So it's been hard for me to deal with and of course, I'm coping with it better now then I was a month ago. But I felt this time around it was so crucial to feed my baby breast milk to help build back up all this tissue and organs from the surgery he had. When he was born, I was producing so much milk, I couldn't even keep up. I was pumping out 5 oz. for 25 mins every couple hours.
The hospital had me pump there and while at home and bring him milk on my visits back and forth to see him. My parents bought me two very expensive pumps to keep up the supply and demand with. I thought it would be good to go.
After he turned one month old, I noticed my supply was going down a lot. I stopped pumping when I got sick because I was worried the medicine in the milk would effect him {I should have just pumped it and thrown it away but didn't}.
So when he was six weeks old and I had to go back to work, I tried pumping at work and noticed there wasn't a supply anymore. I was so heart broken and devastated. I wanted to keep him on breast milk at least til he was six months old to heal him from the surgery like I stated above and also to get the money's worth out of the pumps I was given.
I felt like I disappointed everyone. My mom said with all the stress from him having surgery and the fights my husband and I had at home all the time...plus I wasn't eating for days at a time and rarely slept because I was always crying for my baby to come home and kept crossing my fingers they would release him.
My mom feels all this was the cause of rapid milk loss. Now he's two months old and I'm getting better dealing with the fact that I can't give him breast milk. It was so hard finding a formula we wanted to use because most of you know, we are against GMOs and will not buy anything containing that. Since all the baby formula's are GMO made, it really sucked at what we were going to give him.
But we did find that only one store in town sells non-GMO baby formula and so he has been drinking that since my milk has stopped. I'm so glad we were lucky enough to find it. It's a bit more expensive, but I refuse to use anything like Good Start, Enfamil, or Similac or any store brands because of the high amounts of GMO in all of those.
So a girl I work with who just had a baby to told me she has been going through the same thing with losing her milk. So she told me about tea that is supposed to increase your supply. Has anyone heard of this or used it themselves?
I went and bought some last night and the one she suggested to me was GMO based but I found one that is GMO free. So I picked it up and tried it.
It actually tastes pretty decent. I have never had tea in my life so I didn't know what to expect and was a bit scared to try it.
So I have been using it last night and today and went to pump. I actually noticed I got a few drops out of the boobs in 20 mins. So it's either there is still something in there or the tea stimulated something.
Has anyone else gone through this and lost their supply and got it back? I really would like to be able to give my baby my milk and limit on the formula. I've heard of the cookies too but haven't tried those yet either. I know there are a ton of breast feeding moms around here so any insight would help. I feel though it seems that since my supply is gone, it's not going to come back. But I'm willing to try things to see.
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I had a friend use the cookies. She said that it worked while she ate the cookies, but once she stopped eating them, her supply stopped too. She said she couldn't afford to eat those cookies for months and months every day. She had a lot of trouble because of her inverted nipples. :( I had trouble breastfeeding because of post-partum depression, not really a supply issue, so I'm sorry I can't give any personal anecdote. But I heard that tea is good for any woman, so even if it is not helpful for your supply, it might be healthy for you as a post-partum woman. :D Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteMy supply has been up and down over the last 10 months, but I have managed. According to the box of tea you have to drink at least 4 (I think) cups a day. My biggest suggestion is Fenugreek, it's an herb that comes in pill form. I've seen the price range from $4-$12 depending on where you get it. I have found Walmart is cheapest. Right now I'm taking 4 pills 4 times a day, it's a lot, but it really works.
ReplyDeleteNext advice, pump often. The more often you pump the more milk you will make. Emptying your breast signals your body to make more. I would strictly pump every 2 hours for at least 20 minutes. I always pump until I get a second let down. If you want any more info or advice feel free to email me brandi.hollenbeck@gmail.com
I have been there! Not with a baby with surgery, but with a preemie. Pumping can be insane. I'm so glad I found this and I hope this information helps you. I had lots of trouble making milk with subsequent babies, so a health person recommended eating lots of Quinoa. It's a grain that is kind of like little round bits of rice. It's easy to cook. I liked eating it with butter and brown sugar. I ate lots of it and my milk increased tremendously. They carry it at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. It made a huge difference. Hope it helps you!
ReplyDeleteOops! I forgot- you can email me if you need to know more. patrice@everydayruralty.com
ReplyDeletei completelly understand, my milk dried up when I had to work and I didnt have time to pump. I felt awful and my mom kinda made me feel worse about it. She never breastfed, so she didn't understand that Pumping takes alot of time and effort, especially when you have more than one kid...it can be stressful. But i learned I can only best and my docor also recommended herbal pills "Fenugreek" . It helped me with 2 etra weeks on my last baby.
ReplyDeleteThis post is interesting Rebecca, while it's hard for a male like me to understand I see your importance of giving him breast milk until the six month mark so hopefully you can breast feed him for as long as possible and hopefully this all works out in all seriousness.
ReplyDelete1. I'm emailing you for your address because I actually picked up a ton of coupons from my midwife today for that tea. I can get more, so I will send them all to you!
ReplyDelete2. It's supply and demand, which I'm sure you've heard and already know. Even if you aren't getting milk, you should pump for a significant amount of time to trigger the supply. Have you thought of using a SNS system? Basically you latch baby to your breast, but there's a tube that gives the baby formula as you "nurse." Stimulation triggers demand which makes supply, plus your baby won't forget how to be a boss at the breast. :)
It's never too late to relactate. You should be able to do it fine with some dedication and hard work.
I can't help much since I'm still pregnant with my first baby, but I really appreciate you talking about your struggles and potential solutions! I'd love to hear how it works out for you and baby boy.
ReplyDeleteI have never tried the tea, but I have a son who is 6 weeks and I lost my milk on one side after mastitis when he was a week old. My midwife suggested fenugreek and blessed thistle herbal supplements, so I took them (3 of each, 3 times a day...18 pills total) and my milk was back up to normal in about a week to 10 days. Since then I've weened off of them,but they definitely worked for me.
ReplyDelete