I hafta agree with biddee --IMO, you need to pump more. How much water are you drinking? Start sloshing–I had trouble maintaining my milk supply until I had at least 20 oz prior to each feed. I did not have premies.
Good luck! I think of you all often.
Sounds like you’ve had a really rough time of it. I’m sending good thoughts your way.
Wow!, I haven’t gotten 7 straight hours sleep since mine was born (almost two years now) Hopefully that bodes well.
Thanks for the input on the milk sitch, but it’s already increased by 15 mL each of the two and a half days I’ve been on the new schedule. Since I was pumping only 130 mL each day by the end of the second week, that means I’m up to 175 mL today. Not enough yet, certainly, but more than a whole extra pumping worth for me, with four less actual pumpings.
I’m still producing a quarter of what I should, but since I have only been able to hold her twice, she was born so very, very early and via c-section, I’m reading that delayed lactation is not uncommon. As long as this schedule increases the amount of milk, even if it’s very gradually, I’m happy with it.
A little more is better than none more, which is what I was getting before with more frequent pumpings. All that happened then was lots of 5 mL pumps.
Whynot I really want to be incredibly tactful because I know that your emotions are all over the place right now, but I seriously doubt that this pumping schedule will increase your milk supply in the long term. It just goes against everything I know about milk production. Please get hold of a board certified lactation consultant to get a second opinion on this. And btw, the amount you pump is NEVER an indication of your supply. Some women respond better to a pump than others, but the stimulation of your nipples will definitely help to increase your supply. I suggest again that you post on the exclusively pumping board and get some opinions from other moms who have been in your situation.
I am following your story with such baited breath! I am so rooting for you and Caileigh and just want to see you succeed.
And I’m trying to be tactful right back atcha biddee. The nurse I spoke with is a board certified lactation consultant, and her advice is helping. It was also discussed with another board certified lactation consultant, several neonatal nurses, a labor and delivery nurse and two doctors. Sitting around an intensive care ward for hours each day gives me ample opportunity to talk with medical professionals! Thank you for your concern (and I mean that completely honestly, with none of my trademark sarcasm) but the situation is being handled by experts.
If you go back and review those websites you posted links to, the “pump every two to three hours” schedule is recommended to establish the milk supply in the first two weeks postpartum. I am beyond that point. If my supply is not significantly increased by the middle of next week, I will seek medication to improve it.
I also sent the hubby to the store for some fenugreek and some brewer’s yeast, so we’ll see if those help at all.
OMG!!! I just typed up this long post to you and my daughter banged on the keyboard and it disappeared…AAAARRRGGGHHH…the joys of kids…LOL…
Anyway, the gist of my post was that I apologise if I came off overzealous, but I have seen so many moms come to the board with major supply problems thanks to bad advice from medical professionals who really don’t have the first clue on how lactation works. I didn’t know that your lactation nurse was board certified and I’m glad to hear that your professionals do actually know what they’re doing.
As for galactogogues, the fenugreek is only good if you take enough of it. I think the optimal dose is 3x580mg 3x a day. You have to smell like maple syrup. But it worked for me when my supply dipped. The other thing that worked for me is eating oatmeal (plus it’s an excuse to eat oatmeal cookies 
yum!).
Good luck hon, and I’ll be keeping an eye on this thread if you will please keep us updated. If you need any more moral support, I am here for you…I’m also on MSN messenger every day biddee at hotmail dot com.
Whynot, best of luck with everything for you and Caileigh. Please don’t get disheartened about the milk, she was born so early your body just wasn’t expecting to have to feed her for a while. It’s amazing she’s able to take feeds at all, as so many of the tiny preemies have to have IV feeds. It sounds like she’s making great progress!
32 weeks for breat feeding seems a little early though, our neonatal units prefer to continue the NG feeds until the suckling reflex is established at about 34 weeks. Again, though, that’s only what they do here, so if your guys are happy at 32 weeks, go for it!
Many prayers from me, Tygr and the tygr cubs (one of which is only 3 weeks old). May your whole family find strength and may that wonderful baby grow stronger and healthier each day. Blessings to you! I am so glad that things are going well. She sounds like a trooper definitely.
Well, no updates lately because everything’s been so stable. (Boring, in children’s healthcare, is a GOOD thing!)
