This past month, Logan and I hit a huge milestone - he officially weaned from nursing. It's weird that he is grown up enough to be totally independent in this area. I remember thinking about weaning when he was two or three months old and it made me so sad!
I remember being so scared to nurse because I was told many horror stories about how many things could go wrong. My neighbor told me to set a goal and stick to it. For me, that goal was to nurse for one year - which we met, and flew by! It almost seemed unreal that we had hit such a huge milestone, because starting out I really wasn't sure what this all would look like. I know this topic can be a hard one for women who are not able to nurse or have to wean due to illness, and I am not of the mindset that this changes any bond between you and baby or ability as a mother. In an ideal world we would all have dreamy experiences with no flaws and all would go perfectly, while our babies sleep through the night from birth, am I right? I learned a lot along the way, and found some things that were really helpful for us, in regards to supply, so I want to share them with others mamas, in case it will make life a little bit easier for someone else!
I remember being so scared to nurse because I was told many horror stories about how many things could go wrong. My neighbor told me to set a goal and stick to it. For me, that goal was to nurse for one year - which we met, and flew by! It almost seemed unreal that we had hit such a huge milestone, because starting out I really wasn't sure what this all would look like. I know this topic can be a hard one for women who are not able to nurse or have to wean due to illness, and I am not of the mindset that this changes any bond between you and baby or ability as a mother. In an ideal world we would all have dreamy experiences with no flaws and all would go perfectly, while our babies sleep through the night from birth, am I right? I learned a lot along the way, and found some things that were really helpful for us, in regards to supply, so I want to share them with others mamas, in case it will make life a little bit easier for someone else!
(two months of newborn goodness!)
The main issue we faced was a major supply drop from a stressful life situation. It all happened suddenly, and I really didn't find much information to help with a drop from this issue. Early on my pediatrician told me "milk comes from your mind, so sleep, eat well, and don't over stress yourself." Some things that helped correct this issue in a quick manner were:
I. Chamomile and Dark Chocolate
This may sound odd, but I could tell I had high levels of cortisol (the hormone that your body makes when under stress) that were affecting me and Logan, making him fussy and it hard to get sleep for both of us. Aside from prayer and trying to take each thought captive, I researched foods that dissolve cortisol in your system. Chamomile tea is exceptionally good at doing this, as is dark chocolate. Those two things were things I could easily implement (for my health ;). I could really see a difference after drinking two cups of tea for just two days. Some other recommendations included; staying away from caffeine and upping your good fat intake. Consuming oatmeal in the mornings also was crucial for me during this time. Food and diet really do make a difference, and seeing this so firsthand was encouraging.
II. Power Pumping
Anytime I felt like I needed more milk in my freezer stash, I would start power pumping at night (around 9:30 pm). After a few nights of power pumping I would have to switch to a 15 minute session to avoid oversupply. Power pumping goes like this: Pump for 15 minutes, take a ten minute break, pump for 15 more minutes, another 10 minute break, then one final 15 minute session. It is time consuming, but it is a very efficient way to greatly increase supply. You won't necessarily produce a huge yield the first few times, but withing 24 hours in my case I could notice a big different even throughout the day.
III. Stinging Nettle
Okay ladies, listen, this is the holy grail of lactation supplements. I honestly can not believe it doesn't get more love, for how actually amazing it is. Over months I tried; fenugreek (did NOT like this one), brewers yeast, and a few teas. I could notice a small difference here or there, but nothing that was worth the hype in my opinion. Stinging Nettle is often included in teas or supplements, but I took this brand, which you can buy at Whole Foods for about $12. Taking two capsules literally one night boosted my supply back to normal overnight, with no need to continue to take it to maintain. I know it sounds too good to be true, but a friend had very similar results - and I don't think you can oversell this stuff. The best part is that it has no weird side effects (like fenugreek can have). Just give it a chance if you are in the midst of supply issues.
Those are three things helped me maintain a good supply, and keep my chubby bunny happy. I am sure there will be new lessons and challenges when I nurse my second babe in a few months (!!! seriously can't believe I get to have another one of these tiny people - and SOON), so I will share along the way also!
Happy Nursing!
XO, B
Post a Comment