breastmilk?

Question

i had my baby a week ago and when i got out of the hospital, i had an abundant supply of breastmilk. for some reason, two days ago, my milk virtually disappeared. i have been breastfeeding and supplementing with a formula because my baby is premature and needs the extra calories but i cant even pump enough breastmilk to give her even an ounce. is there some reason why my milk just seemed to disappear? Is there something that i am not doing or something that i CAN do to make it come back in? thank you in advance for any suggestions.

my baby was born naturally but 5 weeks early. i had so much milk but a day or two ago, it just went away and now my breasts are back to prepregnancy size...no milk. i dont really know what to do. she does not nurse well and thats why ive been supplementing because she needs to extra calories to keep her weight up. i pump for breastmilk and bottlefeed her sometimes when she wont nurse but its to the point where i cant even get a full ounce out.

Answer 1

i would contact a lactation consultant. there are many things that can help dry up your supply, such as alcohol, non-use, sudden exercise and body stress....

so, contact your pediatrcian and ask for a lactation consultant. they can help you get your milk back in. there are moms out there who nursed their adopted children, so it's possible to lactate without even giving birth. i'm sure it's not easy, but you can do it!!!

in the meantime just pump like crazy. the more you pump the more your milk should increase....i say "should"!

take care.

Answer 2

This is my problem exactly (my daughter was born on the 12th). The lactation specialist I saw at the hospital said that I still have milk, but what I'm noticing, (and I suspect you also) is the difference between the first milk, which comes in, and is way more than you or baby need, to the current milk supply which is only what your baby needs. My baby was induced for medical reasons two weeks early, so we also have that in common. I hear your frustration. I am also now pumping to get her to eat, since she won't latch on regularly to breastfeed. I am calling the pediatrition later today, and possibly going back to the birthing center where they offer free lactation support. Good luck to you.

Answer 3

i had my 1st child about 1 1/2 years ago. and now after completing my first year of nursing school, i completely agree with the doctors-sometimes they are right, but the way you feed your child is your decision-the infant will be just as healthy either way. i had similar to the same problem-i contacted my pediatrician about it and they referred me to someone specialized in lactation. the milk didn't start to dry up until about 6 wks...when i started back exercising---BAD idea!! they informed me that when breastfeeding a premature baby your figure is the last thing you should worry about, especially if you have a good immune system and eat healthy. the infant only gets good immunities and health from the mother if she has it herself. ANYWAYS--they told me that they had this hormone pill you could take to get your lactation up but i was against that because i wanted it all natural and was scared beings that was my first child. also, if while you were in the hospital you did not plan to breastfeed and were wrapped daily with the breastbands to basically dry you up, that could be the problem also.

congratulations by the way and don't worry, i'm sure your infant will be fine. my little girl is running around healthy as can be just as well as the other toddlers in her daycare.

Answer 4

I would say rest, eat healthy snacks and stay hydrated. Sometimes preemies can have trouble nursing due to smaller mouth and not as good sucking reflex. Keep at it! The baby will get better at it every day. If baby is not nursing every couple of hours, then be sure and pump every 2 hours for 5-10 minutes if you can stand it. I seem to remember my ped telling me to wake up baby to nurse every3 hours for at least the first week, but that could be because she had jaundice and the way to fix it is to poop out the bilirubin essentially. Remember empty breasts make milk faster than full or ones with any milk in them! Milk in breast sends a chemical signal to the body to slow production. Babies can go through growth spurts where they nurse every hour and I felt like she wasn't getting enough becuase she was nursing so often, but it lasted a few days and she was growing, so I calmed down.

Stress, illness, no rest, unhealthy diet or skipping meals can decrease production. It will also go down once a month once you resume your menstrual cycle. There may be some issues with preemies that I am not aware of that cause low supply. If baby is not latching properly or is sleepy at nursings, it can cause baby not to empty breasts and therefore supply could fall. Using cold cabbage will help engorgement, but could stop milk supply if used a long time.

