In my experience, early suboptimal lactation (delayed suckling, poor milk
removal, or low frequency of feeding in early days or weeks) is often
associated with ongoing low milk production that cannot be recovered.
Admittedly, I don't have many moms who persist for many weeks, so I can't
say if they would have recovered over many weeks or months.

If I were counseling this mom, I believe I would encourage her to continue
breastfeeding very often with the lactation aid, and to hand express
whenever she can. She already has to prepare and clean the lactation aid,
so eliminating the pump setup and cleaning seems more manageable to me.

I would also have to ask an herbalist to look at the herbs she is taking,
as I am not an expert there,  just to be sure they are all safe and
compatible and have galactagogue properties. She may be a person who likes
to take supplements, but if she is not, I would see if she could eliminate
some. I would rather her have more time to just mother the baby, enjoy this
time, and possibly prepare some nutritious meals (if she has not had time
for that). Sadly, we cannot always find a reason or a fix.

Laurie Wheeler RN MN IBCLC
Mississippi USA

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