Breastfeeding/pumping struggles

Hi mama! Stress would contribute to lower supply, so try to think positively and stay calm! I'm vegan and can share with you tips that helped me - 1. Water water ... And lots of it! I used to drink about a gallon each day 2. Chia, oat, flaxseed - I would incorporate in oatmeal or cookies I would make 3. Brewer's yeast and fenugreek - not the best tasting, but there are some recipes out there for lactation cookies that incorporate these and make it tolerable 4. Power pumping and not missing feeding windows (eg. If giving formula, pump). At the end of the day it's supply and demand so the more demand there will be (whether through feeding or pumping) the bigger the supply will be. Happy to answer any questions you may have! Good luck and be sure you are doing a great job!!!! Xx

Hey. I tried all the things. I had a good supply at the beginning about 40oz a day for the first 4 months or so but after that it dropped and kept dropping and I couldn’t keep up. I hope the yeast, flaxseed, and you could try legendary milk supplements work for you. I had a lot of anxiety around my supply and was super stressed and depressed when it dropped. The first thing to know is there is NOTHING wrong with you. Give your lo what you can for as long as it works for you… we did exclusively breast feed for about 5 months then a mix/supplement for 2 months then moved to formula when she was 7.5/8 months. I threw in the towel after my time energy and mental health had gone the distance. When these kids are 2 and eating food out of the dog’s bowl none of it will make a difference no matter how they were fed if it made you miserable or feel bad about yourself. Your body made carried and delivered that baby. Be kind to it and yourself! You’re doing great!

@Liat-Leah thank you I've really been trying not to stress it but some days it really drives me crazy! I definitely drink lots of water and a body armour every day. I eat oatmeal every day, I've heard chia and Flaxseed are good I need to get some more and add it into my oatmeal I guess. I tried soo many lactation treats/mixes and I tried to make my own and failed miserably 😅 I also got brewers yeast and add it to shakes/Smoothies sometimes but I've heard with fenugreek it can either boost or drop your supply so I've been avoiding that. But I did have a gummy vitamin that had it in it I took for maybe the first week after I had her and it either hindered my supply or just didn't work. I know it's supply and demand I just struggle to make time for pumping in between feeds, I mean she eats every 2-3 hours if not more often and I just went back to work this week and I do pump that often when I'm away from her I guess I'm just not sure if my pumps are emptying me well or if maybe I'm just not responding to pump

@Caitlin thank you for the kind words 🥰 been trying the legendary milk supplements not having much luck there although I haven't been super consistent with the last 1 in my 3 pack 😅 I'm doing my best I just want it to work and to be able to feed her myself but you are right fed is best 🥰

@Ophelia holy cow 7 kids?!? That's amazing I admire your patience and dedication!

@Melanie google 'power pumping' it's something u can do before or after work. Also with all the foods mentioned, I used to make a 'super breakfast' and treat the not so yummy stuff like medication... Another idea if finding time for pumping at home is hard - when u feed her, pump the other side. Also - stay away from dehydrating drinks like coffee, tea, alcohol, etc. And salty foods...they can really drain u up! Keep a bottle around u at all times and especially when u feed her! And keep repeating, I have enough milk to feed my baby.... visualize the flow of milk! I pray you succeed on your journey 🙏

@Melanie I get it. You have a plan and it really does suck when you feel like your body is failing you. I had a LOT of tears over it too. It took me a long time to adjust my plan and feel okay with it and I probably held on longer than I needed to for my own mental health. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the power pumping and other things help boost your supply… I just saw your comment about is it something wrong with me and felt that because I have BEEN there. If you ever need to talk feel or vent about it or need someone to gas you up free to message me. It can feel really lonely and my husband was SO supportive but also didn’t fully get the feeling of inadequacy that comes with a low supply.

What you pump isn’t necessarily what the baby gets, baby is a pro at getting milk n will get more than you can pump out. Feeding baby formula will lower your supply. Feed feed feed and pump. I currently pump off my less used breast for ten mins every hour to increase supply x

@Liat-Leah I do power pump sometimes it's just hard to find the time in between feeds sometimes and it got discouraging to do and get little to nothing output. I do the one side thing sometimes too but I usually end up giving her both breasts so I hold off on the pump. I will definitely revisit all of your suggestions though thank you and will work on that positive energy mantra thank you!

I was the same way…I stressed about it a lot and it didn’t help that I had a small baby. My MIL blamed the vegan diet but thankfully, my doc and lactation consultant both stated that the diet itself had nothing to do with it. Rather ensuring i was consuming enough calories. Which I wasn’t since I had bad PPA. Once I started eating more and stressing less, things changed. I educated myself on BF and pumping. Turns out, I did not have a “low supply”. I had a “just enough” for MY baby supply. I learned that the average breast storage capacity is 3-5 oz for both breasts combined. So an ounce per breast isn’t terribly uncommon. I’m now 10 months PP, still exclusively BF, and pump 2 oz per breast if that. But I rarely pump. Definitely reach out to a lactation consultants if you can. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.