Breastfeeding - Syracuse, NY

Are you off from work today and tomorrow? Stay in bed with your baby. Skin to skin. Let him nurse all day and night, whenever he wants. Don't pump unless necessary! Don't supplement unless he's really hungry, and then pump while he's taking that bottle. And don't make it a big bottle- just enough to last a little while. Then put him back to your breast.

Offer him the opportunity constantly, and he'll let you know when he wants to nurse. And really, REALLY take it easy these two days! Hubby has to cook and clean. Just watch tv and read and relax with your baby. Drink a ton of water and lactation tea. Eat oatmeal, granola bars, corn meal products (tortillas, chips, cornbread), and add alfalfa sprouts to a salad.

But make your husband do the shopping- you've got a baby to nurse! :) Then start the pumping back up on Monday. Right after your nurse him in the morning, and at least every couple of hours during the day. Eventually, if you'll be supplementing with formula, you can pump less. But for now, you'll need to pump at work!

Good luck!

I agree -- breastfeed as often as you can, pump afterwards for about 10 mins when you can. Drink lots of water, eat well, take your vitamin, eat lots of oatmeal, and also fenugreek and blessed thistle -- 3 capsules of each, 3 times a day. Do skin to skin and carry you baby in a sling as much as possible. Pump every three hours if you can at work with a hospital grade pump if you can, you can rent or buy -- I love medela.com Your OB might also order you Reglan if you are still low after trying.

I would suggest that this weekend, all you do is breastfeed. Stay in bed or in a comfy chair and have your husband do everything for you. Just keep at it, every 2 hours just like when he was born. You can also buy Mother's Milk Tea, which has fenugreek in it. It may take a few days, but it will come back. And at work, you can pump if you choose to (legally in NY state they have to give you breaks for pumping). If not, you can still breastfeed your son right when he wakes up in the morning (or pump first thing in the morning if he is still asleep when you leave for work). Then you can breastfeed him again when you get home from work, and the rest of the night. Your body will adjust to this new schedule, whatever you decide to do.

The best way to increase supply is to supply :)
feed, feed , feed! The health food stores could have suppliments for increase production but as breastfeeding is a supply and demand activity all you can do is keep feed you baby.
I assume you are feeding baby something else, but try to feed with your milk first before filling baby with formula. Also once baby is full try to pump or hand express anything that is left.

It wont hurt to add in extra feeds for a few days just to increase supply either but not less that 2 hourly.

Hope this helps

M., successful feeder of 2 children to 8 mths and 11 months respectively.

Go back to breastfeeding, the more often the better. Will your baby still take the breast? If not, pump, you'll get some milk, probably not as much as you would with breastfeeding, but better than nothing. Good luck!

Hi! I am so glad I can the year off with my baby. He is still nursed and almost 7 months old. You can try the fennelgreek tea or capsules, blessed thistles capsules, pumping before or after nursing. Before - for a few minutes for baby to get hind milk or after - to have what baby didn't get. There is also domperidone pills. Please research. It is illegal to prescribe in the USA but you can have a doc prescribe and send to Canada to fulfill prescription.

I remember when I went back to work my milk production became less and less. It's important to take enough rest and to drink a lot of fluids (I believe at least 2 liters a day). You have to build it up again by getting some milk out every 2-3 hours. I'm from the Netherlands, and there the employer has to give the mother the oppertunity and a private room with refrigerator to pump out the milk, so work doesn't have te be the reason te stop breastfeeding. Is that the same in America? If so try increasing the production by making your body think the baby is drinking again every few hours. Hope it's going to work out for you, especially since you enjoy doing it.

S.

Just keep nursing as often as you can. You can even pump in between feedings to bring up your milk supply. The concept is simple....SUPPLY and DEMAND. I hope it all goes well for you. You didn't stop for long. I breastfed for 14 months and it took 3 weeks for my body to stop producing milk. I too went back to work when my son was 3 months old. I wanted to keep breastfeeding. I had to pump at work. I'll be honest, it wasn't the easiest thing in the world but I did it because I felt that it was best for him. Give it a try and if you can't do it, don't feel bad. It doesn't always work out perfect for every one. I forgot to mention to drink a lot of fluids, eat well, get as much rest as you can with a 2 month old! and try not to stress.

Start breastfeeding again, or pumping again, very frequently, like every 2 hours, or even sooner. Always drink plenty of liquids each time afterwards, a glass of water is just fine. As long as your milk supply has not completely dried up, you should be able to restore your milk production once again. Good luck!

before I had kids I couldnt even look at a mom who was nursing, but as soon as I had my first I was a changed woman and suddenly people were asking me for advice if they had problems. Breastfeeding is the most wonderful, intimate relationship a mom can have with a child so do not give it up. For my first two it was easy because I stopped working, but by the time I had my third I was back to a more than 9-5 job and managed to nurse for 22 months (ok, at the end it was just for a bit in the morning and a bit at night, but I never had pains from stopping cold turkey!). Try pumping during the day to increase your milk supply. You can keep it in the fridge at work and leave it home for your baby for the next day. If you don't have an office and cannot borrow one to pump, you may find yourself pumping in the bathroom. Kind of sucks, but it is well worth it.

Drink LOTS of fluids, eat healthfully, nurse frequently, sleep. I had some serious issues when my son was born such that we didn't really establish good nursing until he was almost 2 months old. My midwife recommended fenugreek capsules which helped me a lot. I did not pump at all, as I realized quickly that if I didn't get adequate sleep it would decrease my supply so I opted for my sleep at night rather than get up and pump every couple hours. My milk supply jumped quickly, especially once I started the fenugreek, and then never had any problems.

Hi A., Weaning from breastfeeding should be gradual. Just keep feeding your baby and your milk supply may come up. If baby is hungry you should supplement with formula. If it was only one day it should be OK. You can feed your son in the morning and at night for as long as you have milk. You can also pump to leave some breastmilk for baby while you are working. Best wishes, Grandma Mary

Hi A., I think the best way to bring your supply up is to let your son nurse for long periods of time,even if u think the I'd nothing left. Only baby is able to bring it back, not pump. Also drink lots of
Water. Good luck!

Along with what everyone else is saying, breastfeed your baby as often as you can, and then if you are at work, pump 2 -3 times a day. it can be hard and disturbing to your works day, but it's doable! Many moms have done it, and you can too! I pumped at work for a good 4 months, and it was well worth it.
Also, something a little more unconventional (along with the advice to drink lots of liquids), drink beer! It really helps. just having a beer at night can help. if you can have two, even better.
Good luck, and try to keep breastfeeding till at least 6 months, it's the best thing for your baby!!