Low Milk Supply
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Low Milk Supply
May 2003
I have had milk supply issues from the start of nursing my first child. She is
now just 7 months old and we have been giving her a combination of formula and
breast milk for a while. I am recently finding that since I started
menstruating (2 cycles) my supply has dropped even more. I try to nurse her as
often as I can but she loses interest/ gets distracted very easily so that
doesn't seem to be helping increase supply. I'm getting pretty depressed about
it. I don't know if it is just sadness at the loss of this time in her life,
if it is hormonal, and if there is nothing I can do about it but let it go.
This is all not to mention all the stuff about feeling like I have failed her
because I can't give her all the breast milk she needs for the first year.
Bummed about milk
I nursed my daughter for seven months and had a similar experience
to you. You don't say whether you are working or pumping, which
have their own challenges, but I'll try to address what you do
mention. First off, starting menstruation definitely decreased my
milk supply. My daughter seemed frustrated in the last couple of
months of feeding. I needed to supplement with formula too. This
affected nursing in two ways. My daughter was accustomed to the
flow from a bottle and got impatient with the breast. Plus nursing
less frequently and pumping were not as effective at stimulating
production as was more frequent nursing. So I guess I'm trying to
say that what you're experiencing isn't surprising.
That being said, I felt a bit emotional about the situation too. I
really wanted to continue nursing but also knew that it was
getting frustrating for my daughter. I was also sad to let the
closeness go and wondered if I was failing her in some way. You
could do what I did and go through all the work of trying to
increase lactation through the various approaches, like increased
frequency of nursing and taking fenugreek, etc. In the end, I was
exhausted and it wasn't making enough of a difference to be
worthwhile.
Please don't feel guilty about this. You haven't failed her!
You've nursed for a significant amount of time and she will be all
the better for it. It's now three months later for me and I can
say that my daughter is incredibly happy and healthy, loving and
cuddly. And while I do still miss that time of her life a bit,
this new phase is wonderful in different ways. Also, you mention
the hormonal side of this. I hadn't really thought about it, but I
think that nursing did affect my emotions, so it might change if
you stop trying to nurse. Good luck.
anon
Try different herbs. Blessed Thistle, Fenugreek and Mothers
Milk Tea really helped my milk supply when my period started.
Also, I found that if I ate more protien that also helped.
Andrea
In the absence of medical issues (like a prior breast reduction)
and when formula is not used, true milk supply problems are
very, very rare. Chances are, whatever made you think there was
a problem led to your using formula, which caused your body to
make less milk because less milk was being demanded (having been
replaced with formula). This is why breastfeeding advocates are
so down on formula -- it's often a slippery slope. Furthermore,
although 7-month-olds very often are ''distractable'' nursers,
your daughter may also be suffering from some ''bottle
preference''. (This means that she has learned that it's less
work to drink from a bottle than it is to nurse, and that if she
fusses at the breast you'll give in and hand over the easier,
but less good for her, bottle.)
In any event, what's done is done. There's nothing wrong with your body, you
*can* make enough milk to nurse your daughter as long as you
wish, and there ARE good ways to recover from a supply sabotaged
by mistakes based on poor information or past bad advice. The
very first thing to do is ditch the formula. Completely. If
she's getting a significant amount of it, you may have to do
this gradually. Talk to a lactation consultant, a La Leche
League leader, or a breastfeeding-knowledgeable doctor for
specifics. Nurse as often as possible and DON'T use bottles.
(At this age, even if you work and she needs pumped milk or, if
you can't pump, formula during the workday only, you can try
switching to a sippy cup; it may help if part of the problem is
bottle preference.) The best way to increase milk supply is to
increase milk demand.
The next thing to do is make sure you are drinking plenty of
water, and as much rest as you can, especially around 'that time
of the month' (which does often cause a little dip in milk
supply). And if you need a little boost, try eating oatmeal
(cookies count!), drinking ''Mother's Milk'' tea, and/or taking
fenugreek capsules. (Fenugreek will make you smell like maple
syrup. But it works.) If all of that isn't enough, consider
getting some domperidone, which is a galactagogue drug you'll
have to order from outside the States -- it isn't generally
available here, but it *is* considered very safe and is commonly
prescribed in Canada and Europe for increasing milk supply.
You can get a lot more advice and support for the asking on the
Usenet group misc.kids.breastfeeding (look it up on Google
Groups if you don't know how to access Usenet directly).
