My $340 paperweight

[jodibug]

My Freestyle arrived yesterday, the same day the rent on the Lactina was due.

So when I got home and saw the box from UPS, we loaded up the van and made the 70 mile round trip to return the Lactina so I wouldn't have to call with my credit card number and make another rent payment.

Then I got home and hurried to wash and sterilize all the parts for the Freestyle and sat down and couldn't wait to try it out!

It doesn't work!!!!! All I get is three beeps and an "ERR" message. The book says to call customer service for that. So I had to wait until this morning to call (tried last night, they were closed).

The Cust. Service Rep said that it is a hardware problem and that there is no hope at all for it to ever work. They are sending out another one but I will have to work today and tomorrow without it.

I have an ISIS manual with me (thankfully!) but I have never pumped more than 1.5oz with it. I have some carpal tunnel that makes it really difficult for me to pump very long with it.

I am really worried about what this is going to do to my supply. :(

[crissyy]

Do you have a reserve supply in the freezer that you could use to help the next couple of days? I would think that 2 days wouldn't be completely detrimental to your supply. Do you nurse a lot at night?

[whitnessforhim]

OMG thats horrible!! What garauntee do you have that the next one will work!?! You can't keep waiting for a pump to be mailed. I'd be complaining making as big of a stink as I could to get that shipped to me next day air or something.

Im so sorry. I hope this doesn't effect your supply!

[jodibug]

They are shipping it overnight, but it won't arrive until after I leave for work, so I have to do without it today and tomorrow. It should be there when I get home tomorrow night. Hopefully it will work.

I have 15oz in the freezer. That plus what I can manually pump should get me through the next two days, but my supply is very fragile! My baby is going on five months old and all I have managed to save is that 15oz. I have lots of supply dips. I take 9 Fenugreek and 9 domperidone every day just to keep up.

I do let her nurse all she wants at night, but she doesn't nurse all night long. She nurses a lot from when I get home (5pm) until she goes to bed (about 9pm) and then she usually nurses once at night (1 - 3 am) and then we get up at 5am to nurse before work.

So from 9pm-5am she only nurses once. I may have to get up on my own tonight and pump with the ISIS.

Determination is a wonderful thing though.... my hands are killing me but I managed to get 2.5oz on my first break with the ISIS. I don't suspect I will be able to keep that up for the next five breaks (2 more today, 3 tomorrow) until a working pump gets here, but it was more than I expected to get!

[Bumpy]

Can you call in sick? I would. i know it is not always possible, or maybe go in a little late. Can you have them deliver it to your work( probably to late for that)
oh that is sooo terrible. i would though a fit. They should understand since they make pumps that you can not wait. that is so upsetting
I hope everything goes better, maybe they will get it to you sooner. Try to call them again!!!

[whitnessforhim]

I agree I'd call in sick for just one of those days! It might be worth it to spend that extra nursing time with your LO and that way you won't have to worry about manually pumping! I couldn't even imagine trying to manual pump and I don't even have CT! You poor dear!!

[jodibug]

Since I leave for work at 6:30 am and there is no delivery before then, they really can't get it to me any faster.

I wish I could stay home with her tomorrow, but I have to have a doctors note in order to do so.

So I would have to make up a reason for a doctor's visit, possibly tying up an appt time that someone really does need, and pay a $25 copay.

I think I will just have to stick it out with the manual today and tomorrow and hope my freezer supply is enough to supply the rest.

and maybe the working Freestyle will be so awesome that I can replinish my freezer stash quickly. I can hope anyway!

[whitnessforhim]

Could you call your Dr. or your OB, tell them the situation and ask them to just fax a note? just a thought.

[jodibug]

Well I decided I would talk to the doc's office about getting an appt tomorrow and we have one for 8:30 am, so all is good. If I come to work tomorrow afternoon then I should have the pump with me by then.

I hate to take her in when I am not sure she needs to be seen, but she does have some poop issues going on.

She used to poop every 3-4 days but for the past ten days or so she is having 8-10 dirty diapers a day. They are green and watery (bad), but they have always been green and watery.

I did talk to a nurse on-call on Sunday who had me give her some pedialyte, but there hasn't been any change so I called the doc's office again today.

They seemed to think it was very urgent and though we have an appt for 830 tomorrow she said that if Laci seems at all "not herself" tonight then we should take her to the ER.

