The only down-side to all of this is that we're almost definitely going to have to switch Collen over to formula. :( A couple of weeks before he got sick, I noticed a drastic decrease in my milk supply. (If this is TMI...just skip ahead) I pump when I can, but let's be real....an almost 5-month-old can be demanding with time and very unpredictable. I don't have time to sit around and pump all day. I haven't changed anything about my diet, so that's not it. I knew I could talk to a doctor and get a prescription, but you can only be on those for 2 weeks. So, I opted to try Fenugreek, which is an herbal supplement that aids lactation. It worked for the first week I was on it, but I've been taking it since then, and it isn't helping so much. My goal was to make it to 6 months with the nursing, but I don't think I'll make it that far. Yesterday, I nursed him every hour he was awake......really. And he still acted like he was hungry. I pumped just to see how much I was making, and I struggled to get out 4 ounces. Today, it was all I could do to get 2! It makes me so sad. I have really enjoyed feeding him. It was something I missed out on with Ayden (I regret that every day). With our next one, the goal is to make it to one year.
Today, we ventured out in the ice (wasn't so bad) for Collen's EKG. We scheduled it just to rule underlying heart conditions out. It has always been a concern of ours after losing Ayden because so little is known about what really causes SIDS to occur....and not being able to bring a heart beat back is a main factor. His EKG, in the words of the nurse, was "beautiful." He didn't enjoy it so much though. He was a prince while they put the sticky things on him and hooked him up, but once they needed to get reading, he wasn't so cooperative. They tried distracting him with bubbles...his hippo lovey....making silly faces and noises....aaahhh why did I forget his paci???? We finally got it, though, and it looked great. We meet with a neurologist next.
We have some family coming in this weeked, so the rest of the week will be spent cleaning, catching up on my online class, and cooking. Looking forward to it!
Pictures from the past week:
Not feeling well...stayed camped out in the swing a lot. 
Cuddled up and never too far away from Mommy
Breathing treatments - oh the joy.
No fever is going to keep him from playing! My mom was such a saving grace!
Feeling better and enjoying some carrots! mmmm
Have you tried considerably increasing your protein to aid with milk production? May be something to try...
ReplyDeletedrink A LOT of water!!!!!!!!! and make suer you are eating enough. your cold and being dehydrated could have effected your supply. camamile tea also helps. and ice cream helped me recently:)
ReplyDeletei wasn't able to nurse with my first born either. I hope to try with the next. It was hard to accept at first but formula still has a lot of nutrition. And dad can take part in feeding also. Glad to hear Collen is feeling better. What a good little boy with his nebulizer. I had to just hold the tube infront of my sons face. yay for good EKG readings and enjoy your family time!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear that Collen is feeling better! Oh and I'm so sorry to hear that your milk supply is dropping :( Maybe you could try to still nurse him just once or twice a day (depending on how low your milk gets) so that you can still have that special close time with him? I did that with my first - he got formula during the day and I only nursed him once, right before bed.(After a long day at work that was my favorite part of the day!) :)
ReplyDeleteso glad collen is feelig better!!! i would definitely suggest checking out www.kellymom.com which is the best breastfeeding website out there. they will have LOTS of great, sound advice for increasing milk production. i know that for me and most other moms i got the most when pumping in the morning. and i rarely pumped more than 4oz ever :) if you are not able to continue, know that you have done your best for collen, and he will be just fine :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad he's feeling better! He is such a beautiful baby, I LOVE the pictures!!!
ReplyDeleteWe had those same test done on our babies after Grayson, made me feel better!
Love to all of you, Kelley
He could just be going through a growth spurt which will make it seem like there is not enough milk. Also have you started him on any baby foods yet if so your supply will decrease a little by doing that or if not he may just need more than milk now boys tend to be very hungry and it takes a lot to satisfy him! Don't give up just yet you have come so far! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't give up yet either...unless you want to...that is certainly your choice/right. I've never pumped more than 4 ounces at a time either...I would be thrilled to make that much! It certainly sounds like the nursing pattern of a growth spurt. Also, I find that I have to pump a lot longer than the "normal" 10-15 minutes most women do...sometimes 30 minutes to get it all out (with a double electric pump). I bet baby gets out a lot more than the pump. But again...it's your choice! Try not to guilt yourself too much no matter what you decide. Once you introduce solids, your baby doesn't have to have as much milk...so it's okay if your supply isn't as high as it used to be.
ReplyDeleteNursing my second child (I didn't with my first) was one of the hardest things I have ever done! I tried all the supplements and lots of water and my milk just kept disappearing until it was finally gone at about 9 months. At first I was disappointed but then I realized how much of an accomplishment I had made to even make it that far.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have done a great job with this little man so be proud of yourself and know that there is nothing wrong with formula!
By the way, not sure which formula you are going to use but I actually tasted several kinds because they smell horrible and I wanted to know what my baby was drinking! Similac tasted the best by far!
Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
I'll second the comment about drinking a lot of water. Drink as much as you can! Also, eat some oatmeal. Daily. And it's no fun, but with my first, when she started sleeping longer stretches at night I'd still get up to pump. We built up a pretty decent freezer stash that way.
ReplyDeleteAccording to everything I've read, pumping output is NOT comparable to how much your baby takes in nursing. He could just be getting ready to hit a milestone - sitting? teeth? Hang in there!
.ivy