Got no milk?
My worst nightmare came true during our visit to the LC on Friday. I went from sort-of-barely adequate milk supply to why-are-you-starving-your-baby status in one short week. I am now a regular pharmacopia of supplementation trying to bring back the leche. I take brewers yeast and beer and fenugreek and mother's milk tea and now I am on Reglan which can cause severe depression, all to bring on the milk. I keep telling myself that this is the right thing to do and I truly believe it, but when I responded no when the LC offered to give Goldita formula to top her off, I felt like a horrible person. I mean, my kid was hungry and I made her wait until I got her home to feed her pumped milk.
She told me that my supply is most likely low because I am so stressed at work. Tell me, should I just take my layoff now and not wait for them to replace me? Should I be a bad employee or a bad mother? I am really in a quandry folks.
She told me that my supply is most likely low because I am so stressed at work. Tell me, should I just take my layoff now and not wait for them to replace me? Should I be a bad employee or a bad mother? I am really in a quandry folks.
posted by Kirsten at
2:37 PM
6 Comments:
Taking the layoff now would seem so tempting to me, but maybe you could (and I'm hardly the expert here -- I haven't even gone back to work yet so I'm sure a new world of problems awaits me) add another pumping session somewhere in your day (and pump after you nurse) That might help to increase your milk supply.
If you are concerned about depression, a friend of mine used Domperidone (ordered it from Canada directly) and it helped her--be aware, however, that it is not FDA approved. This is a very informative site:
http://www.bfar.org/domperidone.shtml
I also hear many LCs are advocates of using this, but you have to do what you are most comfortable with.
Best of luck with all your decisions!
Are you completely breastfeeding too? How did you know you were low on milk?
I went through this too when I went back to work. Stress does cause lower milk supply but then you're more stressed about it, making matters worse! You will make the right decision, whatever you choose to do. (((((Hugs))))
I've been through this and I didn't even go back to work. Things that have helped: Rest, not stressing about it (so hard to do), exercise (releases endorphins), lots of water, fenugreek, sleep with an article of Goldie's clothes on your pillow under your nose - what she wore that day (as long as there's no spit up on it) and yep - feed often - or even add in a pump after she's gone to bed for the night. It's exhausting trying to get it back up - but you can do it!
i had a breast reduction in my early 30s so bf was an exercise in torture. i took first the fen, then the metachlopromide, then we gave her similac with iron. cuz, you know, it never worked out - the multitude of drugs and one dark beer and yeast and pumping every 2 hours....i'll be the first to say it - formula does a body good. really though, you're trying and the small amount that babalicious gets makes a huge difference going forward.
i'm with you, hear you, feel you, and mostly, just want to hug you. good luck.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home