Those of you that follow Breastfed on Facebook already know this- I've been having some supply issues. Issues so bad that on Monday I had to drive home in the middle of work to drop milk off at home (I only work 6 hours a day!!!) and on Tuesday I had to skip my after work yoga class to go straight home. I was not happy about this- my yoga class is my one "me-time" activity of the week!
What happened? My theories:
- I had stopped eating breakfast, and was maybe eating a little less all the way around.
- Stress- my life has felt a little out of control with so many things to do lately, and these supply issues just created even more stress.
- Vacation- Last week I had three days off of work. Yay, I thought, no need to pump! That might have been a huge mistake.
- Pump problems- One of my flanges seems to have a little crack in it. Is the motor in my pump going as well?
- Baby S seems to be having a growth spurt and eating even more over the past couple of weeks. Maybe there is less pumped milk because she is eating it all before I can pump it?
Tuesday night I got desperate and looked at what I could do. I had run out of granola so I ran to the coop to grab some more. I upped my water and milk intake. I examined my pump parts (this was when I found the little leak). I realized that I needed to pump more.
Yesterday I ate a bunch of granola and whole milk for breakfast. As I pumped, I made a very conscious effort to relax, let go of the stress, and think about Baby S to help my letdown. Did this help?
Yes! I'm already seeing better results. My pump sessions at work and last night yielded about double what I was getting before. Unfortunately, I'm still working off the deficit, so the fridge supply is low. However, I think that if I keep it up with these little changes (no being lazy with the pump!) I can get my supply back up where it needs to be.
Oh, and I had enough milk yesterday (Daddy came to work to pick up some) that I was able to stay for the Wednesday yoga class. Sweet.
Pecans, Apricots included with your oatmeal might help! It helped me☺ Also, drinking 3-4 cups of Traditional Medicinals Mothers Milk each day is a HUGE help! Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteI won't give tips because you have probably tried to figure out every which way to stop the downward spiral.
ReplyDeleteI will give you a big ol' internet hug though.
Supply issues suck so bad. I remember very clearly having my husband calling me at working and pleading with me to come home because there was no breastmilk left even though I pumped after every single feeding session since day 1. It was horrible.
Hang in there!
I know this is very strange but the hops in beer promotes milk let down and supply issues. I am an OB nurse and it has proved to be very successful. You could try a non alcoholic beer like O'Douls but typically (and shockingly) Guiness is the beer that promotes the most milk. Try it in the evening.
ReplyDelete