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Should I quit? Day 8, low supply, stressed


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Hi, Just looking for some encouragement.

 

I'm on Day 8 of my first Whole 30.  I'm breastfeeding 6 month old twins and working full-time.  On Day 0 I came down with a nasty case of mastitis.  Thought about delaying the start of Whole 30, but we had done so much prep work, decided to just push ahead.  (Doing this with my husband.) 

 

My supply is now horrible.  I'm sure the mastitits contributed, but the diet doesn't seem to be helping any either.  We're quickly running through the frozen backup I had, and now supplementing with formula, which I didn't mind that much during the week.  But this past weekend, even when with my babies Sat and Sun, I just couldn't keep up with them.  They were so fussy, I think because not getting enough from me.  I tried nursing tons this weekend, like as much as I did when they were newborns, every 1-2 hours nursing, but now I'm at work and my first pump of the day was lousy.  So it seems my efforts to have baby-to-boob a bunch over the weekend didn't help.  My nipples are sore again, not as bad as the first 2 weeks of life, but not like they were a few weeks ago. 

 

Also, the amount of prep work this diet takes is so tremendous.  I cooked for 6 hours yesterday to make sure we have enough food to get through the work week, at the exclusion of going to the park with my kids (also have a 2 yr old), and my husband is kind of tired of single parenting while I cook up a storm.  We are both grouchy with each other.

 

Seriously thinking about quitting.  Doesn't seem worth it if I'm spending less time with my family and unable to make milk for my babies.  I'm not totally opposed to some formula during the work week, but the fact that they were so hungry this weekend was heart breaking.  Ugh.  Makes everything more difficult having to time formula bottles, pack bottles when leaving the house, etc. 

 

Thoughts?  Should I throw in the towel for my family's sake?

 

I'm a healthy weight, BMI 21.  So is my husband.  We had some blood work done  a few months ago and everything was excellent (low A1c, fasting BG, high HDL, low LDL, etc) 

 

I already have learned some good take away lessons from this:

1.  my 2 yr old eats better when we sit at the table and all eat together

2.  I need to have portioned, pre-made healthy meals in the fridge ready to hit the microwave when we walk in the door at 6 pm to avoid him demanding goldfish, crackers, etc. 

3. I can cook lots of veggies in bulk on the weekend to make sure every meal have ample veggies available. 

4, We eat healthier when I "plate" our meals using the template with lots of veggies, vs. family style dishes on the table, help yourself. 

5. I'm snacking a lot less, which actually makes me more productive at work, limiting the eating to the meal times. 

6.  I seem to be waking up quite early, ready to go.  Maybe my coritsol has been reset?  I'm able to be very productive the early mornings before the kids get up, sometimes getting in a work out.

 

I feel good about all these take away lessons just from 8 days.  So what additional benefit should I expect in the next 22 days and at what cost is it coming?

 

Thanks!

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I just want to give you a great big hug!

 

I'm no expert on these matters, and others might be able to chime in on how to increase your supply while staying compliant (in fact, you might want to google it or search the forum for previous threads that address this very thing. Fenugreek comes to mind. . . . ). However, my two cents is give yourself a break, lady! Whatever stressors you can minimize right now the better. If that means setting aside a proper W30 until after you're finished breastfeeding and running with your wonderful takeaways, go for it. And feel very good about it.

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I have no idea about breastfeeding during your whole30. I would definitely search google "whole30 breastfeeding" to get some answers. On another note - most people quit around this time on their whole30. Here is the link that might help you decide. http://whole30.com/2014/01/do-you-really-want-to-quit/.   If you decide to give it a break, I hope you come back and join us when your life is not so stressed. I can't imaging trying to do the whole30 and take care of a family. I had a hard time just doing it on my own. Good Luck!

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I would make sure you are eating enough. More then the template if necessary. Nursing moms also can snack as long as it is within the guidelines (protein+fat). I know it's hard at first but cooking in big batches really does help. I cook up everything on Sundays and my husband is pretty good with taking my 3 boys out, and then I also cook during nap time.

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Ladies,

Thanks for all your kind and encouraging words!

Yesterday was a better day in terms of milk production. I managed to squeeze in 4 pumping sessions (rather than just 3) and brought home 25 oz. Not quite the 30+ of previously, but better than the 18 of last week. Also, I woke up engorged this am, so that's a good thing. Hoping to keep up the 4 pumps per work day for the rest of the week, plus one at my bedtime after babies are asleep to keep my production climbing.

Regarding time consuming food prep, this week I've taken a vacation day on Friday, so will try to do shopping and cooking that day so I can focus on my family more on the weekend. Obviously that's not sustainae. I can't take a day off from work every week for cooking, but hopefully I can find ways to get faster and more efficient. Also, now that I've tried a lot of recipes and know what we like I can start doubling and freezing things. Finally , I should probably cook less fancy stuff. Really want things to taste good so been doing some multi step recipes to keep us on target.

Thanks again, now on to the pool and day 9!

Next question: has anyone struggled with over eating (binging, no brakes, macadamia-oh-my-god) on nuts during this? How did you manage it? Thanks!

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Glad to hear things are going better!

 

Nuts are a notorious food without brakes. I have had to put boundaries around them. I don't eat them or nut butters or fruit unless they're a small part of a recipe. That has worked really well for me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi, I just started my whole30 yesterday, so I'm not an expert, but I am a fellow breastfeeding mom, and six months is a notorious time when women worry about supply.  Often the supply simply regulates at 6 months and engorgement settles down, and often times the pump is not a good measure of actual supply- babies get much more than the pump shows.  It is also a time of huge physical and emotional leaps, and couple that with mastitis, it sounds like you fell into the perfect storm.  You know your babies best, but it also sounds like you know exactly what to do- stimulate that supply and demand.  Have things improved at all?  It sounds so stressful, hugs. xx

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Yes, definitely multifactorial. Supply has rebounded a bit but babies are now getting daily formula to supplement. I'm on day 17 now. Technically compliant but snacking too much on nuts and larabars. Have them all packed in a bag for husband to get them out of the house tomorrow since I'm proving to have no self control. Broke down and weighed myself this am. 0 lbs lost. Husband has lost 8! (Bless his heart) hopefully cutting out nuts will get me te couple lbs weight loss I was hoping for and also reduce the bloating/tummy bulge - which is my real goal. Regarding the food prep woes, it's still a slog. The cooking marathon on the weekend has been trying on our marriage, but slowly figuring out tricks to get it done more quickly. No tiger blood but my energy is pretty stable and afternoon headaches seem to have resolved. Food tastes awesome.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just wanted to post an update for other nursing moms who may look at this thread.

 

I'm on Day 26 now.  After a few days of deprivation and craving and guilt, I abandoned my plan to cut out nuts and have been enjoying them like never before. Guilt-free. 

 

On the weekends, I nursed a bunch a bunch and during the work week I tried to increase my pumping from 3 times per work day to 4 times per work day (on days my schedule allowed).  That seems to have done the trick.  My supply is pretty good.  Not back to where it was before, but much improved.  I'm pumping about 27 ounces at work each day.  And that results in my 7 month old twins requiring one formula bottle a day, which I'm okay with. 

 

cheers!

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