Hellobee Boards Topic: If you had low supply, did it ever get better??

Hellobee Boards Topic: If you had low supply, did it ever get better?? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:38:01 +0000 maybebaby on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1688985 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:16:39 +0000 maybebaby 1688985@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I haven't had a change to read the responses, but you are doing an AMAZING job. We supplemented until 4 weeks, then when I went back to work at 6 months we began again. Proud to have BFed, pumped, and formula fed (still BFing morning and night at 1 year). Do what works for you and know that the best thing you are doing for your baby is feeding them--whatever way that happens to be!! xoxo Here is my post about finally getting the hang of it after struggling with low supply. <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-finally-we-are-getting-the-hang-of-this" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-finally-we-are-getting-the-hang-of-this</a> deerylou on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1688854 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 11:17:04 +0000 deerylou 1688854@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: I've been in your shoes, and wanted to lend my support and condolences. I am not entirely sure my milk ever fully "came in", but I was diagnosed with chronic low supply when LO was a few weeks old. We tried almost everything - frequent LC visits, strict pumping schedule, SNS, and a plethora of herbs and supplements. It was barely managable during the few weeks my husband took leave, but after he went back to work, it was a nightmare. My daughter, like yours, wanted to be held/worn almost constantly, so the amount of time I had to devote to pumping really upset her. We kept at it a while longer, but I wasn't noticing any increase in my supply, and I felt myself slipping, emotionally and mentally. My daughter's low weight was also becoming a problem. I was exhausted, defeated, and immensely frustrated with my body. I genuinely just wanted to enjoy motherhood. I know there are low supply success stories, and I truly hope yours is one of them! Personally, I supplemented until my supply dried up, entirely, and then switched to formula, full-time. Whatever your outcome, your daughter will thrive, with love. Hang in there, and be kind to yourself. Mae on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1688819 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 11:08:18 +0000 Mae 1688819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Anagram: that is sort of what i was trying. i had her rnp next to me rocking her with my foot. i couldn't reach her with my hands due to where my pump is but i could try moving it maybe Anagram on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1688809 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 11:02:51 +0000 Anagram 1688809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: Just a tip about pumping with a baby (although if you don't want to do it, I totally understand!). Use your hands free bra, put baby in a rock n play, swing, bouncer...whatever you have, and interact with her while you pump. You can sit on the floor and pump even. This worked at least 80% of the time when I was pumping on mat leave. There was the other 20% of the time where NOTHING helped and I just had to pump while she cried (on those days where she just wanted to be held all day). I think one small benefit of all this is that she's very independent now. I'm actually pumping as we speak and she's playing by herself on the living room floor with toys. She can entertain herself for a full 30 minutes at this age (she's not quite 11 months). Either way, hang in there. Your issue is SO common--I have so many friends who have been throught the grueling BF/Pump/Supplement cycle--all with different results. Some were able to just BF after their supply improved, some went to EPing, some went to FF, some continued combo feeding forever. =) Any way you do it, your baby will be fine! Mae on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1688793 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:56:06 +0000 Mae 1688793@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @skipra: Nope. During the day she's pretty much only happy being held either over your shoulder or cradled or in the moby. Occasionally if she gets into a really deep sleep I can transfer her to her swing or RnP but that doesn't happen that often. she more commonly lightly catnaps on me and wakes up if I move her at all. skipra on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1688772 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:52:19 +0000 skipra 1688772@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: :sad: that is not low stress. Does she do better in the swing or bouncy seat or play mat? Or even laying right next to you on the bed or couch? heartonastring on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1688681 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:25:13 +0000 heartonastring 1688681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Mine improved, but it was never so low that we needed to supplement so our situations sound slightly different. I also had a csection though and also didn't get my milk in until day 5, but I think that's pretty normal for inductions/csections. DD lost 10% of her birth weight by the time we were discharged on day three and took weeks to get back up to birth weight (maybe even a month? I can't remember). I was fortunate to work with an incredible midwife and my fairy godmother LC who believed deeply in women's bodies and they never stressed about the weight gain, as K was happy, alert, bright and had plenty of wet and dirty diapers. Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle made a HUGE difference for me. For a long time I was taking them in both tincture and capsule form, at least tincture 3x/day plus 3 capsules of each, 3-4x/day. I also made tea with fennel seeds upon the recommendation of a friend. I just used fennel seeds, crushed them a little in my mortar and pestle, popped into a tea infuser and steeped in hot water. Then I drank it while I pumped...it's supposed to help with letdown. I did find lactation cookies (or just straight up brewer's yeast) to be helpful and I had to make sure I ate a TON of calories to keep my supply up. Any time I restricted even a little (or even inadvertently) my supply dropped again. Also, IMO and that of my LC, weighted feeds are a crap way of assessing intake. Babies' bodies are incredibly efficient and they start breaking down and metablizing milk literally before it even leaves their mouths. Also, just like us, some feeds are smaller snacks while others are larger meals. Weight gain and diapers are still the best way to gauge. Pumping is such an annoying mind-fuck too. It can easily become a negative feedback loop wherein you don't pump a lot so you get stressed out, and then the stress causes you to pump less. I really feel for you and hope you're able to find a good solution for you and F soon. As long as you feed your baby that's all that matters. If BFing/pumping is negatively affecting your mental health and/or your bond with your baby then there is absolutely no shame in throwing in the towel. I know that for me, I was so disappointed over losing the birth I'd wanted that I became obsessed with making BFing work...because I felt like everything else was out of my control and that if I couldn't control that one thing I would be a total failure. With 13 months of perspective now, I recognize that that is absolutely not the case. You are an awesome mama! You are doing a great job! Big, big hugs for you :heart: 78h2o on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1688666 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:19:09 +0000 78h2o 1688666@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I wish I had time to post, but work is busy today. I just want to say I'm sorry you are dealing with this, I know it can be so stressful. Try not to get down on yourself or beat yourself up. Breastmilk is great, but having a happy mom is even more important! I will try to come back and post more later. I had a lower supply, especially after I went back to work. I was able to exclusively breastfeed until 6 months (supplemented after that), but I was pumping like crazy and doing everything under the sun to scrape together enough milk to send to daycare. I do think all the supplements, drinking more water, diet changes, domperidome, etc. helped, but did not entirely fix the problem. I would say they maybe increased my supply 25-30%. The thing that helped me the most was pumping after nursing and power pumping sessions. Pumping even when nothing is coming out. I wouldn't see the effect that day, but by a day or two later, there was a definite increase. I did hear over and over again that the first 3 months is really the window of opportunity for establishing supply. The LC I saw said it's hard to completely fix after that point. You may still have a chance though if you are in that window. Is your LO not gaining? How do you know you have low supply? Are you pumping every single time you give pumped milk or formula? It's such a pain in the butt, but it really is necessary. Are you attending a breastfeeding support group? I went 2x a week and found it really helpful to be able to commiserate with other moms experiencing the same challenges. With regards to holding your LO while pumping, could you pump one side at a time and hold her against your chest on the other side? Not as efficient, but maybe less stressful?? Hang in there! Sounds like you are trying really hard - that's all you can do! pinkcupcake on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1688642 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:11:24 +0000 pinkcupcake 1688642@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes! I bled a ton right after delivery and my milk didn't come in until close to day 6. Then, I had really low supply for the first month because I kept dealing with mastitis and thrush. I had to pump every 2-3 hours - this was killer, even when my LO was sleeping I would have to drag myself out of bed - and I took a combination of More Milk Plus, fenugreek and blessed thistle. The MMP did NOT work on it's own; only when used together with the other supplements. I also drank Mothers Milk tea and ate oatmeal everyday. It took a month but my supply finally went up and I did not need to supplement with formula past the three week point, and I managed to EBF until she weaned at 2. I would highly recommend MMP and all the supplements- I think that was what really helped! Good luck!! Mae on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1688622 Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:01:35 +0000 Mae 1688622@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @skipra: I'm pumping alone for the first time right now and she is in her pack n play screaming. Sigh. She just hates not being held. I have no idea how I'm going to keep up with pumping having to listen to her cry :( Not low-stress. @avivoca: I wonder this too. Between the c-section and all those drugs (I didn't even get my milk in until like 5 days after!) and now my complication... I feel like my body might be working really hard to heal itself and maybe it doesn't have the ability to produce a lot of milk right now :( Stupid complications. re: SNS-- not really interested. I'm already so stressed with the schedule and the devices I feel like adding yet another device to the mix would make me way more stressed. Also I do have a hands-free bra but but I can't hold LO while pumping still bc with the bottles and tubes hanging off my chest there is just really no room for her. I tried one time and she kept flailing and pulling on the tubes :( daniellemybelle on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687928 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 23:21:57 +0000 daniellemybelle 1687928@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: <<I guess what I'm considering is giving up on pumping and just BFing her to the extend I can and FF whatever else she needs. I don't care so much about the bond but I feel like her getting at least SOME breastmilk is a good thing.