Home Forums Breastfeeding Breastfeeding Losing my Milk?

I haven't been here in quite a while. My situation has changed a bit since I was slast here, but I really need some help now. I'm so worried. Just to re-introduce myself-- I first came to this site two months before my triplets were born. I decided at the last minute I wanted to try to induce lactation to breastfeed them. (They are adopted.) I started the accelerated protocol about eight weeks before the yarrived. The night before tney were born i was getting about 2 oz with each 15 min pumping session. By the time they were two days old my supply had more than quadrupled. I never had to supplement them (though I'd let dh give them a bottle once in a while so i could have an emoptional break), somewhere around seven or eight months I stopped the Domperidone and my supply remained stable. I have a bilogical child who is 2 1/2 years older than the trio; I nursed him for 19 months. I stopped nursing the triplets around 13 months, shortly before learning I was pregnant. I have now gone from seven years of infertility to having five sons in four years! My oldest is now 4 1/2, my triplets are 2, and our little guy is 4 months.

This pregnancy was extremely high risk. I developed a cardiomyopathy with my first pregnancy, which meant that with this one I faced a 50-50 chance of not making it through. I am also Asthmatic, Diabetic, and have had both hips replaced. I have other Orthopedic issues that create severe chronic pain. My pain doc and the Perinatologist both advised my husband and me that continue my pain management during pregancy was probably wise. Therefore, my guy was born addicted to narcotics. We knew this would ahppened and were prepared. Due to a snafu with my pain Doc's nurse, however (she forgot to mail my prescriptions) my baby went into distress at 36 weeks and had to be born then rather than the 38 weeks we had planned. He was born in a profound state of whithdrawal. He spent 16 days in the NICU. After his release, he had two separate hospitalizations for RSV.

All through this rocky start, however, breastfeeding went beautifully. My insurance paid for a brand new Medela Pump in Style. While he was in the hospital I provided for all of his feedings. And remember, he is my fifth breastfed child. I know how this works. All of a sudden, in the past 4-5 days, my supply has been dwindling. It is not an issue of latching or frequency of feeds or his preparing for a growth spurt. I finallly last night resorted to letting my dh formula-feed while I pumped every three hours. I never got even anounce at any pumping session. I'm drinking as much water as ever. I've got a lot of stress in my life right now, but not more than I had the first year of mothering triplets.

I really could not bear to lose my milk. I know that sounds dramatic. Could it be caused by a homeopathic remedy for exhaustion? I took it for several days before I noticed the dwindling supply. I've lost the darn bottle now, so I can't say what the ingredients are. Could it be due to an increase of narcotic? The same nurse who caused my unnorn baby to suffer withdrawal in utero inadvertantly wrote my last prescription of Oxycode for twice what I have been taking. I took three or four doses before noticing her mistake. Could it be a muscle relaxant called Amrix? I have taken it off and on for about a month now. Those are the only medication changes.

I cannot think of anything else it could be. I have started taking Blessed Thistle and Fenugreek, and I thought my supply was back today, but in the evening I encountered the same problem. I am willing to take the Dom again, if necessary, but it will be July 1 before I have the money to order it, and a couple of weeks after that before it arrives. In the meantime I guess all I can do is breastfeed as much as I can and when I have to supplement, make sure I pump at least as often as he takes a bottle. I don't understand this. I am GOOD at lactating, for heaven's sake. There is so much personal stuff going on (not to go into a looonnnnggg story, but a couple of months ago a, um, "friend" of mine called in a false report to CPS and we have been through utter hell and terror as a result. That part is now over, and the crooked case worker is being investigated and will soon be fired, but part of the fallout is that my husband, who is in the military, faces an unjust court martial and possible prison time, which would leave me with five tiny children and no income or place to live.) I know it's stupid, but I just can't have this fall apart too!

Jamie, our milk goes according to our circadium rythmm with
more in the am and less as the day goes on. It is important for you to protect your supply by either breastfeeding or pumping. This
could very well be a growth spurt, which normally occurs at this age. Hang in there and nurse as much as possible. Make sure you are resting when you can and continue getting plenty of fluids.

Hi Jamie,

Wow - it really sounds like you are going through alot. I am not an expert at this so I have no advice to give - but I have stopped taking dom (my guy is now 23 months and its ok if he doesn't get much breastmilk), and I have some left over that I'd be happy to mail to you ASAP. Let me know if you want it - send me an email as I don't come to this site that often anymore ([email protected]).

Hang in there!

BTW - do you have anyone who can give you a break? Sounds like you are under a TON of stress!!!!

Take care of yourself,
Karyn

Dear Jamie,

I agree WOW you are having such a hard time. I understand about the friend, I think many of us have experienced this kind of betrayal at some time in our lives. I truly hope the military takes everything into consideration and your husband can somehow avoid prison time.

Thank you for sharing your story with all of us. The stresses in your life are considerable and can affect your milk supply because milk supply is affected by the higher brain centers where your stress lies.

My suspicion is that you are correct in assuming the homeopathic stress remedy may have contributed to a lower milk supply because often they contain a lot of vitamin B. Too much can inhibit milk supply. Fenugreek and blessed thistle will help but the domperidone will likely do a better job in a shorter period of time. It would be wonderful if you could obtain some.

As Lalle mentioned, milk supply goes according to our circadium rhythm and so there is more in the AM and less as the day goes on. You are doing all the right things. Stay away from sage, pseudoepherine (decongestant) and antihistamines if you can as they can impede milk supply.

Pumping after feeds can help as well but breast compression will accomplish the same thing and is less time consuming because you can do it as you feed. It's like a waltz, compress 2 3 let go, compress 2 3 let go.

Whatever happens, it's important to note that only small amounts of milk are needed for immune protection and there are ever so many more benefits to breastfeeding than the milk. So if you need to supplement a ltitle, so be it.

If you require further assistance please email me personally at [email protected] or [email protected]

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Best, Lenore