Ode to Blake's New Loves (and a Nursing Update)

Oh, my bird, how I love you! I grab you.

And my tag toy, how I love to suck you! I suck until you are all squishy and wet.

Hungry caterpillar, I love your big fat tail.

And glow sea-horse, I suck your cute button nose, I kiss your glowing belly.

My love groweth for thee all! Come, let me chomp you, my teething companions!

Some updates on nursing...Thanks, everyone, for your feedback!

Here is what I tried, and what helped:

Drinking more water - Sounds basic and obvious, but I wasn't drinking as much as I needed. I think this really helped (and I felt better). A friend reminded me that I needed to drink at least as much as I was putting out, and I am trying to drink at least a glass of water each time I nurse.

Eating more - I think drinking more had a more substantial impact, but since I often "forgot" to eat, I knew I needed to be more intentional about getting food throughout the day instead of waiting until baby was asleep to fill up.

Alternating sides multiple times in a feeding - I went back and forth so that he was eating from each side" at least twice. I found this to be very helpful, and much easier than pumping after I fed him.

Not feeding him 3 times in 3.5 hrs - Previously I was feeding him at 3pm or 3:30pm, 5pm, and 6:30pm and my body wasn't ready for that 6:30pm feeding. We have decided to put Blake to sleep earlier (5:30-6pm), so now I hold off and essentially skip one feeding. So he gets a full mama when he eats before bed, PLUS he isn't fussy for an hour before we put him to bed.

Fenugreek - When the above still didn't seem to get my milk supply to what Blake seemed to be wanting, I finally decided to try the herbal solution of fenugreek. I took this for 2 days (2 pills, 3x a day, and I was smelling like maple syrup like I heard I would) and noticed a substantial increase in my milk supply, so much that Blake would sputter and cough when my let-down occurred (which he never did before; before I could never even tell when I let down). I actually think I produced TOO MUCH milk and it aggrevated his reflux (I forget that smaller meals are better for his reflux). I stopped taking the Fenugreek right away, but I still think my supply is higher than it was, and I am able to pump more to re-stock my freezer supply.

What didn't help as much:

A beer a day - I didn't notice a difference with this.

Pumping after a feeding - This was discouraging because I didn't get anything when I pumped (and I at least wanted to get some milk for the effort!), and it never seemed convenient to do so. I much prefer alternating sides with the baby (and I think he preferred it, too).

Thanks, again, everyone, for your help with this!