Tricks of a lactating, menstruating, working mom
Begging the pardon of those not interested in this topic, I needed a place to plant all these thoughts so I could refer others here. I am making this post public, so feel free to reference it yourself and send others here as you wish.
So I have been experimenting with ways to address milk supply shortages - with both of my kids my period returned early, despite exclusively breastfeeding/pumping, and with my cycle came a considerable supply drop. With my first daughter my supply would drop each cycle and would never quite return to where it was before (despite supplements), to the point that by 9 months old I had eaten through my freezer stash and had to supplement with formula (1 bottle formula, 2-3 bottles milk) because I was out of ideas. With my 2nd child, she is 7 months (today!), and I seem to be doing better bouncing back from my cycle supply drops, using the below tips. I don’t do them religiously but with a “best effort” it seems to be working out so far. I hope this helps other moms out there like me.
Nursing/pumping tips:
- Pump down before bed every night, even if you think you’re empty, even if you have enough for the next day (stash the extra in the freezer)
- Pump down after the first feeding on Saturday and Sunday mornings, even if you have enough for Monday (stash the extra in the freezer)
- Pump as often as you can at work - try to at least stick with the frequency that your child eats bottles at school/daycare
- Nurse the baby when you drop them off at school/daycare (just grab a rocking chair and a wrap or blanket - nobody cares) - this delays the first bottle as long as possible
- Replace "spare parts" every month or two - MARK IT IN YOUR CALENDAR - a sudden supply decline is not necessarily YOU, and there's no indicator on the pump that will tell you it's working less efficiently!
Supplement tips:
- Eat oatmeal for breakfast whenever you’re feeling your supply is a little low - it can’t hurt, and it’s tasty! I eat plain instant oatmeal and add a handful of dried fruit and a handful of nuts for added flavor / vitamins / protein
- Take calcium/magnesium/zinc, 1000 mg/day, starting around when you ovulate and continuing through your period; I chose to do it in 333 mg doses throughout the day
[If you’re still taking prenatal vitamins, keep the prenatal and calcium separate by at least 2 hours because the iron in the prenatal and the calcium do not get along]
- Take motherlove more milk plus from about 3 days prior to your period (or when you think your period might start) until you see your supply return to normal after your period
[let’s be honest the stuff tastes gross but works super well]
[I start with one dose / day and ramp up to 3 doses / day once supply drops and then back off as the bleeding ceases]
[this worked better for me than fenugreek, alfalfa, and/or blessed thistle caplets which are not nearly as concentrated]
- Try products from Mrs. Patel's Milk Makers - I particularly like the Peanut Butter Fenugreek Bars, but apparently their Milk Water Tea is the strongest lactation agent they offer (I haven't tried it yet)
Lifestyle tips:
- Keep water intake high (to thirst), stress level low, and sleep amount as plentiful as possible
- Even if you don’t cosleep, try conapping on the weekend and let baby nibble for an hour or two while you doze - it’s a mini-nursing vacation, combined with lowering stress and increasing sleep J
Post-partum Period improvement tips:
- The calcium/magnesium/zinc supplement is also supposed to help reduce cramping and possibly water retention
- Drinking 2 cups/day of Red Raspberry Leaf Tea from the first sign of your period through the end of bleeding is supposed to help keep energy up and bleeding down (it may also “bring in rich milk”)