... how long did it take for it to recover?
I've had multiple WOHMs tell me 'it just takes time to adjust', so I'm wondering how much! I pumped 7.5oz this morning before leaving home (!) and a TOTAL of 1oz from both sides combined just now during lunch. GAH! Drinking plenty, taking fenugreek, blah blah...
8 votes
GOLD / pineapple / 12662 posts
It didn't recover . . . but there are plenty of ladies here who can probably say otherwise! I pumped enough in the beginning (barely!) to cover her feedings, but within a month or so I had to start supplementing. It's really not the end of the world . . . it doesn't have to be all or nothing in order for your LO to reap the rewards of BM!
honeydew / 7811 posts
@JoJoGirl: I hope you get some good answers. I'm having similar issues, although I've been back at work over a month. My supply is drastically low now because its my crazy busy time at work and I'm stressed. Your numbers sound great to me, I sometimes only get 4 oz total in one day 
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@MsLipGloss: @cmomma17: A month!? Oh gosh, this is day 3 and I'm already concerned! Oh boy
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@JoJoGirl: Stressing about your output will just totally make it worse! What are you doing while you're pumping? Can you read a book or play a game on your phone or something to distract yourself from your output?
Mine didn't dip when I returned to work, but it has dipped when I've been sick, and usually takes me 1-2 weeks to recover. When I have low output at work, I just pump pump pump at night to make up for it. I refuse to dip into my freezer stash and always just pump extra at night to get the ounces I need for the next day. I think this helps my supply to recover.
I also eat oatmeal every morning, but I don't take any other supplements and I'm not great about the water.
Is 7.5oz normal for your mornings? If that amount was actually more than normal, that could explain why your output at lunch was lower than normal. I find that my output for the day is often the same, but sometimes I'll pump more in the morning and less in the afternoon, or vice-versa. Maybe this is what's happening to you?
Also, did you pump a lot before returning to work? I wouldn't actually know if my supply dipped when I returned to work because I don't know what was normal beforehand, since I just nursed most of the time. I just know I pump JUST enough for Xander's bottles (and like I said, sometimes I have to pump extra in the evening to make up his bottles).
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
I always pump a ton more in the mornings than the rest of the day. That's normal. I've had dips due to stress/illness/AF. It usually rebounds within a few days.
pomegranate / 3414 posts
I've never pumped that much in one day. With DD I didn't manage to pump enough to cover her feedings after about 1 month. With DS I started taking supplements as soon as I went back to work and started pumping. I managed to pump just enough with an occasional extra bottle worth or so.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@Adira: I usually HB while I pump (like this thread, which probably wasn't a good way to relax! 
). I pumped every 2-3 days while on leave so we always had a bottle of fresh milk in the fridge for emergencies, and was consistently getting 4-5 oz per session in addition to nursing. So this 2 oz crap is definitely new. I already unfortunately had to dip into my freezer stash since in the 3 days LO has been in daycare, I'm not making enough to keep up with her. 7.5 oz is definitely on the high side, i should start keep track of totals instead of individual sessions!
I suppose I could pump at night, but I'm already pumping 4x/day so adding a 5th session just seems impossible
@DillonLion: Thanks Hopefully it's just being back at work!
@purrpletulips: LO has been eating closer to 16 oz/day so unfortunately I'm already behind and dipping into my stash. What did you take other than Fenugreek?
GOLD / papaya / 10166 posts
It didn't recover until I started taking More Milk Plus and (I guess) learning how to effectively pump to get a 2nd letdown.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
Mine dipped a little after pumping for a week at work. But not that much. I started with supplements and it helped some but pretty much has been level since then. I get more on Monday's after nursing all weekend, then I do on Friday's after pumping all week.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@BabyBoecksMom: What did you do differently that you think made it more effective?
@Smurfette: Yeah one boob was exploding all over me this morning, but not since then. booo.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@JoJoGirl: I kept track of my totals for about 3 weeks and noticed that it would fluctuate an ounce here and there, but never that much. Although when I was sick (fever, especially), it dropped significantly. It SUCKS adding the evening pumping sessions, but I just pump after nursing Xander and I can usually get a few more ounces out. Sometimes I'll pump about an hour BEFORE nursing if I really need a decent amount because I know that Xander will be more efficient at getting milk out than the pump is, so he'll be able to get whatever's left. I only do that before his LAST feeding for the night because he usually doesn't drink that much then anyway, and it's easier for me to get what I need before I nurse him than after.
pomegranate / 3414 posts
@jojogirl: I've taken a variety of supplements in the past year and didn't see a significant increase with any specific one but it has been enough to keep up with DS so I've been happy. The most DS ever drank in a given day was 12oz (I was away from him for about 10 hrs). Is your LO drinking the full 16oz or does your childcare provider dump anything leftover at a feeding (some places will keep it some say they have to toss it).
