Another breastfeeding venting session....urgh!

Hey guys!!! happy hump day!... Man! ever since Maddie was born I've supplemented (as many of you know) but I got too comfy with the formula and was drying up there for a while... I've been trying to build my milk supply (doing better and better each week) and, well... from my first pumping session I got .5 oz (yeah... from both  breasts!) and now I am up to 3 oz from both breasts!! yay! which... still too little for ms. Maddie who eats up to 4 now! yeah, at 8 weeks she should be downing 6 oz right? but she eats too often! like every hour or two at the most....
Well, ever since i've been all cow-y (hehehe... mooohh) I breastfeed her more often... and i was all proud of myself... up until yesterday... when she got her 2 month check up and discovered she went from a 75%ile... to a 50%!!! =( she is up to 11.2 pounds... and only meassuring 22 1/2" long.... =( (she was born at 21).
So now, even tho the doctor told me breastmilk is the best... i've heard that babies that are breastfed need vitamin supplementation of some sort... and that they don't grow as much as bottle fed babies (meaning formula).
=(

Soooo, now i don't know what to do!... i pump twice at work... bring home about 5oz. of milk for her... and try to breast feed her every 3 hours... and supplement whenever she's hungry... but she's not growing as fast as at the begining!! and that concerns me! i really enjoy breastfeeding and that's probablly the only thing that calms her down when she's really upset (aka. shots... or belly ache.. or too tired), and don't wanna wean her just yet... she's still little... i would love to bf at least till she's 6 months old or so.....

Urgh... in another subject... i'm also all upset (yeah i know... hormones) about every other thing! my job is so stressful... my boss is so demanding... im being sent on a business trip to KY in the next couple of weeks... my parents are leaving (and of course is gonna be so hard on them being without her!!!), and she's gonna have to go to child care! =(((( i don't wanna leave my PRECIOUS baby in someone's hands i know very little about!!! i'm so nervous of her mistreating my baby girl! something happens to her and I am done in this life..... i don't even wanna think about it!

Not to mention financial stress from my maternity leave.... and dh not being paid his comission..... oh God! so much stuff.... my little one is the one keeping me alive and smiling i swear... and seeing her upset just makes me wanna kill someone! (lately she's been having a stuffed up nose, and cries so much when i do the saline solution spray.... but get some MASSIVE boogers out of that little nose of hers!! how can she have that monster in such little button nose!! lol) and the shots made her SO sore... i cannot even touch her thighs or she screams in pain! =(((((

I guess i just need a cyber hug ladies...


Thank you!!!

[Michele, Katy, TX]

As far as your milk supply......My doc prescribed Reglan for me.  That is not what this medicine is for (producing more milk), but it is a side effect.  You may want to speak with your doc about it.

Here is a cyber hug coming your way.....***HUGS***

[Me2mommy2b]

Awwww...here is a big hug for you.  I know it's all so stressful but try to take it easy (ya, right, easier said then done) but do try your best.  The more stressed out you are, the less milk you'll produce (at least it's true in my case).  Try to drink plenty of fluids and eat well b/c you need to take care of your body as well.  I did ask my pediatrician about the vitamins b/c my son's exclusively breastfed and he told me it's not absolutely necessary.  How many lbs is she gaining each month?  Formula fed babies do gain weight faster than breastfed on average.  I understand your concern about leaving your baby with someone you don't know but do you have any other options?  Just think about it...thousands of babies are left in the care of people other than family members and they flourish.  There are good people in this world (hehehe, at least I'd like to think so:)  All the best to you and vent away whenever needed.

[Me2mommy2b]

I read about it's side effects and heck no I'd agree to take it.  It's just me, I guess.

[Michele, Katy, TX]

I haven't read anything about the side effects, but only took it to help my milk supply.  I have breastfed all 5 of my kids so I know what to do to help with your supply but nothing was working.  The medicine helped me with my supply and I didn't have any side effects whatsoever when taking it.  My baby didn't either.  She just turned a year old and is doing wonderfully.  So, I can only give advice based on my experience......

[vsentz]

aweee thank you girls!!! I got the cyber hug!! =)) much needed today!

I will read up on reglan and ask my doc... i'd definitely love to just breast feed her.... but i don't know if i could ever build my milk supply to 4 or more oz per session! that'd be great!.... i'll give him a call...

=)

Thank you for all the GOOOOOD advise you two!!! =)

[cpatow]

v I am so sorry for this stress@!!! So many stressful things! I had to start little Christopher at daycare part-time (thank GOD I found a great one) so I can work (albeit from home...another thank GOD!!). But it was so stressful taking himt here the first day. Now when he's home (and since I HAVE to work b/c of finances) at least I'm not a stressy biatchy mommy, I'm a happy no-more-work-to-do mommy. So hang in there w/ that....day care can work when us mommies HAVE to work. I know your pain and sadness w/ it though.

Now, for REglan. Please read up on it thoroughly. It is a very strong medicine and is one that was given to my first son while an infant and it produced very bad side effects that (AGAIN, THANK GOD) in his case were reversable but in many cases are not. It passes what's called the blood-brain barrier and can affect how the neurological system works in infants so to take this while nursing I'm not too sure about...not sure if it passes thru the breat milk or not. Google it and read for yourself, but my pediatrician and gastroenterologist urged us not to give it to our son and said he wouldn't even give it to his own.

