Also I have gained a solid 10 lbs since my daughter was born (124 to 134) . Definitely doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy about inducing lactation.

Day 2 - pretty dry today. I think I got a drop.

My daughter slept in my arms with only one feed overnight yesterday. Best night's sleep she has gotten in a long time. She seems pretty content to nurse. I just hope it works.

Are you using a lactaid? If so, you should see increases just from nursing. You might not know it, but after a few weeks, you will probably be making at least a few ounces a day.

And remember, nursing is about more than just the milk. It is the bonding too. You can get that with a lactaid.

Jennifer

I am using a lact-aid. Otherwise my daughter would starve.

Molly actually slept through the night last night, miraculously. The first pump of day 3 (without feeding first) produced 2-3 drops on the right and 1 drop on the left).

I'm not necessarily discouraged. I'm just journaling my experience in the hope that it helps someone else.

Separately, I am a bit confused about breastshield sizing. Per the Medela website the nipple should just fit inside the tube. I have very small nipples and large breasts. The hospital recommended going up to a 30ml. However quite a bit of the pink part is sucked into the tube when pumping. The pump rental store said that I should go down to a 21, and even still some of the pink part gets sucked into the tube. I tried pumping with the 24 I already had and the round part is not large enough to latch onto skin (it tries to make a seal on the pink part) and was incredibly painful to use. I went back to my 30s. Medela suggested ordering 27s, which should come next week.

End of day 3:

1-2 drops at most of the pumping sessions. Last 2 were completely dry. I don't know if it is a coincidence or not but I tried going down to the 24s with extra lubrication this evening. Hand expressing can usually get a drop to form if I squeeze really hard and massage does not do anything at all.

I had oatmeal for breakfast and dinner today.

Day 4:

Repeat of day 3. 1-2 drops max per pumping session, sometimes none at all. I switched back and forth between the 30s and the 24s and it didn't seem to make a difference. Also looking at pictures of crying babies is supposed to help, but I have actually held my screaming baby and I still don't produce any more.

I know it takes time for milk to come in, but there doesn't seem to be any progress/increase taking place at all. How long should I wait before I become concerned?

Day 5:

This morning a few drops on the left side actually fell into the collection area! For me it was very exciting. The right side was completely dry for the first pump of the day.

I nursed with lact-aid once on each side overnight but was too tired to pump.

Day 5 afternoon:

Several pumping sessions got 2-3 drops, but the last 2 of the day have been dry.

Ounces seems awfully far away.

Day 6:

1-2 big drops at pretty much every pumping session but my daughter has had a weird day so we have spent a lot of time quietly suckling rather than actually feeding/pumping. I don't know how that has affected my supply. The doctor says that at a minimum *something* should fall to the bottom of the bottle by the end of week 1 and I hope we'll just about make it.

Day 7:

No increase over the past 2 days. 1-2 big drops, and they don't always fall to the bottom of the bottle. I'd say I'm behind where the doctor wanted me to be, but I nursed before I pumped a few times so I can't tell for sure.

keep it up!
Sending you positive vibes!

Day 8:

This is officially week 2. The shields are wet just about every pump, but I didn't always have something fall to the bottom of the bottle. I collected a grand total of 1ml today. Yippee.

Day 9:

Pumping volume is finally a little higher. I spilled some and I still got more than 5ml over the course of the day. Compared to most people that isn't much, but the last time I tried to induce I never got more than 7ml.

1ml to 5 ml in one day sounds great!

Day 11:

My husband accidentally spilled some of the milk but I think I got 8-10ml today plus whatever my daughter nursed. Regardless that's a new record for me. I'm definitely increasing, albeit slowly. Let's hope it continues to accelerate.

Thanks so much for your updates. It is so encouraging to hear how you are doing. Keep up the great work!

Congrats! It sounds like your hard work is paying off!

It does sound great! I wouldn't underestimate what your daughter might be getting either.
Jennifer

Day 12:

12-13ml today and a lovely homemade superhero cape for my son's "Halloween in June" costume party at camp. Good day all around.

Day 13:

15-16ml today plus whatever my daughter drank. Looks like I am finally starting to see some progress!

I bought some brewer's yeast to add to the herbs/dom on the advice of the doctor. I figure it can't hurt. Maybe I'll try it every other day at the beginning because I don't want to start having yeast issues on top of everything else.

Sounds great! Good job!
Jennifer

Day 14:

20ml! A new record! I was really excited.

