Milk supply gone

[prematurebabymom]

Hi,

I have been expressing for 7 months now and my milk supply went so down so badly. I'm desperate to increase my supply, took fenugreek but it doesn't work for me. I used to get 100 to 50 ml each time I expressed on each breast now I get 10 ml on both breasts! I'm only able to express 4 times a day.

I'm expressing because my baby was premature and refused to breastfeed. I want to keep going because of antibodies to protect her as much as I can.

Please if there is anything I can do to help me get my milk back?

Hello! I was prescribed something ... two mins and I'll check

Domperidone

My baby was also premature born at 28weeks, you've done really well! Is baby exclusively on BM? I went to around 6-7 months and started to feed BM and this special prem F. But my ds stomach was so sensitive it was a nightmare

Can you settle on over a weekend or something, cuddle baby loads, express a lot more often, eat and drink plenty? I suspect you’re not expressing enough and you need a big boost. Also consider hiring a hospital grade pump?

Oats boost your supply so eat plenty of those. On days I have oats for breakfast I peak through breastpads but on days I have something else, I’m fine not wearing any. Definitely worth a shot

Thank you for ur reply's @littlepeaegg my baby was born at 24 weeks. I went to GP but got a refusal for prescription to boost my milk. I asked as I know girls in hospital got the drugs to help with the supply.

My little one is on SMA gold prem 2 and I was mixing bottles half formula half Brest milk due to her very poor growth. We went thru my frozen milk and now my supply went down so badly I'm hardly giving her 60 ml out of 500 ml. 😔

I will try porridge tomorrow not my favourite hehe but will try 😉

I just feel so emotional over this. I have 2,5 year old and she was full term breastfeed for 11 months and that was the best time we had. I guess I just wish things would be different, it's hard to let go...

Could you not see another GP? What was their reasoning for not prescribing? My doctor was absolutely fine doing this and it worked so well! I stopped expressing altogether, dried up, then fully regretted it! So they prescribed me the med and it worked almost immediately!

Are you sure it's not the pump? Have you checked that it is still providing suction? I had a panic like this and it turned out that it needed a new part.

I will call Gp tomorrow and will try again. He just said they can't prescribe anything and I should try fenugreek but this didn't help at all and smells so bad.

I have a new pump like 2 months old, suctions well so I don't think this is the pump. The hospital one was amazing but that was on loans during baby hospital stay, had to return it .

cks.nice.org.uk/breastfeeding-problems#!scenario

Print off the nice guidelines on breastfeeding problems and highlight the relevent bit to take with you to your gp appointment, and assuming that you have already tried the other suggestions for low milk supply then firmly suggest that the gp either refers you to an endocrinologist or prescribes the domperidone themselves.

Also try taking magnesium/calcium supplement. 500 mg calcium/250 mg magnesium up to1500 mg calcium/750 mg magnesium.

I take it as since my period returned my supply drops massively just before and during my period, and my DD gets really distressed.

You sound to have done an absolutely amazing job. Make sure you're eating and drinking well. I find my supply drops if I've not drunk 3l per day. Oats are good. You can google recipes for lactation cookies.

Re the Domperidone - Cks does not say that GPs should prescribe. It's off license but the main problem with domperidone is that there is an MHRA alert out linking it with cardiac problems. In view of the MHRA alert coupled with it being an unlicensed indication the GP would not have a leg to stand on legally if anything happened to you (even though the chance is very small), so they are not unreasonable at all for not prescribing.

Definitely ask for an endocrine review but these can take some time. In the meanwhile you need to ensure your health visitor is involved and you absolutely need support from your local infant feeding team. Have you got a hospital grade pump? If you haven't you can often hire one from hospital.

Good luck with everything.