why is my milk supply vanishing and what can I do to increase it?

Question

My baby is almost 3 weeks old. We both took to breastfeeding very easily, however he had jaundice, so his doctor put him on formula for a few days till his bilirubin went down. While he was on formula I pumped and stored my milk and was getting 4-5 oz. everytime I pumped. He wasn't latching back on to my breast after the formula, so hubby and I decided to just pump my milk and bottle feed him. I am drinking plenty of milk and water, eating healthy and pumpimg avery 2-3 hours, but now I am lucky to get 2 oz. combined when I pump. Is there anything I can do to increase supply or am I losing my milk? Anyone with experiences like this would be appreciated, as well as anyone who has knowledge in this area. Also, when I experience letdown, it only lasts about 30 seconds, then I can't get anymore milk.

Answer 1

Call your lactation consultant. They can give you lots of ideas and help out with increasing your supply. There are certain herbs that can be taken to increase milk but I don't remember what they are. Also, check the la lecha league.

Answer 2

I'm sorry to hear you went through a temporary weaning due to jaundice. Most likely, it wasn't necessary. :-(

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/07jaundice.html

I'd suggest you contact a LLL Leader or a Lactation Consultant to work on getting baby latched back on. He is more efficient than even the best pump. A LLL Leader will help you for free and may even come to your home for such a young baby who is not latching on.

What kind of pump are you using? A good double electric like the Medela Pump In Style or Lactina?

With a 3 week old, first off I'd suggest that you pump or try to nurse every 2 hours. A 3 week old is also most likely going through a growth spurt about now, so that will mean he is wanting to step up supply about now too.

When you pump, you can try doing massage and/or applying heat beforehand to get things flowing better. Think about/look at your baby. When the flow of milk slows or stops, reposition the horns in a slightly different place on your breasts. Sometimes this will bring a second letdown and empty different milk ducts.

It's all supply and demand. The more you nurse or pump, the more you'll make.

Some moms report that they see a supply increase when they eat oatmeal every day.

There is an herb called fenugreek that can be helpful at boosting supply. The typical dosage is 3-4 capsules 3x per day. See the link below for more info before taking it. It's safe for MOST mothers.....but there are a handful of people who should not use it so be sure to read the link first.

http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html

Answer 3

I have a 2 month old and I am breastfeeding. I have read lots of information about bf. It is very rare that a woman's milk drys up, but it is possible. The only thing you can do is to continue to pump. Keep in mind how much your little one drinks at a time. If it is only 2-3 oz, then your milk supply is right where it should be. The only way I know of to produce more milk is to pump more often, your body should produce what your baby (pump) needs. Hope this helps, if not go to babycenter.com, they have lots of info on breastfeeding.

Answer 4

I know exactly what you mean because my daughter who is now almost 6 weeks old was also jaundice and they also had me giving her formula but it wasn't as much as they had you giving your baby. I was just giving her 1/2 an oz after every time I breastfed. It's not your pump because I am having the same problem now and I have a great pump I think sometimes it just happens because I went through a few days of that almost being dried up thing and now my milk is starting to replenish. Good luck.

Answer 5

Using a pump doesn't produce the same sucking motion or help produce the hormones that increase the milk. I found breast feeding at night helpful. Oh and drink Fennel tea, it did wonders. I ended up like daisy the cow after drinking that. Good luck, and well done for giving your child the best.Many herbal supplements have been used for many years to increase milk production, with the most popular being Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, and Red Raspberry. Brewers Yeast (containing B vitamins) is another commonly recommended treatment for low milk supply.

Answer 6

*Sigh*

Well your first mistake was giving formula, which is completely unnecessary for jaundice, even breastmilk jaundice as breastmilk jaundice is NOT dangerous.

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/07jaundice.html

Your second mistake was using a bottle to feed your son. He probably now has nipple confusion, or rather "nipple laziness" he prefers the bottle as it is easier to get milk out of.

You need to pump ever three hours for at least 20 minutes -- you may need to pump more often. However some women can never have sufficient let down for a pump because PUMPS do not work like babies. And if the pump doesn't empty the breast you will loose your supply.

You need to get a lactation consultant or contact La Leche League (free) immediately. You need to work at getting the baby back to breast and pumping more effectively to get your supply back.

http://www.lalecheleague.org/ab.html?m=1
(select your country in the upper right)

http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal_galactagogue.html


I don't mean to sound like I am insulting you or berating you. But today I am just fed up with doctors giving people inaccurate information, giving advice about things they have no training in, and people not empowering themselves.

I know you are doing the best you can, and you are very tired and it is very hard. My baby had a horrible latch, partly because of somethings I let the hospital do even though it was wrong. So I do understand. But I am disillusioned today.

Sorry.

But you must fight and FIGHT HARD to breastfeed and by pumping and giving it to him in a bottle it seems like you have given up. Please fight, it is worth the trouble to get your baby back to the breast.

Answer 7

Try supplementing your diet with Fenugreek. It is an herbal breastmilk enhancer. I had the same problem as you and the Fenugreek really helped along with lots of water. It is hard to pump b/c your body knows the difference between it and your baby. Try to relax as much as possible while you pump you can even have your baby next to you to help you focus. Another resource is La Leche League or your hospitals lactation consultant. Oh yeah, the Fenugreek will make you smell like maple syrup. This smell is normal and the milk will not harm your baby. The milk stayed the same, but I smelled very sweet!

Answer 8

If youre eating right and taking care of yourself but still not producing enough milk, you may want to talk to your doctor. Do they have any breastfeeding support groups in your area? What ever you do, dont stop breast feeding.

P.S. one of the things that helped get my supply flowing was to take a warm shower and aim the shower towards my breast.

Answer 9

I think that you should ask your doctor for something that can build up your milk supply again, also, since it is a supply and demand thing, demand it more often...pump when ever you can, that will make your body think that you need more milk, and so it will produce more.
Good luck!

Answer 10

I was told that carrots work.There's also this book with answers to questions like this called "What to expect" The first year.Also if you have something of your babies next to you like a picture or a shirt they wore while your pumping this also helps.