I recently hurt my back very badly and had to take some medication. I told the dr that i am bf and she told me to pump and dump. I managed that for the first two days, but then we had a crisis at work and couldnt express bm for a week during working hours. The medication and the fact that i couldn bf made my milk dry up, i tried to express and only managed about 3 ounces from both breasts. Athena seems to be ok to be weaned, gone onto a cup. but Victoria is rather upset and still try to bf and cries when there is not enough. She wont take a bottle or cup from me then. Dh has to take over but she fret much. I feel so sad that i had to stop and I feel so detached and that I have failed them. Just wanted to share my feelings.
You didn't fail them - you gave them a great 8 months of your milk!!! I hope you feel good about the time you did nurse them and don't fret about having to stop. (And I hope you are getting sleep still - you are still my hero on that one, it hasn't worked here!) Erica.
If your dd still wants to comfort nurse why not let her?? Listen, for my first dd my milk didn't come in for 7 days...and by that point she was drinking about 30 oz a day! I didn't know how to build up my supply and just never did it....but for 8 months she bf for "dessert"... after a bottle...when she wanted comforting.. there's nothing wrong with letting your dd nurse if she feels like it even if she needs a bottle and you don't want to build your supply back up.
:hug99: You did not fail them! I'm sorry you had to wean earlier than you planned! I agree with the suggestion of comfort nursing your DD as long as she is interested!
Ditto Susanna. If you are not ready to wean right now and no longer taking the medication, why not just let her nurse when she wants? Your supply would build again eventually. If you no longer want to pump at work, you could still let her nurse when you are home with her - even if it's just once a day. Who knows, your other DD may change her mind too. Even just a little snack of BM once a day is great nutrients and good for her immune system. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. You've done an awesome job nursing them this long!! Michelle
i agree--why not let her continue to nurse? like michelle said, there are plenty of nutrients and immunities in whatever milk she gets. and actually they get more concentrated as the kiddos age, presumably to compensate for the reduction in the volume they are taking in and the increased exploring toddlers do. the immunities could be especially important for her now, in the middle of winter. if you want to continue, there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to. but whatever you decide--you have a lot to be proud of and your girls are lucky to have gotten such a fantastic start in life.
If you're getting 1.5 ounces per side from pumping, your supply isn't gone. Diminished, yes, but let her nurse as much as she will and she will bring it back up. I know when my boys got sick, their frequent sessions kicked my supply way up in a week's time. It's up to you... if you want to be done then be done and be proud of 8 months of mommy milk -- that's a great accomplishment! If you don't want to be done, then get them back on and have yourself a nursing marathon.
