nursing/breastfeeding mothers...I need your help!?

Question

My daughter is 19 days old, and it seems like i am not producing as much breastmilk as I was when my milk inatially"came down"..what can i do to reestablish my milk supply, with out using herbs ot any other ovet the counter products...
I do have breastpump, and have been pumping, yet I am only getting about 2-3 ounces, and only out of one breast, i can't even get an ounce out of the other..I would hate to give my daughter formula if i can "fix' the problem...It seems like I am nursing her every 15 minutes, and she does not seem to be satisfied....
Please give me some advice!
Many Thanks!

Thank ALL of you who gave the advice...I WILL continue to nurse her whenever she wqants, even if i feel like the local"milk machine"...I want to do what is best for her.

Answer 1

You are a good mom and it is great to see all the help you got and that you plan on letting the baby nurse when she wants to.

Nursing on demand and child led weaning (no matter how old they are) is the beast way to go and produces many psychological benefits.

In, fact, anthropologists discovered that children who are weaned early (6 months) tend to be warlike, while those who nursed till the child wanted t stop (average is around age 2-4) were very peace loving.

I highly recommend two things to you to help you be the best, most nurturing mother you can be.

!. Go to a La Leche League group and met other mothers (when I went years ago to a couples series, I met the best mothers I ever knew in my life and their examples made me the most nurturing I have ever been in my life (I am now 56).

Going to La Leche League changed the course of my life..they introduced me to true nutrition which still helps my health today.

I learned about and practiced the family bed, marsupial mothering, extended breastfeeding (till age 4), and other things.

Go to a La Leche League annual conference even if you must travel..They are great fun and so informative.

If you don't like a particular group, try another till you find one that clicks. They are a great source of support and knowledge and information. I was a exceeding better mother because of La Leche League and my kids turned out great.

2. Subscribe to or get at the library mothering magazine which practices the attachment parenting style and covers a wide variety of topics..

Though my kids are long gone, it is the one magazine I subscribe to and read cover to cover.

Also see their online website and use their forum..I wish they had this forum when my children were little although the magazine started soon after my 2nd child was born and I rediscovered it about 10 years ago.

I knew instantly, this editor was in LaLeche League at some time in her life by her beliefs and sensitivity.

I discovered I was right. She was a former La Leche League leader. I put the link in resources and you have already been given La Leche's online site.

Answer 2

First, take a deep breath--you're doing a great job!

You are probably making plenty of milk and it is totally normal for you wee babe to want to nurse all the time. Let her! It takes about 6 weeks to establish a really good nursing relationship, so that is your main job right now. Relax and let her nurse as much as she wants. The more she stimulates your nipples, the more milk you will have. Plus, the more often the baby feeds the higher fat content your milk will have and this is a VERY good thing (the fat in breastmilk is what helps baby's brain to develop really well.)

If she isn't peeing or pooping very much, THEN you might want to worry, but remember that babies have an intense need to suck and be close to you (nursing isn't just about nutrition).

Pumps do not milk the breast nearly as efficiently as a baby does, so don't use that as an indication of how much milk you are making.

Do not give her any formula--this will tamper with your supply and can cause problems down the road.

Another poster suggested visiting www.kellymom.com--this is a great site with accurate information about breastfeeding.

I would encourage you to go to a La Leche League meeting in your area as the women who run them are a wonderful source of support and information.

The first few months are a great time to s....l....o....w down and go with the baby's rhythm. It won't last, so enjoy it now.

Answer 3

Your milk starts to even out in production after a while, and when you used to feel "full" all the time, sometimes you feel, well, normal. I've finally gotten to that point now, and my baby is 3 1/2 months old. Some people that happens to very early, which is the case for you. Some people always feel full until they wean (but this is very uncommon).

To know if your baby is getting enough to eat, ask yourself these questions:
-- Is baby having at least 5-6 wet diapers a day?
-- Is baby having at least 3-4 poopy diapers a day?
If the answer is yes, your baby is likely getting enough to eat.

