This is not the end!

Well, the cutiebug is just one week shy of 6 months and guess what's happened?  The bottom dropped out on my milk supply last week.  I've always had supply issues, but this past week I had one day where I pumped less than an ounce in an entire 24 hour period.  Things hadn't been this bad since the baby was a couple weeks old.

My heart was broken and all I could think was "is this it?  is this the end?"  I had big dreams of EBF (exclusively breastfeeding) once the cutiebug's solids intake was enough to decrease his nursing needs.  I had assumed that if I had made it this far I'd be able to nurse him to the APA's one year recommendation, and maybe beyond, without much added difficulty.

So what had happened?  Well, I don't want to get into specifics, but let's just say it was a rough week for my family.  There was allot of traveling involved, some unhappiness, and a ton of stress.  Over time, as the baby started to nurse better and more often I was dropping pumping sessions left and right, plus I had stopped all my supplements except for the Domperidone.  On this trip I continued to not pump during the day, even though the baby wasn't nursing, and I was barely hanging on to my sanity so I didn't really realize what I was doing to us.  I was still getting about 6 ounces a day from my paltry pumping efforts so I figured everything was OK.  I figured it would pick back up.

Then we got home and the bug got sick!  Really sick.  He completely stopped nursing and has not latched AT ALL in 5 days, despite many efforts.  My first day at home I knew it was time to pull out all the stops, and I only got one ounce in the first 24 hours! 

Never fear!  The bottle is still half full!  


What did I do next?  I am going to tell you, step by step, so that if you ever find yourself in this situation you can pump half a bottle too!

1. Get help! I immediately, upon realizing the full extent of my dilemma, lit the boob signal (think bat-signal, lol) alerting all the many helpful and loving moms in my support network.  This is the first and most important tool in anyone's arsenal!  If you do not have a receptive and encouraging group of milk mommas to respond to your boob signal, you absolutely MUST find some STAT!  For real, if you need some send me a message and I can hook you up.  There are some great mommas who know how to lend a helping hand online!
2. Make a decision! I made a decision - I will make more milk.  I will not just let this be the end without a fight.  Now, please keep in mind that for some mothers this would have been a good place to end things.  I am all for the health of mommy and baby.  There are more important things in life than milk - like a mother who isn't locked up in an asylum. If you find yourself in this situation, please take the time to make the right choice for you and not just bow to pressure from anyone other than you and the baby.
3. Pump! Nurse! Pump! Set yourself up on a serious pumping/nursing regimen.  Try to find some in-home help (let Daddy get in on the baby action!) and focus on nothing but yourself and milk for your baby for an entire day.  For me this meant 24 hours of pumping every two hours.  The cutiebug still isn't nursing because he is sick.  SO I pumped every 2 hours for 24 hours, except for once I overslept.  Lots and lots of nursing could accomplish the same thing.
4. Power-Pump! I also made sure that at least four of those were power-pumps during the day whole I watched movies.  Even if you are able to nurse often a power pump can't hurt when your supply is dipping low.
5. Herb it up!  I maxed out on my domperidone doses (I had been sketchy about taking my dom while I was traveling) and did not skip a dose.  I also added back in the other galactagogues that I knew would work for me based on prior experience.  I unloaded the whole arsenal.  This is no time to hold back.  When you are at 10% of normal production lay the galactagogues on thick!
6. Eat Right! No, I don't just mean getting three squares, I mean making every bite count.  Every bite.  I made up a list of every lactogenic food I know of and I went to the store list in hand.  I bought every food they had that would potentially increase my supply and then I made food.  I made easy stuff combining lots of good ingredients - like soup, casseroles, and tea.  I did this in between pumping sessions while hubby knew that he was not to let anything disturb me.  I also got some help in this area from moms who saw the boob-signal and stopped by with their own lactation cookies, bars, and stews.  Thank you to my angel-friends!  When you are in your initial "get back the milk" phase don't let it cross your lips if it isn't going to help you make more milk!
7. Take care of YOU!  This is the most important part.  When I sent my plan out to my boobie-buddies I got allot of supportive feedback with one resounding post-script.  Everyone was worried about ME.  When was I going to sleep?  How would I stay sane?  I had to take time for me.  I had to limit myself to one day of psycho-pumping (every 2 hours for 24 hours), one more day of mega-pumping (the same plan with a nice break for sleep), and then back to my old plan of pumping only in place of a feed until I could get the cutiebug to latch again.  I also made a plan to go get my nails done.  I made sure I had no added chores... it could wait!  Or else hubby could do it!

By following my plan for three days I have gone from a one ounce day to a 4.5 ounce day, and it's not even over yet!  I have one, maybe two more pumps before I go to bed.

I don't know if I am going to get back to where I was before my big dip, but I am sure going to try.  I am  not going to give up until I am ready, the baby weans himself, or mother nature leaves me no choice.

For now it's onward and upward until April 6th - Good Friday, the beginning of Passover.  At that time I will reevaluate and see what comes next for me and the baby.  With a little luck and some major dedication this might be the start of 6 more months of nursing!