confused on how to get my breastmilk flow up

I didnt plan on BF at all so when i had Ethan i had not taken any of the classes.
he latches on great he is gaining weight. so here is my issue. i was engorged for like 8 days and when i went in for the lactation appt. she said to put ice on them to slow down the milk flow. and to do it for 24 hours well yesterday i started the ice and now i cant even pump his 2 oz bottle( i always pump one bottle for dad to feed at night) i pumped both breast and got less than 1 1/2 oz. i am afraid that my milk will dry up. please give some info on breastfeeding i am clueless.

feed as often as possible and skipping night feedings is not a great idea my good friend did it )she had her hubby feed the baby during the night so she could rest) and her milk dried up in 2 months even though she did all the feeding during the day

Quoting jenni1128:“ feed as often as possible and skipping night feedings is not a great idea my good friend did it )she ... [snip!] ... baby during the night so she could rest) and her milk dried up in 2 months even though she did all the feeding during the day”

what if you pump at night while your hubby feeds the baby??? I want ym hubby to feed the baby too, not to give me a break so much as to have that bonding time you know?

i pump before i go to sleep. i pump at 9 pm and don't pump again till 9am. i have no problem with it drying up. I just started Fenugreek pills to increse my supply even more though because i want to be able to store some so i can leave breastmilk with a sitter or the such. They're an herbal pill, not too expensive, and seem to be helping a little bit. i saw about an ounce increase in every pumping session after only two days of taking them. you might try it.

i will feed all the feedings then but he hasnt feed him in 2 nights i have pumped anyway and the flow issue started yesterday. i am very worried at this point though.

Quoting Taryn:“ i pump before i go to sleep. i pump at 9 pm and don't pump again till 9am. i have no problem with it ... [snip!] ... a little bit. i saw about an ounce increase in every pumping session after only two days of taking them. you might try it.”

i will try them thank you i will get them tomorrow. where did you get them.
Does drinking lots of fluids or not enough make a difference?

the ice will slow down your milk that is for when you want to dry up not breastfeed. Use warm cloths and massage your breast right before feeding and it will help your flow. And I never got as much out pumping as he got feeding so try to feed more. But if you dry up it's your body own doing and you have given him the best start.

Quoting Bobbye:“ i will try them thank you i will get them tomorrow. where did you get them. Does drinking lots of fluids or not enough make a difference?”

not that i've noticed. i can't get myself to drink nearly enough water. and i got them at central market. not sure if you have one of those in LA. a whole foods or central market. somebody told me GNC carries them. anywhere that will sell herbal/natural stuff. the recommended dosage is two pills three times a day but if after 3 days you don't see an improvement, i was told it was okay to take 2 pills 4 times a day. you may also try pumping some in between his feedings. the longer you pump for, (you shouldn't exceed 20 minutes) the more milk your body is going to think it needs to make. supply and demand. i hope this helps! good luck to you!

Quoting Taryn:“ not that i've noticed. i can't get myself to drink nearly enough water. and i got them at central market. ... [snip!] ... 20 minutes) the more milk your body is going to think it needs to make. supply and demand. i hope this helps! good luck to you!”

that is what i just did (pump) and i was going to pump again after his next feeding. i also put a heating pad on my chest. and thank you.

i wanted to sve this just in case. thanks for the info!

Quoting Bobbye:“ that is what i just did (pump) and i was going to pump again after his next feeding. i also put a heating pad on my chest. and thank you.”

if you pump right after you feed him, and you're getting more than an ounce out of each side... the amount your body is producing is just fine, or he's not eating until he's full/you should wait at least an hour after he eats to pump. my LC told me that if i try to hard to get milk out once they're already drained, i could put too much strain on the ducts and it could cause bad problems. you'll know if it feels like they're being strained. if it feels like that definitly stop.

thank you taryn i also just found a web site called kelleymom.com and it is full of info

I hope the site help you

There is 3 things i have always been told to help keep up supply and thats to make sure you are getting plenty of fuid.

Here is a hydration calculator and basically you type in your weight and answer 5 Q'd (from memory) about if you are breastfeeding, your climate etc and it will tell you how much a day you should be drinking.
http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

the next is nutrition
you need to make sure you are eating enough fresh fruit/vegies and getting enough nutrients for you and the baby
this is a daily calorie calculator so according to your BFing sleeping and exercise habbits it will tell you how much you should be eating
http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/calburncalc

The next one is stress... Just by being stressed that your supply is drying up can be enough to cause it to dry up.

Also another tip is when you pump is to be near your baby as that will help your let down reflex and make it easier to pump.

the simple rule is your supply should be perfet for what baby needs - the more it drinks/you pump the more your supply will increase... So try and pump (as another poster said) an hour or 2 after feeding as that will help to increase your supply

i use the herb fenugreek u can find at any health food store...works GREAT oh and i also have 'mothers milk' tea that u can find at most big grocery stores, it has more herbs to boost milk supply plus i have a hot cup at night tohelp wind me down its great!