My newborn is one week old, and my milk still has not come all the way in. HELP!!?

Question

I am pumping every 2-3 hrs and all I am getting each time is 1-2 ounces! I don't know what's wrong....or what I'm doing wrong. Is my milk ever going to come in all the way???!?

I have a medela pump and he will not nurse...he latches on but no matter what we do he falls asleep. We have spoken to a lactation consultant...all they could really say was keep him awake.

Answer 1

if your baby is wetting diapers, appears satisfied after feedings and is gaining weight, you are fine. sometimes, women do not get engorged.

i have a question: did you nurse immediately after birth or was your baby supplemented? sometimes, hospitals sabotage bfing by giving babies formula and/or glucose water. this can cause nipple confusion; hence the baby might not be latching on to your breast well enough to stimulate milk. even if that is the case, keep nursing.

pumping is never a good indication of what you are producing. the best way to determine if your baby is getting milk is by counting the number of wet diapers. if your baby is wetting diapers and occasionally pooping (the poop will be yellowish and seedy) then you are fine. you can also try taking fenugreek seed to help with the volume. you can get this from most health food stores and lactation consultants. you might also wish to speak with your pediatrician during this time just to make sure that the baby is fine.

i know how difficult bfing can be. i'm currently nursing my daughter (she will be 1 this month) and the beginning was touch and go. the thing that helped me was a supportive spouse, a determined sprirt and a baby who LOVED to nurse!

good luck.

Answer 2

1-2 ounces total or per breast?? 1-2 ounces per breast is all you can expect to get at this point. My baby is 11 days old and I just started pumping 4-6 ounces every 3 hours yesterday. Prior to yesterday I would get 1-2 ounces per breast each time. I am pumping full time and it's not true what some people say about pumping not being as effective as nursing or that your milk supply wont increase if you just pump. Your breasts don't know the difference betweeen a pump and a baby feeding if you have a good electric pump. Just make sure to empty both breasts entirely each time. Drink plenty of fluids, get as much sleep as possible, snack frequently, and stay calm. Those are the factors that affect your supply...especially getting enough fluids and sleep. I notice I can pump a LOT more after I've slept for a period of 3 hours or more. This morning I pumped 6 ounces in one sitting after having gotten 4 hours of sleep! Also make sure you're not pumping too frequently. I actually get more out if I wait until my breasts feel really heavy and full, which is every 3-4 hours. Remember that it takes about ***3 WEEKS*** for your milk supply to become fully established. Don't worry, it sounds like you are completely normal. Just give it time. Over the next few days you should notice a significant increase in the amount you're producing, just be patient.

Answer 3

First of all, RELAX! The more you are stressed,the less milk you are likely to produce.
Drink a LOT of water... at least a 2 litre bottle of water, preferably 3 or 4.

You say you're pumping your milk... is your baby nursing? Your baby may be drinking almost all the milk you're producing so there's not much more to pump. If your baby is gaining weight and you're not supplementing with formula, you're producing enough milk. Remember, the milk for your first week or so is not a thick, creamy consistency yet. It's very liquid and full of colostrum, and is just what your baby needs to flush its system and get him off to a good start.

Here's what Wikipedia says:
After a baby has been nursing for 3-4 days, the colostrum in the breast slowly begins the process of changing into mature breast milk over the next two weeks. [3]

During pregnancy and the first few days postpartum, milk supply is hormonally driven. This is the endocrine control system. After milk supply has been more firmly established, Lactogenesis III begins - the autocrine (or local) control system.

At this stage, milk production follows the law of supply and demand: the more milk removed from the breast, the more milk the breast will produce. Thus milk supply is strongly influenced by how often the baby feeds and how well it is able to transfer milk out of the breast. Low supply can often be traced to:

not feeding or pumping often enough
inability of the infant to transfer milk effectively caused by, among other things:
jaw or mouth structure deficits
poor latching technique
rare maternal endocrine disorders
hypoplastic breast tissue
a metabolic or digestive inability in the infant, rendering it unable to utilise the milk it receives
inadequate calorie intake or malnutrition of the mother
Research on mothers who express their milk [7] [8] indicates that for most women the more times per day a mother expresses her milk, the more milk she produces. Ongoing research [9] shows that more fully draining the breasts also increases the rate of milk production.

I would also contact someone in your area from the La Leche League. They are kind, helpful women who have nursed successfully and will be able to answer your questions.

Answer 4

There's nothing wrong with you, sit back and relax and rest. Take it easy. You need to let the baby nurse as long and often as needed. THe baby is more effective at getting your milk production at the level needed for feedings right now. Your milk supply will be established within 4-6 weeks, then it's safe to pump regulalry. If you pump now you might not be emptying your breast adequately enough to stimulated more milk production since your production is not mature yet. Your baby needs the extra feedings right now for growth and getting your milk to produce enough for the baby. Unless you need to have milk to leave your baby while you might be away is the only way you need to pump right now-- if that's the case make sure that you have a hospital grade pump for both breasts. Read all the breastfeeding materials that you may have gotten from the hospital over and over until you memorize it....Make sure that you are eating and sleeping well...It plays a major role in milk production.... I hope that all goes well with you and your baby....

Answer 5

My son fell asleep all the time too. I had to pump and feed him sips from a cup because he wouldn't stay awake long enough to nurse. He finally stopped doing this at 6 days old and started nursing beautifully. Try nursing him naked so he's not too comfy and keep him awake by running an ice cube on his legs etc. There's a spot on their chest that if you rub it with your thumb it wakes them up as well. It's just under the colar bone. Push quite firm with your thumb and move it in a circular motion. This is what the lactation consultants told me to do and it helped to keep him awake. Hopefully your baby will become more alert soon. Don't give up on breastfeeding. He will learn to latch eventually. God Bless

Answer 6

I don't know what kind of pump you have, but a nurse told me not to bother with the $40 pumps. You need to pay about $250 for a Medela brand or equivalent.

Answer 7

The average weight of a newborn baby 1 week old is around 7 or 8 lbs..Your baby is above average in weight but don't be concerned, he was born at almost 10 lbs! So it sounds like he is right on track with the weight gain.

Answer 8

Yes it will come in all the way your milk is on supply and demand sometimes the baby can get more than the pump can, Just sit in a comfortable chair sip some juice put on some relaxing music and then let the baby feed.

Answer 9

You should try and call the hospital you had the baby at. I was haveing a simaler problem and I wound up not being able to pump with an over the counter and had to get one from the hospital. You may also try using hot compress on your breasts to help the milk come in or a hot shower. Also try to massage your breasts from the top down in a very gental very firm mannor.

Answer 10

Pumping doesn't increase your milk supply as efficiently as nursing so try to nurse as much as possible, as well as pump. Talk to a doctor or a lactation consultant. Try not to worry too much I'm sure your milk supply will increase.