beginning mommy.

I've breastfed my 3 kids, 2 years each. They are now 11, 9 and 5. No Ive never heard of it. Its a matter of supply and demand. Plus a healthy diet with lots of fluid. Keep taking your prenatal vitamins as well. You'll have plenty :-)

On a side note, my kids have not been sickly as well. We also save tons of money because we didn't need formula. We went straight from the breast to sippy cup.

Goodluck and have fun.

The oatmeal thing really works! So does drinking lots of fluids and resting. The fenugreek supplements (I got some at BeByBaby in Chicago) work too but make you smell strongly of maple syrup.

Do you work away from home? I work full time and am away from my daughter for 12 hour stretches 4 days a week. I pumped 3x a day until she was 8 1/2 months old, then cut down to 2x/day until she was 1 year old. Now she nurses at 6:30am, I pump at 12:30ish, and she nurses again around 7pm. Then she nurses on demand on the weekends (and during the night; her bed is in our bedroom and she still wakes occasionally to nurse). Aaaaaall that exposition to say, my milk supply has diminished as she gets older, but it certainly hasn't gone away. A friend of mine nursed her daughter until she was 2 1/2, and for the last 6 months or so, she would only nurse her daughter before her mid-morning nap and before bed, and then just before bed. When her daughter gave up nursing completely, my friend got engorged! She was suprised, as she didn't really think she was producing that much milk.

If you are working, I say pump as often as you can while you are away from her. And then let her nurse whenever she wants to when you are home. The supply and demand will work itself out. (I can say this nonchalantly now, but I worried like crazy about my milk supply until my daughter was at least 10 months old).

Good luck!

Someone mentioned putting warm cabbages on your breasts -- be careful with this! I don't know about warm cabbage leaves, but COLD leaves STOP milk production. I know it sounds weird, but I have 2 friends who did this and it really worked. Both a lactation coach I used and my doctor confirmed that there is something in the cabbage that slows and eventually stops milk flow. One of my friends stopped hers by accident -- she was using the cold leaves to comfort her sore breasts and didn't realize it would cause milk flow to stop. So, I think I'd skip the cabbage treatment!

I always had the darnest time pumping! I never heard of chewing gum though. I must admit when I was in the process of taking the breast feeding away, I noticed I would have tons of milk when I took a warm shower! I couldn't stop! Wish I would have known this while I was nursing! Anyhow, someone once told me that eating any type of bread slows down the milk, so careful with the carbs. Oh and when you stop nursing, try putting warm cabbages (that's right cabbages, cut in half) on your breast. Works like a charm! Glad to hear that you are nursing it is the best! Good luck!

never heard of that! worth a try. i've got challenges too, w/ nursing my 2nd. i nursed my first for 22mos until milk dried up due to pregnancy. this time, my supply is more challenged. your milk is a complete food and the solids are not, so your milk s/b the priority in your DD's diet.
other suggestions for getting your supply back up:
1) up your protein intake like yr pregnant: 80-100 grams/day.
2) take a good quality calcium/magnesium supplement.
3) take fenugreek or other supply booster, such as more milk plus; the liquid is more effective than the pills.
4) i recommend talking to an LC --- mine is awesome and has wonderful suggestions. janet in naperville: www.lactinv.com she has all the supplements and will guide you in the right direction. a consult in her ofc is prob $75 (but ask first) and w/b worth every penny. your milk's got more than just nutrition, it still gives your DD antibodies to keep her healthy while she develops her immune system, which is immature until age 3 (or even as late as age 6, depending on which study you read!). congrats on your daughter!
Jen S.

I've never heard of the gum thing. Perhaps gum helps some mothers pump because it helps them to relax. I doubt this will have much of an impact, but it is worth a try.

If your daughter is now eating solid foods, it is natural that your milk supply will decrease. Your body will respond to the decrease in demand, and if your daughter needs less, you will produce less. That doesn't mean it will stop. Is there some reason you want to keep the volume greater? Do you feel that she is not getting enough?

Check with your doctor. You could try Brewers Yeast tablets (3 tablets taken with meals, 3 times per day). That and Fenugreek capsules (2-3 capsules taken 3 times daily) are both known for increasing milk supply. (Ask your doctor about the Fenugreek, especially if you are diabetic, or if you are allergic to peanuts.) Another thing to try would be pumping every couple of hours, preferably with a hospital grade pump. (You can rent those at a reasonable price from most hospitals).

And make sure you are getting plenty to drink! Your body needs fluid in order to be able to produce fluid, so drink drink drink!