Hi! Just thought I might start a questions thread for us breastfeeding/pumping moms out there.

I have a 4 1/2 month old DS who has been on breastmilk exclusively since we left the hospital. I returned to work when he was 8 weeks old and have been pumping with my dual electric. Knock on wood my breastfeeding experience has been great. No serious latch issues, let down was painful at first but now not troublesome, in fact in the begining I had an overabundence of milk - fast flow and DS would even choke but again everything worked itself out.

Well, after pumping at work for almost 3 months I am starting to find my supply isn't what it used to be. Of course I now can sleep thru the night without having to get up at 2 am to pump off engorgement but during the day my output has been flucuating. My morning 20 minutes can usually produce 9 to 11 oz and afternoons about 3 to 4oz, but the last couple of weeks I have been only getting a daily total of 10 to 11 oz, sure sounds like a lot but DS is now drinking 20 oz a day (4x 5oz). My freezer that I was so proud of filling in January is starting to become empty. I have decided to start pumping again at night after DS goes to bed for 10 to 15 minutes. And again early in the morning - pump one breast empty and let him feed on the other before I go to work.

I am also wanting to try the herbal "fenugreek seed" for increasing my milk supply - it comes in a tea form or as a supplement of capsules (total 3500 mg daily). Some ladies have said it works wonders increasing milk supplies, anyone out there try them out? Thanks in advance

Happy Babies Everyone! :bouncing:

Has your baby started solids yet?

Never tried the fenugreek.

Whenever I want to increase my supply, I just pump or nurse a little bit more and my body responds within 24-48 hours. I know pumping is a PITA, but it's the easiest most natural way to get more milk. Since you said you didn't have trouble producing milk before, your body will likely adjust to the extra pumping pretty easily. You say you are pumping extra...is that not working?

I know the feeling of watching the freezer supply dwindle when you've worked so hard to build it. I know that when I worry too much about my milk, the stress makes me produce less. When I stop thinking/worrying about it so much, I can make more milk.

Added Later...I was thinking...are you pumping at work during the day, or are you doing the big pump when you get home? I SAH, but my best friend (also exclusively breastfed & worked) said she got more milk overall when she pumped throughout the day. She said she tried doing the big pump when she got home and she was only making enough milk to just get by.

Great thread muffintop! I am exclusively BF as well, and I've made it to 10 months! I honestly didn't go into it knowing I would do it, but I haven't had any trouble either. Well, other than your occasional blocked duct, mastitis, or nursing srtike, he he, but it has been worthit. Like the other post said, you just need to pump more often, and your body will respond. Also, your milk supply does dwindle naturally later in the day, so don't worry, it is also more high in fat at that time.
I also wouldn't suggest any herbal help, it kinds scares me......but my goodness, I give you tons of credit for pumping and working all day, I stay at home, so I honestly don't know if I could have done it like that!

Hi Muffintop.. My dd is 5 1/2 months and I also started back at work when she was 8 weeks. Like you and others, I worked so hard for my freezer supply but as work became more and more hectic I found less time to pump and consequently my day time supply began to dwindle and so did the freezer. I had worked so hard to bf exclusively that I started to feel disappointed about the idea of giving her formula, but at about 5 months I had to as she was not getting enough while at the sitters. So, since then I have mixed her bottles with as much breast milk as possible and the rest formula. T my suprise he has never shown any aversion to the mixed bottles, nor have I noticed any changes in her bm or mood, etc.

If you can build up your supply, thats great, but I just wanted to share my solution as I know how apprehensive I was and would have appreciated someone telling me that it was ok :)

Good luck!

ps- my lactation consultant once told me to drink a dark beer/stout in the evening to encourage let down and boost supply.

Gayle - We haven't started any solids on doctor's orders till 6 months due to a mild excema rash DS has. Adjustments to diet can cause allergies to worsen. As for pumping I just started adding more sessions yesterday in the evenings 10 pm and early mornings 7 am. I have been pumping thruout the day at work, usually at 10 am and 2 pm (sometimes at lunch)

dizzygirl - I am not too nervous about trying the herbal supplement, I actually learned about it from a lactaion consultant - I am not going to take as much as the website said (3200 mg per day as stated in my previous post) but only 2 per day (1 am 1 pm) 610 mg per the bottle. I got a bottle of 200 for about $12 at a local nutrition/organic store.

FLAngel - I have thought about giving him supplements of formula but have put it off for a little while - last time we tried to give him formula (10 weeks) he wouldn't have anything to do with it. Completely refused it. If things don't work out with increasing my pumping output I'll have his caregiver mix formula and milk and see if he takes it.