>> That is exactly where I was at when I stopped pumping. Deciding to give up pumping saved our BFing relationship because the pumping was the worst part! I might have felt differently if I saw an increase from pumping but for me, it never helped so I was just doing it because that's what you are supposed to do when you have low supply. I would say if you want to stop, great. We have been nursing & supplementing for 7.5 months now & it is working great for us. You also don't have to give up pumping completely, by the way. You could pump after nursing even just once or twice a day. For a while, I would pump after LO went to bed for the night while I watched TV. I only got about a 1/2 oz but every drop counts. :) Oh, and as far as the bond... I feel like I didn't even have a true breastfeeding bond until about 5 months! So you may not keep nursing for the bond now, but you might have one down the line. Food DOES have an impact. You won't be squirting milk everywhere tomorrow but it was the only thing that really helped me so don't discount it. There's a Facebook group I can add you to if you are interested & they have so many great suggestions for lactogenic foods & a lot of success stories. That's how I discovered almond milk is seriously better for my supply than any herbal supplement. If you do decide to keep pumping, I would highly recommend a hospital grade pump. Those things will get the very last drop & they are so much faster & more comfortable. I could never use a regular pump again! A hands-free pumping bra is essential too. I would not recommend sacrificing your sleep to pump, personally. If you are already up from your baby waking up & you want to pump after she nurses, do that, but sleep is important to your supply in addition to your physical & mental health! @avivoca: Research shows a correlation between C-sections & lactation failure. It makes sense - the trauma of major surgery, all the drugs (for mom & baby) and the lack of skin-to-skin & bonding for mama & baby. A better breastfeeding experience is one of my main reasons for really wanting to VBAC next time! Ellie on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687917 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 22:57:46 +0000 Ellie 1687917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Wanted to chime in with a "me too"! Here's my life story :wink: : I found out at about 3 weeks that I had low supply too. My LO still hadn't reached her birth weight, was nursing constantly, rarely slept for long and was quite cranky. After seeing a LC and ruling out other issues, I began supplementing with formula after a feed. After that first supplemented feed I realized that I had been starving my daughter because for the first time she seemed happy and alert, then slept for hours. I cried, feeling like a failure. I pumped and pumped and just got drops out (from the hospital pump and an expensive one I bought), took domperidone, drank lactation tea and ate oatmeal, cookies, fenugreek, the whole nine yards. I supplemented with 2oz of formula via SNS during feedings and with one small bottle of formula in the evening. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your view of these things) my daughter self-weaned off of the formula, eventually refusing any and all bottles (including those with BM inside!). By about 7 or 8 weeks, we were back to exclusively breastfeeding. I believe my supply went up due to the domperidone, but barely. I did a few weighted feeds and it seemed to increase my output by about half an ounce, which isn't much. Anyway, I eventually just stopped taking the domperidone. I resigned myself to feeding her more often than a "normal" baby would, including about every 2 hours at night. Guh. Now she's just over 10 months and we're still breastfeeding. Adding solids has of course helped and she's doing great in terms of her weight and growth. Looking back, I honestly don't know how we made it relatively unscathed - months 2-5 were pretty dang brutal at times because of her being hungry but yet refusing bottles and formula. Brutal. I guess what I wanted to say was that you're not alone, as you've seen. It's heart-wrenching and difficult, to say the least, when you want to breastfeed but it's just not going 100%. I eventually accepted that I had a sucky supply and gave up trying to boost it. I stopped pumping, not wanting to waste any on a bottle she'd probably refuse anyway. I felt better when I stressed less about it. Sooo... good luck! avivoca on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687839 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 21:42:48 +0000 avivoca 1687839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I dealt with this when I was extremely sick in February. I went from pumping 11 oz. during the day to less than 2 oz. Things that helped me were drinking tons of water, eating tons of food, and healing. I absolutely believe that the food you eat helps your output. I have noticed a boost when I eat lactation cookies, avocado, and enough good fats. I wonder if your struggles with your c-section recovery may be impacting your supply? I know that that isn't always the case, but just going off my experience in how my supply dropped when I was sick. I hope that things get better for you. Good luck tomorrow. Do you have a hands free pumping bra? That will help if you need to hold LO while you pump. erinpye on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687834 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 21:36:47 +0000 erinpye 1687834@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Have you tried using an SNS while you supplement? Hugs- I had so much trouble with DD1 and had to supplement and eventually stop nursing short of my goal (supply was low and eventually just completely tanked due to undiagnosed tongue and lip ties which didn't allow enough milk transfer and stimulation). I know how upsetting it can be, and want you to give yourself a huge pat on the back for working so hard. (And just FYI, no supply issues with my 4 month old DD2, so don't let yourself worry about low supply if you have another baby in the future- it may not even be an issue.) nana87 on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687822 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 21:28:14 +0000 nana87 1687822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I am right there with