I really think she is fine (or else we would have had her seen long ago). She has no fever, is not fussy, doesn't look at all dehydrated, etc... The only thing different is that she is pooping constantly (had three dirty diapers before I left for work this morning).

So I will have her checked out tomorrow morning and get a doc's note for work. I will probably just stay home with her tomorrow but if I do come to work it won't be until after I have the new (hopefully functional) pump.

[Amy_G_]

can you ask them to overnight it to you at work so it would perhaps be there earlier tomorrow afternoon?

[Amy_G_]

well it could be foremilk imbalance, is she going thru a growth spurt? or you are having trouble pumping past the foremilk to get to the hindmilk. oh oh sometimes fenugeek causes green poopies doesn't it? so consider that.
or she's got a bug, usually you can tell that from the smell.

[Amy_G_]

domperidone speeds up your bowels and sometimes gives diarhea as a side effect, so it could be effecting her. both work to up the amount of milk, which may mean more foremilk which could create an imbalance between fore and hind milk which could make green poopies.

http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html

diarhea is a fairly rare side effect of dom.
It may be you need to lower your fenugeek, or try a different herb without that side effect. ??

[jodibug]

Thanks Amy. I didn't know that, perhaps I can cut back to 6 a day of each one.

I have been on the fenugreek since she was a week old and on the domperidone for a little over two months. The poop issue has only been going on for 10 days or so, do you think that could still be why?

I am afraid that the doctor is going to tell me to start her on solids to get rid of the diarhea. I'm not sure what to say or do if she suggests that. (She did suggest that I start solids right away at DD's 4month checkup.)

[TayNRobbiesMom]

i just wanted to commend you on your dedication to bf!

also when you are using the manual make sure you are doing breast compressions/massage.

[Amy_G_]

um, I would say that you would prefer to resolve the diarhea before starting solids, otherwise you won't know if she's having an allergic reaction to a new food.

you said she's always had green and watery poops, if it's been most of the time she's been breastfed, it could be the fenugeek. I wouldn't cut back drastically, but perhaps take one less fenugeek today, and try oatmeal or other things. If you drop fenugreek and dom both you may have a negative reaction to your supply.

but first, see if dr thinks she has a tummy bug and go from there.

[whitnessforhim]

I took fenugreek for a couple weeks and it was within that time period only that DD had green, runny poops. I do think the Fen. could be causing it.

I agree I'd get this resolved first before starting solids.

[jodibug]

thank you so much! that is perfect! I will tell her that I have to wait so I can tell if she is allergic!

I am going to cut back to 6-7 fen and see if that helps.

[Amy_G_]

do some research on some other herbs, ask Kerry for suggestions too. kerry's herbals tincture is supposed to be good but I don't know the ingredients.

[madelsmama]

I agree with Amy, 100%. Watery, green stools is not "normal" and should be investigated further.

On a side note, nurses often recommend pedialyte for situations involving diarrhea and vomiting. For breastfeeding babies, pedialyte is not necessary, since it is not cow milk based and is considered a clear liquid (plus, it has valuable immunites in it that can help baby get better more quickly!).

And any physician worth his salt knows that starting solids when stools are loose will only exacerbate the situation. So, if he tells you to start solids, either say "no thanks" or smile and nod and go on. The AAP says to exclusively BF until 6 months, so don't be afraid, not at all.

[KerryS]

oh oh sometimes fenugeek causes green poopies doesn't it? so consider that.

The reason why fenugreek causes green poopies is because it causes oversupply in women who don't actually need to take it.

I wonder if maybe there is an oversupply, rather than a supply problem.

[jodibug]

I have thought about the oversupply issue before and I really do not think that is the issue.

When I pump after nursing her I will only get a few drops. But more importantly, those drops are a very white, thick, creamy consistency (hindmilk) and is much different then what I normally see when pumping (thin, watery foremilk).

[Amy_G_]

when you pump do you get to the hindmilk?

[KerryS]

when you pump do you get to the hindmilk?


I don't. While I used to have a supply problem, I believe that it's mostly resolved. What has never resolved is my inability to let down well for the pump, so that when I pump I'm only able to get about 2 oz, and it's almost completely watery foremilk.

[Amy_G_]

Kerry, I think that's what happens with a lot of women who pump a lot. I'm not sure what the answer to that is, except to nurse as much as possible when together and pump after feedings at home whenever possible to get a bit of hindmilk to add to the foremilk pumped other times of the day.

