We are at the two month point. And we’ve hit another blip on the BFAR journey. First let me catch up. We realized pretty quickly that I again did not have a full supply. I wasn’t terribly surprised though I had been really hopeful this time. By week four, I’d tweaked things enough to guess that I was making about a 2/3 supply. Not bad. Of course I still went through an angry grieving period. My wonderful husband, mother, sister, friends, and strangers on the street listened to me process my feelings.
Thankfully. THANKFULLY! We’ve been able to supplement entirely with donor breastmilk! Amazing generosity.
I’m still taking a ridiculous number of herbs and the domperidone.
So what is the problem? My smart girl is noticing that a bottle will follow a feeding. Her nursing time is ever-so-slightly decreasing. Her bottle intake is increasing. And since she won’t comfort nurse except at night, I feel my supply is in danger.
Two solutions. 1) I’m going to begin pumping tomorrow. 2) I’ve ordered an SNS to begin feeding her at the breast when we’re home. The SNS will make her work harder than the bottle does and it will stimulate my breasts to (hopefully) maintain/increase supply.
It isn’t easy. Low supply stinks. But it is worth it. For both of us.
You’re a great mama.
Hang in there mama. You are doing a fantastic job.