*Disclaimer*
If poop and breastmilk make you uncomfortable:
discontinue reading now.
Help!
Nursing sweet Laynee has been such a blessing but oh such challenge!
Yes. Sweet girl is:
1. sleepy
2. a lazy eater
3. so teeny tiny.
These 3 things do not make for a power nurser.
I am doing my very best for her, trying my darndest to make
this experience a positive one.
She started off nursing very slowly - in the hospital
and I could immediately tell we were going
to have a little struggle with it.
I was relaxed and ready to face the challenge
with a happy heart.
My milk came in on day 5
which I thought was kind of late - but I was just glad
that it came in.
Between week 1 and week 2 there was no poop.
No poop? For a breastfed baby? What?!
For 7 days?!
I KNOW.
I finally called the pediatrician.
Here is what he told me:
Feeding every 2.5 hours was hurting my supply -
as it was not enough time for me to "replenish"
She was absorbing every (little) bit she got from me -
leaving nothing for waste.
Supplement.
I did not want to hear that.
Here is what I have been doing:
drinking between 64-80 oz of water a day.
Eating healthy snacks. All day. Literally.
(was) feeding on demand.
(I know- I did this intentionally in the beginning to build up supply)
It turned out to be feeding about every 2.5-3 hours.
Pumping 3 times a day.
Herbal supplements
Vitamins.
What else can be done people? Why can I not make enough?
She has had a bottle.
Her urine started turning a very dark color
(indicating signs of dehydration)
and I could not have my baby not pooping!
Please comment away on what I can do - what else is there for me to do?
I am not at all ready/willing to give it up -
but when you try 8 -10 times every single day
for 4 straight weeks-
it gets wearing on a mama!
6 comments:
As for the poop, Cate was only pooping once every 10-12 days for a good stretch. My ped said that's totally normal for bf babies. At about 4.5 months, she started going every 2-3 days.
Oh Shea, I totally feel your pain on this one. I struggled with both my kids. I took the herbs (motherlove brand) and pumped after each feeding. I also had lactation consultants with each kid. They have scales and weigh baby before a feeding and after to tell you exactly how much milk they got. That was so helpful for me to know where to go from where we were. After the weighing, we knew in our case that supplementing was in order. It just took the guess work out. That might be the direction to look for you. Hope things get easier for you!
Have you tried taking Fenugreek? I had some issues with M as well. I ended up calling a Doula and asked for some advice. You can hire them, but Anjani Cole passed along her friend's info who was one. I don't have her number anymore, but her name is Rachel Pudelek. (if you are interested). Otherwise you should be able to look on doula.com and find one in your area. I know she had some other ideas and alternatives that I hadn't heard of before. I know one of the things that I did was stress out about not making enough that it decreased my supply too. :) I hope this was a little helpful.
I use Fenugreek anytime my supply starts to drop,drink Mother's Milk tea and also took a Mother's Lactation blend supplement. I also nurse on demand but sounds like you are doing that. I'll be praying it gets better, it can be so exhausting!
Have you tried eating fatting meals- burgers, etc? Sometimes the higher calorie items really help. Keep your head up- you are doing a fantastic job!
I'm so sorry. I used Fenugreek whenever my supply got low. I'm sure that's one of the things you've been using...It took three full days of using it, or slightly more for me to notice a difference. The Mother's Milk tea made me gag. Eating oatmeal increases your supply. Peppermint decreases it. I know you do Babywise, but during this difficult time, nursing on demand or offering it to her every 2 hours might help, especially since pumping might be difficult to do when you're trying to watch all the girls. I can't remember how often you said she is eating...This is only a little bump. Try not to be discouraged. When I had a difficult time nursing Fount, the pediatrician wasn't very supportive, but the lactation consultants were angels. I was told that my OB could prescribe something that could increase my supply, but I don't remember it ofhand. Many of the lactation consultants make house calls. Praying for you!
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