No More Breastmilk

Make sure you are drinking lots of water...I found that especially in the cold weather, I had to drink more. It definitely effects your milk production. You can use fenugreek too. My lactation nurse told me to take three pills/ three times a day when I was struggling....IT WORKS. Once it was back up and I was making more, I cut it down. The bottle does not suggest that amount, however it did work and I felt no side effects. I bought a large bottle at GNC.

K.
Mommy of two girls: 25 months and 11 months.

R.,

It seems like most everyone has said just about the same thing. I have had a similar situation, and my daughter is only 3 months old! I had to go back to work when she was 8 weeks (so hard). I'm a Pre-K teacher at an Elementary school and pumping at work hasn't been as easy as I thought it was going to be. I got to be really bad at it after about 2 weeks, so I was thankful for Christmas break so I could concentrate on building my milk supply back up... I actually learned some new things with the responses of other people, but I was going to let you know that I just sympathize with what you're going through. But don't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't work out the way you've been planning. I really had to let go of all my expectations. When Emma was born, I swore that formula would never touch her little tummy and that she would be breast-fed for the full first year. But since I went back to work, it's been really hard to keep up with my stored supply... so she's had to have formula.

Anyway, all of that just to say, that formula is fine. It's not the horrible evil I thought it was! :) Emma usually takes between 5-7 ounces at a feeding (she's 3 months old), but that's about how much breastmilk she takes from a bottle too. I will say that we decided to give Emma formula for her last feeding, and it has helped her sleep longer through the night. We use Enfamil with Iron and Enfamil Gentlease. Its what the hospital and our pediatrician reccommended. One suggestion is to ask your doctor for some samples. They get tons and tons of cans of formula as free samples. My pediatrician said that we can get it from them whenever we need it, so we've never had to pay for formula, and as long as we keep asking for it, we never will. I would think it'd be worth a try to ask your doctor.

I would just encourage you to not beat yourself up over your situation. I know its hard. Its really precious to share nursing with your baby. But you can still have that time. Maybe you can just spread out your nursing sessions. Because I teach school, I nurse first thing in the morning, when I get home from school around 4:00 and then usually once, maybe more in the evening before she goes to bed. Also, even if my breasts are empty and seem dry, if I pump for at least 10 minutes, I seem to have more milk the next time I need it.

I know this response was really long. I'm sorry, I guess I just really related to what you're going through. I hope I was able to help a little... even just to be encouraging.

Good Luck! And remember, the fact that you've nursed this long is so great for your baby. :)

-S. & Baby Emma

My lactation consultant recommends More Milk Plus supplement. It comes in capsule & liquid. It will help to boost your supply. Of course, you should also check out the other possibilities listed such as medication or pregnancy first. Call a lactation consultant, too!

http://store.babycenter.com/product/feeding+-+nursing/bre...

http://store.babycenter.com/product/feeding+-+nursing/bre...

Hi R.. I congratulate you on breastfeeding your child for 8 months, and still wanting to continue. It's the best thing you can do for your baby. Well, I had the same problem with my first child and I had to buy a breast pump. They are a pain in the butt to use, but once I used it for 3 days consistantly, it worked. Although giving him both breast milk and formula is good, your breast milk will begin to dry out. Make sure the formula contains Iron. Like Enfamil with Iron is one used quite often.

Hi R.,
I just wanted to let you know that there is an amazing lactation consultant who you can call for an appointment...I could not have breastfed without her amazing guidance. Her number is ###-###-#### and her name is Linda Worer. She is the best around. Also your doctor can prescribe a medication to increase your supply. I used it for a couple of months and started producing more milk than i knew what to do with.
Good luck!

R.,

This happened to me when I was nursing my first son. Shortly thereafter I found out that I was pregnant. If this isn't your situation, I would suggest you speak with your doctor to determine how you might improve your milk supply. Perhaps you had a reaction to some food or medication you have taken. During this flu/cold season, we take a ton of antihistamines. Antihistamines are notorious for drying up your milk as are antibiotics. Good thing about this, your supply will be restored once you stop taking these medications as long as you are still stimulating your milk glands.

If you are not able to replenish your supply, please know that formula has all the nutrients your child needs and is a fantastic replacement for mother's milk. At eight months, your child should be receiving most of their nutrition from table food.

Many blessings to you and your family!

- C.

R.,

I had the same issue first time I took antibiotics for mastitis (infection in my breast). My milk was reduced to a 1/3 of what it used to be. I took fenugreek as someone else suggested and it works. You have to take it for at least a week and you have to make sure you pump or feed your son on a regular basis and your milk supply will build back up. Water is very important as well. On another occasion I got sick (did not take any medication), however, I was dehydrated and my milk supply once again dropped. Now I try to take two fenugreek pills a day,pump every four hours if away from my baby and drink my 64oz of water a day. Fish seems to work for me. For some reason, after eating fish, i always have more milk than usual. Good luck and if you do go with Formula, start out with 6oz at least (for 8 mon old) and adjust the amount as needed. It depends on how often you feed but you son should be taking around 28-32oz of milk a day along with solid foods (just went to the pediatrician yesterday).

A little amount me:
Mother of a beautiful 6 month old girl.