I have an 11 week old baby and just returned to work last week. My son only drinks the pumped milk from my breast and I also supplement with formula. Since my return to work my milk supply has dropped DRAMATICALLY. I am barely getting anything out of them. I'm pumping less because of my work schedule but it's not producing anything but a few drops or barely an ounce from both breasts. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there anything you can do to get it to go back up again? I don't want to stop giving him my breast milk.
drink lots
mothers milk tea
find time to pump the more you pump the more your body will produce
have a pic of the baby while you are pumpming then close your eyes and relax
Going back to work is tough. A few things that have helped me pump successfully (I'm on kid #2, who is almost 11 months old now) are:
1. Make sure you have a good pump. Either a medela or an Ameda Purely Yours seem to be the ones that work best
2. Make sure you give yourself time to pump. You will need to pump at lesat 2x/day while at work, probably for 15 minutes at least each time.
3. Bring "baby porn" - pictures of your baby, a blanket that smells like your baby etc. this will help with your let down. Pumping is sort of like masturbation - it's a conditioned reflex but you need to be in the mood for it. If you're stressed or hurried or worried you won't let down and it will just be an exercise in frustration.
4. Stay warm. Bring a cardigan to put over yourself while pumping. If you're chilly you won't let down as well.
5. Relax and get into a routine. Close your eyes. Breathe in and with each exhale imagine the milk flowing out. Sounds goofy, but it works.
Finally, you will get more in the AM than later in the day. You will get more on a Monday than on a Friday. Use the evenings and weekends to recharge your supply. Nurse often and on demand whenever you're with your baby.
To raise your supply you will want to pump before you feed your baby - maybe like 20-30 minutes before you feed him. Don't worry about being "empty" - he is much more effective at getting the milk out than the pump is and the extra stimulation will help you produce more. You can also try "double" pumping at work if you have time. Pump for 10 minutes, then take a 10-20 minute break, and pump another 10 minutes. This will serve the same purpose.
Good luck - going back to work is tough. I found the yahoo group "pumpmoms" pretty helpful when I first went back a few years ago.
I recently went through the same thing a few weeks ago. It was like my supply dropped to almost nothing almost overnight and I hated the idea that I might have no choice but to stop breastfeeding. I talked to a lactation consultant who started me on an herbal supplement called More Milk Plus which I take 4x/day. It contains fennugreek, blessed thistle, nettle leaf and fennel seed all of which have been shown to increase supply. I was also told to either pump or breastfeed every 3 hours around the clock which tells your body that you need to produce more (In my case, because of weight concerns with my baby, I also had to supplement with an ounce of formula after each feeding so she'll be satisfied yet will still be hungry enough by the time the next feeding rolls around). I've also heard that eating oatmeal and drinking LOTS of water will also help. I've been doing all of the above and went from producing around 1 ounce every 2-3 hours to now producing between 3-4 ounces and my baby is much happier for all the effort. Good luck!
p.s. The lactation consultant also told me that milk supply sometimes drops just before your period but comes back afterward.
I had the same problem going back to work. Eat a lot of oatmeal. Any kind but the best is just regular. Trust me you'll produce more breast milk. good luck
I had the same problem with my first son. The biggest things that can affect your supply is if you are eating/drinking enough and if you are getting plenty of rest.
You may also just be having a problem with let-down. If you have a picture of your baby to look at and think about while you pummp, it may help.
What kind of pump are you using? Maybe it's not stimulating you properly.
There is a tea called "Mother's Milk" tea that helps. You can get it at Jewel or the Vitamin Shop.
La Leche League is also a wonderful resource to check out!
Good Luck and don't give up!
The more you pump/nurse, the more you will produce! Keep trying!
I also had problems pumping. I would agree with what everyone has said so far, and also let you know that the prescription Reglan can help and you can take that along with the mothers milk tea. Also, antihistamines, which a lot of people take this time of year for allergies are ok to take while breastfeeding in terms of safety sake, but will often dry up your milk supply.
Get thee to a lactation consultant. Professional help is worth it in this situation.
you need to call your local La LEche League for help. You need to pump every 3 or 4 hours and increase fluids and decrease of eliminate all together caffeine will help. the pump stimulates your breast less than a baby does so try to have the baby nurse from you as often as possible when you are home
Once I started supplementing formula, my milk production dropped dramatically. Lactation Innovation is a fantastic lactation consultant. I went to a workshop she did and she was amazing. I think she does phone consults, she is out of Naperville. Good Luck!
