bf/pumping moms???

bf/pumping moms???

Re: bf/pumping moms???

Ive been there Phyl. What my sis suggested was taking fenugreek, I think theyre sold at health stores like GNC. Also eating lots of oatmeal, drinking water.

Hope that helps.

Re: bf/pumping moms???

I am not doing this yet but I know this can be an issue for many women. Can you call a lactation nurse to give you some advise?

Re: bf/pumping moms???

Phyl, you can FM me and I'll give you my sisters email if you'd like. Shes been BFing for the past 4 years (all 3 kids back to back, not her 4yr old, LOL).
Now shes a SAHM but she worked for the first 2 kids, and she did the whole pump thing at work, and can probably help you.
She also had milk supply problems, but she overcame them with the advice I mentioned above.

Dont get discouraged, and if you have to supplement with formula, thats ok too !

hey anna

I KNEW you would post on this- yay for me

I eat cereal for bfast every day- ok will switch to oatmeal and see...and feungeek ( sp ?) vitamins? I guess I can add it to the prenatal and the calcium and the mini pill I take each day lots of pills


did your sis really see a big difference after trying the oatmeal/feungeek???

I guess I can also try to contact a la leche person...but dont know if they can REALLY help me with production.
PLUS i cannot pump every 3 hours...I can pump maybe 2x a day AT BEST when I am at work...and it wont happen if it takes more than a 1/2 hour each TIME!

anna- u have mail

Re: anna- u have mail

Yep she saw a DRAMATIC increase in supply. She was very ecstatic about it ! BFing is something very serious and special to her !

I'll give you her email !

Re: anna- u have mail

Funny tangent, BFing is such a common every day thing for her kids, that my nieces thinkeveryone pumps or breastfeeds, its all they know.
Last week she was over (She's 4) and she pinches my boob and goes 'Zia anna, thats your booby, do you pump?' LOL.
Or when I was preparing JA's formula, she goes 'you pumped that zianna, thats breastmilk for John Anthony?' 'Mommy pumps too'

And her little brother has a cute onesy that says 'Got breastmilk?' (I'll post a pic of when JA had it on, of course my sis put it on him, LOL)..

Her and her sis are always lifting their shirts and putting the pumps on their little boobies to be like mommy! TOOO CUTEEEE.

that is cute...

Re: that is cute...

I think you need to be less harsh on yourself. BFing and working is NOT easy Phyl. It is one thing to be home and able to do it when you need to, but when you have meetings/projects/conference calls/e-mails etc.. you cannot always schedule pumping at the best times. You are also under A LOT of stress just trying to take care of a baby and working a job, plus the house and a husband. Maybe you can feed J when you are home and use formula when you are not. I know this isn't exactly what you want, but you cannot do everything and that is OKAY. The stress of a time limit on the pumping is probably effecting you a lot and that is not good or fair to you. I am not saying to give-up, but rather not beat yourself up so much.

thanks michele..and anna too!

I 'AM' my own worse enemy at times...very easily subject to guilt by my own doing.
I can think most of the time that I am doing my best...but then I hear/read that there are moms that can get 8oz in 15min and I am blown away!

I have already gone up 2 cup sizes...so being a BIG size doesnt seem to mean you have more milk...
AND I know that they baby is the MOST efficient pump of all....but I didnt think that pumping would be soooo difficult. Go figure!

Well, thank goodness that the dr said that there is absolutely nothing wrong w/ supplimenting! even tho all moms I spoke to said the same, I dont know- it was good to hear it from the DR. He told me that I was doing a great job! J is thriving and if I need to supplement, so be it. ( I should have taped him so I could listen to it time and time again! )

Re: thanks michele..and anna too!

Phyl- remind me what I have said to you when I post this same thing next winter And you are doing a great job!!!

Re: thanks michele..and anna too!

Re: thanks michele..and anna too!

phyl, which pump do you use? My sis has the electric one, and once she had to use my manual one, and she LOVED IT so much that she went and bought one, and SWEARS BY IT (when she needs to pump, very rarely now since shes home). but she strongly feels its more effficient and does a better job.

Re: thanks michele..and anna too!

Try an electric pump - they work MUCH better than manual ones. And Fenugreek definitely makes a huge difference, as well as 'Mother's Milk' tea. I used both when I was BFing.

Phyl - the best advice I can give you is when you are pumping at work, try to shut yourself away from work things - put headphones with lullabyes on if you need to, hold a t-shirt of J's or even snuggle one of her stuffed toys if it helps to increase your milk flow. Remember your diet and keep yourself well hydrated while you're at work - all of these things can impact your milk production.

Good luck!

Re: thanks michele..and anna too!

Claud, you liked the electric pump better? I just didnt like the fact that THIS MACHINE is in control of the force with which I am YANKED AT (is that TMI or scaring moms to be ?? ) Those are the perfect words I would use to describe it I LOVEEE the manual one, and I was actually surprised that my sister prefers it by far.
Its really a matter of preference for everyone.

Good luck Phyl ! My sis told me youre in contact with her. Youre in good hands!

electric pump

medela pump in style.. carry it back and forth 3 days a week to work..the other 2 I work from home which almost always means no pumping that day.

WIll take advice about listening to calm music while pumping. I guess that means I cant ck my email, voicemail to take phone calls while pumping???


WIll ask the dr about Feungreek...

Thanks anna for the intro- you r sis emailed me right back and asked for my phone # but I haven't heard from her yet....