you, having just figured out I have low supply a few days ago! No advice really, except to say a hospital grade pump is SO much better-- I get 2x as much output with it! Kemma on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687770 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 20:46:04 +0000 Kemma 1687770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: I'd totally recommend eating oats, lactation cookies and lactation tea! And I had to eat heaps of calories to keep my supply up so make sure you're getting lots of good, nutritious calories :-) Hang in there, you're doing great!! skipra on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687768 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 20:44:12 +0000 skipra 1687768@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I just wanted to add that as cliche as it sounds...relax while nursing and pumping. I used to stress about my supply and would not be able to pump much at all. If I zoned out and relaxed while doing it I could pump a lot more. I assume it's the same with nursing. Maybe try to pump during naps or put her in the swing right after a feeding if she doesn't fall asleep? It probably won't work every time but if you keep doing it she'll get used to it? Canoli on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687760 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 20:36:47 +0000 Canoli 1687760@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I started to drink mothers milk tea also. Also forgot to say that I will be thinking of you this week. I understand the anxiety of being alone with your baby. I remember this with my first. You will make it work! skipra on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687755 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 20:32:22 +0000 skipra 1687755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: Is it possible that pumping is helping and she is getting more from the breast each time and that's why you don't notice a change in output? I would recommend looking into a hospital grade pump as someone else mentioned. I notice a huge difference in the free pump I got from the insurance company and the better one I had with DS1. Could you also try mothers milk tea? I think there are some studies showing that it helps. If nothing seems to work, please don't beat yourself up over it! Canoli on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687730 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 20:14:47 +0000 Canoli 1687730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I just want to say that I read your posts and feel for you and want you to know that you have support. I had low supply with my first and had to supplement with formula because I could not keep up with his demand. With my second son(currently 7 weeks) I feel I have low supply again. The first month was torture, he cried a lot and the only thing that helped was letting him comfort nurse. He is a lazy eater so I don't think that is helping my supply. He also has had a slow weight gain (born 7 lbs 8 oz and at a month was only up to 8 lbs 4 oz.) he falls asleep quite frequently while nursing because he doesn't nap otherwise so it's a bad cycle we're in. I will say that around 5 weeks he turned a corner. Not sure what caused it but he seems more comfortable in himself and is less fussy. Maybe he's taking more in than I think. We'll see at his 2 month appt. that's the thing about breastfeeding that I find so hard- the unknowns. It can drive a woman crazy. I have only pumped maybe twice so far and have no stash for going back to work but like you I am not comfortable trying to pump and have to listen to a screaming baby, that's way too stressful for me. I have decided that if I have to supplement I will so with formula and not stress about it. I want to enjoy my maternity leave as much as possible. I eat oatmeal with flax seed and brewers yeast daily and plan on making lactation cookies but other than that I'm not going to try anything else. I certainly am in awe of people who do more to increase their supply but I just don't have it in me. Just know that whatever you do you are doing the best and the right thing for yourself and your baby. Hang in there! Mae on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687716 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 19:56:49 +0000 Mae 1687716@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Applesandbananas: No, I have a regular medela one. And no I haven't tried any special food. I asked the LC about it she said she doesn't believe any of the food makes any difference :/ I guess I could try to get up at night and do it but ugh I just don't want to. So much of this sucks right now and I feel like the sleep I get is my only hold on sanity sometimes... @MrsH: omg seriously. Like what is wrong with us that breastfeeding is just so hard now? How did people do it hundreds and thousands of years ago? Also I'm watching Lost while BFing and there is a girl who had a baby on the island and seems to have no issues whatsoever with postpartum stuff or breastfeeding or anything. Like yea... ok. @daniellemybelle: Yea... I feel like I will give it at least 1 or maybe 2 more weeks to see how this schedule affects my supply. I guess maybe I'm just really nervous about this coming week being all alone for the first time with the baby (for full days) and how the hell I'm going to be able to keep up all this pumping while taking care of her. Maybe it won't be as bad as I think... but my LO just wants to be held all the time and I can't hold her while I pump so I fear every session is going to be me listening to her shriek in the PnP :( I definitely do not plan to give up on bf all together though. I guess what I'm considering is giving up on pumping and just BFing her to the extend I can and FF whatever else she needs. I don't care so much about the bond but I feel like her getting at least SOME breastmilk is a good thing. I'll be interested to go back to the LC this week for another weighted feed and see if she's getting more from me now than she was this past week. daniellemybelle on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687695 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 19:30:17 +0000 daniellemybelle 