I have heard other nursing moms say oatmeal helps. Eating a bowl for breakfast, or having some oatmeal cookies as a snack sort of thing. I have not checked out the facts on it. I do know drinking lots and lots of water will help, and the more frequently and longer duration you pump will make your body make more milk. For example if you normally pump every 4 hours for about 10 mins, pump every 3hrs for 15 mins for a day or 2 and your body will start making more milk.
I have heard that oatmeal works. There is also something called Mother’s Milk Tea, which improves production, and my personal favorite—beer. One alcoholic isn’t going to be a problem if you’re nursing, but nonalcoholic works just as well. The dark varieties are supposed to help more. Also stay away from antihistimines—even if they’re safe from the standpoint of whether they leech into breastmilk, they will dry up your supply. So might caffeine.
I’m not a drinker, but I’m always up for an excuse to eat more cookies!
Thanks Simple Dreamer and lorene–I’ll be giving your suggestions a try.
See if your hospital can hook you up with a representative from La Leche League. They can give you all sorts of help.
They should also have nursing consultants. Insist on one. They can help you position the baby and figure out if anything is wrong.
We are saving what we can, but I don’t think it’ll be enough to keep us afloat while I take off six weeks from work. Besides, I’m not even sure (even with the FMLA) that my boss would be happy with me taking that much time off. 
I’ve never had a kid before and somebody (an anon noteleaver in my 'blog) told me to go apply for Social Security assistance and welfare, but I don’t want to do that. It would be…well, at the least, extremely embarrassing for me to be on welfare. I don’t want to be a Welfare Wilma…I’ve struggled my entire life not to be on welfare and I’m not gonna start now.
I don’t know what I"m going to do yet when the baby arrives in March/April (due date is March 31 or April 1).
MetalMaven
Belladonna I’ve heard that fenugreek is supposed to help your milk supply. But I have no other info, so you’d better do some reading up before you listen to me.
80s, best of luck. Good vibes headed your way from me. Have you looked into WIC? They will help you now with your food bills, at least, and every little bit helps. They will also get you a cheap breastpump and other assistance.
Hey, congratulations on your newish baby!!
My son was early also (he started K this year). He never did nurse, so I pumped for a year. {I wrote about him in another post somewhere. } It was a hassle but I’m very glad I did it. At one point I had collected 16 gallons of EBM in little 4 to 6 ounce bags… then my freezer went out. My milk didn’t come in right away either, possibly because I was so sick and tired, maybe because he was so early, or maybe all the meds and stress.
I made excellent use of the hospital’s double pumps, had a pump-n-style (it was o.k.) and also liked the Avent Isis manual pump ($40.00, Target). Had I known I was going to pump for a year, I would have just bought an electric pump, but wound up renting the stupid thing for the year.
Be sure to contact the hospital for a lactation consultant if needed. The hospital where I work has several on staff, some soley assigned to the NICU. La Leche was not a very helpful for me. They didn’t seem very used to the problems associated with preemies around here.
The other folks have given you lots of good advice (water, food, rest, pumping). I’m glad your PIH problems had a good outcome. That can be really scary.
Best Wishes
WIC can be a great resource for pregnant/new moms and baby. There’s a difference between a welfare wilma and someone who’s getting a little help for baby.
Have you looked into temporary disability?
I have an Isis hand pump from my last attempts at breast feeding the munchkin girl. I may try that if I find the electric pump too frustrating. Right now I am looking forward to being able to double pump. That will be much quicker I hope!!! I have been single pumping so I can massage and help the milk come down.
My daughter is filled with questions about the whole process and it is very funny and sweet when she cheers for me when I finish each side.
Tanookie, my daughter is also fascinated by the pumping, and has been seen pretending to pump herself with a board game hourglass.
I never found the double pumping to be very effective–I have an Ameda Purely Yours, and the seal wasn’t as good with both sides going at once.
I was wondering if it would be strong enough to pump both sides effectively… I guess I will just experiment a lot!
That’s very cute about your daughter’s pumping with the hourglass. I am constantly amazed at the things my daughter does and the associations she makes. Fascinating little munchkin she is!
I am sorry to hijack this tread but I feel like I must respond to this.
I was the first anon noteleaver who posted in your Live Journal. I wasn’t the second poster. I only suggested food stamps.
I don’t know what you mean by Welfare Wilma but there is no shame in getting help when you need it. There is a big difference between getting temporary assistance when your baby is little and spending your life on welfare. You have worked and paid taxes and you will work again. Get the help when you need it.
Pride goes out the window in more was then one when you have a baby.
As far as breastfeeding goes good luck and congradulations tanookie. My sister recently had a baby and is breastfeeding. She also says that the more often you pump the more you get. It was really frustrating for her at first too and she also switched from an electric to a hand pump.
Milk supply enhancers are called “galactagogues” so that may help in any internet search. I got a lot of conflicting information and now wonder if all that fenugreek, thistle, and alfalfa I was taking made any difference. However, the oatmeal cookies and dark beer sound good to me (and are normal things you’d eat, so are easy)–so much of letdown and such is psychological, so even doing something that just makes you THINK you’re going to have more milk may help!
One tip: The “Petal” insert from an Avent Isis pump will fit into the “horns” of a Medela pump. I found this helped!
80’sMaven, I don’t know what you registered for, but AFAIK only Ameda and Medela make reliable electric pumps sold OTC. Do not register for the Evenflo or any other electric pump without getting some good objective information on its safety and efficacy.
