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Also, 2 oz a day will give a baby the immunological effects. So don't give up just because you don't have a big supply. I think everything will get easier soon, just because you will get used to all of it.
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Thanks for the reply jenmarko. I have a PIS from when I bf my son. It's ok but not as good as the hospital grade one. I am going to return it before going on vacation at the end of the month and will continue with the PIS.

Our baby scale is buried in a 10x30 storage locker an hour and a half away from our apartment. If we find it I'll try to weigh her. I just can't imagine her getting ounces out if I am only pumping ml, if that makes sense. +/- 10ml doesn't make THAT much of a difference.

I'm stubbornly keeping at it. We'll see for how long.

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Hello all - I managed to get 5 oz one day that I didn't nurse much, but the last few days have been ~3 oz 2 months into pumping. Increasing to 120ml of dom with the herbs, oatmeal, and brewers yeast doesn't seem to have made a difference. My husband is strongly hinting that I should give up the hospital grade pump, keep taking meds, and see what happens. I feel like if I do that I might as well give up everything, but for some reason I am stubborn and don't want to yet. Ugh. This whole process has been so depressing.

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If you got 5 oz that day, then I think you can assume she is getting at least 2 oz a day from you directly. I would still bet it is more. Many mom's don't do well with a pump.

I agree with your husband. Get rid of the pump, and just keep taking meds and bf and maybe pumping some with the PIS.

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I agree as well. Sounds like it might be tim to consider giving up the pumping, if that's what's causing you to struggle. Keep doing whatever you can manage of the meds and such, if you like. Don't worry about how much you're making or how much she's taking, just enjoy the process of breastfeeding and being with your little one.

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Pumping post-mortem:

I spent 2 months with a hospital grade pump before going on vacation with my family. I maxed out at 5-6 oz/day plus nursing, but life became too complicated while I was away and I all but lost my milk. With a potential return to work looming a month away, a PIS instead of a hospital grade pump to use, a daughter who is on solids and doesn't seem to appreciate nursing the way she used to (i.e. is too easily distracted), and another trip on the calendar this weekend I didn't think it was worth spending another few months trying to regain lost ground, so I have decided to give up. I feel somewhat resentful that the decision was taken out of my hands and am heartsick that it didn't work and that I am giving up, but it is probably for the best.

Was this whole experiment worth it? Probably not. I never built enough supply to just be able to nurse, which was what I was hoping for. Before we left for vacation I was to the point where I could comfort soothe her back to sleep at night, but that's about as far as it ever got. Nursing was supposed to make my life easier, not harder, and the (literally) thousands of dollars spent on medications, doctors appointments, etc are not insignificant either. I am also sick of fighting with my husband about this.

Would I recommend attempting to induce lactation for someone else? Potentially. Reading through the posts there seem to be some who have had success, but my guess is that those who did not tend to disappear so the sample is biased. However I think that I held on longer than I should have, and kept on pushing when it should have been abundantly clear to me that it was a failure.

Will I kept up nursing with the lact-aid? Absolutely not. My husband seems *shocked* that I don't want to keep going with the lact-aid and the pills, but as I kept repeating on vacation, without the pumping there is no reason to bother.

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One more thing...if I have so little milk why the *#($ does weaning hurt so much. I am in serious physical pain at the moment, but when I try to express a little milk nothing comes out. I have been through this 3 times before and it still surprises me how awful it is.

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I'm sorry that the experience is not what you had anticipated. I wouldn't say that is was a failure. You were able to give your daughter breast milk and bond with her when she did nurse. It is a lot of work and both time consuming and expensive but you made the effort to share this experience with you daughter. Please don't be so hard on yourself.

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I am still betting that you have way more milk than you thought and you just don't react to a pump well and that is why weaning hurts.

I'm not sure why you think without the pumping it is not worth it. I personally would keep using the lactaid and taking the meds and assume my child was getting something from me, and stop stressing about what I pumped. The nursing relationship is what is most important. Making the milk is great, but the bonding is just as important.

Jennifer

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