Booby Juice

Crazy is as crazy does

Wow, I can't believe I am actually posting!  I convinced my mom to lie down with Lucas tonight so I could get some work done (hubby is away on business), and despite Lucas' protests, I stuck to my guns.  Though I will be crawling into bed with him when I am finished with this post!!!

So, I briefly mentioned in my last post that on the Tuesday after Labor Day I started a new job.  I usually write only about breastfeeding, the kids or parenting issues, opting intentionally to forgo posts about work and all other things personal, but my current work issue merits a mention.

Before I get to the work issue, I have to provide some quick background.  My best friend from high school is turning 35 in October, so she has arranged for a long week-end at a spa in Austin and invited her nearest and dearest friends (the invites went out in August).  Ever since I missed her wedding (yes, you read right, I missed my best friend's wedding), I have felt a phenomenal amount of guilt, so I couldn't very well turn down her invitation for her birthday week-end, not to mention I'm thrilled to be able to spend time with her, so I called the spa and gave them a deposit.  I was planning on flying into Houston, where my friend lives, and driving with her to Austin.

Fast forward from August to my first day of work and one of my first emails is an itinerary for an Operations meeting in Houston the week I am suppose to leave for the spa week-end.  So now my 4 day trip (Friday - Monday) has turned into a 7 day trip (Tuesday - Monday).  Making the situation all the worse, my mom is going to Italy for her 60th birthday, and her trip was planned so it wouldn't conflict with my spa week-end (she returns on Thursday, the day before I was suppose to leave), but now with my work, we will both briefly be gone at the same time.  Ugh!  And if that wasn't bad enough, my boss decided that after my vacation day Monday, I should stay in Houston a couple more days to meet some people at our Houston offices, now turning my originally 4 day spa week-end into a 9 day stressful ordeal.

So childcare coverage issues aside, I am now starting to freak out about.....

Oversupply: Too much milk

I have written countless times about my supply problems and how to increase supply, but I have never posted about the opposite problem -- oversupply. 

Much like not having enough milk, an oversupply of milk can create problems with foremilk/hindmilk imbalances, resulting in a fussy, gassy baby with greenish poops.  Hyperlactation (the official name of oversupply) also creates problems for Mom, such as engorgement, plugged ducts and leaking.

There are tips to help reduce and/or cope with an abundant milk supply.

Breastfeeding problems

So for the past week I’ve been struggling with supply issues -- again. I was scared to write about the problem in any detail for fear that if I put it down on “paper” my worst thoughts might come true (that my supply would disappear altogether). I know, it's silly!  Thankfully, I have enough of a freezer stash that we have been able to weather the supply dip, but I don't have enough to make it to 12 months.

Anyway, I had a strong suspicion that my supply issues were a result of a strict diet I started 2 weeks ago. But I didn’t want to give up on the diet, so I was selfishly pretending that maybe my supply issues were because of the cold Lucas recently got over (he couldn’t nurse because he was so congested) or because I am in reality only a part-time nurser or even because of Lucas' teething.

But, I think I may have found something else to cling my hope onto. Is it possible that after almost 10 months of pumping, I have stopped responding to the pump?  Yes, I still feel full throughout the day (more so during the first half, but not nearly as full as I did even a month ago) and Lucas never seems to have any problems getting booby juice right from the tap, so maybe, just maybe this pumping business is my problem. Better yet, I think I just read about the closest thing to a magic bullet I will ever find: Fennel (I can't believe I didn't know about this before!).  Not only does Fennel assist with triggering a letdown, but it also can act as an appetite suppressant.  Enough said.  I’ll let you know if it works, and maybe I’ll be 17 pounds lighter for trying!

Mothers Sharing Breastmilk

In today's Wall Street Journal, there was a fabulous article about Mothers who share breastmilk.  This is the kind of press Booby Juice loves!  Not only does the article discuss breastfeeding in the main stream (well, relatively), popular press, but it also reiterates the well-known benefits of breastfeeding.

