Day 11 of My Relactation Journey.

veeveeveevee
edited January 2014 in Breastfeeding
The pic on the bottom is both bottles combined.

image
I know most of it is foremilk. Its better than no milk. Since I started my journey I was only getting half an ounce to a full once each session. So this is a nice leap.
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Comments

  • adri805adri805
    Good for u!!! I'm glad u haven't gave up.
  • WilsomomWilsomom
    That's awesome, are you pumping only or is the baby breastfeeding as well?
  • veeveeveevee
    @adri805 Me too.

    @Wilsomom I'm pumping only. I tried and tried to put him back to breast but he wasn't having. He won't even try it with the nipple shield. I can't make it to TLC (The Lactation Club) because its only on Tuesdays and I don't have a car. It's too cold to be on the bus. I'm trying to get SO to take next Tuesday off.
  • julesjules
    That's good! It's good your trying :) hope often are you pumping or feeding your lo? I know this time around my supply is a lot better a lot has to do with the fact that this baby has very good latch so I've been feeding on demand since day one which is a lot cause I have good eater on my hands lol. But I also pump and store when it gets uncomfortable and she's sleeping so that keeps. Ive also been drinking water like crazy!!! Even at night I force myself drink certain amount when I wake up for feeding. I can tell big difference in my supply when I forgot to keep drinking. So that's my advice lots of liquid. Good luck.
  • veeveeveevee
    edited December 2013
    @jules. So far I pump about 2.5 to 3oz a day. I wait until I can pump at least two or three bottles. Last week I pumped 9oz and gave him all three bottles. So far I have pumped 7 oz and him two bottles two night ago. I didn't get to pump yesterday because we went shopping and took the babies, Eli and Amilio, to get their picture with Santa. That line was looooong. When we got home I was exhausted. I pumped that bottle today and only have one bottle in the fridge which is almost at 4oz now and I will pump tomorrow after work. I will be drinking plenty of water and buy some more fenugreek to help out. I'm going to continue to get him back on the breast. I'll try another nipple shield.
  • julesjules
    Well you need to be pumping a lot more! You need to pretend as tough you are personally feeding him..it really is supply and demand. I wouldn't wait until you think you have enough to pump you need to do it every two hrs like most babies eat and your body will start making more..even if you just get few drops put it in the fridge, then add to it couple hrs within few days you will notice big change. And pintrest has great exclusively pump schedule to increase supply. It tells you how many times and for how long to pump and it breaks it down into days because after certain amount of days you don't have to do it for as long and stuff.
  • OurlittlenuggetOurlittlenugget
    Great job! I agree with Jules, you really do have to pump every 2 or 3 hours to tell your body to make more milk. At minimum, pump when you wake up, midday, afternoon and then before bed. I always pump more in the morning. Prolactin is said to be higher in the morning. :) Keep up the good work Mama! It would be so much easier if you can get baby latched too!
  • julesjules
    Yes @ourlittlenugget is right at least morning midday and night. And it's said that we produce most between 1am and 5am I always pump once somewhere in there it's given me soo much milk my hubby made joke when he was getting something in the freezer be asked if we had dairy running from our home lol. I did all this research while I was pregnant with this baby. Since I tried so hard with my first with the fenugreek and the teas still had to supplement there was no storing. This time I make sure I eat good meal and healthy snacks, get lots water, rest when I can and pump in between feedings to keep it up. It's pain sometimes knowing I could just go back to bed but it only takes few minutes now that my supply is so good. Like I said earlier look for that blog on pintrest she breaks down how long to pump for but the time frame goes down then you will be like me only few minutes and you will have plenty. Keep up the great work!
  • veeveeveevee
    @jules, @Ourlittlenugget: I do pump every 2-3hrs. I just don't feed him the bottles until I have at least two bottles (3oz ea.).
  • julesjules
    I see well great job! Keep it up you will get more and more as days go on :)
  • veeveeveevee
    edited December 2013
    I have noticed a boost in my supply. Now all I need to do is get him back on the boob, @jules.
  • julesjules
    @veevee yea thats not gonna be easy once they get used to a bottle which usually is easier to get the milk out its hard to get them back but I hope it works for you! Thats why they usually say to wait at least 6 weeks which sounds nice unfortunately most of us dont have the luxury of having just on the breast for 6 weeks.
  • luvmy5luvmy5
    To really re-establish your supply, I would recommend power pumping. It'll help tremendously. Have you tried a nipple shield? It may be a texture thing and you can gradually wean him off.
  • veeveeveevee
    edited December 2013
    @jules: He was about 9 weeks when he decided he didn't want breast I started bottle feeding around 8 weeks. Which actually SO did because he and his mom thought baby wasn't getting enough because he was eating frequently.