Holly
I empathize with the sadness of losing your milk. I've had a
very eratic milk supply and had to supplement with formula
starting at 6 weeks. There's not much information for those
who find themselves unable to nurse consistently and a lot of
judgement when you resort to a bottle. When my supply dropped,
I felt like it was such a failure - how could I be incapable of
feeding my own child? I was so determined to breastfeed I
sometimes would put off giving him a bottle, hoping that my
milk would somehow rebound. Luckily, another woman in my mom's
group was having a similar problem, so we helped each other
through. We used to joke that they should have nursing bras
that had ''This isn't about you'' printed along the seam in the
same way they put ''Back to Sleep'' on diapers. As she spent
hours expressing milk to use in bottles, and as I took enough
fenugreek herbs to create a foremilk imbalance, we realized
that we were so focused on preserving our milk that we were
losing sight of our kids. Nothing will ever be quite like
breastfeeding, but there are other ways to be close. (My son
likes to suck on his pacifier while nuzzling close to my
breast.) Congratulate yourself on making it to 7 months,
acknowledge that its hard to go to make this transition, nurse
when you can, and follow your daughter's lead. As she starts to
explore the world by crawling or cruising, you'll find that she
will need more comfort time with you again (it's overwhelming
sometimes to be mobile!) Together the two of you can find a
solution that makes you both feel better.
Kathy
I went through the same thing as you, 10 years ago, and I wish I knew
then what I know now!!!! I had trouble producing milk when my daughter
was 5-6 , months old. I ended up giving up. She's perfectly healthy and
happy now, but I missed it very much at the time, and I always wished I
could have continued for the 12-18months I had planned on nursing. At
the time, I was just learning about Chinese Medicine. Now, I am a
practitioner, and I know exactly why I was having trouble! First of all, we
travelled to Europe for a month when my baby was 2 months old, to see
family. Then, I had to return to work, which I was very sad and angry
about. These stresses and emotions both deplete the body (it takes a lot
of energy and nutrition to produce all that milk) and make it hard for the
milk to flow. Acupuncture and Herbs are EXCELLENT for getting the
milk to flow again, both by renourishing your body, and freeing up the
flow! If you don't already know or have a Licensed Acupuncturist/
Herbalist, I would be happy to discuss this with you. You can also see
more about me in the practitioner database at Acupuncture.com
Rhoda Climenhaga, L.Ac.
I was nursing a one year old on demand, as much as 5
times a day and eating right, and drinking tons of water and
had lots of sleep and very little stress in my life, and my
milk slowly decreased. I tried all the herbs and talked to
lactation consultants, who just said, breast feed more. But my
daughter finally gave up, there just was not enough milk there
for the effort. It was VERY sad for me. This is my last baby
and I had wanted to breast feed her MUCH longer, but I could
not force what she did not want. (My mother had this same
problem with feeding me, so maybe it is in our genes). To say that every woman can nurse for
as long as they want, is just not true.
Andrea
I too had milk supply problems and needed to supplement with
formula for both of my children. I know of many women in addition
to myself who were not able to provide enough milk. And yes, I
drank water, used Fenugreek, did supplemental pumping, etc.
I strongly believe in breastfeeding, but making sure your
child is not hungry is even more important.
anon
Feb. 2003
I am breastfeeding my 6-month old daughter and working full
time. I have a very low milk supply due to breast surgery - I
typically come home with about 3 oz. after pumping 3 times a day
for 10 minutes ea. at work. I have two concerns:
1. I love the closeness of breastfeeding, and that my baby is
getting SOME of the good stuff, but I am wondering if its really
worth trying to stick to it for another 6 months (my original
goal) if she gets so little from me.
2. My husband and I will be taking a 5-day vacation to New York
in a couple months sans the kids. I was thinking I would pump a
few times a day, freeze the milk (provided the hotel has a
freezer), and bring it back with me. However, my husband says
that would be a hassle and I should just ''pump and dump'' to keep
my supply up, ''if you think its even worth it''. So, I feel like
I am not getting a whole lot of support from him. I am wondering
(a) if I should even continue to breastfeed, and (b) if I do,
how I should deal with the trip away from my baby?
Thank You.
Should you continue to breastfeed? Of COURSE you should! ANY
breastmilk is better than none, and that is no less true for an
18-month-old or a 6-month-old than for a 3-month-old. Also,
though your breast surgery may mean that your supply really is
low, many women cannot pump very much but nevertheless have
perfectly adequate, even abundant, milk supply which their
babies are perfectly capable of getting by nursing directly.
The amount you are able to pump is most often not a good
indicator of how much your baby is consuming when nursing.
