This week I got my first reality check on breastfeeding. Up until now I have had no under-supply issues; quite the opposite with engorgement and gagging poor Samantha with a fire hose of milk being the worst of our problems. Apparently plentiful supply is a fragile thing not to be taken for granted.
Last week I was still able to pump 6 or 8 ounces with the first pump of the day (down from 9-11 ounces just a few weeks ago). Then on Tuesday when I tried to pump at work I got 1.5 ounces. It got worse throughout the day dwindling to just 1 ounce by the end of the day. I pumped a whole 5 ounces all day at work only to hear that Sam ate 13 ounces at day care during the day (which is actually a bit lower than usual).
I know what caused the decline. I have been feeling pretty dehydrated, and I also did not pump as I should over the holiday weekend. I only have a manual pump at home, so I get lazy when I'm not in the office. Sam was sick Thursday and Friday last week, so I stayed home with her and nursed rather than pumping. Then on Saturday we went wine tasting, so she ate stored milk rather than nursing - and I didn't "pump and dump" as I probably should have done. Same story on Sunday - lots of drinking by the pool, no pumping or nursing, for about 14 hours straight.
So I guess it's no surprise that my milk supply would decline, but I am surprised at how much it declined, and how long it is taking me to get it back. I have been drinking 64-80 ounces of water a day since Monday and I have been pumping or nursing every 2 and a 1/2 to 3 hours (including getting up in the middle of the night to manually pump both sides), and my supply is only up to about 2-3 ounces per pumping session. How long does it take to recover the supply, or is it gone forever?? Her stored milk supply has gone down from 2 full weeks' worth to just over 1 week, so I don't have much time to get my supply back up before I'll have to resort to supplementing with formula - yikes!!
Holly Jolly
7 years ago
Oh no. That's a bummer! I don't really have any advice in that area. I wouldn't think it is gone forever. Maybe you could call a lactation consultant? Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYikes! Sorry to hear this. The manual pump is probably not the best choice to build up that supply. I would advise actually nursing or using a hospital grade pump until you get your supply back up. You can also take fenugreek, although you'll smell like maple syrup. It also takes a few days for your supply to get back in gear. I was never able to pump enough. The lactation consultant told me to spend an extra five or ten minutes pumping, plus take the fenugreek. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice, Stephanie. I do use a hospital-grade pump at work, but maybe I'll rent one to use at night or when I'm working from home and Samantha is at daycare, at least until my supply comes back...
ReplyDeleteOh no! That's one of my worst fears, considering how hard I worked to get where I am now. I agree with Stephanie. You need a good pump and taking supplements doesn't hurt either. I found my supplements and tea at the lactation center at Kaiser. It's crazy how complicated breastfeeding is. Last week I had an issue with engorgement and a plugged duct. It was terrible.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Elizabeth. I'm sure you'll be able to get your supply back up. The better pump, consistent routine, and nursing as much as possible should help speed up the process and improve the supply.
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