Breast milk supply

[Redbean]

I delivered triplets via c section last Friday (6 days ago) and only just yesterday have I gotten any milk out of pumping. Since then I have been pumping around the clock but often get less than 1/2 oz. The girls are in the NICU. They sometimes suckle but mostly we kangaroo and line feed.

Just wondering if your milk supply really picked up after a week and what you did to get it up. Should I be planning on not getting enough milk? The LC kind of made it seem I should be producing more already.

 

[Twinmum87]

Congratulations When my twins were in SCBU i would often express at the hospital after having cuddles, even thou they wouldn't feed from me i still tried them at the breast every day as it helped stimulate milk flow then express right after. Once they were out of incubaitors i took blankets in from home and after they had been swaddled in the blankets a couple days i took fresh ones in and used the ones they were swaddled in to help with expressing home, I found i could even tell which baby the blanket was from with my eyes closed from the scent alone and that also really helped the milk flow. I would say thou be careful to make sure you eat right and keep your fluid up when they come home as that's what killed my milk flow and as i had no support to help i never managed to get it back up again so look into breast feeding support groups and get as much info and support as you can good luck!

 

[Redbean]

Thanks for that blanket tip. That's a good one. I have to bring some home anyway to introduce them to the dogs so I will def try it.

I have a difficult time already keeping fluid and calories up as I don't have time to eat and drink as much as I need. I'm sure that is and will be a problem.

 

[kanga]

Mine peaked around 2 weeks and then went crazy. I was pumping at least 8 times a day and getting 800-1000 MPLs a day! Can you pump next to the incubators? You're doing great for so early in. Don't let the lc tell you what you "should" be making or make you feel bad! X

 

[misspriss]

Around 7-10 days for me, then there was milk everywhere.

 

[Redbean]

It actually just doubled yesterday. I did a "power hour" that boosted it. I'm making enough for two of the three now. BUT my supply is uneven. Every other pump one breast produces nothing so trying to figure out how I'll feed them when they get home. I won't have time to pump and bottle feed. Maybe bf one and pump other breast while bottle feeding two? Sounds like a circus!

 

[SucreK]

Hi Red! I definitely say do what is easiest FOR YOU. You are in an extraordinary situation with triplets and you deserve every short cut you choose to take. SO, if pumping and supplementing makes your head spin and your eyes cross, DEFINITELY just give formula. You are my personal hero for making it as far as you did with THREE, and you deserve a break (if you want one). That being said, my supply definitely increased in the second week. With preemies, I think our bodies have to realize, oh wait, the babies are here NOW. Then they go full steam. I only ever made enough for one baby, so the girls got half and half.

 

[Redbean]

I'm with you rationally, Sucre. Not sure my perfectionist, competitive nature will let me. I'm not really one who likes to think something is too hard, though it's a flaw I've been working on. Sanity is way more important now!

 

[Twinmum87]

Maybe it might me an idea to not express at all and do 1 or 2 bf per baby per day as i know you mentioned you wanted to try and keep them on some amount of breast milk for several weeks if possible and even 1-2 feeds per day will be amazing for them 4-5 formula feeds per day and 1-2 beast feeds per day each. SCBU tend to get bottle fed babies feeding 4 hourly by the time they come home so that's 6 feeds a day, feeding each baby twice would be (in terms of milk consumption) like bf'ing a singleton and hopefully would keep your flow going until you feel ready to move onto just formula. Another option could be to pump like crazy whilst they are still in SCBU, freeze as much as you can and just have them on 1 bf and the rest of the feeds formula whilst they are in SCBU and see how long the frozen milk lasts you. I had loads frozen and that was the some reason I managed to make the breast milk last until they were 8 weeks old after my milk flow suddenly dramatically dropped when they were 2 weeks old. For the first two weeks i was pumping 10-12 oz per breast in 10-15 mins of expressing every 4 hours then all of a sudden i was lucky if I got 3-4 oz combined then it was more like 1-2 oz and at 5 weeks my milk stopped completely.

These are just suggestions, if you feel switching onto formula will be best for you all then go for it, you have gotten them thru the most crutial early days with your milk and that is amazing!