Day 15:
just 18ml today. I had hoped for more given that I was increasing at a rate of 2.8ml/day (according to my excel spreadsheet), but I missed a pumping session.

Day 16:
Not through yet but I don't think I'll be setting new records. I'm at 15ml with 3 sessions to go.

There is no way that I have maxed out at 20ml, right?

Day 17:

An amazing 28ml...I almost pumped an ounce today!

35ml today! I finally pumped an ounce.

The past few days I have felt an intense burning on my breasts after pumping. The skin is often hot to the touch and the discomfort will last for quite a while (more than 30 minutes). Is this normal? I have had mastasis in the past and it doesn't feel like that. Also I don't have enough milk to feel engorged.

Day 19: 32 ml today but I missed a pumping session (or 2). I was actually expecting it to be worse.

Day 20: 38ml today. I was hoping for 40 but I will take what I can get.

It is somewhat concerning that I'm not really accelerating the way I probably should given that I don't know how much more I can do. Still, I'll keep this up a little while longer and hope that I start to show larger gains. While I don't have a definitive timeline in mind, there's a limit to how long I'll keep going with the pumping, lactaid, and medications if I'm only ever going to be able to provide 1-2% of my daughter's daily need.

I am sorry to hear you're feeling a bit discouraged. I have been excited as I continue to see the regular gains you are having. It must feel like things have been going rather slowly to you but it's been encouraging for me to see your progress. Don't forget as well that breastfeeding is only in small part about nutrition. More and more, we are learning that breastfeeding as an action is brain-building for babies and have benefits that go far beyond just nutrition.

Day 21:

~45 ml. That's an ounce and a half! I wonder if the brewer's yeast I took this morning helped.

Day 22:

What happened to my milk? I fought for 37-38ml today. We're supposed to be accelerating, not going backward!

Day 23: 52ml today but I haven't been able to nurse much today so it isn't as good as it seems. Definitely a poor start to the morning.

Day 24:

The good news is that I pumped 60ml today. Unbelievable. But I forgot the nursing bags so my daughter didn't really nurse today, so it isn't quite a fair comparison. Worse though is that it makes me wonder how much my daughter is really getting if I am only producing 10-15ml more than when she nurses on demand as well.

Day 25:

Great start to the morning - 30ml by lunchtime. I spent about 5 hours in the car and then nursed when I got home so I don't have a clear idea on volume, but I think I was around 60ml again.

Thanks for the ongoing updates. It's been great to see your pumping volume increase. Don't forget though, that pumping volume is not representative of what you're producing or what your baby is able to remove from the breast. On days when you're pumping lower than expected volumes, it could just be that she has taken more that day. Have you watched the Stanford video on maximizing milk production through hands-on pumping? I work as a Lactation Consultant and have found this to be very helpful for many moms. Keep up the good work! http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html

Day 26: Back to 40-45ml. My daughter nursed today so it is not surprising that it went down, but I wonder how much she is really getting. I would have estimated the difference between non- pumping and pumping is more or less what she is getting, but that would suggest she is only taking 15-20ml from me.

I'm glad that I have increased vs the last time I tried the protocol, but I still don't think I am getting what I wanted out of all of this. I just don't think it is worth all the negatives, especially for a 5 month old starting solids in less than a month. I am supposed to return the pump by Saturday and I don't know if I will bother to extend my rental. We'll see though, I haven't made up my mind yet.

How is it going Mollysmom?
Jennifer

I have been pumping for about 6 weeks now and I am getting 2.5-3 oz/day on average in addition to whatever my daughter takes herself. I don't think that she actually drinks that much, although she did manage to nurse bare in the middle of the night last night.

I was really close to scrapping the whole thing when the pump was supposed to be returned (30 days) but in my heart I wasn't quite ready to give up yet. I extended my pump rental for another 30 days and reordered the dom.

Despite the improvements I'm still pretty disappointed at the lack of increase. The doctor recommeded that I increase my dom dosage to 120mg 2 days ago. The doctor said that she would expect to see an increase in production in about a week so I guess we'll see.

Have you looked into buying a pump? Most insurance will cover it with the new healthcare laws. It may not be as good as a hospital grade, but I liked my PIS.

I would not be surprised if she is getting more than you think. It is really hard to tell. Have you ever tried weighing her before and after?
Jennifer

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.
Jennifer

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.

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.

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.

Jennifer

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.

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.

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.

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.

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