I know moms who took fenugreek. I don't remember if it helped or not. I think there was mixed results. Taking hot showers or filing a clean sink with hot water and dipping the breasts in (a nurse recommended that one) or using warm washcloths over breasts 10 mnutes before feedings may help with letting down the milk.

http://www.preemie-l.org/bfaq.html :

5. Is there anything I can do to increase my supply?
Maintaining a breastmilk supply without a nursing infant is very difficult. Here are some suggestions from Preemie-L mothers:

A. Fluids and rest
The stress and fatigue that come with having a premature baby can be counter-productive to your milk supply. A good diet and plenty of fluids are essential, and need to be planned for as best you can. If you find your supply is dwindling despite your best efforts, try to spend a day or two in bed, getting up only to eat and express.

B. Increase frequency of pumping
Most women find that frequent shorter pumping sessions work better than longer ones spaced further apart, for example, 10 minutes every three hours rather than 20 minutes every four hours. You need to experiment and find out what works and what is practical for you. If your baby is still in the hospital, you may not have the opportunity to express freqently.

C. Herbal and Medicinal preparations
There are various herbal remedies that are popular and worth trying (but not all at once!). These include brewer's yeast, fenugreek tea or capsules, blessed thistle (also called milk thistle) and mother's milk tea (a U.S. product). These are usually available at health food stores. A Guinness stout in the evening is also a popular remedy, at the very least it is nutritious and will help you sleep.

There are also medicines which can help your let-down such as Metoclopraminde, available as Reglan in the U.S.A. and as Maxalon or Pramin in Australia and England. The lactation consultant at your hospital can advise you on these. They aren't suitable or effective for everyone.

D. Expressing techniques
Many Preemie-L mothers have found that warm compresses and breast massage prior to pumping helped them to relax, and that this in turn resulted in a higher yield of milk. Stopping several times during pumping to reposition the pump cones can sometimes help. Alternating hand expression with machine pumping during a session may also provide a greater yield. If you are not using a double pump, this is something you should consider.

E. Have your breastpump checked
This is so obvious that many times it is overlooked. Make sure that your pump is working correctly and that the suction is correct and the gaskets are all tight. If there is a problem, you can usually return the pump or get new attachments.

F. Supplemental Nursing System [SNS] (only if you are actually Nursing)
A supplemental nursing system may help increase your supply because it allows your breasts to be stimulated while the baby is fed either expressed breast milk or formula. There are two widely available models the Lact_aid Nursing Trainer and the Medela Supplemental Nursing System. A SNS consists of a bag or bottle that hangs around your neck and is filled with formula or expressed milk. Thin tubes taped to your breasts with surgical tape deliver milk to the infant as he sucks. They can be fiddly to use but some mothers have found them to be a good solution for low supply.

Answer 5

I don't know how things might change because your baby is a preemie, but for full term babies the suggestion is to not supplement. Your body should be able to provide all she needs, but it is a supply/demand cycle. If she's not nursing enough your body thinks you need so much milk and stops. Always offer her your breast first, and only give a bottle after.

But with all of this, check with her ped first jsut because she's a preemie.

Answer 6

Actually supplementing can make your supply go down. Breast milk supply is all about supply and demand...try pumping in between feedings. You may not get much out but its stimulating your milk glands and that sends a message to your brain to tell your body to make more milk.
I'd also start taking Fenugreek...its an herbal pill that increases your supply...you can get it at GNC. I take it and its doubled my supply.

Answer 7

Sorry but your out of milk. I had tons of milk when i was in the hospital and then about 2 or 3 weeks later i could not get 2 oz out in 24 hrs it happends why i dont know but you will have to go to formula only you can keep trying but if your like me your just out good luck and congrats

Answer 8

I am a mother of five children and i never feed them with any formula. just do massage your breast with warm water and let the baby suck it because pumping is not good as much the natural sucking of the baby everytime of feeding the baby do massage it first.and to have a good breast milk drink more soup avoid dry foods do have always soup.

Answer 9

Is your baby a Cesarean? In that case breast milk will dry out due to antibiotics for quick healing of stitches.

Answer 10

you make what you use so pump and massage them with a hot rag on them to bring milk down.