After all I've been through with getting these girls bf-ing - the past couple weeks - my milk is just drying up. They've been just gobbling cereal and baby food (I make my own), screaming and fussing about nursing. I'm flying through my freezer stash of EBM. I do pump when I give them the bottles - but I get nothing or next to nothing. The most I've got pumping in the past few days is 2 oz. When the girls together drank 12 that time. Usually get just get a few drops. :confused:

They can nurse sometimes for an hour (usually at night - they are starting to resist nursing at all when during the day when they are awake) but I rarely if ever feel let-down anymore and I don't usually hear swallowing. Megan is drinking a bottle of EBM from my freezer stash right now. I've been trying to nurse her off/on since 5 am and she's STILL starving. Even Maribeth - who used to NEVER take bottles - will take them now or a sippy cup or or a regular cup for that matter.

I'm not pg - took 3 tests in the past week just because when this happened with my older 2 - I was pg. Even though it would be pretty close to the immaculate conception if I was. So I don't know what's going on - but I"m sad because I really, really wanted to bf the twins longer. They are still bf-ing but at the rate we are going through my freezer stash - they will be on formula within a month. :(

it's pretty likely that if you cut out the bottles and the pumped mm, they'll go back to the breast with some encouragment :)

they weaning TO bottles, so if you get rid of that part of the eqasion, it can be treated like a nursing strike and overcome, eventually having them both pick up on nursing & continuing until they give up the need.

I agree with Kas.

Have you tried all the milk boosters - Fenugreek, Reglan, Domperidon, Oatmeal, LOTS of extra water, meditation?

I stopped feeling letdown around 7 months, it just became a part of life, I think, and I just stopped feeling it.

Otherwise, I think that treating this like a nursing strike and cutting WAY back on bottles or cutting them out would be a place to start. Can you rent a SNS for a month/couple weeks?

Hugs mama, I am so sorry you are going through this! I really really hope you can get them back on the breast!

you can get domperidone w/o an rx here (http://www.globaldrug.tv/category.asp?CtgID=1003)

I agree about dropping the bottles. A pump just doens't have the same power for getting the milk out that a baby does. Try kellymom.com for GREAT bf'ing info. Here's a link for distractible babies, which may be part of the problem (?):

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/distractible-baby.html

Look under Life with BAbies for links to a bunch of articles (supply, nipple confusion, nursing strikes, tandem nursing, etc).

Good luck!!!

It has got to be so much harder to overcome probs with twins. You are doing great : )

They are still young enough...I agree cut out bottles...and all food.

You are going to have cranky kids for a few days...but in the end i am betting things will straighten out.

Call a LLL person.that is what they are there for. They are soooo helpful. Even if someone can just reassure you...you will feel better for it.

{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}

I agree with everyone about cutting out the bottles and most of the food. I think that definitely would increase your supply. What you're describing happened with my dd at about 7mo--I didn't know what was going on and before I knew it, it was too late. But I bet you can reverse this!

Thank you all for the advice. I'm going to try cutting bottles for now - but still offer some food - maybe just less.

I haven't tried the "milk boosters" other than extra water. I'm reluctant to try prescription stuff without trying everything else.
I've searched everywhere for Fenugreek and Mothers Milk Tea but can't find either locally - anyone know of an online source? Or have some to trade?

I've also been exercising the past couple weeks and taking allergy meds - so maybe that's part of it? I'll try NOT exercising for a couple days and not taking the allergy medication.

I checked this site - they don't ship to Canada as customs here won't clear their products. So I"ll have to try my doctor if I want to try prescription stuff.

Originally posted by Daisy Duck
you can get domperidone w/o an rx here (http://www.globaldrug.tv/category.asp?CtgID=1003)

I've also been exercising the past couple weeks and taking allergy meds - so maybe that's part of it? I'll try NOT exercising for a couple days and not taking the allergy medication.
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It could be that you are getting enough exercise just caring for your children and that the "extra" excercise is depleting you. Allergy medicines "usually" work by drying things up, which does not know the boundry of mammary glands. These two things, along with all the other wonderful suggestions, will have you pouring forth scrumptious milk for your girls!

I'll be the allergey medicine is the culprit!

I've heard (or read?) that allergy meds dry up milk. I agree with TDM. :)

You can take nettle for allergies, and it should do nothing adverse to your milk supply. This is all Dh and Ds have to take, and it works. Any health food store ought to carry it.

If you can get a hold of a copy of The Nursling Mother's HerbalThe Nursling Mother's Herbal it is great.

Also I've heard the mother's milk plus tincture is better the tea.

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/
i actually have this in my town it's a huge store they have lots of teas for lactation in sotre i bet even more stuff online....i have been buying from here for years online.if you can't find anything i can go buy ya stuff and mail it.

I bet it is the allergy meds...they will dry you up.

I would go for a tincture or capsules...instead of tea.unless you are going to make infusions.

And in the meantime you can eat oatmeal-and keep up the water...and quit bottles.

Hope everything clears up soon

ps-I was having allergy symptoms for the first time in my life the other day(I live in a New Place) and everytime I drank my RRL and Nettles tea-my symptoms cleared up for a few hours. It was the nettles-which you can get in tincture form also. It was really cool how that worked.

Linda

Allergy meds cause you to dry up. Fenugreek is available at healthfood stores, drug stores, Walmart, target and vitamin stores. Mother's Milk tea is available at health food stores or any gfrocery store with a health food section :) I take meds for seasonal allergies but Fenugreek works for me in less than 24 hours :)
Joanita