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Breastfeeding this time around
Some of you asked in comments in the last post what the nursing scene has been this time around. The short answer is that it's exactly as I expected.
I take a gazillion supplements. I'm taking the d0mperid0ne 3x30x4 (so an extra time per day) and taking a combo herb pill called "More Milk Special Blend" 4x a day as well. I am considering adding additional fenugreek but I wanted to take LESS pills so that doesn't make sense. The only thing I haven't added back is metformin. I'm thinking about it.
On all of the supplements, I make a teensy amount of milk. Pumping output during the day is about 0.5oz from both sides combined, largely from the right. I have never pumped overnight (during the long stretch of sleep) but I would guess about 2 oz. Little man is getting hungry enough these days that he's becoming frustrated at the breast during the day although I still offer before every supplemental feeding, and he does get some. But after a minute he's done, because there's not enough there and he is hoooooooongry. I am considering ditching the supply and demand rules and nursing before every other feeding in the hopes of building up some milk. Haven't tried yet, though, as I'm scared to cut what little milk I have.
The biggest thing is that we anticipated this, of course, and so it is not devastating, more just upsetting. Obviously Punk turned out fine on a steady diet of formula (and soy formula at that), so I'm not stressed about supplementing. It is what it is. I wish I could nurse, though, like a regular person. Boo. I am considering pulling out the SNS again to solve the "baby boy gets frustrated on the boob" issue, but the only tubes I have left for the thing (the others got nasty) are the fast flow ones and last time I tried that, he choked and sputtered. Someone gave me a Lact-Aid but I have to clean it and I don't know how to use it yet.
Also big is that I was able to stockpile a bunch of donor milk before E's birth (we're almost through it now) and have been finding more here and there through the internet (both MilkShare and Eats on Feets). Through EoF I was able to find an ongoing milk donor who tries to pump me 8oz/day, and then SHE (because she is lovely and awesome) talked to a friend who is an overproducer about pumping for me also. This woman has been known to pump 8oz in one session! (*dies*) So if that friend works out, we could be set for a long while with only occasional trips to MilkShare. In fact, Jen is headed to CT on Friday to pick up some MilkShare milk, and then this weekend we need to head to Boston to pick up about 80oz more that a friend scored for us. So because of all of this, Little Dude gets minimal formula, around 2-4oz per day.
On top of that, he is a better sleeper than Punk ever was and can pull of a 4-5 hour stretch of sleep in the night, so I am able to build up enough milk to just nurse through the night without bottles (for now). He wakes around 3 or 4am and I nurse him, he falls back to sleep for another 2 hours (so I know he got some milk in there), and then wants to nurse for an hour or two in the early morning (depending what time he woke up originally). It's kind of nice to nurse all night and not have to get up to make bottles, so I hope that continues.
He is beginning to want more supplement, though (closer to 3oz per feed instead of 2oz) and is in the middle of a big growth spurt, so I don't know how things will pan out, but this has been what the last 7 weeks have looked like and I am happy with that. I still feel like a nursing failure but it is not gutwrenching like last time and the added bonus of donor milk makes me feel better that the bennies of nursing are there even if it's not from me. Punk self-weaned at 3.5 months after I stopped taking galactagogues at 3 months and my milk dried up. We'll see what happens with this guy.
I take a gazillion supplements. I'm taking the d0mperid0ne 3x30x4 (so an extra time per day) and taking a combo herb pill called "More Milk Special Blend" 4x a day as well. I am considering adding additional fenugreek but I wanted to take LESS pills so that doesn't make sense. The only thing I haven't added back is metformin. I'm thinking about it.
On all of the supplements, I make a teensy amount of milk. Pumping output during the day is about 0.5oz from both sides combined, largely from the right. I have never pumped overnight (during the long stretch of sleep) but I would guess about 2 oz. Little man is getting hungry enough these days that he's becoming frustrated at the breast during the day although I still offer before every supplemental feeding, and he does get some. But after a minute he's done, because there's not enough there and he is hoooooooongry. I am considering ditching the supply and demand rules and nursing before every other feeding in the hopes of building up some milk. Haven't tried yet, though, as I'm scared to cut what little milk I have.
The biggest thing is that we anticipated this, of course, and so it is not devastating, more just upsetting. Obviously Punk turned out fine on a steady diet of formula (and soy formula at that), so I'm not stressed about supplementing. It is what it is. I wish I could nurse, though, like a regular person. Boo. I am considering pulling out the SNS again to solve the "baby boy gets frustrated on the boob" issue, but the only tubes I have left for the thing (the others got nasty) are the fast flow ones and last time I tried that, he choked and sputtered. Someone gave me a Lact-Aid but I have to clean it and I don't know how to use it yet.
Also big is that I was able to stockpile a bunch of donor milk before E's birth (we're almost through it now) and have been finding more here and there through the internet (both MilkShare and Eats on Feets). Through EoF I was able to find an ongoing milk donor who tries to pump me 8oz/day, and then SHE (because she is lovely and awesome) talked to a friend who is an overproducer about pumping for me also. This woman has been known to pump 8oz in one session! (*dies*) So if that friend works out, we could be set for a long while with only occasional trips to MilkShare. In fact, Jen is headed to CT on Friday to pick up some MilkShare milk, and then this weekend we need to head to Boston to pick up about 80oz more that a friend scored for us. So because of all of this, Little Dude gets minimal formula, around 2-4oz per day.
On top of that, he is a better sleeper than Punk ever was and can pull of a 4-5 hour stretch of sleep in the night, so I am able to build up enough milk to just nurse through the night without bottles (for now). He wakes around 3 or 4am and I nurse him, he falls back to sleep for another 2 hours (so I know he got some milk in there), and then wants to nurse for an hour or two in the early morning (depending what time he woke up originally). It's kind of nice to nurse all night and not have to get up to make bottles, so I hope that continues.
He is beginning to want more supplement, though (closer to 3oz per feed instead of 2oz) and is in the middle of a big growth spurt, so I don't know how things will pan out, but this has been what the last 7 weeks have looked like and I am happy with that. I still feel like a nursing failure but it is not gutwrenching like last time and the added bonus of donor milk makes me feel better that the bennies of nursing are there even if it's not from me. Punk self-weaned at 3.5 months after I stopped taking galactagogues at 3 months and my milk dried up. We'll see what happens with this guy.
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Different things work for different people. BIG HUGS.
What kind of pump are you using?
that donor milk is AMAZING!!! I wish I had some going on right now so I could send you some.
you are not a nursing failure!!!!!
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(Anonymous) 2011-01-13 03:00 pm (UTC)(link)Hugs
Hugs.
Kim
your blog
I agree with an earlier poster that your love comes to this child in so many ways. Don't worry about this one. You're doing a great job!