Supply and pain question

I have been pumping for DD since she was born, while nursing DS2. He still
nurses once a day, but has taken to solids for the rest of his meals. I
would like him to nurse 2-3 times a day, but he just refuses. As a
consequence, and due to several bouts of flu, my supply for DD is slowly
dwindling. Since a month we have had to supplement her.

I pump 2-3 times a day, but it seems my supply has almost gone on one
side, while it is normal on the other side (~12 oz/day). A few weeks ago I
had a plugged duct on the side without milk, but it unplugged and I pumped
10 oz in one go. Since then, I am glad to manage 1 oz a day on that side.
Where the plug was there is now a very painful, but tiny red spot which
sometimes bleeds.

DS2 latches and drinks well from both sides, without me being in pain. I
have tried everything I could think of to increase supply, but it only
works for the other side, which has always been my 'best' side. Also I
cannot get the little red spot to heal. Lansinoh, air drying, all the
standard things won't work. Any clues?

TIA!

--
--I
mommy to DS1 (July '02)
mommy to DD & DS2 (August '05)
mommy to four tiny angels (Oct '03 - Oct '04)
guardian of DH (age classified)

"Ilse Witch" wrote in message
news
DS2 latches and drinks well from both sides, without me being in pain. I
have tried everything I could think of to increase supply, but it only
works for the other side, which has always been my 'best' side. Also I
cannot get the little red spot to heal. Lansinoh, air drying, all the
standard things won't work. Any clues?

Sorry - no clues Ilse ...sounds like you''ve tried the normal things.
Does DS nurse more on the good side perhaps? I'm assuming its nothing to
do with one side letting down more easily than the other for the pump .... I
know my right side let down a lot easier for the pump than my left.

