Milk supply

[mummatoapreemie]

My baby is 5 weeks old and was born at 30 weeks!
I'm struggling with expressing and producing enough milk for him.
It's really getting to me emotionally and physically any advice to boost milk production would be great! X

I couldn't read and not post ... I had twins born at 30 weeks and really struggled to keep up supply. It took lots of discussions with nurses) and tears ... but my hand was forced to add in formula mixed with my milk when my supply in the neonatal fridge was about to run out. It actually helped to ease the pressure, which then helped my supply. I managed to mix formula and BM until they were fully term then just transitioned to all formula. Every one is different and don't worry as long as the baby is fed that's all that matters! You're doing a great job to get to 5 weeks. It's so tough. Keep going you're doing amazing

Please don't beat yourself up if it doesn't work out. My DS was born 6 weeks early and I had zero supply at all - maybe genetic as some family history, but even so I was gutted. He was formula fed the whole way through and has grown up big and strong!

First of all, be kind to yourself because it is such a hard time!!
Drink lots of water, massage your breasts before you express. Are you using a double pump? I would recommend the Ardo Calypso. Try to keep to every 3 hours even through the night. And express until you are completely empty each time.
Are you hoping to breastfeed eventually, or will you continue to express and give EBM in a bottle? If you’re hoping to breastfeed, they should be letting baby try to feed from you now. Are you getting enough support from the nurses?

Hi @mummatoapreemie drink and eat plenty. When my little one was in NNU I often forgot to eat, and even now we’re home I notice an impact on my milk if I don’t drink much. Stressful days were worse for me too and I used to add to the stress by being embarrassed by the little amounts of milk I did put in the fridge. As JackiesndWilson said, I mixed formula and milk until I could keep up with supply.

Babies are more effective as getting milk out than a pump too (as I keep being told) so if you’re breastfeeding too, what you pump isn’t necessarily what your baby gets.

I'm not able to breastfeed due to him being so small..
I try to pump frequently but the more I pump the less I get and the less I pump the more I get so I've stuck to the latter. I know you're meant to pump loads but it just brings me down.

I want to be able to bf but I don't think I'll be able to as I'm only getting 5mls of milk both sides. :(
I blame myself for compromising my supply but I was so stressed for the first 3 weeks he was born that I was barely looking after myself, I wish I had known the importance of expressing then but I just didn't understand I didn't know that milk would go, I think I was a bit blind to the fact.

Now I'm really kicking myself.
X

I was put onto a prescription from domperidone in order to increase my milk supply, and I pumped every 4 hours as every 3 hours was too depressing. I managed to pump enough to feed our son until he was about 6 months old (which was 3m in NICU and 3m at home), after that I caved in and got the high calorie milk prescribed for him by the health visitor. I never did establish breast-feeding, so I pumped exclusively.

Be fair on yourself - nobody wants a worn out, depressed mamma. You've already given your him the best start in life by expressing your milk and feeding that to him by whatever method he takes it.

Go to your GP as there are several drugs that can be used. Domperidone can be used but as it’s off label it may need a prescription via the hospital

You have to have to eat LOADS! I know it's hard, but please enlist the help of family and friends to keep you supplied with lots of healthy food. I didn't have a preemie but I noticed that when I wasn't eating well, my milk supply dropped drastically. I was making some very milk porridge and putting into a flask to have overnight to keep milk supply up. Lactation cookies might help?
Also, it might be an idea to have your thyroid levels checked- this also had an incredibly detrimental effect on my milk supply.

Firstly, well done for persevering & congratulations on little one.

Eat and drink loads - I ate a lot of flapjack & porridge. Make sure your own iron levels are ok. If you are going to pump every 4 hours rather than 3, the night pumping is the most crucial. I know you feel you don't get anything going regularly but it takes 48 hours to boost supply so try.

I had DD at 33+6, IUGR so tiny & couldnt bf at first. didn't actually like the hospital pumps at all, got on much better with my own old avent one. I managed to get her bf directly 2 weeks in using shields. We are still stuck with them now 4 weeks on but sod it, I'm feeding her & she's gaining weight so I love them. Don't rule them out if you could try them. Baby is better at extracting milk than pump & better at stimulating supply too.

Pump even if you aren't getting much. Are you pumping with your little near you whenever you can eg while in NICU? Get as much skin to skin as you can.

If there's any milk at all you have something to work from. Ask doctors about domperidone. The first 6 weeks is when your milk supply is still getting worked out, it's not too late to improve it.

OP you're doing great!! Please remember that, and ss pps have said you've done great to persevere.

My son was 3 weeks prem, had a poor latch and short attention span, breast feeding lasted all of 3 weeks.

I now exclusively pump but he had 2 formula feeds until my supply increased (he's 12 weeks now and it took until he was 10 weeks for that to happen)

I have found that 7 sessions a day for 20 minutes per breast works best for me and I get between 4 and 8oz a time, the latter being my first pump of the day.

I start when he wakes up (between 4.30am and 5.30am) and pump through the day, I try to keep it every 2 and a half to 3 hours.

So I started pumping at 4.45am, my schedule today looks something like: 8am/10.30am/1pm/3.30pm/6pm/9pm. These times will flex slightly as I am out this morning and feeds change too.

Don't be afraid to mix feed if you have to. Is also suggest getting an electric pump if you don't already, I use a manual and it aches after a while.

The NICU should have a specialist breastfeeding nurse, or at least someone whom the other nurses consider a “go-to person” for breastfeeding queries. Make sure you have a good chat with them, and see what their advice is.
Baby’s sucking/breathing/swallowing reflex should be working out by around 35 weeks and it’s always worth having baby try latching on just to help you both get the idea (even if they have a tube feed whilst at your breast). A nurse can do the tube feed while you hold baby.