as most of you know, Piper and I got off to a rough start nursing, with her being in the NICU, we nursed a few times the first 3 days, but certainly not like I would have if we were together the first 3 days. I pumped when i could, but with family in and out, trying to catch up on sleep, and running back and forth to the NICU, i probably didn't pump enough. Anyway...long story short...she only gained 9oz in her first 5 weeks of life. I feel blessed that she has not had any formula since her time in the NICU(and plan on keeping it that way!!)...but i am pretty worried about her weight (and so is her doctor). She is having the right amount of poo's and pee's, she is a happy alert baby, and acts satisfied after her feedings, so she is getting milk, but I guess just not enough to gain the "appropriate" amount of weight. I have started pumping again in between feedings and giving her 3-5oz supplement (of my pumped milk of course) each day. So i am hoping that will help my milk supply and help her get a few extra calories a day...But i just dont want to have to do that forever! Of course i will if thats what it takes...but if any of you have advise or encouragement for me that would be amazing!!
11 years ago
14 comments:
Christy, try pumping after you nurse her to make sure you are completely empty. That will tell your body it needs to increase it's supply during her normal scheduled feedings. Also, there is an herb supplement called fenugreek that can help increase your milk supply. Hang in there! Breastfeeding can be an emotional rollercoaster, and it really does help your supply to relax and enjoy the ride. I hope some of this helps, good luck, and I will keep you and Piper in my prayers.
I asked my mom. She has four kids all breastfed as far I know. And my older brother was in NICU for a while. I sent her the link to you blog. I hope she has some encouraging advice.
I asked a friend of mine who needed supplement as well and she responded...It's called Fenugreek. You can get it at GNC. When I was sick with a sinus/ear infection my supply went down and it helped boost it by about 1 feeding a day. Also, when you use this, everything coming out of your body (pee, breastmilk, B.O.) will smell like maple syrup. Not a bad side effect! She'll have to look online as far as dosage for increasing milk supply. It's definitely several pills a day.
Hey there! Breastfeeding for me has been the most stressful thing about having a new born. Just before I got online I took my fenugreek supplement.I got my from whole foods, it comes in a liquid form or a pill form. I take the liquid. It has helped increase my milk supply and helps Kennedy stay satisfied. I am pumping in between feedings to save up milk for when I go back to work next week :(. I also went to a lactation consultant and that really helped. Hope you get some answers! Your daughter is beautiful.
Hey Christy! It sounds to me like you are doing everything right. I agree w/ Stephanie--bf is such an emotional rollercoaster...wonderful, yes, frustrating sometimes, double yes!! I think your mama instincts are right on-- If Miss Piper is content and filling up diapers, then she's getting those calories she needs. Every baby is different. Will was a voracious nurser...he gained 3 lb from 1 month to 2 months of age and was a chunk. Annabel is much more finicky and goes on frequent nursing strikes...plus she is always moving. She's gained weight much more slowly. Though she is "tracking" weight wise at the 40th percentile, it's been hard for me to believe that Annie is "ok" b/c she's so different than Will. I understand your worries...one of the frustrations with breastfeeding is that you can't measure the amount they've eaten!! My advice: trust your mama instincts and drink plenty of water. I love the recent pic! She looks so sweet!
Christy, sounds like you have some great advice from the other moms! I agree with Taylor, drink tons of water to make sure you're hydrated. I pumped about an hour after I fed Stella and that seemed to work well. I don't know about you, but when I did pump I think I got nervous about producing. When I took a few deep breaths and really tried to relax, it made a big difference in how much milk I was able to pump. You're a great mother, and you're made to do this. I'll be praying for both of you!
the biggest assessment is how the baby is progressing and doing...not what they weigh. don't let them doctor the weight...that is a number. let them doctor the baby!!! if she is alert, peeing, pooing, happy and meeting all her other stages then it is fine. you CANNOT focus on numbers in medicine without clinical corelation. i agree with taylor.
My friend replied again and said...But make sure she doesn't get the type with Thyme. I didn't think it would make a difference but I read later that it doesn't yield the same outcome.
I agree with Nevan's mom...everything I've ever heard about getting "enough" is measured by their output (diapers) and if it's enough, it's enough. :)
Please call me 412.9333 if you need any emotional support. Also, Karen is the world's greatest lactation consultant if you want to email her for questions/support. Or I can give you her #...
I'm so proud of your dedication and efforts so far. I PROMISE it gets easy...just hang in there. :)
Christy, your a good mom with good maternal instincts. Trust them. If you feel she is doing okay don't let what a doctors opinion is influence what you think. It's hard being a first time mommy anyway but then add the stress of breastfeeding in and it can be hard to remember you know best. If you feel you need to increase then use fenugreek (let me know I can get some at the store :) ) otherwise just see how she does. Babies never grow the same as each other and she may just be a little smaller. At least she's gaining weight. They were worried about Cheyenne's weight when she was a baby and wanted me to supplement. She wasn't loosing weight so I decided not to supplement and as it turns out she is just a little smaller of a girl than others. I'll be thinking of you. If you need to talk call me. Love you!
I was also always worried that Landyn wasn't getting enough, but I agree with everyone else about if she is acting satisfied and has good output, don't worry too much! I love seeing sweet pictures of Miss Piper! You are doing a wonderful job!
Christy-
Stefanie is correct make sure you are completely empty after each feeding that will help.
And the supplement that everyone is talking about really does work. It helped increase my milk supply in 24 hours. You can get it in a tea or a pill.
The tea is called Mother's Milk the brand is Traditional Medicinals. You can get it at some WalMarts, and all Whole Foods, Wild Oats and Akins.
Whole food and Wild Oats also have a pill its called More Milk Plus and the brand is MotherLove.
The tea is cheap ($5) the pills are more ($25), both worked the same for me. I am done nursing!!!! And I have extra of both, if you want them message me your address on fb.
Casey H
Breastfeeding is hard! As everyone says, it gets easier. Make sure you are getting enough calories and water everyday. I had to pump between feedings for awhile and it eventually increased my milk supply. Good luck. It's much easier the second time around. ;)
I don't know, but when Caleb was in the NICU we weighed him before he breastfed, and then again right after. You can get a pretty good estimate of how many ounces she ate by doing that. You'd probably have to get one of those baby scales though. But, if your doctor is that concerned about it you might think about it. That way you could more accurately track how much she was getting. (Jennifer T.)
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