RE: Update on my supply :-)

[Guest guest]

Dawn,

So glad to hear that you are getting great help and things are looking up.

Wendi

http://www.lactivist.com

" When individuals have been born gently, welcomed kindly into the

community,

breastfed for many years, they do not become greedy people. They come

from a place of fullness and balance with all our relations. "

Jeannine Parvati Baker

Update on my supply :-)

You know - those lactation specialists really know their stuff! I am

taking Mother Lactiflow (has fenugreek, blessed thistle, flax seed oil

and other stuff in it) thrice daily, I'm also eating the recommended 1

avocado each day and 2-3 quarts of fluids daily.

Also - they suggested I double pump. Don't kill myself like before

where'd I pump each side as long as I could stand to do it. They said to

double pump for 15 minutes. All the milk should be out by then - and I

should be " dry pumping " for only a few minutes. Even if all the milk

wasn't out (which it IS) don't stress myself thinking of bottles bottles

bottles. Just always set a time limit and don't go over it for anything.

That is, until life settles down and I " m not as stressed. And while

they usually suggest pumping every 2-3 hours ( I was doing every 2 around

the clock just to keep him IN bottles while I worked!) they advised me to

pump every 4. Don't stress out, basically. Dip into my stock since

it'll go bad ANYWAYS. Bmilk can only be frozen for 6 months I think.

So anyways, been following their advice and well...I can get just about 2

ounces from each side every 4 hours :-) 4 ounces total. This is FAR

better than a total of 1/2 ounce from both sides combined every 2 hours.

Its like....my milk has TRIPLED I think. Thats right, right? 4 ounces

every hours rather than 1 ounce every 4? Tripled. God...its....amazing!

OH yeah, they said not to pump at night since lack of sleeps interferes

in milk production :-)

SO its great. I am content now with my supply and confident now that

I'll be able to meet his needs after his surgery :-)

The reason I was so worried is many of the people I talked to who had

babies with heart problems - in the week following surgery, their babies

doubled their food intake. I was afraid that if my supply didn't catch

up to him, and I had to supplement with bottles (even though I have a

large supply for this purpose), he could easily choose the bottles over

me - depending on his age when all of this happens.

I've also been rejoicing on my luck. I was reading about nipple

confusion and well I'm SOOO lucky. Being that he was premature and

needed a feeding tube in the beginning (that quite often causes reflux)

and since his sugar levels were very low after birth - he needed food and

I couldn't give it to him so he got bottles in the hospital. Even after

my milk came in - I just pumped for them. So he has had bottles and

pacifiers and nursing since birth and hasn't had ANY nippled confusion

and greatly prefers me over bottles - although he takes a bottle just

fine, even from me.

Ok ok, its late. Enough rambling :-)

***************************

Dawn - Loving Mum to:

Ethan Adnan (35-weeker, 8-25-00, VSD - heart defect, needs corrective

surgery)

Elijah Iman (7-2-99, developmentally delayed) and Ibrahim Jerry (9-10-97)

________________________________________________________________

YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET!

Juno now offers FREE Internet Access!

Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit:

http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

Give the Gift of Life Breastfeed!

http://www.lactivist.com