Totally JUST MY OPINION. and obviously not professional medical advice, but just because we went through h-e-double toothpicks with that medicine it scares me when others use it. EVeryone is different though...some folks react to Tylenol :0)

Wishin' you the best!!!
Christina

[pertykitty]

v bf babies can drop, addy went from 25th to 10th perc. and the dr wasnt worried at all.  of course now she is almost 8 months she has suddenly taken off in length and weight.  bf babies can be chubby and some can be thinner, dont worry about that at all.  i think if she is exclusivly bf then your supply should increase, try mothers milk thistle and fenugreek or there is another natural tablet you can take from the healthfood store. id try that before meds.  

i know its stressful to put them in daycare, my son went at 8 weeks :(    maybe you can find a job that lets you work from home part time.  it will work out, it always does girl!  remind yourself its going to be ok rather than doing what i did ,  stressing about it every minute, i think it took some great quality time away from caleb before i did go back to work.  

i do know that different pumps are better than others.  i cant pump hardly any out but addison can get it in minutes!  who is our pumping guru, trial???  im going to see now if you posted more pics  of your little princess!!

[BB22]

Gosh are your hormones still crazy after the baby comes? No-one told me that!
Here's a big hug (((((( U )))))))  Better?  You sound how I feel. Work/money/life and my baby is still 19 weeks away!! Sorry, am not up to speed on the whole breastfeeding/bottle thing yet. So no advice just a hug and a giggle from me to cheer u up :))

[BabyHardiman]

I've read on my paperwork from the pedi's office tha breastfed babies need a vitamin D suppliment, how does your little get hers?  It says by 4 months they should be getting it.  Ava is not quite 3 months yet, I assumed they would talk to me about D when I go in for her 4 month check up.

[vsentz]

Thank you girls!!! now I feel so warm and fluffy! =))

Well, i think part of it was me not being well informed about BF'ing. I just said, 'well, if i can it'd be great, if not... then i'll bottle feed' but in the hospital they kept feeding her formula (my milk was hadn't come by then yet..) and when i got home, i got engorged so bad!... then i breast fed but mostly kept the formula feeding....=( if i'd have known......

At 4 weeks post partum my milk supply was so low.... Maddie would fuss in my boob!... and that's when i started doing some research and found... uhh... duh!!!! you don't feed baby... your milk dissapears!!! *******!! lol
So now im doing all i can to build it up... and i think is going about an oz a week! yay! im bringing 5 oz home... which 3 weeks ago was unthinkable! =S

Im using the evenflo dual pump... it has the option to plug it in or use batteries (i liked it because i can use it anywhere without worrying about plugging it somewhere!) but have been using it with the batteries and is so slow and has less suction than if i plug it... so now i go, instead of the bathroom stall... to the business office closet! lol (it's more like a room...) plug it in and im done in 10 or 15 minutes rather than 30 to 40!

I just ordered a bra that is nursing/hands free pumping one! it's awesome! you just stick your attributes in the horns and voala! i'd be free to use the copier... the fax machine... attend to meetings.... LOL!

Anyway... thank you girls for all the advise and sweet words... it IS very hard to think I'm leaving my little one with an unknown person... but i do agree.. millions of babies are left in the care of good people... (i also wanna think she's good!)... and she does look like a very nice girl... she's actually been TTC for a couple of years, so i had given her some advise too! ;) she wants a little girl;... so im hoping she'd love Maddie since she is such a sweet happy baby! =)

You know what's amazing? when i leave to go to work and i get the most beautiful of the smiles and the squirms while looking directly to my eyes from a little angel....
IT ROCKS TO BE A MOMMY!!!!!
or how about when she's waking up... still sleepy.... still red around her eyes... trying to open them... and as soon as she sees me and hears me... she lets that big ole smile roll....... OH GOD!!! talk about a melting human right there!!!

[Michele, Katy, TX]

Re:  Reglan

My understanding is that the purpose for this medicine is to help food pass through the intestine.  The help with the milk supply is only a side effect.  So, when my doc gave it to me, I was kind of afraid it might cause me to have diarrhea or something.  But it didn't at all.  Now he put me on a very low dose.  I believe it was like 10mg every 12 hours.  I am a bad medicine taker but when I would use it, it would help my milk supply a lot.  So, I don't know exactly what others are talking about with the side effects.  I didn't research any of that because I just turned 33 and have had the same OB/GYN since I was 15.  He delivered all 5 of my kids so I just really trust him.  But there is certainly nothing wrong with researching it.  I would def never want to steer you wrong.  That was just my experience.  

Sounds like you are enjoying being a mommy!!!  I am very happy for you!!!  They are truly blessings......

[pertykitty]

we do 10 min in the sun, unless its been like it has 110!!  i have the tri vi sol vits and prescription with flouride.  im on the fence about the flouride.  i asked my dds yesterday and he said they should take it from birth.  i havent been giving it to her, it tastes disgusting!  

v its hard at first but it does get easier leaving them with new people.  you will race home as fast as you can to get those little kisses!! dont be surprised though if she turns her head away at some point, they get pissy we leave them i think lol.

[NeeNaz]

In regards to the flouride.. you might want to read up on that a little because too much flouride can damage your childs teeth also... I would first check to see if you have flouridated water in your area. (just a suggestion)

In regards to milk supply.. I'm in your same boat, but I don't suppliment.. my son sleeps quite a bit, and I don't have the heart to wake him when it's time to feed sometimes, so he used to miss some feedings... I found my supply dropping from 5 oz per breast to about 2 oz... it scared the hell outta me when I realized he wants to start drinking more than I might be able to make as he gets older... so now after I feed him, I go ahead and pump also... yeah I only get about a quarter ounce out of each side, but I'm trying to get out as much as I can to let my body know it needs it.... also I would think that leaving the pump on for awhile after you're "emptied out" would help to continue to stimulate your breasts telling your body it needs to make more.... just a suggestion. :)