Drying Up???

The same thing happened to me when I went back to work. I had a good, electric pump, but I never could get it back up to 4 oz on a consistent level. I ended up having to supplement...which was okay. At least she was still getting breast milk.

I really don't have any great advice for you, other than to tell you that it happened to me, too. Pumping more often and/or longer didn't help me...but it's certainly worth a try! Another friend of mine suggested eating oatmeal for increased production. It's good for you, too, so that's worth a shot.

Good luck & enjoy this baby time!! :)

Hi! I read your update and I wanted to let you know that most breastfed babies only take 3-4 ounces, so if you can get that much, don't worry about getting any more. Pumping more often can help, but as long as she's gaining weight consistently, don't worry! :)

Hi Victoria -- I've found the herb Fenugreek seed to help with milk production quite a bit. I drink it as a tea... it's a little bitter, so I usually throw in a second teabag (green tea or something with no caffeine). When your sweat start to smell sweet like maple syrup, you know it's working.

If you're committed to breastfeeding, I would strongly recommend that you find the time and place to pump one or more times per day at work. The more you pump/nurse the higher your production will be. I know it's a challenge... I work full-time, but have a great boss and co-workers that support this choice.

Someone else mentioned it, but Kellymom.com is a great site, and La Leche League is also filled with great info. Contact your local La Leche League, lactation consultant at the hospital, or WIC lactation consultant to get some additional support that you can present to your boss about the advantages of having you continue to breastfeed your baby (less time off for illnesses, lower insurance costs, etc.). A couple sites with some additional info: http://workingmothers.suite101.com/article.cfm/working_mo...; http://askdrsears.com/html/2/T020100.asp (about 2/3rds of the way down the page there is a section on breastfeeding when returning to work); and http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/breastfeeding/...

Good luck and keep on nursing, mama!!!

J.

I definitely think that pumping more helps. I started to dry up when I returned to work and could only pump once during the work day. My daughter was sleeping through the night but I pumped at midnight, 3am, and 6am. I was tired at first but adjusted to the routine. Pumping along with feeding helped boost the supply. Good luck.

If you're not pumping your supply is likely to be decreasing. I breastfed two kids while working full time. You definitely need to pump at work and I totally agree with the comment about taking a couple days to just lay around with your daughter and let her nurse as much as possible. We would do that occasionally when I was nursing and it definitely helped keep my supply up!

good advice already but I would also add that your breasts do not need to feel full to be producing enough milk--that full feeling does start to diminish as the baby gets older and your breasts start to respond to just what is needed. If she seems to be nursing fine and seems satisfied she is likely to be getting enough. It is always easier for the baby to get more milk than you get from pumping so that is not a good indicator of how much your body is making.

Victoria,

I've been told oatmeal is a natural galactagog (sp?) which helps maintain or increase your supply. Also, if you don't pump at work, you'll lose what supply you had. All of the lactation consultants that I've talked to say it is a use-it-or-lose-it scenario.

Good luck and God bless.
Julia

You might want to consider other herbs. Here's a good resource.

http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal-rem_j.html

That said, the best way to increase milk supply is to nurse more. Sometimes pumping on one side while nursing on the other is the best way to get a good let down and more milk. If you are unable to nurse more often, you might consider pumping at work again. That really sucks you have to do it in the bathroom. I really wish there were more places that were friendly to breastfeeding moms.

Good luck!

Hi Victoria! I went back to work when my youngest was 4 months old. Like you, I always gave her about one bottle a day of baby formula, but breastfed her the remainder of the time. My milk also started to dry up around month 4 to 5. It was a new job and my supervisor was not as open to me taking time to pump, so I was only able to pump briefly at lunch. I had to stop breastfeeding her at about 5 months. My suggestion is to pump whenever possible, and don't stop just after 15 min or so, pump until those puppies are completely empty! Then do the same about three hours later. Keep doing that and you milk should come back full force. Supply and demand at its finest!

If you stopped pumping at work that is why your supply is going down. If you start it up again, it may come back.

i've never heard of taking marshemellow the herb. But I do know a number of people who took Fenugreek. I don't know if that is exactally how its spelled but the good people at GNC can help :). You know you are taking enough of it if you smell like maple syrup! haha. But, it definitely works. Keep pumping and I would say pump every 3 hrs if possible for at leats 10 mins. Don't go so long ( 8hrs) between pumps....if you just pump and feed more frequently and try out fenugreek your supply should increase!

