Help--I am in so much pain!!!! And need more milk..

[kindergal]

I am pumping due to the fact my twins will not latch on and stay on...(healthy 36 weekers but had to start bottles in the hospital...) anyway, I pump pretty much every time they eat..typically 7-8 or more times a day.  For the last several days, my breasts are beyond sore...they are swollen and hard and my nipples are killing me!!!!  Ouch!!!  I have done the hot shower thing, hot wash cloths...increased my pumping....etc..  Nothing is giving me relief.  I cannot increase my pumping anymore than I am doing.  Any suggestions for helping me...I am pretty sure I have clogged milk ducts due to the hardness.  Today, I had to walk with my arms out to the side so they would not rub my breasts!

Also, what else can I do to increase my milk quantity?  I am haivng to mix formula with breast milk to make enough food.  Basically, I am producing enough for one, not two.  Any suggestions besides increasing my pumping..I cannot do it anymore than I am now.  

[AndiJ78]

What kind of pump are you using? How often are you pumping? Have you continued to try latching?

Sounds like the amount of milk is not the issue, but rather draining them appropriately and often enough. A normal baby will eat at least a dozen times a day at this age, so bumping up the pumping sessions should help, but you need to make sure you are using a good pump and pumping long enough and often enough.

[lovebby]

I just found out about this natural product, It is amazing!

My daughter is 9 months old, and my milk production was a little low,  a friend of mine gave me this info. I tried it and it really works:

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Go to http://www.jmk.myzija.com/zijaweb/z3/zija_science.html

[kindergal]

I am using a Medela Symphony--renting from the hospital.  I am pumping for 20 minutes at a time...7-8 times a day...been doing this for six weeks.  I cannot pump anymore than I am at this point....there is no more time in the day. It takes nearly 1.5 hours to feed and change two babies and then I pump for 20 minutes....10 minutes to prepare bottles and wash the pumping equipment...Then, I start all over again.  I have not been in pain until this week...uncomfortable from time to time, but not like this...

We try latching quite often.  My daughter can latch on...but she will only suck a few seconds.  I squeeze the milk in her mouth...I have joked that she will only drink from my breast if it is like a water fountain--free flowing!  My son just looks my nipple cross-eyed and sticks his tongue on it.  My Dr. and I have said that he is like a teenage boy who sees his first boob...just goes cross eyed!  HA!

Thanks for the information on Moringa...I have never heard of that.

[Tennesseegirl]

kendergal... wow.. congradulations..
seemed just like yesterday you anouncing your preganacy of twins..
try and let them suck on you.  I know its so hard , but they will get it. This time and stage you really want them to work and learn from you and not a bottle.  I think more problems are when you start supplementing and using bottles.

Its so tough at this time. you and they are learning and trust me it will get better. Just dont give up on them. maybe try the football hold? helps keep the latch. I have found that pumping? you really dont relax enough to get all the milk like if it were the baby.

oatmeal really helps with the milk. Im not a big fan so I make it with milk as a drink so Its easy to get down.

[whitlack]

You could possibly have a yeast infection on your nipples as I did a few weeks ago and  nursing and pumping was horrific and after doing research, I realized it was a yeast infection and started putting antifungal cream on them after each feeding but it had to be wiped off before feeding or pumping.  Try Reglan, which is a prescription drug that is very cheap, it is actually for your stomach but has a side effect to increase milk in lactating women.  Worked wonders for me with my last baby.  I hope you feel better! :)

[tiredbuthappy]

have you gotten the clog out?

watch for signs of mastitis. call your OB at the first signs.

have you tried a different sized horn? or get the pumpinpal horns? i found those to be the best. but the wrong sized horn can hinder how well the breast drain, which can lead to clogs and lower supply. in the mean time, rub a little olive oil around the base of your nipples to make pumping a little more comfortable.

try adjusting the settings on your pump. play around. sometimes lower is better.

are you doing compressions/massaging while pumping?

i had mastitis once, which made me panic any other time i had a clog. i found the greatest trick to getting them out. I discovered that the simple manual you get in the hospital with the accessory kit (it also comes with the pump in style advanced) worked very well in sucking out clogs and providing relief. it looks almost like a bicycle pump. anyways, i wouldn't use it for regular pumping but it always sucked out my clogs within minutes.

good luck and let us know how it's going. i admire you so much for what you are doing. don't worry about supplementing- every drop you give them is a gift.

[mum2beagain]

I also wanted to drop in a comment to make life a little easier for you.
It is not necessary to clean all the pump parts every time. When you are finished disconnect them from the bottles put them in a zip lock bag and put them in the fridge.
Just be sure to thoroughly clean and rinse them once a day. Made my life so much easier!

[grateful4all]

Hi Mom

As the mother of breastfed twins, and the grandmother of breastfed twins, I can truly say that I FEEL your pain.  As a CLC, I can also tell you that what works for one breastfeeding mom and baby, won't necessarily work for another.  All of the foregoing suggestions are great ideas, and, through trial and error, you WILL succeed and your breastfeeding relationship with your twins will be extremely beneficial and satisfying for all three of you.  

I will tell you, however, that in my daughter's case, she never could get the little noodnicks to latch on.  She rented the same "behemoth" as you are using, and after a few weeks was crankin' out 64 ounces a DAY.  Granted, it took up the majority of time in the day.  She had to learn to reassign priorities in a hurry, and let the non-essentials take care of themselves.  Her twins are 15 months old now, and she is basking in the rewards of having started them out on the best possible nutrition available.

Congratulations and kudos to you for a gutsy decision.  You hang in there, and get yourself the phone number of a good CLC in your area that can properly assess your problem and help you fix it fast!

Wish there were more like ya!

[kindergal]

Thanks for all of the suggestions!!  I took a couple of ibuprofen after three days/nights of misery and I was sooo much better the next morning.  
I cannot take Reglan as suggested...it makes me a koo koo bird!!  I took it briefly when pregnant for severe heartburn...I had to quit it because it made my heart race, anxious....etc...basically, I had all of the side effects listed on the side of the bottle.

I looked at the different shields/horns for the Medela and according the side of the box, I am in the right size...I guess the nipple just sometimes gets "raw" after so much pumping.  I am trying to keep the Lanolin cream on my nipples at night.

I went for my 6 weeks appt. with my OB today.  I am very lucky that he and my pediatrician do NOT insist on breastfeeding or make me feel guilty for supplementing some.  As my pediatrician pointed out to me....ibut do not spend a HUGE part of your day pumping instead of spending it with those babies....they are only young once....if it works for you then fine, if not, that is fine also!!!  And my OB told me today...There are happy healthy breastfed babies and happy healthy formula fed babies.  If you are taking a huge part of your day pumping and your are in pain, then you will become stressed and hate every minute of it.....
I am so glad to not have that stress of a Dr. making me feel bad!!!
I will keep going as long as I can, but boy, this is hard with two!!

[nikko*ttc]

Definitely seek a lactation consultant. It sounds like the babies having been started on the bottle may have some nipple confusion. A pump no matter how good can not supplement for baby actually nursing. A lactation consultant can help you get the babies on track with nursing which will save you tremendous time during the day so that you can care for them and still have time to keep your sanity. They can also watch how you are pumping and let you know what is causing the discomfort. It could be as simple as pushing the horns to far back so as to plug ducts or incorrect positioning. A lactation consultant is your best bet though.