INSPIRATION Jo feeding her baby via the tube on Success in Battling Low Supply Jo Johnston, Belmont

If you are having difficulty establishing a plentiful supply followed by formula via a cup or spoon to for your baby, there is hope. I am sharing my story for the make sure he got enough food while avoiding the bottle at this early stage. possibility that it might inspire even just one woman who On top of all this I was guzzling anything wants to breastfeed but is having supply trouble. Keep trying; that I heard of that might possibly it is worth it in the end! increase milk supply, like fenugreek and tea. He still wasn’t gaining enough weight. My baby son was born at home. enough. He urgently needed more milk My midwife called on the expertise of a It was a lovely birth, but unfortunately than he was getting from me, and I was consultant and we started an there were complications afterwards, devastated by the thought that my milk adjusted regime. I would still feed three causing me to haemorrhage and might not be enough to nourish my baby. hourly on both , then express on I was rushed to hospital by ambulance The weeks that followed were really both breasts, then top up with formula - for surgery. I lost a lot of and difficult, tiring and testing. I was but the formula was given via a tube on was still quite unwell after three fortunate to have the unfaltering support my breast. I was also immediately put on blood transfusions. of two wonderful people - my midwife a high dose of Domperidone to increase Despite this, breastfeeding seemed to and my mum. I started by feeding my my milk supply. be going well until he was a week or so baby every three hours on both breasts, At this point things were extremely old and we realised he had lost too much then expressing from both breasts tough. It was exhausting and fiddly. As if weight and wasn’t gaining it back fast (to stimulate more milk for next time), being a first time with a newborn

16-17 INSPIRATION

Despite all the difficulties and despair I was utterly determined to breastfeed. I can’t put into words why. It was like some kind of primal instinct telling me that it is the right thing to do for me and for my baby.

By the time he was two and a half months old, I was finally able to stop the tube feeding. He was then having mostly , with one small formula bottle before bed. Eventually I was able to drop this as well. I very slowly reduced the Skin-to-skin in the early days Domperidone and was able to stop it altogether when my baby was nine baby wasn’t tough enough, I seemed to be , I also had a lot of months old. I continued to breastfeed him constantly feeding. By the time I had people telling me I should give up. until he was almost two, when I became finished an hour of breastfeeding, then This included my doctor constantly pregnant again. expressing, then fiddling around with telling me I should stop breastfeeding and The fantastic news is that when my formula and the tube (and then cleaning making it really difficult for me to get the second son arrived, after a lovely birth at all the equipment), it was only a short Domperidone that I desperately needed home and no complications, time before three hours was up and I had to help with my milk supply (needless to breastfeeding went wonderfully well and to start it all again. say I’ve since changed doctors). my supply was abundant this time. I avoided going out because I had so Despite all the difficulties and despair My second son is now a year old and I’m much equipment and drama to get I was utterly determined to breastfeed. still feeding him. through one of these feeds, and while I’m I can’t put into words why. It was like My tip for anyone in a similar situation perfectly comfortable breastfeeding in some kind of primal instinct telling me is to surround yourself with people who public I wasn’t so keen on making a that it is the right thing to do for me and understand what you want, believe you public display of all the pumping and for my baby. I would do anything I could can do it and will back you 100%. Like supplementing. to make it happen. And so we continued me, you may encounter pressure to give It was at about this point that my on like this for many weeks. up breastfeeding. But as long your baby cracked got nasty and the gaping My supply slowly started to increase. is gaining weight and receiving the wound became infected, and shortly after I was able to reduce the volume of the nourishment he or she needs, forget about that was the first of many bouts of formula top-ups little by little. We those who don’t understand and listen . I really didn’t know if it was monitored my baby’s weight every two to yourself and what you truly believe is going to work - no one could assure me days to ensure he was getting enough right for you and for your baby. that after all this effort, I would actually nourishment. With each good weight Once you’ve gotten through the hard be able to make enough milk to feed my gain, we’d drop a little more of the times, sit back and relax with your baby baby on my own. And though I had 100% formula. If he wasn’t gaining enough, on your breast and enjoy! You’ll have a support from my mum, midwife and we’d increase it a little. happy, healthy breastfed baby.

Aroha | nz | APRIL 2014