    @luvmy5: How do you power pump? I have gotten so many different answer on that. What nipple shield would you recommend? I have the Medela nipple shield and he isn't having it with that one.
  • julesjules
    Yes I remember that I thought he was younger when that whole thing happened. I hope he gets back on the breast thats really hard to do but you never know anything is possible right?! Is ur supply getting better each day you think?
  • luvmy5luvmy5
    You pump for 5 minutes on each side. Take a 15 minute break. Do it again. Do this for an hour a couple times a day. It'll trick your body into producing. You can google it and there are other time frames but I went with 5 minutes because I didn't want to cause sores which was set me back. I did it for a week and I had a wonderful supply flowing again. Plenty of water is crucial though.
  • veeveeveevee
    Thank you @luvmy5. This one does sounds much easier and less time consuming.

    @jules it is getting better but slowly. The beginning of this week was a setback because I started back to work, but I'm not quitting.
  • julesjules
    Yea thats hard. I remember spending most of my breaks and half my lunch pumping then I would have to eat super fast. But it's great that your trying :)
  • veeveeveevee
    edited December 2013
    @jules : I don't really have a place to pump at work so I pump before work and right after work when I get home. I'm giving myself til February.

    @luvmy5: So I pump for 5 minutes, I have a double electric pump, then wait 15 minutes and pump for 5 minutes again? How many times a day do I do this?
  • luvmy5luvmy5
    Yes. You can do more if you have the time - obviously more is better. Its the stimulation and making your body think you need more. Supply and demand. I did it the first week about 5 hours a day (5 minutes on 15 minutes off) and I would give myself an hour or two break (all depended on now busy I was: including in the middle of the night I would pump even if I didn't get much out) and it made a huge difference. I made sure to drink a lot of water, Gatorade (the electrolytes will help replenish the fluid lost from nursing and hydrate more thus making more milk) and I ate foods that were supposed to boost supply. I stayed away from Benadryl and stuff known to dry up supply. It was hard and I didn't have near as much as I had before, but my son was also 7 months old when I did this so he was also eating good and not nursing as much either. With my previous child I never got to solely nurse her from the beginning since I was very sick, but at 3 months I nursed her for the first time (woke up one morning and shirt was soaked) and she would nurse once or twice a day thanks to pumping to build my supply. It didn't fill her up by any means, but it gave her a nice drink and bonding. I've never used a nipple shield, but make sure you're putting it on correctly and try to express a couple drops of milk before you try to latch him so he knows milk is there. You can also try a bottle first to satisfy the initial hunger so he isn't too mad and hungry and frustrated to try the breast. Or try to latch before he is showing he's very hungry.
  • veeveeveevee
    edited December 2013
    Thank you @luvmy5. I will be trying this today.
  • luvmy5luvmy5
    Let me know how it works! I'm rooting for you.
  • veeveeveevee
    edited December 2013
    Will do and thank you @luvmy5.
  • luvmy5luvmy5
    How's it going?
  • veeveeveevee
    edited December 2013
    A few setbacks due to shopping and other stuff, but its still going steady. I got my fenugreek yesterday so hoping to see a boost next week @luvmy5 and @jules
  • julesjules
    I hope it helps you! It didn't do much for me I have no idea why. But I know it's helped a lot of people.
  • MijitaMijita
    Combined fenugreek and blessed thistle works wonders for me.
  • veeveeveevee
    edited December 2013
    @jules: When I was taking it earlier it worked good but I was taking it wrong, but I did see a boost. I stopped taking it when i ran out. I probably won't see much of a boost today because my period started. So hopefully tomorrow things pick up.

    @Mijita: Where is a good place to buy blessed thistle?
  • MijitaMijita
    I got it at Sprouts.
  • julesjules
    Yes that does happen with some people if they start their cycle. Hopefully tomorrow will be good day off supply.
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