Sometimes babies like to nurse for what seems hours on end. My babies are like this. They will nurse every hour or two for the first few months, then finally they will stop nursing so much around 3 or 4 months of age when they can go up to 4 hours without nursing (and even longer at night). But they often like little snacks inbetween long nursing sessions. Sometimes babies nurse for comfort, not just for food. If you're feeling resentful for how often she is nursing, you may want to get a sling so you can do other things and nurse her in the sling.

Answer 4

My son will only nurse one breast at a time. I'm lucky if I can get him to nurse both. He's now 11.5 months old so I don't worry about it so much. My milk supply never decreased just because he ate from one breast. He also gained weight and is in the 90% for both height and weight. As for crying while suckling, my son does that off and on if he's really upset. But, not every feeding. If you're really concerned than I would talk to your doctor. But, as long as she is finally latching on, don't worry about. Also, he would nurse maybe ten minutes at a time. When he was a newborn it was only five minutes. It was very stressful, but he grew out of it luckily. Now, it's about ten minutes to fifteen.

Answer 5

I was the same way I thought my daugther was never getting enough she was always breastfeeding for like the first 2 months I felt like that was all that I was doing. I used my breast pump every 3 hours and if she seem hungry I would give her a 1/2 ounce of formula and go back to breastfeeding it will take a while before you build up a big milk supply I know that you said that you didn't want to use herbs but I use something called fenugreek and it increased my milk suppy with in 3 days and I haven't had to give my daugther a bottle since, but most newborns nurse constantly to help increase your milk supply.

Answer 6

You have no problem. :)

Your little girl is probably going through a growth spurt. Feed her when she wants it.

Ditch the pump. (Unless you are going to be working and need to build up a supply of EBM for her.) A pump is a horrible way to gauge your milk supply. It's not as efficient at getting milk out as the baby.

Don't stress. Just continue to nurse on demand. That's really the most important thing. As long as she's having wet and poopy diapers, you're doing great!

Answer 7

It sounds to me like you're really making enough milk, and don't need to worry about it or supplement. It sounds like a combination of things:

-at a few weeks post partum, it's normal and usual to feel less "full" than you did in the early days. It's not a sign of low supply, it's a sign that your supply is regulating itself to what your baby actually needs.

-at around three weeks, it's normal for your baby to go through a growth spurt, and want to nurse constantly. This is your baby's way of ramping up your supply, and it's totally normal.

-pumping is a terrible indicator of how much milk you're making, so don't worry about that.

I would advise you to just have in mind that this is normal and okay, and nurse that baby whenever she wants. In fact, say "forget the housework!", and just sit on the couch topless and do nothing but lie around and nurse that baby until this growth spurt is over- it'll be much easier on you both. :)

However, DON'T supplement with formula unless your baby really seems in danger of dehydration or no weight gain! Giving formula can cause a supply problem where none existed before.

I'm including some links on how to diagnose true low supply, so you know what that is- the gist of it is, pay attention to wet diapers, weight gain, and whether your baby seems generally okay.

Good luck! :)

Answer 8

if you nurse the correct way then your body will produce milk. Using a pump is not the same and can not stimulate the way a baby can. Let her nurse for an hour. Especially on the breast that you think has nothing. Your baby's nursing is the best thing to stimulate milk making.
also check out:

http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme.html

they have information that might help you.

Answer 9

Give yourself a break - you are doing fine and if she weren't putting on the weight then your Health Visitor would be advising other means of feeding. Maybe try to express at different times of the day, but why are you expressing...do you really need to at this early stage or if it is necessary just give it a go at different times of the day. I always found I had heaps mid morning. Just an option.

If she's coming off of you quite happy but want again a little while later maybe she's just a 'snacker'. Keep going unless theres a good reason for either of you to stop.

Answer 10

When your milk supply first comes in you become engorged, your beast are hard full and tender. As the baby nurses your body recognizes how much milk to make and adjust to it. It is likely that your baby is getting enough, a good moniter is wet diaper 6 to 8 wet diapers a day is common. Dirty diapers can be from hourly to weekly with a breast fed baby.