My orignal goal was to breastfeed for 6 weeks, when I reached that goal I thought why not 6 months? - as the time gets closer I keep going back and forth as to continuing exclusive breastfeeding but as for now I am determined to continue as long as possible.

Thanks for all the responses to my question!

Great thread! DD is 6 weeks and I have exclusively breastfed aswell. I'm still on Mat. leave so I don't have to pump that often but I'am trying to build up a freezer supply.

One of my breasts seems to be full more often than the other. I try to nurse more often on the one producing less, but it has not balanced out as of yet. It gets to be a PITA b/c sometimes that breast stays slightly engorged and the other one looks normal.

I know the storage times for freezing/refrig. breast milk, but how long can it stay at room temp? I read somewhere that it can stay out for 10hrs. Can this be right? Seems like it would grow bacteria being out that long. Not that I would leave a bottle sitting out that long anyways, but if DD only eats 1/2 a bottle and then wants more a couple hrs later is it ok to use that same bottle if it set out? What if I put in back in the refrig. and then reheat it? Or should I just discard of it all together? Just curious what you all do. Most of the time she eats from the breast, but she gets an occational bottle. Anyhow, thanks!
Elisha

Elisha, your breasts wil even out more, one of mine still will produce more, but it's nothing compared to the begining. You can technically store BM on the counter in like 65 degree temp, for a long time, but i'm with you, I have a hard time believing it won't grow bacteria. About using the same bottle for a later feeding, I was told that's a no, because bacteria forms as soon as his backwash gets in from the first time, but a few hours won't hurt him.

:bouncing: I WOKE UP LEAKING! :bouncing:
I haven't leaked weeks. (in this case leaking is a good thing) I have to admit I was pretty suprised considering I read last night in an article (on the site that was deleted from this thread - oops, sorry :( ) that women taking less than 6 supplements of fenugreek seed (610 mg each) a day would not respond as women in the article/study did. My daily intake has been something like taking one in morning, one at lunch, two at dinner/bedtime and one 8 oz cup of mother's milk tea - midmorning. I think I will switch it around to only one at dinner/bedtime because I don't want to wake up leaking every morning! I pumped 4 oz out of the breast that was leaking this morning - DS will have the other (when he wakes up ;) ) and I will see if my production during my 2 twenty minute pumping sessions at least stays the same or output increases today at work. Of course it is Friday (yeah! :bouncing: ) and I usually don't pump on weekends, we will see how that goes...

Happy Babies Everyone!

Muffin- Ds is 10 1/2 months old, and I still leak on the opposite side he is nursing on- STILL!!! I hate it, but I have a heavy letdown. Oh well, I could have problems in the other aspect, so.......

Dizzy - I have the same problem as well. Sometimes I have to sniff his clothes to make sure his diaper didn't leak because my other breast leaked on him while holding him close for feeding.

I am just excited :D because it was a little clue that maybe my extra pumping and supplements were helping to increase my milk supply that I haven't been able to keep up with DS's demand while I am at work.

Unfortunately, I have the problem of an overactive letdown. DD is 4 mos. She still chokes every time we get started! I still have two fountains spurting out (sometimes on furniture and clothing). It makes it hard to breastfeed publically because my pad(s) on the other side become saturated and often leak through my shirt. I can't imagine even getting close to "emptying" a breast because when we're done, I've still got the fountains going on.

I haven't been able to pump at all because the times I've tried have resulted in extreme engorgement similar to when my milk first came in. It takes a long time to get regulated, and following my pumping, she would choke so badly I gave up on pumping. I thought I would have to pump all day to get my supply down and then I would just produce too much for us to handle.

Anyone else tired of wearing a bra/pads to bed?!

Well we had to start supplementing with formula today... :( Although I have been having symptoms of more milk since I started taking the fenugreek and drinking the mothers milk tea I really haven't been pumping much more out. So now DS gets 1 to 2 oz of formula mixed with b-milk (he won't take the formula by itself.) Tonight is DH's birthday - we are going out and my sister is watching DS, I only have one 6 oz in the freezer left and she will have to mix it with formula. Sigh... Oh well, I am still going to pump at work and continue to breast feed when he is with me. Still it is kinda dissappointing that I couldn't keep up and we had to resort to formula, but I am proud that we managed to get to 5 months exclusively breast feeding (My personal goal was 6 months). I am sure if I was a SAHM then there wouldn't be an issue but my daytime pumping just isn't enough.