Relactating advice

[Northernmama123]

So I had a very stressful incident occur when my LO was 8 weeks which caused my milk supply to start drying up and had to start combo feeding her. She's now 15 weeks and I decided to try to relactate a couple of weeks ago and it's really challenging. I'm constantly pumping and she has started to latch back on but soon gets bored because my flow isn't as fast as before. My milk supply has increased a bit but nowhere near enough for a full feed.
I'm pumping every 2-3 hours during the day and a couple of times at night but it's exhausting.
Anyone have any advice?

I did this some time ago, at about the same age (maybe a bit earlier) as you're doing having stopped bf at 4 days old owing to severe PND.

Relacation is proper hard going but can be done. Do you have a supplemental nursing system?? Fancy name for a bit of tubing taped to your boob to feed pumped/formula through?

What kind of pump? You need one of those industrial milking machine things or at the very least a battery powered one with good suction. I also hand expressed at every sodding opportunity even if it went to waste. Like, on car journeys when I was the passenger (obviously concealed, no one needed to see my boob at 70mph).

Good luck.

I also took industrial quantities of domperidone but I think it's been removed from market now... Fenugreek is a natural product but makes you smell like curry. I didn't mind but some might.

If it is all too much, then in the long run it really does not matter how you feed your baby as long as you're not spooning carnation concentrate into their mouth. My breastfed child (the relacation baby) is very fussy with food, prone to eat high fat and high sugar food, and was a bloody disaster sleep wise. My bottle fed one (much worse PND, relacation as likely as hell freezing over) is an omnivore, very lithe and slim, does not over eat, slept beautifully, etc.

After pumping try to massage each breast and then hand express, I found it helped increase supply. I pumped after every feed which also helped. Buy the best pump you can afford. I bought a expensive one and sold it on afterwards so it wasn't to bad.

I understand how important it can feel to feed your baby breast milk and how much guilt and pressure is dumped on you. You have to do what's right for you and your baby.

My oldest, I only managed to breastfeed for a week or so because of many issues. He has grown very tall and healthy. My youngest I was determined to breast feed but the same issues happened but I was so determined, possibly a little obsessed and managed to feed him and the local NICU for a good 6 months! It was tough but it felt like such an achievement. My exclusively breastfed child has eczema, allergies and is slightly overweight so don't believe that breast milk will always prevent these kinds of things.

Good luck with your supply and enjoy your little one.

Would really recommend speaking to an IBCLC near you, they can come and watch you feed and tailor support to you.

Also definitely recommend an SNS, you can buy the Medela one off Amazon. Bit fiddly to start but be patient and persevere, you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. They're great because baby gets all milk from you (breast milk directly and whatever your supplement is- formula/expressed/donor milk), no bottle preference and the extra time at the breast is extra stimulation. Then as your supply increases you can decrease your supplement amount.

You can also get a prescription for domperidone if you have a helpful and understanding GP. It increases prolactin so if there isn't another reason for low supply can work wonders.

Also there's some great relactating support groups on Facebook, and have a read of the kellymom website.

Power pumping is great too if you haven't done that yet.

You want to spend a night or two pumping and feeding every 2 hours.

I had this problem and was told to do this, because the amount they feed at night is meant to affect how much you produce.

Whether that's true or not, it worked.

I found my supply increased after I stopped the formula top ups and let baby feed constantly, especially overnight. This was around 10 weeks. I had a lactation consultant to help me with it too. Don't put too much sway on baby behaviour as they are fussy for all sorts of reasons, often nothing to do with what your adult brain concludes. It's wet and dirty nappies you need to be watching for.

You can do this. It's a fantastic thing you're doing for your baby.

Thanks for the advice all. I’m using my Momcozy’s for pumping so I can still move about and do stuff whilst pumping. I’ve just had some skin on skin time with LO and pumped and it seems the milk is starting to flow now, still only a small amount but definite progress :)