My goal with breastfeeding was to do it as long as I could, and when we first started - I have to be honest - I didn't enjoy it. The dryness, the pain, the twisting, the yanking - let's face it, it wasn't exactly the sweet gentle bonding time that I had envisioned.
Then things got better little by little. E learned how to latch properly, he wasn't as frantic just before I put him on the breast as he was before, and when we had a good nursing session going, it was wonderful. I even enjoyed those wee morning hours when it was just me and him, mother and son. Calm, quiet, peaceful.
But now it seems that I am either drying up and/or his appetite has increased to the point where I cannot keep up. I have to admit, it's partly my fault as I haven't pumped in a long time and he's been eating from a bottle 3 times a day. So of course we would get to this point. Now that we're here though, I don't want to wean him off so quickly because I still like the convenience of being able to whip it out and not having to wait to warm a bottle. Lately, before we give him a bottle, I will put him on the breast first, and then after his 'appetizer' we move onto the bottle. There is definitely not enough breastmilk to satisfy him - but I'm doing it so that I don't lose it completely. Our feeding goes like this: 1st feed - breast; 2nd-feed, breast and bottle, 3rd feed-breast and bottle; 4th feed - breast, 5th feed-bottle - 6th(last) feed-breast. With this 'system' of feeding, he still sleeps 11-12 hours each night.
So the question is, to help with keeping my milk, would Fenugre.ek or Ble.ssed Th.istle work in my situation or is it just at the beginning for mothers who need to get their milk production going?
In other new news, we are going away to Orlando (!) for our first family vacation together and I am trying to get everything in order - I feel like there is so much to bring for just one tiny little baby!
Oh, and today is my birthday! I woke up this morning to my little guy laughing in his crib. Let's just say: Best Present. Ever. ;)
Happy Birthday!!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't have much advice on the supply issues - I'm sure others can chime in. Do what works for you!
Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteThe best way to increase your supply is to bring baby to breast as much as possible - increased nipple stimulation (by that sweet baby, not the pump) will do the job better than any supplement. But, that being said, blessed thistle, fenugreek could help. Eating oatmeal can help too. But if you really want to increase supply, I would cut out bottle feedings if/when possible and just let him nurse.
Oh and have a great trip!!
Interesting dilemma. I'm considering shifting him to a bottle at night so hubby can help, and because he's often frantic at night so it's not a very pleasant experience for both of us. I have a good supply but I'm not sure how it will affect it. How quickly did you notice the drop off?
ReplyDeleteHappy Happy Birthday!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know about those herbs, but if you want to keep your supply up, consider pumping. It sucks (no pun intended)--especially at night. But I keep reminding myself "It's all for Ella". Hang in there!
Happy Birthday!!! I know that fenugreek works for me when my supply drops right before my cycle. I also loathed BFing @ first but now get sad at the thought of stopping. Good luck!
ReplyDeletenurse, nurse, nurse! that works wonders!
ReplyDeleteas for suppliments, you can try oatmeal, too. Fenugreek worked for me, but you have to take an insane amount. Basically, until your urine smells like maple syrup. ;)
As the others have already told you, nurse , nurse , nurse is truly the BEST way. But I have also heard Fenugreek does work. Good luck! You can read my past blogs to see that a samilar situation happened to me.
ReplyDeleteOh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! They really are the BEST PRESENT EVER!!
Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle never worked for me...if they don't work for you, talk to your doc about domperidone. Its widely available in Canada I believe and it should double your supply. That is what worked for me. I didn't have a huge supply to begin with, but it doubled the little I had.
ReplyDelete