BC Pills and milk supply?

Question

I am on a low estrogen bc pill...i am also BF...since returning to work two months ago I have been unable to keep up my milk supply. If I switch back to the "pop" do you think my milk supply will increase significantly? I also drink Mother's Milk and take fenugreek and eat oatmeal. i pump two to three times a day and I get 5 oz at the morning session (from one breast) and 5 oz in the afternoon (from both) and about 2-3 oz in evening (from both)....thoughts?

Answer 1

I exclusively pump, due to working full time, and noticed that my supply decreased when I went back on BC as well.  I stopped about a month ago and it has gone back up again.  I pump both sides at a time and get about 10 oz in the morning and about 6 each time after that. . .I pump 5 times a day.  I told my husband until he gets the Big V in a couple of weeks we'll have to use a condom as BC so I can keep up with my son.

Answer 2

That is actually great pump output!  Your supply is just fiine.  Normal double pumping output is around 1-2 ounces total.  Check out this link about supply and pumping.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumpi...

Answer 3

It certainly can't hurt but some women experience reduced supply on POP (rare) and other things may be reducing your supply besides from the pill.

5oz is a large pumping output, and you are getting 13oz per day which is enough for her to drink if you are gone for 3 sessions.  The easiest thing to do to increase your supply is to nurse more when you are together.  Co-sleeping (bed-sharing or room-sharing) can facilitate this.  Also try to nurse her as soon as you wake up and just before you leave her (either at care or your house).  Nurse as soon as you get back and consider offering the breast at least every hour in the evening.  You also need to consider that the caregiver is overfeeding her, which is very common, and can have a devastating effect on supply because the baby nurses less when you are together which stimulates your supply less and you have to pump more and more.

Also MAKE SURE your caregiver knows that breastmilk that has been offered to the baby but not finished should be saved for the next feed.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/reusi...

How much expressed milk will my baby need?

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkc...

If your baby is taking substantially more than the average amounts, consider the possibility that baby is being given too much milk while you are away. Things that can contribute to overfeeding include:

    * Fast flow bottles. Always use the lowest flow bottle nipple that baby will tolerate.

    * Using bottle feeding as the primary way to comfort baby. Some well-meaning caregivers feed baby the bottle every time he makes a sound. Use the calculator above to estimate the amount of milk that baby needs, and start with that amount. If baby still seems to be hungry, have your caregiver first check to see whether baby will settle with walking, rocking, holding, etc. before offering another ounce or two.

    * Baby's need to suck. Babies have a very strong need to suck, and the need may be greater while mom is away (sucking is comforting to baby). A baby can control the flow of milk at the breast and will get minimal milk when he mainly needs to suck. When drinking from a bottle, baby gets a larger constant flow of milk as long as he is sucking. If baby is taking large amounts of expressed milk while you are away, you might consider encouraging baby to suck fingers or thumb, or consider using a pacifier for the times when mom is not available, to give baby something besides the bottle to satisfy his sucking needs.

    * If, after trying these suggestions, you're still having a hard time pumping enough milk, see I'm not pumping enough milk. What can I do?

I'm not pumping enough milk. What can I do?

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumpi...

What is normal when it comes to pumping output and changes in pumping output?

Most moms who are nursing full-time are able to pump around 1/2 to 2 ounces total (for both b*****s) per pumping session. Moms who pump more milk per session may have an oversupply of milk, or may respond better than average to the pump, or may have been able to increase pump output with practice. Many moms think that they should be able to pump 4-8 ounces per pumping session, but even 4 ounces is an unusually large pumping output.

It is quite normal to need to pump 2-3 times to get enough milk for one feeding for baby (remember that the pump cannot get as much milk as a baby who nurses effectively).

Many moms are able to pump more milk per session when they are separated from baby. Milk pumped when you are nursing full-time is "extra" milk -- over and beyond what baby needs. Don't get discouraged if you are trying to build up a freezer stash when nursing full time and don't get much milk per pumping session -- this is perfectly normal and expected.

It is very common to have more milk than baby needs in the early weeks, which regulates down to baby's needs over the first few weeks or months. When your milk supply regulates (this change may occur either gradually or rather suddenly), it is normal for pumping output to decrease. For moms who have oversupply, this change often occurs later (6-9+ months postpartum rather than 6-12 weeks).  

Answer 4

I pump 3 times a day and I used to get 12oz from both breast in the morning, evening and midnight. Since I started to going to work, my supply has reduced to16oz a day. So I'm now slowly transitioning into formula.  Don't know what else to do.  

Answer 5

i think you will be better served by talking to a lactation specialist, try the laleache league i believe they have a website... though i have heard pumping isn't a very effective way to keep up milk supply, are you still nursing in the evening? a baby is better at emptying a breast than any machine