I too had this problem with both of my girls, they were not "eaters " and I was not a "producer" but I did not give up. I was determined to make it to the 6 month mark for both of them to receive breast milk. I contacted a woman over the phone from La Leche (phone numbers can be found on line or you can contact your local hospital, or google it) and she told me if I stress over it, it will make it worse, your body will not produce if it forced.
So her suggestions were :
Drink a lot of water, normal daily recommendation, 8 -8 oz glasses a day, but if you are pumping you need as much as you can get beyond that. I would sit down with a 10 oz glass every time I pumped or nursed.
You can massage your breast to stimulate the let down , I thought it sounded funny but I did it
Have a recent picture of the baby with you so you remember why you are doing this
The more you stimulate by pumping or nursing the more you will produce. If you are only pumping 2 times a day and nursing the baby at night your brain is telling your breast that they no longer need to produce milk. So I would pump every two hours and only get 1 oz but, by the next week my supply doubled and I was getting 2 oz.
Try the mother's milk to tea to help, or you could talk to your OB/GYN for a script of Reglan, they will gladly give it to you if you call. I talked to my Dr about it and my husband and I did not feel comfortable to use medication because of side effects with the baby.
Just remember you have a right to pump at work, unfortunately it is probably only on your normal breaks, but it is only temporary .
Some breast milk is better than your child receiving none at all so don't beat yourself up like I did !
Best of luck to you.
Am I reading this correctly - you only pump, right? (Oh don't get me wrong I'm not judging; just trying to make sure I've got the whole picture.)
I was an EP-er for about 4 months as my son and I never got the latch down. Sure, I could have beaten myself up over it and continued to have many stressful days of crying and question...or I could pump, pump, pump and let him take it from the bottle. I chose the healthiest route for our family.
So anyhow, during the process I learned and used a lot of tricks and managed to become a virtual milk factory despite the fact that he never nursed at the breast. Once I really got going, I would make anywhere from 4-10 ounces per pumping session. Here are things that helped me:
-Sounds like your pumping sessions at work are limited. There may not be a whole lot you can do about that so focus on the home sessions instead. Can you pump before work, pump on 2 breaks and lunch at work, pump as soon as you get home, pump once in the evening, and then perhaps pump right before you go to bed? That would make 6 sessions - not too bad! Don't feel guilty if you have to skip a session every once in a while - you are a new mom and likely very busy so don't beat yourself up over it.
-If you can, really take advantage of the weekends to pump more frequently and for longer sessions (see next tip). You will probably find that on Monday morning you'll be a virtual fountain of milk!
-How long are you pumping? Do you stop after the milk stops? If so, add 5-10 minutes to the pumping session. Sure, right now nothing is coming out but this activity tells the prolactin receptors and the brain "Hey - get working buddy! We need more milk! I'm stimulating the breasts but nothing is coming out!" Pretty soon, the brain will get with the program and start making more milk SUPPLY in response to the DEMAND.
-Drink a huge glass of water when you pump. Now, realize that # of ounces drank will NOT equal # of ounces produce. You have to remember that making milk in your body is a chemical reaction (as well as everything else in your body is a chemical reaction) that requires water to function. If you become dehydrated, your body will choose to divert water to essential functioning (sorry, the body does not think milk production is essential; things like breathing and heart beating are essential). Ever get tired when you're dehydrated or hungry?
-I had oatmeal twice a day and it seemed to help. I even justified the oatmeal cookies too.
-Do not beat yourself up for using formula. Apparently this is the 'cardinal sin' of nursing. Since your child is not at the breast, he isn't "missing" a session; the milk production is being guided by your pumping not his nursing, so giving him a bottle of formula will do NOTHING to your supply. However, if you ARE putting him to breast but giving one bottle of formula it IS a missed session, thus sending signals to the brain "Hey, look the baby isn't eating as much so let's cut supply down a bit to compensate." I supplemented one bottle of formula for my son from the get-go because I wanted to stretch my breastmilk out for as long as possible. In fact, after I stopped pumping, I managed to still feed my son expressed milk until he was 6 months. My rationale, right or wrong, was that breastmilk for as long as possible with the one bottle of formula daily was better than depleting my milk supply at 4 months and then switching over to formula completely.
