Moms, I need your help.
My daughter is a breast fed baby … sort of.
Breast feeding was a traumatic experience for both of us. I’ll never really know why it ended up not working out. From the moment she was born and the nurses laid her on my chest, she latched right on and did great. I remember feeling so proud and relieved at that moment. But ultimately, I don’t think my milk came out fast enough for her because she was absolutely frantic to eat and she would have a melt down on the breast. It was so difficult to calm her down as a result. But this went on and on … she cried … and I cried. I think Daddy even cried. It was so hard for all of us. Although I felt like I failed on some basic, primal, maternal level, I decided to listen to my daughter, listen to my instincts and listen to her pediatrician when she wasn’t gaining weight. I decided to give up on breast feeding … but I refused to give up on feeding her breast milk.
I pumped ... and pumped ... and pumped ... and my daughter ate and ate from her bottle. It went GREAT. In the beginning, I pumped every two to three hours. Then I got myself in a routine of pumping every four hours. This went on for a few months and at one point I even considered donating my milk to a milk bank, I had so much of it. I was a one-woman dairy farm, I swear! Instead, we bought a chest freezer and I stockpiled my surplus.
But pumping started to rule my life. So I decided to back off. I pumped every 5 hours … then every six. Each time I pumped, I would not just fill, but sometimes overflow the 6 oz. (Medela) bottles on EACH SIDE. Not only did I have enough milk for my daughter’s daily feedings, I continued stockpiling a small surplus. Plus, I knew that the time would come when I would have to start using the milk from earlier months since it had a five-month shelf-life.
About a month ago, when the chest freezer was literally full and the five-month date was approaching, I thought I had enough milk squirreled away that I could reduce the number of times I pumped throughout the day to two or three times in a 24 hour period. I thought I could pump and stockpile the newer milk and start using bags of frozen milk here and there. I thought my plan would ensure my daughter would be breastfed for at least a year.
This has been my BIG milk mistake.
Under my “pump 2-3 times a day” plan, my milk production is dwindling to the point where I’m only getting two, MAYBE three oz. TOTAL each time I pump. And my freezer that once looked so full, is now growing quite spacious again as a result.
I wanted to feed my baby breast milk for at least her first year. She’s 7 months old now and I only have two months of milk left in my freezer. I know for many babies, when solid foods come into play, they don’t drink as much milk as they used to but so far, this isn’t really the case with her. I know formula has its benefits too but I really, really want her to have the benefits of breast milk for as long as I can stand pumping. I’m now longing for the days when I could fill a 6 oz. bottle and I regret my decision to scale back on my pumping.
This weekend, I started pumping more often to try to build my supply back up. I started taking extra supplements like fenugreek seed, drinking TONS of water, pumping in the presence of my baby … I even tried drinking dark beer. Nothing is helping. My boobs are shrinking back to pre-pregnancy size. They no longer leak. I don’t even feel the let down happen anymore.
Can I get my milk back? Or is this like squeezing blood out of a dead turnip? If I can, how long will it take to get it back up? What else can I do? Please help!
Thanks for reading and thank you so much for any help or advice you can give me.
Thanks for the support and advice!
I have been following the regimen on the MOBI Web site for increasing milk production and I'm happy to report it's working! I started following it on Monday, 8/11 and today, 8/14, I have more than quadrupled my daily milk production. I am also taking the More Milk Plus supplement and I am going to continue following this until my milk production is back to what I know it can be. It is such a relief to know that it can come back after dwindling down to so little! I am thrilled! Thank you again!
I don't have an answer for you, but don't be so hard on yourself. I think you've done great.
Sounds like you had a lot of struggles. While the first year breast milk is great, it isn't the only solution. Please don't push yourself or stress yourself beyond what is actually able to happen. I had a tough time with my daughter breast feeding and actually stopped at 3 mos. I am a firm believer that you can only do what you can do, it isn't so easy as everyone makes it sound. Giving her solids now, supplementing with formula you can stretch the breast milk out but SHE WILL NOT be any less healthy if you had to stop tomorrow, PROMISE! I stopped at 3 mos with both of my kids. Both of my kids are very healthy, smart and growing perfectly fine. Neither has allergies, no other issues you hear about due to stopping or not breast feeding to the year mark. So don't use that guide as the only truth.
You did a awesome job doing it this far, but do what you can and don't put too much pressure on yourself, in the next few months her solids will increase and the breast milk isn't the only way she will get what she needs.
I am not sure if you can or not, however a friend of mine had trouble producing and she was told to try root beer and it never stopped. i hope this helps and gl.
Yes, you can totally build your supply back up. It's demand-based, so keep pumping after you're not getting milk. It may take several days of a regular schedule of this but your body should adjust.
You might look at these sites for some specific tips:
www.llli.org
www.drjacknewman.com
www.mobimotherhood.org
You can do it!!
(And FYI--in case you decide to have other babies--you might also look into oversupply as a reason why your daughter reacted as she did at the breast. Sounds like it might be a possibility for you.)
