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| Nap snuggles during my lunchtime today. |
I used to pump a good 10 ounces or more in the morning which was enough to fill all of Carter's bottles for the day and then freeze some. I would get all of that in a matter of minutes. I never pumped for longer than 10 minutes. I only pumped once a day in the morning. I had a pretty good thing going. This morning I sat pumping for over 15 minutes and got a mere 2 ounces. Every time I looked down at the bottle and saw what a small amount of milk was in it I felt the stress and tension bubble up into my chest until eventually tears were streaming down my face as I turned off the pump feeling defeated.
When I got to work I was still upset. I knew it was only the 2nd day back at work and I'd probably figure it all out, but I couldn't bear the thought of not providing Carter with enough milk. It has always been the plan to breastfeed Carter the full year unless he weans himself before that. I talked with my co-teacher and she suggested I pump for longer periods of time even if I'm not getting any milk to get my body used to it again. I also talked to one of Carter's teachers at daycare and she suggested pumping on one side while Carter eats on the other. Whether their suggestions help or not, their encouragement was exactly what I needed.
As much as it frustrated me hearing the opinions of all the moms when I was pregnant, I have been very pleasantly surprised by the support they have provided since Carter was born. Sometimes a solution isn't necessarily what I need. Sometimes I just need someone to listen to my concerns and understand why I'm upset. With all the things a mom has to worry about, thank goodness there are other moms who have already been through something similar to coach you out of your crazy state.
Anyone go through something similar and have some pumping suggestions? I'm willing to try pretty much anything!
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| Carter tried grapes today. He loved them and came so close to feeding himself! |
Just pump more like she said. Your body will realize there is more of a demand, so start to produce more. It will think Carter is having a growth spurt. :) Cute pictures!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how quickly that worked I've already gone from 1-2 oz per pumping session to 2-3 oz per session!
DeleteMaybe try pumping before you go to bed? (I know it's a pain to wash those pump parts though. Especially before bed when you're tired!) A bowl of oatmeal is supposed to be a milk enhancer, too. You could blend it in with a smoothie or eat a bowl for breakfast. Whenever I eat it, my boobs balloon up like water balloons. And lastly, if the other two (or any other trick you've tried) aren't working, it might not hurt to cut back on running mileage. I've noticed that the more I run, the lower my supply gets (and I've dealt with oversupply the whole time). Oatmeal and a pump session have helped me out without cutting back mileage though, so hopefully something will come through for you!
ReplyDeleteI have been pumping at night. That was what was so upsetting, I was pumping 3 times a day and only getting 5 oz total. I'll have to try the oatmeal. I drink a smoothie for lunch everyday as I drive to see Carter at lunch, I'll start adding oatmeal to it.
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