1687695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ So many hugs. Low supply blows. So to answer your question, no, my supply did not increase much. I was able to get a small boost from things like lactation cookies, oatmeal, almond milk & mostly just pounding calories. Herbs & domperidone never worked for me & neither did pumping. I so know the exhausting feed/supplement/pump cycle. If having a newborn doesn't already make you crazy, that certainly will! Even though I was never able to get a full supply, yes, it did get better. Breastfeeding got easier & I am so glad we stuck it out. I am nursing my 7.5 month old right now :) It is NOT all or nothing! The two big turning points for us were 1) when I decided to stop pumping to increase supply at 5 weeks and 2) when I decided to not force her to nurse at 4 months. Nursing was going good but she had a preference for the bottle that peaked when she was 3-4 months. I decided that I would just nurse her when she wanted to nurse for as long as she wanted & not sweat it if it meant more bottle feeding or that she didn't empty me every time. At that point I think nursing became more enjoyable for us & now she LOVES to nurse! My advice to you is to not make yourself crazy trying to increase supply but also don't give up yet. Personally I also considered EP but I am glad I stuck with nursing for the bond, and honestly just the ease as well. Pumping is hard work! Next time I will use an SNS though to supplement if need be. I would rather get stimulation from the baby instead of the pump so it kills two birds with one stone. I'm not sure if you've considered trying it? Good luck - feel free to wall me anytime! MrsH on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687677 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 19:11:19 +0000 MrsH 1687677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: I get it. No magic ball here. Lots of hugs and support though - I never imagined how hard it would be - I mean how did people two hundred years ago survive without hospital grade pumps, LCs, etc?!? regberadaisy on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687666 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 19:05:12 +0000 regberadaisy 1687666@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I had low supply and nothing I did improved it. I pumped at that golden hour at 1-3am and did not get the fabled double amount. I ate oatmeal, drank a lot of water, took supplements all to no avail. If have low supply again this time around I plan to try domperidone. With M I didn't hear about this till she was almost one. Applesandbananas on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687653 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 18:57:59 +0000 Applesandbananas 1687653@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: hugs <3 Are you using a hospital grade pump? These are pretty cheap to rent and can make a huge difference with increasing supply. I think some insurances cover the cost. Have you tried lactation cookies? The milk-increasing ingredients are brewer's yeast, oatmeal, and flax seed. There are tons of different recipes and some are really good! As much as it sucks, pumping at night was the best thing for my supply. Even when LO went through a period of STTN, I got up and pumped (it sucks, but it made such a huge difference). Good luck! Mae on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687594 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 17:59:21 +0000 Mae 1687594@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @MrsH: I just wish there was a way to see the future. If I knew another 2 or 4 weeks of hard work would fix the problem then I could just ebf it would all be worth it. But I fear that nothing I'll do will really help and I'll just be spending weeks in frustration for the same result. Sort of like my labor ing for 17 hrs only to end up with a c section.. Like if that is going to be the end result regardless I wish I could've cut to the chase and just done that to start! Sigh Charm54 on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687592 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 17:57:32 +0000 Charm54 1687592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: Sending you lots of love and support for whatever you decide to do. I was so much happier when I decided to EP, and even more happier still when I decided to FF. My best advice would be to examine your scenario as best you can, decide what you want to do, and look for resources that support you in that, whether it be BFing, FFing, combo feeding, or EPing. They are all valid options! MrsH on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687553 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 17:20:58 +0000 MrsH 1687553@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: I completely understand. For me when I finally decided to stop pumping I started to enjoy her more. Mae on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687538 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 17:02:06 +0000 Mae 1687538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Charm54: We've done one weighted feed, last Monday. It was at 9am so my milk production should've been about at it's highest point and she got 70ml total from me (so 2 1/3 ounces). So it seems like I'm probably generally making about 3 ounces or less per feed between BF and pumping. :/ I will ask about the Rx, although I'm generally so hesitant to get on rx drugs so I'd need to look into that a bit to see if I was comfortable with it. Charm54 on "If you had low supply, did it ever get better??" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-had-low-supply-did-it-ever-get-better#post-1687532 Sun, 08 Jun 2014 16:52:32 +0000 Charm54 1687532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mae: that is an exhausting cycle, I've been there :( I just looked at my Baby Connect and at 4 w I was pumping 3oz per session, Oct 4oz, Nov 5oz, and Jan 7oz. I started taking domperidone in Nov so it did help. I was EPing though so she wasn't draining anything from the breast. If I was BFing I'm sure I would have only been getting minimal amounts while pumping also. Can you look into a domperidone prescription? Hugs!!