Anyway - I hope you and your sweet children are otherwise healthy and happy.
hugs
Amanda
~~~~~~~~~~~
DD August 2002, ^i^ Nov 2003 & DS August 2004

'"Come to the edge," He said. They said, "We are afraid." "Come to the
edge," He said. They came. He pushed them ..... and they flew.' Guillaume
Apollinaire

Ilse, I'm having difficulty visualising what you mean by this red spot, is
it raise, or level with the nipple? Red suggests possibly thrush to me, as
does anything that doesn't heal. Have you been to see anyone?

Anne

On Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:24:42 +0100, Anne Rogers wrote:

Ilse, I'm having difficulty visualising what you mean by this red spot, is
it raise, or level with the nipple? Red suggests possibly thrush to me, as
does anything that doesn't heal. Have you been to see anyone?

No, I haven't really had time to see a doctor, and I doubt that he would
have something useful to say about it... It looks like a tiny wound, like
someone stuck a needle in it, and it continuously feels that way too.
There seems to be no infection or anything bad, the spot is level with the
nipple. If it were thrush, it would have infected the entire nipple by now
(BTDT). It is very local, and has not spread for several weeks.

One problem may be that DS2 has very strong suction and keeps opening the
'wound' when he drinks. I'm considering to let him nurse only on the other
side for a few days and only use very low suction when pumping. That might
give things time to heal properly without ruining my supply completely.

--
--I
mommy to DS1 (July '02)
mommy to DD & DS2 (August '05)
mommy to four tiny angels (Oct '03 - Oct '04)
guardian of DH (age classified)

On Thu, 06 Apr 2006 11:11:20 +0000, A&G&K&H wrote:

Sorry - no clues Ilse ...sounds like you''ve tried the normal things.
Does DS nurse more on the good side perhaps?

He actually nurses mostly on the bad side, but regularly empties both
breasts completely for his morning feed.

I'm assuming its nothing to do with one side letting down more easily
than the other for the pump ....

I don't thing that would be the problem, it is quite clear that one side
is fuller than the other when I wake up in the morning ;-) Getting a
let down has never been a problem, I can still feel it quite clearly on
boths sides. Except the one side hardly gives any milk.

Anyway - I hope you and your sweet children are otherwise healthy and
happy.

We are doing very well. Caring for the kids has been a lot of hard work,
but with so many wonderful rewards. DS2 had an enlarged kidney, but is
recovering from that now that he is getting bigger. DD had a heart murmur
at birth, which has completely disappeared. She had a tiny hole, but it
was closed at the last check-up. It is wonderful to see both of them so
different, and yet so much alike. And DS1 is completely in love with the
twins, so far no competition or rivalry at all *crosses fingers and knocks
on wood*

I hope you are doing as well as we are!

--
--I
mommy to DS1 (July '02)
mommy to DD & DS2 (August '05)
mommy to four tiny angels (Oct '03 - Oct '04)
guardian of DH (age classified)

No, I haven't really had time to see a doctor, and I doubt that he would
have something useful to say about it... It looks like a tiny wound, like
someone stuck a needle in it, and it continuously feels that way too.
There seems to be no infection or anything bad, the spot is level with the
nipple. If it were thrush, it would have infected the entire nipple by now
(BTDT). It is very local, and has not spread for several weeks.

One problem may be that DS2 has very strong suction and keeps opening the
'wound' when he drinks. I'm considering to let him nurse only on the other
side for a few days and only use very low suction when pumping. That might
give things time to heal properly without ruining my supply completely.

this is now sounding very familiar, I have exactly that on my left nipple
too, but the bad news is it's not really shifted in about 4 weeks, but it is
rarely painful, particular when I'm comparing it to the huge trauma I had a
few weeks ago, when I managed to get a blood clot in the nipple and then the
blood vessel behind it swell up. The interesting thing I found in that
situation was that nursing with a correct latch was the least agonising, as
that was still jolly painful, I tried pumping and even on the absolute
lowest suction it was unbearable. So I'm wondering if after trying it the
way you suggest, it might be worth doing it the other way round? The other
thing is that my wound (it looks like a very tiny scab) isn't opening, it's
just not going either, are you sure it is opening, do you get blood?

Anne

"Ilse Witch" wrote in message
news
We are doing very well. Caring for the kids has been a lot of hard work,
but with so many wonderful rewards. DS2 had an enlarged kidney, but is
recovering from that now that he is getting bigger. DD had a heart murmur
at birth, which has completely disappeared. She had a tiny hole, but it
was closed at the last check-up. It is wonderful to see both of them so
different, and yet so much alike. And DS1 is completely in love with the
twins, so far no competition or rivalry at all *crosses fingers and knocks
on wood*

I hope you are doing as well as we are!

H is still bf 3-4 times a day, and looks set to continue
Sibling rivalry definitely *has* kicked in here .... but I notice that it
seems to mostly be when they have an audience.
I'm working 1 day a week in the office as of yesterday ... I'll see how that
pans out.
hugs
Amanda

~~~~~~~~~~~
DD August 2002, ^i^ Nov 2003 & DS August 2004

'"Come to the edge," He said. They said, "We are afraid." "Come to the
edge," He said. They came. He pushed them ..... and they flew.' Guillaume
Apollinaire

On Fri, 07 Apr 2006 23:44:29 +0100, Anne Rogers wrote:

So I'm wondering if after trying it the way you suggest, it might be
worth doing it the other way round? The other thing is that my wound (it
looks like a very tiny scab) isn't opening, it's just not going either,
are you sure it is opening, do you get blood?

I started doing as I suggested on thursday, and so far so good. The wound
hasn't opened up again, where it would bleed very tiny amounts after each
nursing. The pain seems to be lessening too. My supply when pumping is
still tiny, but at least there is still some milk for DD. She has already
finished my freezer stock, so we're now supplementing her about 50%. At
least for me that is a glass half full: she still gets 50% of mommy's best :-)


--
--I
mommy to DS1 (July '02)
mommy to DD & DS2 (August '05)
mommy to four tiny angels (Oct '03 - Oct '04)
guardian of DH (age classified)