worried i am losing my milk? can i get it back?

[babyparker]

i am going back to work next week and my baby is 8 weeks old. i started giving some supplementing formula when i was sick for a week and now i think he likes that better. now after nursing i always have to supplement. i have been trying to pump during the day between nursings but only get about 4 oz for the whole day! i have enough frozen for a couple of weeks at daycare. i started taking the fenugreek 2 capsules 3 times a day but see no increase. i am fixing to start the 3 capsules 3 times a day and see if that helps. my question is...once i am pumping at work and hitting it hard can i increase my milk to enough to send him to daycare and have extra at home. or since its down so low will it not go back up. remember i get about 4 oz a day. this is 4 or so pumpings, i only get about an ounce. thanks for any help! i am worried i have messed up and want to fix it and get him back on track.

[Stephanie]

Spend a few days in bed with baby, with lots of skin to skin time, and just nurse, nurse, nurse. It is very easy for babies to develop a bottle preference. If you must sepplement, use something besides a bottle. You can get a supplemental nursing system, which is like a little tube you put next to your breast that the baby gets milk out of.

At work, pump as much as you can. Don't worry about how much you are getting, keep telling your body it needs to make milk. When you are home, nurse, nurse, nurse. Also, remember, any breastmilk is better than no breastmilk. If you need to supplement a little while you are at work, it is okay. Squeeze in a few sessions at night and on the weekend to help your supply out, too.

[tracylee]

eat oatmeal and drink a TON of fluids... nurse on one side and pump the other at the same time. that really helped my supply. don't stress and don't talk yourself into quitting. A happy mommy is best but it is so worth it to try and stick it out. good luck!