Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Milk, Milk, and More Milk

My grandparents used to have a dairy farm. Can't help but feeling like one of their cows these days. All for a good cause. All for a good cause.

6 days in and I have pumped for 855 minutes (14.25 hours) and produced 1,068 cc's of milk 386 of that today. Yes, my production has seriously gone up.

Ray's feeding schedule have been increased to 6 cc's every 3 hours (basically, 8 times/day).
Nora is currently on a 2 cc's every three hours.*

Their total consumption is 24 cc's/day. Yes, I am easily able to produce more than what they need right now, but I need to get and keep a nice solid milk supply and I need to get ahead of the game while I can. There are two of them and their amounts are going to continue to go up and at some point, my supply is going to max out.

One of the breast feeing consultants said I should be pumping every 12 hours and about 10 - 12 times per day going no longer than 4 - 5 hours without pumping (for sleep). Yeah right. Anyone who says that is crazy. I'm getting in, on average 6 or 7 and don't see how I can realisticly increase that unless I don't go visit the babes and I don't sleep and I don't give Max any attention at the start and end of the day. None of that is going to stop so I'm just doing the best I can and sticking with MY plan. So far so good. But, I'm tired and tired of it. Can't tell you how much I dread pumping even though I know it is a necessity at this point. It is one of the few things I can do for these little guys so I'm just plugging away. Having all the stats (which are now entered into a spreadsheet) helps with that.

Last pump session of the day is complete. Now, time for some much needed sleep. Another long, busy day.

* Did I mention that she was started at 2 cc's every 6 hours, then was taken off. I found out this morning that not only was she put back on, but every 3 hours. She seems to be tolerating it well this time.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! That's brilliant :) Sounds like you may want to invest in a deep freeze, so that the milk will keep for 6 months (wish I had done that - I've had to toss some milk...). More pictures when you can, please....

Clara said...

Congratulations from a fellow milk cow (aka Moooommy). With my singletons, I was a regular milk machine. I think that is why I was able to recoup significant milk when they Lasixed me this time around. Not enough to sustain two, but enough for two with equal formula supplementation.

I am VERY impressed with your dedication to the pumping process!

-Susan

Anonymous said...

You're doing an outstanding job, Deb! That LC that told you to pump 10-12 times a day was smokin' something, because I'm not sure how you'd ever be able to do even the bare minimum for Max, yourself and the babies (including visiting and being with them). Your approach is imminently reasonable, and the babies at least will be getting nothing but breastmilk for the duration of their NICU stay, and probably a substantial percentage of their intake thereafter. Hard to ask for more than that!

Hang in there, kiddo - you're amazing!

Jo

Katrina said...

I agree with the others...you are doing amazing, and 10-12 times a day is impossible...even if you didn't have Max and two babies in the NICU! You are amazing, Debbie, and don't listen to her. Keeping you all in our prayers.

Laura in L.A. said...

Deb, you are an amazing girl! What production! What documentation! I love it. :):)

Glad to hear that our babies and Max are doing well. Prayers going out continually.

Love, Laura