HELP!!

[@llli*micahlynn]

My son is 5 months old now and is breastfed and also enjoys baby food! I have a few problems that I need some advice with. 1st is: he nurses every 4 hours and for some reason lately he wakes up multiple times at night and won’t go back to sleep until I let him nurse. Of course he falls asleep after about 5-10 minutes of nursing and he refuses the pacifier!!! What can I do to help him sleep through the night, I work full time and it's taking a toll of me being up so often? 2nd is: he fights, kicks screams and throws himself back while nursing. I thought it was just a growth spurt but this has been occurring for several months now that I’m back at work. I pump at work and he is bottle feed the breast milk while I am away. I am only able to pump twice in a 9 hour work day. i usually pump every 4 hours and i get about 4 ozs each time.He used to nurse for about 30+ minutes now he nurses for the most 15 minutes and I’m completely empty at the end of the 15 minutes, nothing comes out when I try squeezing and also when I pump after. Could it be that I’m flowing slower than the bottle and he’s just impatient and that’s why he fights? also, he only takes about 4-4.5 ozs every 4 hours (twice while im away at work), is that enough?3rdis and involves #2: I noticed my supply while pumping was low so I began taking reglan again. In the past I have tried fenugreek with no luck. I began drinking a beer a day and it made me sick. I also tried lactation cookies. Nothing seemed to help. Is there anything I can do to help produce more other than reglan. I’m so afraid that he isn’t getting enough and that’s why he fights and fusses while nursing!! Should I see a lactation consultant? I'm so lost and desperatly do not want to stop breastfeeding!

I forgot to mention he sleeps in my room in his bassinet and also co sleeps when he wakes to nurses frequently at night!

[@llli*esthervegan]

My dd1 woke more frequently when we first introduced foods fed to her on a spoon. when I cut out the solid food and returned to just nursing, she slept soundly inbetween feeds.
Your LO might be extra fussy at the breast because the milk is not letting down as quickly as he would prefer.
You know that the more often you express, and nurse, the more plentiful your milk supply will be.
Your milk supply might benefit from being stimulated 8-10 times a day.

[@llli*micahlynn]

i would love to pump more often at work but my boss and his wife are not supportive at all and i have to work so i have to do my best to not upset them since my job was treated often while i was pregnant....i know i need to find another job! on a normal day he nurses 6 times total, when he was much younger 0-1.5 months he would nurse 8 times a day but on his own he started every 4 hrs instead of every 3hrs

[@llli*esthervegan]

taking reglan or fenugreek is not as beneficial as nursing /expressing more often.
It sucks that your boss is not supportive or understanding. Maybe it is time to get more assertive and insist on adequate time to express your milk.
A happy employee is a more productive employee.

[@llli*mtmama]

What have thy said or implied to you?

How about you add in pumps in the commute?

[@llli*micahlynn]

They told me if I need to pumpmore than twice at work and longer than 15 minutes at a time they would not allow me to do it at all while im there. The laws do apply for the small office I work at. The commute is 5 minutes...not enough time to pump.

[@llli*mtmama]

i think two good pumps in the workday would be ok, but the idea that you must be done in 15 min is not reasonable. you probably can work with 15 min but you shouldnt be pressured and told thats all you can have.

if they really are not willing to give you any flexibility:

can you leave your pump set up?

add in an additional pump during your lunch break (im assuming the two 15 min breaks are not you lunch, because you do whatever you want during your lunch, they cant tell you what to do then or that the pumping needs to only be then)
compressions while you pump
relaxing music
hands free bra
make sure the horns are the correct size
hand express for a min at the end
pump before bed too add in a session.
visit your lo during you lunch to nurse.

and maybe try wearing your baby in a carrier when you can at home to reduce fussiness. and try this site

[@llli*erinnlea]

I never pumped but when my son was 5 months old he was definitely still nursing every two hours so maybe he's waking in the night to make up for the daytime (I think it's called reverse cycling). It sucks that you can't pump more but maybe you can find a way to be okay with nursing him more frequently during the night. I know how tough sleep deprivation is and I was a stay at home mom so I didn't have to get up and out of the house after a long night of nursing but that is going to be the most effective way of keeping up your supply - pumping just isn't as efficient as a baby unfortunately. I feel for you I don't really know the laws about pumping but I would definitely be looking for another employer if I were you because they obviously don't respect you if they can't move a little on the issue to be more supportive.

[@llli*joe.s.mom]

Ugh, your pumping limitations may well be the source of your problems nursing. That is just not enough time! I used to pump twice a day at my job, but I would pump for a long time, get a second letdown, and really empty the breast (which took more than 20 minutes). And even so, that was barely enough! And my baby also nursed all night, so he was getting plenty at night.

Right - so nursing all night! Totally normal, especially for babies of moms who work. And 8 ounces in a 9 hour period just isn't quite enough, so it makes sense that your baby would nurse a lot at night. Most babies take 1-1.5 oz per hour. Some babies take less during the night and are able to make it up by drinking more during the day - your baby is doing the reverse. So as hard as it is, I think your night nursing could literally save your breastfeeding relationship while you look for a new job. Without it, your supply would likely really tank. Sorry, it sucks. But I would probably encourage night nursing in your shoes.

I really hope you can find a way to pump more at work - whether it's with this employer or another. Good luck!!

[@llli*micahlynn]

Thanks everyone for the advice and support. I do use a hands free bra and do hand expression for the last 5 minutes of each pumping session. Im going to attempt to work something out with my boss so I can pump more often!!