Tubular breast... with low milk supply

[christinas06]

I had a c section 11 days ago. I'm still able to pump just about an half an ounce. The lactation department said my breast look tubular breast. Which is why I have a low supply.

If you were me would you just switch to bottles now and still bottle feed her the milk I can pump?

I just don't see much hope of it coming in now.

I tried fenugreek and it doesn't seem to help.

 

[Mrsmitch80]

Ah, I have low supply and tubular breasts but nobody has ever said that the two are linked but it would explain things for me!!

I'm combi feeding, I take fenugreek and blessed thistle and pump as often as I can. I bf at the start of each feed until she's fed up and my breasts feel empty then top up with formula. My supply must be
increasing slowly as I have only
ever made up 3oz bottles and I
can't remember her finishing one.
As she is getting bigger but not
taking more formula I'm assuming that she's getting more from me first.

I wouldn't just switch, there's no reason why you can't do both if that's what you want. I'm loving the way I feed my lo, she gets the goodness of my milk (from me and in bottles) plus the formula so we both don't get too stressed with her being hungry. I thought I'd only manage it for a few weeks but were still going strong nearly 9 weeks in and I will continue. If I ever manage to cut out the formula that would be great but if not I'm not going to stress over it.

Good luck xx

 

[christinas06]

Do you use bottles to supplement? If so does she still latch well? I'm afraid that once I introduce a bottle she will stop breastfeeding.

 

[Guppy051708]

I have Insufficient Glandular Tissue (IGT-another name for it), and i still BF both babies. I made less than 4oz (at my max!) with DS1 and i still BFed (supplemented with formula about 25oz per day), until he wanted to wean at 4 months. Can't really blame him since there was next to nothing there.
I did everything from nursing on demand, pumping every 2 hours (after he fed), taking fenugreek, blessed thistle, and a billion other herbs. drinking beer, eating lagtogenic foods...you name it, i did it. I even took Domperidone. Nothing worked. I later learned that if you are already producing the max amount your breast can manufacture and store, then you can take fenugreek until you smell like a pancake or OD on the Domp, but if you're out your max output, those things wont work.

There is one herb, that i would suggest though. Not everyone sees improvement with it, but its worth looking into. Goat's Rue works on two levels. It helps increase milk supply (if you arn't at your max) but it also helps build breast tissue. Obviously, building breast tissue takes time, but i took it during my pregnancy and taking it now, and i have noticed a wee bit of change in my breasts (not a lot ) but i do think its helping building them and such. may be worth a try.

This time i am making about 35% of DS2 needs. Supplement about 12oz per day with donor milk. Have you ever thought about milk sharing? Ive found a great deal of healing in this.

I think every drop counts, so i would say stick with it....with that said, its a TON of hardwork...IGT has got to be the toughest challenge when it comes to BFing because its one that can't be fixed, but knowing how hard it is, and then still doing it, gives you such a feeling of accomplishment.

 

[Guppy051708]

Do you use bottles to supplement? If so does she still latch well? I'm afraid that once I introduce a bottle she will stop breastfeeding.

i used an SNS with DS but we failed to introduce it until 2 months PP and by then he didn't want anything to do with it. There are things you can do to prevent nipple flow preference, for instance getting the slowest flow bottle nipple you can find, and also finding a bottle nipple that is similar to your shape ( i know, not easy with breast hypoplasia!).

With DS2 i am using a lact-aid and its a million times better. Very discrete too, which i like.
https://www.lact-aid.com/

 

[Guppy051708]

a dear friend's blog. I have found this invaluable. There is also an FB group to support IGT mothers. I used to admin it (not on FB anymore), and there is a wealth of knowledge in there. Very useful and uplifting.

https://diaryofalactationfailure.blogspot.com/2011/12/many-faces-well-not-faces-of-igt.html

https://www.facebook.com/groups/IGTmamas/

 

[Mrsmitch80]

Do you use bottles to supplement? If so does she still latch well? I'm afraid that once I introduce a bottle she will stop breastfeeding.

I do, I gave her a bottle in the first week and she's fine. I was using tommee tippee but the flow was too fast even with a slow flow teat and she struggled. I've switched to mam with slow flow teats and she has no problems going between breast and bottle.

My dd1 was in the neonatal at birth, she was first fed by ng tube, them I tried to bf but she was too weak to latch so she was given bottles and then when she was well enough she had breast and bottle. Because she had no problems I didn't think twice about introducing a bottle early this time xx

 

[ErinA]

I have hypoplastic breasts, and I only produce 5 oz/day at most. I continue to breastfeed, but I follow each feeding with a bottle of formula. I am currently looking for a milk donor, although my family feels this is "unnatural"....(like there's anything "natural" about formula, lol) I recently read an article that talked about the reasons why someone who didn't produce near enough milk continued to breast feed at all...I don't remember the site it was on, but it talked about knowing that everying drop of breast milk is givng something awesome to your baby, it also mentioned then bond and the quiet time you get to have with your baby....So even if breastfeeding and following up with a bottle may take more time, I still do it, b/c its the best that I can give him.

 

[Guppy051708]

I have hypoplastic breasts, and I only produce 5 oz/day at most. I continue to breastfeed, but I follow each feeding with a bottle of formula. I am currently looking for a milk donor, although my family feels this is "unnatural"....(like there's anything "natural" about formula, lol) I recently read an article that talked about the reasons why someone who didn't produce near enough milk continued to breast feed at all...I don't remember the site it was on, but it talked about knowing that everying drop of breast milk is givng something awesome to your baby, it also mentioned then bond and the quiet time you get to have with your baby....So even if breastfeeding and following up with a bottle may take more time, I still do it, b/c its the best that I can give him.

This! Exactly this! Thats how i feel as well..plus breastfeeding isn't just about feeding!

 

[Mrsmitch80]

Me too!! I see how comforted my lo is by being bf and I love the cuddles in bed of a morning whilst she feeds! Xxx

 

[Guppy051708]

Erin, we use donor milk (i nurse as well) and i have found a great deal of healing in it. I have a few site recommendations if anyone is interested. bc of donor milk, some very generous moms and babies, DS2 is 100% BFed....i find peace in that since i will never ever produce anywhere near enough. Its much more enjoyable this time around than the first time around.

 

[ErinA]

Erin, we use donor milk (i nurse as well) and i have found a great deal of healing in it. I have a few site recommendations if anyone is interested. bc of donor milk, some very generous moms and babies, DS2 is 100% BFed....i find peace in that since i will never ever produce anywhere near enough. Its much more enjoyable this time around than the first time around.

I'm interested in the sites! I posted on mt state's Human Milk for Human Babies FB page a few days ago, but havent heard back. This last week has been an emotional roller coaster for me and i think using donor milk would be a great solution.