ok so i returned back to work as needed. I'm having to do a lot of catchup tho education wise so i'm having to leave the kids with daddy alone more. no big deal, except Avery is 6 1/2 mths now, and at her checkup she had gained no weight. She weighs 6lbs 11lbs 9 oz now! I've tried starting her on solids cuz she seemed ready, but she's on again off again with it, which is no biggie. I have a Medella PIS, and i pump, but since i've been pumping i'm only pumping out a few ounces in an 8 hour period! I started taking Brewer's Yeast and Fenugreek, but honestly it seems to have dropped my supply not upped it. She nurses just fine at home, on demand, has wet diapers, sleeps all night, so i KNOW she's not starving or anything. But i want to build up a stash for her at home while i'm gone. The doc is *concerned* and wants me to push solids on her and supplement with formula AFTER she nurses. She nurses til she's done, she doesn't want anything else after she nurses! At least i don't think she does!! SO what can i do to up my supply on the days i have to pump so that we don't have to supplement with formula while i'm gone??

I don't have any advice, but if you don't find someone who can help call La Leche League or check their website. I found that for any problem that I had, the leaders could always give me a solution.

May I suggest more milk plus tincture. I have had the worlds worst supply issues and that stuff combined with domperidome was like a miracle! It practically doubled my supply. Combined the two can get a little pricy but it is much cheaper than formula or jarred baby food.
Here's a link for the moremilk plus, if you are interested I can try to re-find my info on the dom.

HTH :)

http://www.motherlove.com/product_more_milk_plus.php

How often are you pumping during the day and how long during each session? How often is she nursing during the day and how long does she go without nursing at night?

I wouldn't push solids too much since the solids are less nutrient and calorie dense than breastmilk and formula could help but would be a detriment to your supply if it causes you to nurse less. Let us know the answers to the questions and maybe we can help. :D

Ann

Originally posted by annsni
How often are you pumping during the day and how long during each session? How often is she nursing during the day and how long does she go without nursing at night?

I wouldn't push solids too much since the solids are less nutrient and calorie dense than breastmilk and formula could help but would be a detriment to your supply if it causes you to nurse less. Let us know the answers to the questions and maybe we can help. :D

Ann

Let's see i nurse before i leave in the am at 0530, then i pump around 9, then i pump again around 1130 or 1200, then i'm home by 230-3 to nurse her again. I hear the suck and swallow, so i know she's getting some. i'm NOT supplementing after nursing tho, i think that's crazy. I'm not really worried about her solid intake. Today her total was 2 tsp of homemade cereal with EBM. But she's definitely not nursing less. OH and my pumping sessions are about 15 minutes each, both sides at the same time. She's a one side at a time nurser, although i'm encouraging both sides now to up my supply. Not going well tho. She's just not a big eater! my big concern is to build up a stash at home so she can have EBM as opposed to formula ya know??

This is so frustrating, i nursed Gage for 22 mths, and Trace for 14 mths. He only weaned cuz i was pg with Avery!! lol She's such a different eater than they were!!

Originally posted by ~MamaCharly~
May I suggest more milk plus tincture. I have had the worlds worst supply issues and that stuff combined with domperidome was like a miracle! It practically doubled my supply. Combined the two can get a little pricy but it is much cheaper than formula or jarred baby food.
Here's a link for the moremilk plus, if you are interested I can try to re-find my info on the dom.

HTH :)

http://www.motherlove.com/product_more_milk_plus.php

Ok where can i get domperidone? And have any great links about the drug itself??

ok, don't take this the wrong way but has your dr. ruled out any medical issues? That just sound really little to me. My son was born the day before your Avery and he's almost 20 lbs. I know some kids are just very petite( my 2yo is smaller then my 6 month old) but to gain no weight in 6 months doesn't sound right.

You could pump the side she's not nursing. I always got much more milk pumping while Gav nursed.

here is some info on dom.

http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_domperidone.html
http://www.breastfeeding.com/cgi-bin/search.pl

I will do some more research to get the number but I hope that Info helps to get you started :)

OK - Well, my suggestions would be to try to fit in another pumping session for now - pumping about every 2 hours or so. Also, when you nurse her, it's OK for her to nurse only on one side since that gets her more hindmilk than if you tried to split the nursing between the two breasts. Definately pump the other side while or right after she nurses to get the supply up and maybe even pump a bit before she nurses to get to the hindmilk quicker so that she's getting the extra fat that the hindmilk has. Here's some links that may help:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumping_decrease.html
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/index.html

HTH!!

Ann

any chance you've started taking the mini-pill or any other hormones? might you be pregnant?

Originally posted by snowymtnmama
Ok where can i get domperidone? And have any great links about the drug itself??

unfortunatley, the FDA is trying to block its import, and use for increasing supply. A friend of mine uses it, and our CNM would no longer Rx it for her, and when she did find an out of stat doc she knoes to RX it, the local compunding phamacy refused to fill it. She had to get it 4 hours away.

I breast fed after a breast reduction and I imported Domperidome from New Zealand when I was bfing. But given the new FDA stuff, I've heard its harder to get it through customs. Its too bad really, most peds who iniatially recommended it, still recommend it and it was very effective.

As for your issues, I wouldn't supplement with formula if you feel she's eating well. A pump is NOT a good indicator of supply, a lot of mamas have a hard time pumping and yet have a full supply.

Originally posted by xheathers
I breast fed after a breast reduction and I imported Domperidome from New Zealand when I was bfing. But given the new FDA stuff, I've heard its harder to get it through customs. Its too bad really, most peds who iniatially recommended it, still recommend it and it was very effective.