I've taken:
More Milk Plus Special Blend
Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle
Gaia Lacate Support
Breastfeeding specific vitamins
Lactation cookies
Oatmeal (steel cut and thick cut)
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@Adira: Oh interesting. I'd be too scared to pump before her last feed of the night, worrying it'll mean she'll wake up eariler I might try pumping after, but I go to bed an hour after she does so don't know if it'll yield anything.
GOLD / papaya / 10166 posts
@JoJoGirl: Um... Relaxing was the biggest part. When I went in to pump, I didn't think about any deadlines or work piling up. I went in, relaxed and just did what I needed to do, regardless of how long it took (usually 30 min). I also continued to pump for an additional 5 min after I thought I was done to see if the 2nd let down would occur. It took a few weeks before I started getting a 2nd letdown regularly.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@Smurfette: Lol yes.
@purrpletulips: Our daycare is awesome.. they keep a stash of my milk in their fridge and freezer and bottle it themselves. So they give her what they think she'll drink based on previous day (now about 3.5 oz per bottle), if she still seems hungry they'll warm up another oz. So no milk is getting wasted unless they give her 4 oz and she only drinks 3 (or something). I drop off bags of milk every day when I pick her up and they just leave it in their fridge overnight for the next day. They have 2-3 bags in their freezer in case she needs more.
pomegranate / 3414 posts
@jojogirl: that is awesome, I had to take prepared bottles which although they were supposed to send home any unfinished I never received any.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
@JoJoGirl: Well, with Xander, his last feed, he always seems super sleepy and LATELY he doesn't seem to be drinking all that much, and I didn't feel empty when he was done, so I would pump after just to make sure my supply wouldn't dip. Now that he's been doing that for a while, if I need the ounces for his bottle, I'll pump beforehand. I'd just only pump for 5 minutes though, so I only got about 1-2 ounces out (which is usually all I needed), and it hasn't affected his sleep at all. Maybe try it on a Friday so that if it DOES affect him, you don't have to go to work the next day!
GOLD / cantaloupe / 6581 posts
I'm wondering what my supply will be like, so I'm glad you started this. This morning was my first day back and before I left I pumped 5oz (less than normal), and today for 2 sessions I've only pumped 5 total. I'm pretty bummed, because I know she's going to eat at least 12-16. We'll see how it goes 
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
@JoJoGirl: That is awesome of the day care. I have to have everything in bottles and labeled. If she doesn't drink all 4 I send, I have to take it home. Nothing is allowed to stay over night.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@Smurfette: @purrpletulips: Oh yeah, this is NOT normal for daycare. They are in-home, so maybe more flexible? When they told us 1) we didn't have to bottle it (ie they wash the bottles for us every night) 2) we could keep a freezer stash there and 3) I can drop it off with them at the end of every day instead of taking it home and sending it right back with DH every morning, I basically fell in love with them. However this is only a benefit if I'm still making milk!
@Adira: Hellz no! We just got her into her crib for the first time this weekend, not messing with eating before bed too
pomegranate / 3414 posts
@Jojogirl: We had DD at a daycare center and while they would keep a freezer stash it wasn't nearly as nice as the perks of an in-home. DS is with an in-home provider and it is awesome. While I do have to make his bottles each night and take them in the morning, she keeps a freezer stash at her house and washes all of the dishes each day so I only have pump parts to wash at night. DD is also there and our sitter washes her dishes too, it is awesome.
grapefruit / 4278 posts
My supply dipped when I went to work and just kept going down no matter what supplements I tried. I had to add pumping sessions, learn to do compressions and really work for a second let down at my pumping sessions to keep up. I also pumped on weekends in between feeds to try to keep some milk in the freezer stash and/or use the weekend milk to supplement on the weekdays. We made it to a year, but just barely and I had to resist the urge to burn that pump at the end of it all.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@kiddosc: A year?! Oh my god I would be THRILLED! I'm just trying to make it to 6 months (LO will be 4 months this week). After that, we'll see where things stand..
grapefruit / 4278 posts
@JoJoGirl: The article in this thread helped me to realize I needed to add more pumping sessions. http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/breastfeeding-magic-number#post-182874
I pumped while I got ready for work, three times at work, and about an hour after he went to bed. Plus he was still nursing twice a night usually. I was never able to drop any sessions and keep my supply adequate.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@kiddosc: Thanks.. i'm currently pumping all those same times except the one after she goes to bed (since I go to bed when she does so I can function at work with the night wakings!). Not sure how to manage this.
grapefruit / 4120 posts
Have you tried hand-expressing after pumping? or playing with the speeds/modes on your pump? You really want your boobs to get the message that they need to keep up!
If you can get your hands on some domperidone, that stuff rocks.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@mamimami: I pump at the highest level my LO has an INSANELY efficient suck, so the pump needs to keep up.
grapefruit / 4120 posts
@JoJoGirl: But I mean, for example, use let-down mode until you get let down, then pump for awhile on high, or whatever, then go back to let-down mode.
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