one more request for help/ideas - supply mgmt.

[Guest guest]

Hi all -- I have been working with this mom since before she had her baby. Baby is now 8 mos. He had a variety of issues which we addressed but mom's supply has been an ongoing issue as well. She is the most sensitive, fast responder I have ever worked with in terms of supply fluctuation. Even the mildest attempts to reduce supply causes a really significant drop in supply while even the tiniest bit of extra pumping will cause her supply to increase dramatically. I feel like I have run out of suggestions for supply management. I am attaching her most recent email with a description of the issues (with her permission of course). Mom is a nurse (hence, the 12 hr shifts). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Carroll

We are doing great except for I am still struggling with oversupply stuff. I leak all the time, have had mastitis and plugged ducts a bunch. I have a super forceful and PAINFUL letdown every single time I feed him. It seems like the slightest variation in our schedule throws my supply for a loop. Pumping really does me in. I work 6- 12 hour shifts a months and now only pump 2 times during my shift. If I pump anymore I am engorged for days. It seems to super stimulate my supply. I can still quickly pump off 5 ounces a side even later in the day. When I pump my milk has very little "fat" on top. Really almost none. I am getting tired of being so "full" all the time. We were just at a wedding and I had a hard time finding something to wear because my chest fills up so much. Sounds silly I know but it is getting kind of old. I want to get up in the morning and feed my baby and go for a run but I can't because half the time I am too full and painful and have to wait for him to eat again. Also the main issue is baby gets upset when I am so full and he has large green poops and spitty up.

I guess to some degree this is just how it will be with me and any shift in his eating or my working/pumping will throw us off for what seems like weeks. But I have tried to look up some things to do but most things I am reading on kelly mom etc. seem to address more the initial breastfeeding weeks and not months down the road. Wondering if you know any links to articles or have any suggestions so I can keep going with baby.

Baby is almost 8 months. He has been in the 98%+ for weight and 80%+ for length at all his check ups. He was very colicky and refluxy but now is off prevacid and we haven't noticed a difference. He is a "happy spitter." I nursed him until about 6 1/2 months where we started some cereal once a day for a few weeks. He is now taking a little dish of cereal and fruit in the morning and vegetables/fruit in the evening. He seems happy & hungry when he eats and gobbles it all up! He wakes up at 6:30-7 am for the day and I nurse him when he wakes. Then an hour or so later I give him a little cereal. Then I nurse him again before his morning nap where he sleeps anywhere from one hour to 3 hours. Then he nurses another 2-3 times over the next while and usually again before little 30-45 min nap at 5pm. Then he takes a little dish of food and I nurse him to sleep. He eats once in the night usually around 1-3 am and then wakes for the day. Baby's father estimated that he takes 14 ounces of pumped milk from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm when I get home from work and feed him to bed.

I have tried block feeding with him but now that he goes 3 hours between feedings I can't ignore the other side that long. Also I am super worried about plugged ducts. My left side also makes way more than my right. Baby seems to get ticked eating off my right side. I think he is so used to the milk pouring in he doesn't like it. Short of just trying to block feed as best I can and not pumping much do you have any tips or websites I can read about? I really appreciate any advice you might have.

[Guest guest]

I believe that recurrent plugs and mastitis is an issue of maternal inflammation. I know I am a broken record--but I would wager it's an issue of poor gut health.

Tow, IBCLC, USA & France

Intuitive Parenting Network, LLC

one more request for help/ideas - supply mgmt.

Posted by: "sandbc1a"

5carrolls@...

sandbc1a

Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:33 pm (PST)

Hi all -- I have been working with this mom since before she had her

baby. Baby is now 8 mos. He had a variety of issues which we addressed

but mom's supply has been an ongoing issue as well. She is the most

sensitive, fast responder I have ever worked with in terms of supply

fluctuation. Even the mildest attempts to reduce supply causes a really

significant drop in supply while even the tiniest bit of extra pumping

will cause her supply to increase dramatically. I feel like I have run

out of suggestions for supply management. I am attaching her most

recent email with a description of the issues (with her permission of

course). Mom is a nurse (hence, the 12 hr shifts). Any suggestions

would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Carroll

We are doing great except for I am still struggling with oversupply

stuff. I leak all the time, have had mastitis and plugged ducts a bunch.

I have a super forceful and PAINFUL letdown every single time I feed

him. It seems like the slightest variation in our schedule throws my

supply for a loop. Pumping really does me in. I work 6- 12 hour shifts a

months and now only pump 2 times during my shift. If I pump anymore I am

engorged for days. It seems to super stimulate my supply. I can still

quickly pump off 5 ounces a side even later in the day. When I pump my

milk has very little "fat" on top. Really almost none. I am getting

tired of being so "full" all the time. We were just at a wedding and I

had a hard time finding something to wear because my chest fills up so

much. Sounds silly I know but it is getting kind of old. I want to get

up in the morning and feed my baby and go for a run but I can't because

half the time I am too full and painful and have to wait for him to eat

again. Also the main issue is baby gets upset when I am so full and he

has large green poops and spitty up.

I guess to some degree this is just how it will be with me and any shift

in his eating or my working/pumping will throw us off for what seems

like weeks. But I have tried to look up some things to do but most

things I am reading on kelly mom etc. seem to address more the initial

breastfeeding weeks and not months down the road. Wondering if you know

any links to articles or have any suggestions so I can keep going with

baby.

Baby is almost 8 months. He has been in the 98%+ for weight and 80%+ for

length at all his check ups. He was very colicky and refluxy but now is

off prevacid and we haven't noticed a difference. He is a "happy

spitter." I nursed him until about 6 1/2 months where we started some

cereal once a day for a few weeks. He is now taking a little dish of

cereal and fruit in the morning and vegetables/fruit in the evening. He

seems happy & hungry when he eats and gobbles it all up! He wakes up at

6:30-7 am for the day and I nurse him when he wakes. Then an hour or so

later I give him a little cereal. Then I nurse him again before his

morning nap where he sleeps anywhere from one hour to 3 hours. Then he

nurses another 2-3 times over the next while and usually again before

little 30-45 min nap at 5pm. Then he takes a little dish of food and I

nurse him to sleep. He eats once in the night usually around 1-3 am and

then wakes for the day. Baby's father estimated that he takes 14 ounces

of pumped milk from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm when I get home from work and

feed him to bed.

I have tried block feeding with him but now that he goes 3 hours between

feedings I can't ignore the other side that long. Also I am super

worried about plugged ducts. My left side also makes way more than my

right. Baby seems to get ticked eating off my right side. I think he is

so used to the milk pouring in he doesn't like it. Short of just trying

to block feed as best I can and not pumping much do you have any tips or

websites I can read about? I really appreciate any advice you might

have.