And everyone in this thread: good for you. Pumping can be damned hard and inconvenient. I could never get enough to fully meet my kid’s needs, but every little bit helps. I was able to keep nursing him for 13 months (didn’t pump that long–we eventually went to evening-only breastmilk feedings) and am really proud of that. Wish it would have lasted longer (he weaned himself, sniffle).
Ooh I will have to try the petal trick Cranky! I have an Isis from last time and that may make things easier. I don’t relish hand pumping as I have carpal tunnel… I know hubby would help pump me but if I can get the electric one to do the work more the better.
Also my insurance covered the pump we got. That’s primarily why I have it right now.
Oh and so no one gets the wrong idea about me being a spoiled SAHM princess type… I was working but making less than daycare would cost. I did not have any benefits either so it made sense for us to have me stay home. I also require a long time out of work when pregnant anyway… I’d had to stop in month 5 and stay out until at least 6 weeks post partum. We had to make some choices about what was really important to us, We have no cable TV either and I don’t miss it. We don’t go out to eat like we did when kidless and I do fret about bills like everyone else.
Is it okay for a guy to post? Yeah? Well, this morning I saw a young mother publicly breast feeding a beautiful baby girl, and it was a lovely sight. Not because of any lascivious reason; the mother shielded her breast and the childs head with a light weight scarf. The mother was totally un-selfconcious about it, and her husband held one of the baby’s hands for most of the time she was nursing. I couldn’t help thinking that the baby was off to an excellent start and that the parents were, and would continue to be, excellent themselves.
So, tanookie, good luck to you and know that you are doing the right thing.
I sure wish I had a grandchild.
Well, I checked out both WIC and TANF (which is the same as welfare) and we don’t qualify for either. According to the Texas Dept of Human Svcs home page, we are not poor enough to qualify for anything.
I don’t know if I should be happy because of how much we make per year or cry because we don’t qualify.
MetalMaven
I’m breatsfeeding my 14 month old. I pumped from when she was 4 months until the day she turned 1 year, now we just nurse early mornings, evenings, and at meltdowns. I also work with the author of Nursing Mother’s Companion, a tremendous resource. I’m not a CLC, but have learned a lot about nursing through my job and being a breastfeeding mom. In my experience there are several great things you can do to increase your supply, as most folks have said already:
- Pump or nurse as often as you can. Milk production is a demand and supply situation. The more you pump the more your body will produce. You can try pumping or nursing 20 min. after fininshing a nursing or pumping, to stimulate production.
- Eat right and drink a lot of water. You have to have the fluids and nutrients to create the milk.
- Take fenugreek for a week or so. It is a nutritional supliment found in pancake syrup (it’ll make your sweat smell like maple). You can find it at GNC-type stores. The usual recommended dose is 3 capsules 3 times a day. Talk with your own doctor and your child’s doctor first before taking any supliments of course.
- Eat your oatmeal. While I was pumping and my supply dropped I’d eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast each day for a week and see a noticeable difference.
- And again, pump or nurse as often as you can.
I used the Pump In Style for full-time pumping at work, and the Avent Isis for occasional pumping. For full-time pumping you for sure want an electric dual pump, not a manual hand pump. Your arms will thank you, anyway.
The advice to check out your local Lactation Consultant and La Leche League is great. LLL is a super resource, though I find it a bit crunchy and stay-at-home mom focused.
It is great to see other nursing moms out there – anyone else nursing a toddler?
Twiddle
Three cheers for breastfeeding moms!
I nursed all three of my kids, and I loved every minute of it.
Nothing else to add, but way to go!
sigh
At 9 I had an awesome pumping and got my best total yet of 23 ML. Now at one I had to beg and plead to get 9 ML.
I’ve been drinking plenty of fluids and massaging like they showed me and it’s late and I’m frustrated and disappointed and generally bummed. The worst thing is all the crying - I just know I’m diverting resources from milk making into tear making but this whole week has been so overwhelming. I did not set out to have a baby last wednesday and I feel like I screwed everything up and I feel totally helpless about caring for my own baby because he just is not home yet but in the NICU. I know they are taking good care of him but I want to be the one taking care of him! Damnit I’m his mother!!!
I hope tomorrow we really can get him transferred to the hospital that is 15 minutes from home instead of an hour and 15 minutes like where he is now.
I’m trying so hard to get milk for him. It is the one concrete thing I can do that no one else can and it is horribly frustrating.
DEAR Tanookie,
You are doing great - it doesn’t feel like that but you are. Your tears now are absolutely normal and right. Even after a straightforward vaginal birth, you end up a crying soggy lump about three days after the birth. For you in particular, with the emergency c-section, your hormones are going wild. And you have legitimate worries and disappointments to cry about too.
Sit and pump and cry and cuddle your big little one, and look at photos of your new little one. and cry some more. Let your daughter know that you are just tired and want to cry, like she does sometimes.
Don’t fight it, and don’t think you need to “pull yourself together” . You don’t. It is perfectly normal and OK to cry. Enjoy it! (sounds stupid but you know what I mean…)
In a few days or weeks this stage will pass too. Crying won’t deflect from your milk producing abilities, but holding your emotions in and gritting your teeth will.
Hugs,
HB
tanookie please don’t fret! I’m not quite a mom yet (twins due in Feb) but I’ve been reading a lot about breastfeeding & what you’re doing is terrific! It takes a lot of time to get production going!
And little 'nook will be out of the NICU & home with you before too long! Thousands of moms are going through the same thing & it’s tough on everyone, but you’ll get through! Be kind to yourself - remember that your baby’s mom deserves a lot of TLC!
And you didn’t screw up a doggone thing - your PIH wasn’t your choice, but getting yourself to the hospital ASAP was & that’s why your baby is going to be fine! You’ve already done a great job!