Wow, that does sound very hectic. If the pumping isn't yielding much, why not skip it?
Hope you have a good weekend.
Wow, that does sound very hectic. If the pumping isn't yielding much, why not skip it?
Hope you have a good weekend.
CAn you get anything out with hand-squirting? I ask because that can be done in a couple of minutes in the loo, and might give you a reasonable compromise when out and about...
I agree with the two ideas above... and just wanted to throw my two cents in and say ditch the guilt. You're doing a wonderful thing to even attempt this... pls don't beat yourself up with "shoulds", but I must admit, I know it's so much easier said than done!! Also you mentioned the motilium and fenugreek. Are you trying RLT as well? I always found that seemed to do more for me than fenugreek, and I just took the Blackmores tablets rather than drinking the actual tea (I was too lazy for that lol).
Also for when you do pump, you said you're using a manual pump, have you tried using a make-shift hands-free bra as well? You can buy them online, but I don't imagine you'd want to do that at this stage... BUT I know of girls in the EE thread who've made their own by cutting a circle in an old crop top or bra. Then the pump bit "tucks in" IYKWIM... allowing you at least one hand free! If you google for an image of "easy expressions pumping bustier" you'll see what the commercial ones look like. I think that anything you can do to make it more relaxing, or allow you to do other things (or even more importantly) focus on other things can help make it all more maintainable. GL, i'm cheering you on :clap: - because regardless of the outcome, I really admire your effort and you should be so very proud of yourself :hug:.
Marcellus - I don't feel like I can give up the pumping until I get the supply line worked out. I don't believe that DD is doing enough on the boob to stimulate my milk whereas at least I know that the pump is in theory. Once I've worked out the supply line thing, I think we'll be right. I should be figuring it out now but this is the first chance I've had to think ALL day. Am going to set the alarm for tomorrow morning and try to have that worked out before DD2 wakes up. Might have to start a thread on tips for that. I know how it works but logistically I don't know how you would be able to set it up each time before having a hysterical baby on your hands. I just get stressed when DD cries and want to feed her as quickly as possible and that will be hard if if I'm fiddling around taping tubes to my boobs. If anyone has any tips, let me know!
Belfie - I've got the one-handed pumping down pat :) - the bigger problem for me is DD waking up every 40 mins during the day and cracking it if you put her down again. She's a bit of a velcro baby. Lucky she's cute. Am going to have to get a sling I think but it's really hard during the day to start browsing around online for things.
Fair enough. Do you pump and feed at the same time at all?
I always wonered the same thing about suply lines - seem so fiddly. Maybe there's a nack to it.
I think that Eluned just used a nasogastric tube with one end in the bottle and the other in the corner of bub's mouth - rather like a big floppy straw. No tape or anything overly fiddly.
fionas i used a supply line with DS1 for a little while i haven't read the resent pages but is it EBM you're useing? if you can guessume your DD is going to wake at say 1:30am pull out the EBM and pop it in the dispencer thingy (cant think of the name right now) and pop it between your boobs about half hour before and tape the line along your boob to the nipple ect. this a) warms the milk up to body temp and b) is ready for the feed before hand. i found this worked with DS1 as the milk comming from the breast was the same temp and all as the supply line.
you're doing a good job, i admire you for trying :hug:
Dansta - unfortunately I can't predict when she's going to need a full feed because during the day she wakes every 40 mins. I use that opportunity to put her on the boob to stimulate my supply but she's not actually feeding, just having a bit of a suck. Sometimes she goes back to sleep, sometimes she's up for a bit, sometimes she has a bit of formula. It's really hard to know how many short naps and wake-ups she's going to need before having a full feed beause some days she has lots of snacks. This is obviously not ideal but at the moment, I'm living with it because I know that putting her on the boob every time she wakes up (even if it might only be for a few minutes before she cracks it at the lack of milk) is good for my supply (bearing in mind that I had NO milk, not a drop, 8 days ago and now I have some).
She's on formula not EBM so I'm not sure how long I could have that in the dispenser warming up even if I could predict her wake up times.
ahh i see. formular from memory is around 30mins (i could be wrong) before it goes 'off' as such.
you're doing a friggin' good job to have gone from no milk to some in 8days! maybe she's the same kind of bub DS1 was. wake, feed,play,feed,sleep? i found that was the only way to get more of a 'brake' between feeds with him. (he was also Mr Velcro baby too)
wowee, fiona, you're doing so well considering how much you've had going on over the past few months!
I hope you're able to see what a wonderful job you're doing, caring for all your family, and still keeping sane yourself.
It's fair enough to feel like getting bf sorted on top of everything else is the last straw ... and well done for seeing what boundaries you needed at the time, rather than ignoring physical and emotional limitations, and burning out.
how exciting that you still have some milk!
everyone is different, but I would suggest definately putting your DD on the boob, and let her have a go ... maybe at a time when she's not too hungry, but also not straight after a big feed, so she's up for a bit of a suck, but not struggling and starving either. just a time when you can both be nice and relaxed, and it can just be some nice bonding time for her, whether or not she's able to have a bit of a feed.
You probably have a few ideas about what times of day your DD is nice and alert, ready to play/explore, but not too easily distracted? I'd go for it at one of those times, in a reasonably calm arena, where you can have at least 20 minutes just to yourselves ... maybe while DD1 is having a nap?
My DS even likes the odd feed while we're having a bath, because he's nice and warm and snuggly, and enjoying the skin to skin contact ... other ladies on BB I've seen mention having naked time (or at least top free time) in bed, where bub can snuggle up to your boobies and have a slurp if they're interested ...
and you can always squirt out a few drops for them to smell, to get them interested, and to encourage them to latch on.
If it goes well, the more you let her suckle, the more milk you'll have return.
Good luck! I hope it goes really well.
You're doing such an awesome job!! I really hope the supply lines works. I know how heartbreaking it is hearing your LO cry but try to ignore it while you get the supply line ready for her feed, she will survive, it only takes a minute or so :)
Slings - we loved our Bubba Moe for our DD as it held her in the cradle/heart position so she was always lying right next to our hearts while in it. We used it constantly until she was 7 months and then we used it again recently on a few flights and she had just turned one. I highly recommend them! If you buy one, get it from somewhere that can give you a quick demo if you can. They're not hard to use but the little demo IRL makes all the difference. Once DD got bigger (so after 7 months) we used our Ergo. DD still loves both slings and settles well in both.
Formula - if the weather is cool, we left DD's formula out of the fridge for an hour max. She has NEVER had a problem with that.
GL this weekend hun. I'm so impressed you're getting some milk! Rest assured if the pump is getting some out, so is DD. She might be done with it quickly, but she'd be getting more than the pump. It's what's keeping her interested and attached. She obviously likes the comfort, but for a hungry baby, that's never enough. ;)
No need for you to feel guilty - my goodness, to me it sounds like you're searching for a balance without giving up on any one idea or before you come to a decision. That's really admirable!
Just a quick update - we're about a month in to this relactating lark and I've mainly been using the supply line in the last couple of weeks so have not been doing too much pumping but today I got out 60 whole millilitres which I'm very excited about. Not that much really in the whole scheme of things, but I'm elated that I'm continuing to make more milk.
Woohoo! That's great.
That would have been a realy good expressing session for me back in the day
Well done you!
Oooh go you good thing! I'm excited for you, i think that's great :clap::
that's fantastic!! well gone :hug::
I'm so pleased to hear you're still going! It's not so much the quantity, as any bm you're giving DD is great. I really admire your persistence and good for you giving the supply line a go. And you sound so relaxed about it all. :clap: