When I originally joined Day One, it was because our home at the time did not have central heat and I was tired of being couped up in our bedroom with the curtains drawn all day to keep the space heater heat in. My husband thought it would be great for me to get out of our bedroom and meet other moms in the East Bay. And yes, while we joined for those reasons Day One has since revolutionized my life as a new mommy. On Mondays and Fridays, I go to the free breastfeeding support group led by one of two fabulous lactation consultants, Linda or Carrie. I have always had an oversupply of milk and a really easy baby, so generally I go to hear other womens issues and to add another tip/trick to my nursing back pocket. Did I ever think I would ever need to use my bag of breastfeeding tricks???? Not in the least bit. But there came a day when all the tips and tricks I learned all came in handy:
A couple weeks ago, my husband and I had dinner with another couple. It was a harmless barbecue. You might be thinking…I do this all the time, what could possibly go wrong, right??? I noticed that there appeared to be a good variety and amount of herbs in the food and iced tea. I saw mint and knew that it could reduce your milk supply but thought to myself,”it’s just one dinner…what could possibly go wrong???” So I ate the yummy dinner, herbs and all. The next day I woke up to feed the little guy and I had hardly any milk….WHAT?!?! First, I went into panic mode because my kid was hungry, I had no milk coupled with the fact that he doesn’t take bottles. After taking a few deep breaths, I thought about what Carrie or Linda would tell me: 1) Don’t stress it will make the situation worse 2) There are ways to bring your supply back
So I took, one more deep breath and I was bound and determined to get my milk supply back. I fed my little guy as much as I had, which wasn’t much but it seemed to satisfy him for a few minutes. Next, I plugged in the pump to see what I was dealing with. Less than a quarter ounce. Wow! I went from 5 ounces to a quarter ounce on each side. So it was going to be a long weekend, so I got my supplies together: water bottles, food, timer, pump and baby and a shopping list for my hubby. I was a little short on my “increase my supply” food which included frozen steel cut oats and avocados. My entire weekend was spent eating, feeding the little guy and pumping. To buy myself some time in between the tiny feeds the little guy was getting, I introduced the sippy cup with some breastmilk. This seemed to entertain him as well as give him something in his little belly. After two days of this routine and feeling like I couldn’t lay on the couch any longer, pump any more or stuff my face with anything else…the supply was back. 5 ounces per side. Yes!
I have heard other women talk about how their supply can come and go. Sometimes it can change because of stress or getting sick but I have never heard of it being affected by a single meal. Wondering if I was losing my mind, I went into Day One the following Monday. I told my story to Lindsay, a post partum doula, and she asked if there was any sage in the food. I said I knew there was mint and likely sage. She said that I am apparently really sensitive to sage and that it is usually used to help wean. She also said this happens to a lot of women during thanksgiving with the sage that is put into stuffing.
Thank you Day One for being a lifesaver!