As for your trip, only you can answer the question of whether
pumping and storing the milk would be ''too much hassle''. I
personally would not TAKE a 5-day trip without my 8-month-old
baby, so the question simply wouldn't arise, but I know many
parents are more comfortable with that sort of thing than I am.
I do know that pumping and dumping, particularly for women who
have a hard time pumping, can be very heartbreaking. So I would
suggest you at least make the attempt to keep your milk for your
daughter. Breastmilk can usually be kept at room temperature
for up to 10 hours and in a refrigerator for 5-8 days, so you
may not need to freeze it in order to bring it home. The hotel
mini-fridge, and a cooler with ice pack for the trip home, may
be sufficient.
Holly
Yes, definitely you should continue to breastfeed for as long as
you & the baby want to. It is good for both of you, mentally &
physically. However the issues you mentioned can make it a lot
harder to do this and could impact on your supply. Whatever you
do, you gave your baby a great gift.
Feeling that your husband isn't entirely behind you on this, is
hard. Try talking to him again & again both about how good
breastfeeding is for your baby and how important it is for your
relationship with your child. My husband took a long time to
'get it', but now is quite supportive. Sometimes, bringing out
lots of facts & statistics can also help.
Could you pump longer at work? Sometimes the let-down will only
start after about 10 minutes, so pumping for longer may help your
supply. New legislation does protect your right to pump & that
the employer must provide a decent place for you to do it in.
If you talk with a lactation expert or La Leche, they can also
see if your pump suits you etc... There is a yahoo group called
pumping moms who also have lots of advice & encouragement.
Good luck!
KB
It is DEFINITELY worth keeping up breasfeeding if you ''love the
closeness'' of it. I am currently breasfeeding my third baby,
and have done it all sorts of way, including with a full-time
job. Both me and acquaintances of mine have, due to milk
production/work schedule issues, eventually reduced feedings to
2 times/day -- evening and morning -- and found that it's
possible to keep up such a schedule for months, even without
pumping at work, as long as you're consistent and you and baby
are still enjoying yourselves. Even if baby is not getting much
milk, and nutritionally the contribution is negligible, still
it's SO wonderful to be close to your baby that way. If baby
is enjoying herself, she will keep nursing, even if not much is
coming out. Remember, your baby will only be little once, for
such a short time! RE: the NY trip, I don't think it matters
much whether you bring the milk back or not. For me, once I go
through the effort of pumping, I always feel that the stuff is
like gold, and hate to lose a drop! I'm sorry you feel
unsupported by your husband; that's hard. Contact me if you
want to talk further.
swidule
If you love the closeness of breastfeeding, and the main issue
is your milk supply, I highly recommend that you continue to
breastfeed at least until your goal of one year. It is so good
for your baby in so many ways. There are many things you can do
to boost your supply. I have tried Fennugreek tablets, an
herbal remedy that my lactation consultant at Kaiser
recommended. They are available at any GNC Vitamin store, and
possibly also at Berkeley Bowl. There is also Mother's Milk
tea, made by Traditional Medicinals. You can find that with the
tea at Berkeley Bowl. I haven't tried but have also heard of
something called Mother's Milk tincture (I've been told you can
find that at B.B. as well), and my lactation consultant has
mentioned a prescription drug that you can take for two weeks
that will boost your supply. I can't remember what it is
called. Mostly, though, it sounds like you just need some
support for your desire to continue breastfeeding. I have used
the lactation consultants at Kaiser quite a bit, especially at
the beginning, and that has made all the difference (my baby is
now 6 months old). Contact La Leche League. I'm sure they will
offer a lot of support, and will have more ideas about how to
boost your milk supply.
michelle
I sympathize with you because I also have low milk supply (having
had a mastectomy of one breast & breast surgery on the remaining
breast). I also typically get only about 1 oz of milk after 10
min of pumping, which has been very frustrating at times.
However, I've continued to breastfeed my 4 mo old baby along with
supplemental formula feedings through a supplemental nursing
system. Babies are much more effective at getting milk out than a
pump. I know she's getting a lot more than I am able to pump out
based on the amount of supplemental formula she takes at a
feeding. Some breast milk is better than none from a nutritional
& immune system boosting standpoint. I like the intimacy of
breastfeeding & it's very soothing to the baby. Yes, it can be a
hassle, but at least so far I've decided it's worth it. My
husband is similarly unsupportive even after trying to explain,
but I just ignore him on this issue. Only you can decide
whether it's worth it, but it seems to me since you like the
emotional aspects of breastfeeding & your baby is getting
some breastmilk, it's worth it. Good luck!
luyo
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