losing supply. so upset

[MommyCandice]

I have never been so upset. Well i have a feeling breast milk will be no more. Im lucky if I can pull 3oz in 4 hours with pumping 3 times. I have just enough breast milk to do me till the 6pm feed tomorrow. No more left over frozen. Feeling like I failed dominic. There is nothing i can do to save it enough to keep it going. I didnt realize my supply was that bad. Atleast with my other 2 I got 2.months for them. My premie isnt even 3 weeks and im drying up. I cant stop crying. Not even sure if this was suppose to go here. We started exclusively pumping as my son was born 5 weeks early and didnt have the strength to nurse. I planned to keep my supply up till around this weekend when I could start back nursing as the latch is there and he will still take it there just is nothing for him to get :'(

 

[HBGirl]

Google lactation cookies, tgey saved my supply when DD was in NICU.

 

[Ramanie]

Hi MommyCandice,
Sad to hear that you are loosing the breast milk. I was told in my day to drink a full glass of fluid at each feeding session. Also you get the milk in proportion to the amount baby sucks. Even expressing helps. But you need to have a good diet. Check with your midwife. All the very best.

 

[redlemonade]

Don't give up just yet! Do some skin to skin. Get him latched on - he'll bring your supply back up! Drink nursing tea or if you can't find that, drink fennel or fenugreek tea. Get some lactation cookies and eat oats. Stay hydrated. Try to reduce stress. Just take to the bed and do skin to skin and feed feed feed!

You can do it!! Babies get way more milk out than a pump so I think he'll manage at getting the supply up.

Is there an LC you can talk to?

 

[MoominJ]

Sorry to hear this!
I can't be much help but I find hand expressing gets me a lot more milk, might be worth a try! After a hot shower always helps too but if u can get ur lo to latch on he would do the best job even if u have to top up with formula until ur supply is back up!

Don't get upset and give up, there's still hope!

 

[OliveLove]

How often do you pump a day? Start pumping every 2 hours for 15/20 minutes, every 3 hours throughout the night until baby hits 12 weeks. Lots of liquids, enough calories (at least 2000) and lots of mother's milk tea. Also, what helps - oatmeal, chia seeds, flax seeds, coconut water (or gatorade), lactation cookies... I have been exclusively pumping for the past 15 months and these are the things that work. Don't give up hope just yet!

 

[irish_cob]

If he will latch he will get milk, you don't suddenly have none, you may not be able to pump as much but that doesn't mean you have no milk. He will be much more efficient than a pump too. Get him latched on and feeding ASAP and your supply will be fine.

 

[Betheney]

Yes all hope is not quite lost!

If you're pumping 2-3 hourly. Pump for 15-20mins minimum on each side anf always pump at least 5 minutes past the last drop. It's pumping on empty breasts that is going to encourage more than what they are producing. Everytime I pumped if my milk didn't stop until 20mins then I pumped for 25. Don't miss any pumping sessions. Drink tonnes of water and eat lots of oats. It usually took at least 48 hours to see a difference in supply.

Remember pumping on empty will promote much much more production than just pumping the small amount your body produces each hour. That just tells your body the amount it's producing is enough.

My son was 7 weeks early and I pumped exclusively with him until we could switch the exclusively breastfeeding.

 

[Mrsb3]

There are things you can do to get your supply back but you have to be dedicated. Drink water like a fish, have a large bowl of porridge every morning for breakfast. Latch baby on every time you sit down wether he is hungry or not. Basically be his human dummy. Eat well, and plenty. While he sleeps... Pump pump pump.

 

[Mummafrog]

Darling look up Human Milk 4 Human Babies on facebook, if all else fails and you are open to donor milk, you are not alone. It might at least give you a safety net great advice above xx Look up 'goat's rue' 'fenurgreek' 'blessed thistle'. Get some fennel tea. Some people really can bring back their supply XX