As for your issues, I wouldn't supplement with formula if you feel she's eating well. A pump is NOT a good indicator of supply, a lot of mamas have a hard time pumping and yet have a full supply.

Well my doc won't prescribe it dangit. :mad: oh well what can you do. If i wanted to get it from New Zealand would i still need prescription? They were telling me all the things to do that i'm already doing. Another issue is i'm a nurse so half the time i don't get to drink all that much on my shift. BUT i've just started downing about a liter at a time when i do get a quick drink break. lol Any other thoughts??

Originally posted by cathleenc
any chance you've started taking the mini-pill or any other hormones? might you be pregnant?

:joker: :joker: BITE YOUR TONGUE! lol No i had my tubes tied, and i've had AF back now for 2 mths. So while i know NOTHING is 100% except abstinence, its not likely ya know? lol

Originally posted by willowsmama
ok, don't take this the wrong way but has your dr. ruled out any medical issues? That just sound really little to me. My son was born the day before your Avery and he's almost 20 lbs. I know some kids are just very petite( my 2yo is smaller then my 6 month old) but to gain no weight in 6 months doesn't sound right.

You could pump the side she's not nursing. I always got much more milk pumping while Gav nursed.

Nothing taken wrong here! She IS little, but doing everything she needs to be doing except gaining weight this time around. However, i'm just trying to increase what i'm pumping. She's fine nursing when i'm home, i just don't have much of a freezer stash for her when i'm gone. But no medical issues to speak of.

She has gained weight, but not from her 4.5 mth to her 6 mth checkup. Does that make sense??

Originally posted by snowymtnmama
no big deal, except Avery is 6 1/2 mths now, and at her checkup she had gained no weight. She weighs 6lbs 11lbs 9 oz now!

Please tell me that the 6 was supposed to have a 1 in front of it? If that weight is correct, she weighs less than my son did *at birth*! :eek:

I, too, had a hard time pumping. Ds got all the milk he needed from my breast, but I spent a half hour on each breast at the pump (Madela Pump-In-Style) and was lucky to get one bottle. It was very frustrating. I was getting even less than that at first, and figured out that I needed the next size up in breast cup. Later, I started drinking Mother's Milk Tea and that also seemed to help. But even with all that, I was lucky to get a bottle at a pumping.

Hang in there! Knowing that baby is getting the milk at the breast is a big help, and her needing less milk as she takes in more solids helps too.

:hug: from a fellow low-supplier-at-the-pump.

Originally posted by mamapez
Please tell me that the 6 was supposed to have a 1 in front of it? If that weight is correct, she weighs less than my son did *at birth*! :eek:

I, too, had a hard time pumping. Ds got all the milk he needed from my breast, but I spent a half hour on each breast at the pump (Madela Pump-In-Style) and was lucky to get one bottle. It was very frustrating. I was getting even less than that at first, and figured out that I needed the next size up in breast cup. Later, I started drinking Mother's Milk Tea and that also seemed to help. But even with all that, I was lucky to get a bottle at a pumping.

Hang in there! Knowing that baby is getting the milk at the breast is a big help, and her needing less milk as she takes in more solids helps too.

:hug: from a fellow low-supplier-at-the-pump.

oh JEEZ i can't type today. :juggle: She weighed 7lbs 12 oz at birth, and at her 6 1/2 mth old appt she weight 11 lbs 9 oz. She weighed the same at her 4 mth, so she's not gained any in the last 2 mths! Feel better? lol

you know, it just gripes me to have to supplement with formula when i'm gone. i don't mind her having a bottle while i'm working, i just want it to be EBM! lol

Originally posted by snowymtnmama
you know, it just gripes me to have to supplement with formula when i'm gone. i don't mind her having a bottle while i'm working, i just want it to be EBM! lol

:hug: I know it, mama. Every week I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pump enough. Some weeks were worse than others and I would find myself getting up early to pump and find spare moments to pump. It was exhausting. It definitely helped when ds started solids and wasn't drinking as much milk as often while I was gone. I was also only working three days a week. I nursed him right before I left for work in the morning and as soon as I got off work. Instead of three bottles, MIL would give him two bottles and a go at solids (after 7 months). Eventually he was down to one bottle, and then at 15 months I stopped pumping. He is still nursing.

Originally posted by mamapez
:hug: I know it, mama. Every week I was afraid I wouldn't be able to pump enough. Some weeks were worse than others and I would find myself getting up early to pump and find spare moments to pump. It was exhausting. It definitely helped when ds started solids and wasn't drinking as much milk as often while I was gone. I was also only working three days a week. I nursed him right before I left for work in the morning and as soon as I got off work. Instead of three bottles, MIL would give him two bottles and a go at solids (after 7 months). Eventually he was down to one bottle, and then at 15 months I stopped pumping. He is still nursing.

Thanks that gives me hope! I usually nurse right before i leave, then i try to pump as often as i can. She's just now really liking solids, so i think i'll tell DH to give her her cereal mid morning so maybe that will help. I just hope to nurse her til at least 18 mths ya know??? She's my last baby!!!!1 :wah:

in the last 2 months-has she had a growth spurt length wise? maybe all her weight gain was spread out over new length?

as for domperidone..no you don't have to have a prescription for ordering it from new zealand...and if you do a search here at amitys for domperidone you will find a thread by Jodi M a few days ago where we listed the number to call to get it.

(sorry--nak and can't search myself)

hth!