Lambie
18-10-2006, 12:32
Hi,
Because of family allergies I have decided to bf my DD to 12 months or until she self-weans. Whichever comes first. Due to this decision, I have a few concerns as to my milk supply and fear that it won't last this proposed timeframe.
Here are the issues/observations I have:
She feeds really well in the morning, which is generally between the hours of 7:00-9:00am. For the rest of the day, she doesn't seem interested and usually plays/fusses at the breast.
When she does feed properly, she never empties the breast as she always falls asleep. When I wake her to continue she does the same thing then starts to loose interest.
For the last 2 months she has been unable to trigger let-down at each feed. I probably only feel it 2 or 3 times in a weekly period.
I try to feed her every 3-4hours. If it is longer than this, I am never engorged and I never leak.
Her weight gain is steady but slow. On average she gains 50-100gms max per week. She was a small baby weighing only 2.4kgs at birth and now at 5 1/2 months weighs a tiny 5.9kgs. The CHN doesn’t seem to be too concerned about her progress.
Expressing is an absolute nightmare for me. Using a pump (I have an avent isis and medela symphony) both manually and electrically only achieves roughly about 10-20mls max, if I'm lucky. Hand expressing is the same.
My breasts have dramatically increased in size and I am now able to wear bras smaller than I did before I fell pregnant.
To increase my supply I have tried offering more feeds, pumping (even though I'm not getting anything), taken fenugreek and blessed thistle, drinking lots of water etc.
I am aware that there are medications that I can take in order to increase my supply, but I am hoping to avoid them if possible.
Because of family allergies I have decided to bf my DD to 12 months or until she self-weans. Whichever comes first. Due to this decision, I have a few concerns as to my milk supply and fear that it won't last this proposed timeframe.
Here are the issues/observations I have:
She feeds really well in the morning, which is generally between the hours of 7:00-9:00am. For the rest of the day, she doesn't seem interested and usually plays/fusses at the breast.
When she does feed properly, she never empties the breast as she always falls asleep. When I wake her to continue she does the same thing then starts to loose interest.
For the last 2 months she has been unable to trigger let-down at each feed. I probably only feel it 2 or 3 times in a weekly period.
I try to feed her every 3-4hours. If it is longer than this, I am never engorged and I never leak.
Her weight gain is steady but slow. On average she gains 50-100gms max per week. She was a small baby weighing only 2.4kgs at birth and now at 5 1/2 months weighs a tiny 5.9kgs. The CHN doesn’t seem to be too concerned about her progress.
Expressing is an absolute nightmare for me. Using a pump (I have an avent isis and medela symphony) both manually and electrically only achieves roughly about 10-20mls max, if I'm lucky. Hand expressing is the same.
My breasts have dramatically increased in size and I am now able to wear bras smaller than I did before I fell pregnant.
To increase my supply I have tried offering more feeds, pumping (even though I'm not getting anything), taken fenugreek and blessed thistle, drinking lots of water etc.
I am aware that there are medications that I can take in order to increase my supply, but I am hoping to avoid them if possible.