Good luck and hopefully some of these tips work out for you. In the end, your baby needs to be fed and you need to be a happy and healthy mom. Whatever decision you make will be the best one for your family!
With my 3 children I was always a supply/demand milk producer. If they weren't nursing, I wouldn't produce much milk. No amount of pumping, fenugreek tea or other remedies made an appreciable difference. Have you tried fenugreek? Some women produce lots of milk if they drink the tea. I hope you find a solution you are peaceful with.
Hi- let your son nurse in the morning before you go to work and again at night before he goes to sleep. Babies are the best pump and he will bring your supply back up. Or if that is not an option- take a hand pump as well to work and even if you can sneak off to the bathroom for just 5 minutes pump as often as possible. Good luck- I just went back to work as well and am pumping for my five month old- I know what a pain pumping is but stick with it- it is worth it.
It's funny how much people freak out about giving formula as a supplement. You really have to figure out what works for you, and I don't think there is anything wrong with supplementing with formula when your baby is getting some breast milk too. Try using the supplement fenugreek to increase your milk supply. The type of pump you are using is also really important if your supply has dipped. If I were you I'd rent a hospital-grade pump for a few months (you can call the hospital where you delivered - they might be able to rent you one). This will help you to produce the most milk possible. My hospital uses the Medela Symphony. It's great. Not terribly convenient to take to work, but superb at home. You could use it for morning and later afternoon + evening pumpings, and your other pump for work (plus as long as you have a place to clean it, you could leave your other pump at work and not lug it back and forth).
Basically you need to tell your body that more milk is required than what it's producing. It's possible, if you are committed to it and I would definitely use the help of the best-grade pump. It should make a big difference. Good luck!
Dear Mom M
I will preface my response by saying that I am no expert or lactation consultant - but with my first baby due in a couple of months I've been taking classes and reading books. In fact, my copy of "Breastfeeding Made Simple" by Mohrbacher, is sitting right next to me.
From what I've learned from lactation consultants (my birth class instructor is a certified LC and La Leche League leader), and my research, is that the more you breastfeed the more milk you will produce. So I wonder if you were able to incorporate more actual breastfeeding (rather than pumping) when you ARE home that would help with the supply.
There is also something in the skin-to-skin contact with your baby that encourages 'let down' or the milk-ejection-reflex, that doesn't happen as easily with a pump.
I also wonder what brand of pump you are using. The LC recommended only the following brands - Medela, Ameda, and Lansinoh.
Other pumps on the market tend to be made by (or there is some financial link to) the same companies that make formula. And they are actually made in a way that will lessen your milk supply, because (gasp) that will leave you more at the mercy of using only formula (which you buy from them and send their profits up. They ARE a business.)
Apparently the 3 brands I mentioned above are all above board and really value breastmilk.
Finally, have you considered a visit with a lactation consultant or going to a La Leche League meeting? Info on their meetings is on their website, and I know the monthly Lincoln Park meeting is tonight at Illinois Masonic Hospital.
Hope this helps.
I had problems producing milk due to stress and my doctor recommended I start taking the herb Fenugreek. It worked for me. I would talk to your doctor before you begin taking this.
http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/fenugreek/all_about_fenugreek1.html
The only surefire big way to increase your supply (though you can take fenucreek which I'm told helps) is by pumping more but if you can't do it at work, pump extra at night, at lunch, and in the morning. Like pump in an extra time slot.
I take Fenugreek. The same thing happened to me when I started working. I called La Leche League and they suggested that I take Fenugreek. You can purchase it at the health food store or GNC. The brand from the health food store is better, though. Just take 2-4 about three times a day until your urine smells like syrup. I know it sounds crazy, but it works! Fenugreek is made of the same stuff that gives syrup its smell. It maintains my milk supply so that even if I'm not able to pump, I can still nurse my son every night when I get home. He drinks formula during the day and he's now on stage 2 foods as well.
There are huge chunks of information missing to be able to acurately help you with your situation. Please seek out help through a lactation consultant or La Leche League.