[jodibug]

I suppose it could be that I'm not getting enough hindmilk when I pump, but I pump until it stops dripping.

I never really notice a change when I am just pumping, and just assumed that I can not tell when the milk changes since the bottle is already partially filled with foremilk.

But I can definitely tell the difference between pumping at work and seeing those first drops of thin, watery foremilk hit the bottom of the bottle, and when I pump at home and seeing very white, creamy hindmilk hit the bottom of the bottle.

But is there any way to correct the problem of not pumping hindmilk?

Also.... I usually have a second letdown during each 20 min pumping session. Can you have two letdowns of foremilk only? I would think that the breast would empty, including the hindmilk, before starting over with the second letdown.

[KerryS]

Kerry, I think that's what happens with a lot of women who pump a lot. I'm not sure what the answer to that is, except to nurse as much as possible when together and pump after feedings at home whenever possible to get a bit of hindmilk to add to the foremilk pumped other times of the day.

In my case, I have donor breastmilk which has appropriate amounts of fat in it. The milk that I pump is a very small portion of his overall diet, so I'm not overly concerned about it.

[KerryS]

Also.... I usually have a second letdown during each 20 min pumping session. Can you have two letdowns of foremilk only? I would think that the breast would empty, including the hindmilk, before starting over with the second letdown.

I have two letdowns when I pump (rarely three), and yet, my milk is still very watery, foremilk-looking. I don't know what to tell you in that regard. My inability to pump is something that I personally find very frustrating, especially since I was such a good pumper with #1.

I know that the majority of what I pump is pumped with the first letdown. Even though I have a second letdown, I only get about an additional 10 ml per side from the second letdown. So while it may be much higher in fat, it's not very much in quantity so it doesn't change the overall fat content by a lot.

[Amy_G_]

yeah your little guy is all set (finally!!), but what about everyone else Kerry? got any suggestions for them? or the lady a couple posts below with low growth for her babe?

Jodie,
you could try this. pump for a few minutes or thru one let down into one bottle, and then pump the rest into another bottle and see if there is a difference. or pump thru one letdown in one bottle, 2nd into another bottle and third into a 3rd bottle. lots of trouble but might make for an interesting experiment. some would recommend tossing all or part of the milk from the first bottle, and then adding in any hindmilk you've pumped right after a nursing session to make up the quantity you need. not sure how that works, cause it seems like an eyeballed guessing kind of way of doing it.

[KerryS]

I wouldn't toss the pumped foremilk - instead it can be saved and used to mix with baby foods and cereal.

yeah your little guy is all set (finally!!), but what about everyone else Kerry? got any suggestions for them? or the lady a couple posts below with low growth for her babe?

I don't know if you meant this to sound snarky, but it kind of made me feel bad. Even though I'm a "professional" I unfortunately don't have all the answers. If I did, we wouldn't have had such a struggle the first couple months. I've cried so many times, wondering why the f**k we can't get this right, since I'm supposed to know what the hell I'm doing!!

As far as the other post with the slow weight gain baby - I saw it but didn't open it. Right now some posts are a little too hard for me to devote a lot of time to, because they hit kind of close to home and I'm still a little raw from my own experiences. Hard to explain, but I just couldn't read that thread.

[Amy_G_]

wasn't meant to be snarky
there's a missing ;) in there

yeah, I know you've btdt on the low weight gain.
hopefully sometime soon you can use your experience to help moms out in the same situation without it stressing you out so much.
(hugs)

[Amy_G_]

I dont mean to put it there in your face, but you might find a BIT of comfort from the post, because you might see you aren't alone. It sounds like she's bf other of her kids successfully, and is trying to get help with an LC and thought it was better but it's not.

[madelsmama]

yeah your little guy is all set (finally!!), but what about everyone else Kerry? got any suggestions for them? or the lady a couple posts below with low growth for her babe?



Ouch--that was a little stingy to Kerry. :(

Kerry, I am glad that things are going well for you, if I understood correctly.

[jodibug]

It is just after 5am and we have had three dirty diapers so far today. The total count for yesterday was ten.

This morning though, the last couple have been more yellow and grainy. That is good.

We see the doctor in about three hours and hopefully my new Freestyle will be here when we get home from the doc's office.

and I hope it works! Pumping with the ISIS all day yesterday was rough!