I don't want to "fail" this time! Advice needed.

[wamommy]

I am only in the early second trimester with baby #4, but my journey with breastfeeding has been a long and painful one, and I'm hoping beyond hope that this time my body will "work."

The short of it is, I had thyroid cancer when I was younger, which is what doctors blame for my low supply (although they don't really know why). With DD#1 I quit after a miserable week. With #2 I quit after 3 weeks of ebf and pumping to increase supply. I got up to 2 (yes TWO) ounces in a whole day before I quit. With DS 8 months ago, I tried my hardest, and was able to combi-feed 10 ounces of expressed breast milk with 20 ounces of formula per day up until 4 months.

I want more than anything to EBF this baby. It will be my last, and the hurt that breastfeeding failure has caused me is deep and very painful. I can't tell you what it would mean to be able to succeed this time.

What can I do now, and over the next few months, to prepare myself for success? I've read KellyMom forward and back, own several books, have taken a class and seen countless lactation consultants. Obviously I'm missing something. Perhaps one piece of advice could make all of the difference connecting the dots for me.

Thank you so much, ladies!

 

[kassiaethne]

have you tried fenugreek and blessed thistle? there is also mothers milk tea, and lactaction cookies. the fenugreek and blessed thistle helped me double my milk productions, I haven't tried the mothers milk tea, but 3 cups a day is tough to keep up with when i can just pop pills 3 times a day instead. I haven't tried lactation cookies though so I don't have any knowledge in those if they work

 

[wamommy]

I did try fenugreek and the cookies (which were delicious!) but neither did much except give me a tummy ache.

My ob also refused to prescribe Reglan to me because it can cause serious depression, and she thought it best to avoid since I was walking the line of PND anyhow.

 

[Shanoa]

I read that fenugreek and blessed thistle had to be taken together. So I took both when I was combi-feeding and managed to get back to 100% breast. The fenugreek made me smell like curry but it was a small price to pay to get my supply back.

I can't say for sure it's down to the herbs but it was one of the things I was doing to boost my supply along with pumping, ensuring I was always well hydrated, taking breastfeeding multivitamins and not eating too much rubbish.

 

[kassiaethne]

I did try fenugreek and the cookies (which were delicious!) but neither did much except give me a tummy ache.

My ob also refused to prescribe Reglan to me because it can cause serious depression, and she thought it best to avoid since I was walking the line of PND anyhow.

did you take the fenugreek with the blessed thistle????

 

[kassiaethne]

I read that fenugreek and blessed thistle had to be taken together. So I took both when I was combi-feeding and managed to get back to 100% breast. The fenugreek made me smell like curry but it was a small price to pay to get my supply back.

I can't say for sure it's down to the herbs but it was one of the things I was doing to boost my supply along with pumping, ensuring I was always well hydrated, taking breastfeeding multivitamins and not eating too much rubbish.

lol it makes me smell like maple syrup

 

[wamommy]

I didn't take it with blessed thistle. Maybe this was what I did wrong?? Thanks guys!!