She’s up to taking 7cc’s of breastmilk every two hours - through a nasogastric tube. They’re talking about taking her off her IV feeds entirely soon and letting her get all her nutrition from fortefied breastmilk. My milk is slowly increasing, still going up about 10-15mL each day or two. This morning, I got a huge (for me) pumping - 76 mL all at once! I started taking fenugreek two days ago, but I don’t smell like maple syrup yet, so I haven’t hit full potency yet. Drinking a few cups of Mother’s Milk tea each day. I’m also taking Brewer’s Yeast, which actually tastes yummy, despite all the awful things I’ve heard about it. Guess my body knows it needs all that protien and B vitamins - I usually hate the smell of yeast. I feel like I have more energy and stamina, and people are telling me I’m not so pale as I’ve been since the surgery.
The leak around her vent has only gotten worse - sometimes leaking 100% for several minutes at a time. However, it’s a mechanical issue with the vent tubing (too small for her - next size up is too big for her), not a medical problem with her. The poor nurses are just jumping up and down every few minutes to adjust her oxygen levels to keep her in the right numbers. But they started giving her IV caffeine yesterday, to encourage her lungs to step up the pace a little bit. They hope to be able to wean her off the vent soon, rather than replacing it with the larger size when she grows into it. They’ll then probably put her onto a forced air nose-mask…I’ve never seen the word for it in writing, so I don’t know how it’s spelled, but it sounds like “C-pap”.
She weighs 800 grams! Those long skinny fingers are starting to plump up, I noticed yesterday. They’re starting to assume the shape of baby hands instead of little tiny adult hands.
So, with talk of taking her off the vent, taking her off IV feeds, no brain bleeds, no heart deformities…I guess I’m starting to feel cautiously optimistic. I know she’s not out of the woods, but I’m starting to think there’s some hope.
Things are sounding pretty good, whynot…I am doing a cautiously optimistic happy dance here 
. I think of you and Caileigh often. I hope things keep getting better and better.
Zackie had a CPap when he was in the NICU… made him look like the baby from mars. So did the bilirubin lights like you’ve noticed. I think we had the biggest preemie in the place. He looked silly amongst all those teenie tiny babies.
I’m so happy things are improving and we watch for more pictures on your site. Boring is excellent news!
I didn’t even know such a thing was available! What a wonderful world when caffeine is available through an IV drip! 
Sounds like all good news for your little one. I’ll keep praying!
WhyNot - I’ve been reading this thread daily and keeping your family in my prayers. I keep expecting some small setbacks, but she’s been very lucky. It’s wonderful that she’s doing so well! She must be a real fighter.
StG
What a nice report!
WhyNot if boring is good news, then may all the news about Calleigh be boring. I love it everytime you say something is going right. Keep it up Calleigh!
There was a full-term infant in there last week (suspected heart problem) and he looked ridiculously huge! He was only 7 pounds something, so he wasn’t a monster or anything, but next to our little peanut… (He went home two days later, everything is good with him. I’m meeting lots of great moms only to say goodbye and goodluck a few days later.)
Isn’t it though? But she won’t share it with me, however much I tell her I need it!
Just wanted to pop in and say that you and your baby are in my thoughts. Much love to Calleigh and yourself (and any other involved parties).
When this is all said and done and Calleigh comes home, you should print out this thread and put it in her baby book. Then when she’s older she can read it and know that total strangers were trying to help her fight. (maybe someone’s already suggested that, if so, sorry)
Hehe, yes our little 9-pounder looked pretty silly in the middle of all those tiny 2 or 3 pound babies. I almost felt guilty about having such a healthy looking baby in the NICU!
I’m so glad she’s still doing well. Moving to a CPap is a big step!
I, too, wish to acquire some of this IV caffeine…
C-pap=Continous Positive Airway Pressure. Spelled just like it sounds. That would be a good, big step for baby–I hope she does well.
I am so glad that the pumping regime is working for you. Hope that Calleigh’s progress continues to be “boring” and non-eventful.
Has Whykid gotten to hold her yet? (just asking) Have you held her again? Or do you hold her daily, now?
WhyNot I’m so happy to hear that things are stable and the milk production issues are resolving.
Even us lurkers are pulling for you and your daughter. Good luck.