Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Prelim - herbs not helpful

Please see previous post "Lactation Data orgy" for background.

It's not looking good for the herbs... or the chump who paid $25 for them.

Between 3/14 and 3/25 over 18 pumping sessions, I averaged 21.13 (+/- 6.9 SD) mL breast milk per hour, 20 minute pumping sessions.

I began taking More Milk Plus 4 times a day Sat 3/26. In addition, I have been drinking Mother's Milk Tea according to the directions. Over 5 pumping sessions including 2 today (3/30), I have averaged 23.8 (+/- 3.8 SD) mL/hr.

A two-tailed t-test assuming unequal variances shows a p value of <0.28.
NO DIFFERENCE

But I continue gathering data and get a bigger sample size... I guess it could be possible that it takes more than 5 days to work.

Even if milk production improves slightly it will still be not enough to feed my baby without supplementation unless is nearly doubles.

6 comments:

  1. My baby (now almost 3) never really learned to breastfeed (long story involving some serious prematurity). I used a regular commercial pump (not hospital grade) for 18 months - you know the ones that come in a nice discrete black bag. I also traveled without my baby, quite a bit more than I really wanted to, and my milk supply was always reduced when I came back (those manual pumps in airport bathroom stalls just didn't cut it - I get a bit nauseous just thinking about it now). However, I found that my milk supply increased again fastest when I pumped everything dry, then kept pumping until I got a second let-down. Sometimes the amount I expressed almost doubled with this second let-down. I just sat there reading or doing email while the pump did its thing, preferably while the baby was asleep. Getting sore wasn't really an issue after a month or two. I probably just got lucky, but although odds were that I would lose my milk supply given the circumstances, I did not - there always was enough, even if just enough.

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  2. LOL! I love. I'm sad to admit that I tell everyone that the More Milk Plus pills worked for me, although I have no data to show it. I really thought it helped, though, if that helps. Maybe the placebo effect could help some?

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  3. I have a completely anecdotal experience which may or may not be of interest. When I first went back to work, I was trying to pump while doing class prep. Production was pretty much non-existent. I started organizing pictures of my daughter while pumping one day and bingo! I found that focusing on relaxing and looking at pictures of my daughter made a big difference. I was frustrated to loose that time to work, but at least I was producing milk.

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  4. i watch hulu while i pump and get ~15 oz in 15 minutes over 2 pumping sessions. i tend to have less if i am working/stressed during pumping.
    lots of luck

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  5. Are you pumping after you nurse as well? I use to nurse on one side and pump on the other. Or nurse both sides and then pump both sides for the second let down. Pictures of Little T and/watching her did help. Good luck with it.

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  6. As an engineer, I used to dream of better pump and shield designs while pumping, but never collecting data like you!

    If you want to optimize:
    - try to pump 3 times so you don't go longer than 3 hours, or when you feel full. If you get and stay full, you'll start to send signals to decrease production
    - 3 Times is a good chunk of work time, so have fun....eat and drink during and after -- reward yourself with 100 or 200 calories
    - Do something FUN while you pump - reward yourself!
    - stop when the flow slows down, no need to waste time with diminishing returns

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