Endometriosis, tongue ties and breastfeeding!

[hatestayinginside]

Hi there, please could someone help me before I go mad!! My 3 week old was born with a tongue tie which wasn't fixed until her third week birthday. As a result, my supply is low (I had started supplementing with formula as her weight plummeted) and she still doesn't seem to be sucking properly, and keeps falling asleep. I have been expressing for about 3 days now, 4 times a day, and the quantity coming out hasn't increased from about 1oz. How long will it take? Does the fact that I have endometriosis adversely affect my milk supply? Can anyone help as I am driving myself up the wall with these thoughts!

Thanks.

I think there is a way of expressing several times a day that might increase your supply - but the rule seems to be you have to pump or breastfeed a certain number of times every 24 hours - including throughout the night.
How many "feeds" would you be expressing if you included the times you were feeding your baby AND pumping.
Are you pumping after you have fed the baby - or say an hour later?
I know there are some people here that are way more knowledgable about this than me - that might be able to help more.
I think you need to pump or breastfeed about 8 times in 24 hours - the equivalent of 8 breastfeeds a day.
Pumping with a hand pump can take quite a long time in my experience - up to 15 minutes each side - sometimes it's better to switch back and forth from one breast to the other during your pumping session (when side A is not releasing much milk - go to side b and vice versa)! I hear that the pumps you can hire which are electrical are more efficient than the hand pumps - it might be worth looking into hiring a hospital grade pump!
Hope my info helps a little.

Message withdrawn

Ok great, so I need to pump every 3 hours. I'll try switching sides, see if that helps thanks. And good to know that endometriosis doesn't compromise supply, I thought that as it was a hormonal problem then maybe I didn't have the hormones to have a good supply - a bit paranoid I guess, but also looking for reasons why I can't seem to increase my supply! (Pumping too little seems to be the answer

thanks.

speak to a breastfeeding counsellor on one of the helplines. endometriosis won't affect your supply. the numbers of all the helplines are on the right of the homepage of www.howbreastfeedingworks.com

good luck. yes pumping frequently as didylicious said as well as putting your baby to the breast as often as possible. Try cosleeping, going to bed with your baby all day for 2 or 3 days and focus just on feeding and nothing else, including expressing with a pump.

You can also try a galactogogue like fenugreek or domepridone and the bfc will also give more indepth info best suited for a one to one discussion.

good luck

Thanks, I'd love to take a nursing holiday, but I also have a toddler to look after! AND my pump has just broken down [hsad. Feel like someone is telling me to stop! I won't though, thanks for the advice.