The author, SARA SCHAEFER MUÑOZ, reports that adoptive Mothers or women who can't BF for whatever reason are opting to search out breastmilk on the Internet instead of turning to formula.  She goes on to discuss why these informal networks are the preferred choice over formal milk banks, and explores the pros and cons of such informal exchanges.

I wish I could link to the article, but the WSJ doesn't allow it (access to the article online is for for subscribers only).  However, I am able to email the article to others, so if you are interested in reading it in its entirety, please email me.

Milk Production

Some interesting facts about milk production:

Fat content tends to increase as the day progresses.
Mom's milk storage capacity affects milk production and breastfeeding.
Milk is being produced at all times, with speed of production depending upon how empty the breast is.

Learn more: how milk is produced and FAQs about Milk Production. 

Increase Milk Supply

Supply Boosters - Milk supply always seems to be an issue for women at some point while BF. I have already discussed my own personal struggles with supply, but I wanted to add some other supply boosting techniques that can be used:

-pump after every feeding
-pump more often at work
-eat well, drink plenty of water (64 ounces), get enough sleep
-relax
-spend a weekend relactating
-Brewer's Yeast tablets
-Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle &/or mother's milk tea

Increase breast milk supply

What can you do to increase your breast milk supply if you notice your supply is dwindling? Well, thankfully there is a lot! On Mother's Day, when my son was just 6 weeks old, I noticed my supply had virtually stopped. I thought it was because I was stressed about returning to work the next day. However, when Monday rolled around and I had no milk, I panicked and immediately called a laction consultant (LC), as well as my OB.

First, let me say I was absolutely certain that my milk supply was vanishing, as I was pumping 2 times a day, so I could actually see how much, or in this case, how little milk I was getting with each pumping. This is an important point because many women experience a "softening" of the breasts and think their supply is gone.

After discussing the situation with the LC and my OB, I was put on a strict regimen of herbs and nursing/pumping/nursing/pumping. After 2 weeks of hard work, my supply was back to normal, and I have had no problems since.

Here is what I did, but please, consult with a board certified LC and/or your OB if you are having any problems. Also, be aware that there are presciption medications available that are specifically designed to treat decreased milk supply.

*I took the herbs Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle in combination (1 500 mg pill of each, 3 times a day). Be forwarned, the herbs can initially give you and/or your baby a bit of an upset stomach, but this side effect should eventually go away. Also, the Fenugreek smells a bit like maple syrup and subsequently you, too, can smell like maple syrup! Finally, I was on a very low dose of both, so you might want to consult with a professional as to what dose is appropriate for you. Per the Medela website, for example, they state, "The dose is 2-3 capsules (580-610 mg each), taken by mouth 3 times/day" is the therapeutic range.

*I measured out 64 ounces of water to drink each day

*I cut out (or tried to cut out!) trans fats such as cakes, cookies, fried food, etc.

*After every nursing, regardless of how long my son nursed for, I would massage my boobs in a downward motion and then pump for 7-10 minutes. The pumping was important to stimulate the nipples and subsequently the milk supply. Also, per the LC, for an entire week, my son got no bottles, and I was told to nurse him whenever he wanted.

I felt that increasing my breast milk supply, though, would only do so much if I didn't figure out why my supply vanished in the first place. As stated in my welcome post, my son and I had problems with breasfeeding from the start. As it turns out, my son was an extremely inefficient/unagressive sucker, and I was getting recurrent blocked ducts that were actually blocking the flow of milk from much of the breast. These 2 factors led to the decline in my supply, but thankfully were easy to remedy (see other postings).

There are some great resources out there if you are experiencing a decrease in your milk supply. Here is a site I particularly liked and found very helpful: milk supply info

If you are having problems, take a deep breath and relax knowing it is possible to regain your supply. And remember, when in doubt, consult a professional.