Hi Victoria! I'm sorry to hear that you feel like your drying up instead of filling up. The only thing that I could think of is to stop taking the herbs and make sure you are drinking a lot of water. Also, wrap a super hot washcloth (as hot as you can stand) around your breast before you start pumping. It will help to open up the mammary glands and ducts and help with the let-down reflex. If you can keep the washcloth on while you pump, that will help too. Pumping is no fun, but we do what we have to do, don't we?! If for some reason the nursing doesn't work out as you would like, be thankful that you've been able to nurse as long as you have. Lots of babies don't get the opportunity to nurse that long or even at all! You're doing all you can for your little girl, so don't get discouraged! Good luck!

The less you pump/feed the less milk you will produce. Pumping will not keep your supply up as much as actual nursing. So if you want more milk, pump twice as often. My doctor recommended Fenugreek. It didn't really help me, but I've heard others had luck with it - although I heard you have to take a lot more than the amount on the bottle - a warning: you will start noticing the smell of syrup everywhere - that's you - fenugreek is used to make artificial syrup and the smell will be coming out of your pores.

There are herbs that you can take to help lactate. Off the top of my head, I don't remember what they are but I KNOW they exist! Talk to someone at your local health food store!

Drink, drink, drink!!! This happened to me around 8 mos with my daughter (I wasn't working) and looking back, I think I was so stressed and tired I was not taking care of myself nor hydrated enough. I gave up. Make sure you are eating and drinking almost at all times.... esp when sitting down to nurse, make sure you have a big glass of something. Make sure you aren't supplementing too much also. GOOD LUCK!

You need to pump more at work, as often as you would be nursing if your baby was with you. I would pump twice a day at work and go nurse my baby at lunchtime (I was lucky cause her daycare was only 10 minutes away).

So many things can affect supply. Drink plenty of liquid, pump more often, try to remain relaxed (stress can dry you up) and put her to the breast as often as possible. That is the key. Supplementing with formula almost always causes some amount of issue with supply. THere are other herbs out there, and even meds. I haven't tried any of them. Maybe consider having a "nursing vacation". This is where you set aside 2 days or so and stay in bed with your little one and just nurse as often as they will let you. It has done wonders for many nursing moms. Hang in there!!

Fenugreek is known to help supply - you can find them at GNC stores. If you live in Indiana, there is a Breastfeeding Act that states businesses with over 25 employees (I think that is right) must provide a place for breastfeeding moms to pump comfortably (that is not a bathroom). It doesn't have to be fancy, but has to have privacy, and outlet and someplace to sit. Production is supply and demand - the more you nurse/pump, the more you will produce!! Good luck! You are giving a truly wonderful benefit for your baby by breastfeeding!

My advice is the same I guess... pump & nurse as much as humanly possible. Yes, it will hurt - but if you truly want to keep going, that's what you have to do. I was unable to breastfeed my son the first 7 weeks of his life and had to pump. I started to dry up and finally decided to try nursing even though the docs said he probably wouldn't be strong enough (preemie)... but they were wrong and I got a new set of boobs!! Not sure about the herbs... never had to resort to any of that. I also noticed that around 5 months or so, my babies' appetites definitely increased. Also might be a reason you aren't feeling full enough. Again, pump and/or nurse every hour!! It will come back if you stay consistent.

I agree it has to a lot with how frequent you nurse/pump. I had the same problem. I only pumped on my lunch break and by 5 months my period started back up, I was drying up pretty quickly. I ended up stopping closer to 6 months and was a little disappointed but you do what you gotta do!
Pumping at work is not as easy as it sounds! I used to pump in my car on lunch breaks, try being discreet about that.

By not pumping at work you are diminishing your supply.
The stimulation of the breasts is what promotes sufficient production of milk for a baby.
Any stress, supplementation, or you neglecting to drink fluids yourself will affect your supply.
When you are off work, do you nurse the baby as often as she wants, for how long she wants?
This is what I would do to ensure an adequate supply of milk.
Every bottle you give her will enlarge the "hole" in your breastfeeding relationship.