I couldn't breastfeed my first child, should I even try with second?

Question

I found out two weeks after my son was born that I wasn't producing enough milk, therefore, he was starving and we didn't even know it. I wanted to breastfeed so badly, but had to switch immediately to formula. I was just wondering, for others who have experienced this, will my second go at it produce the same results? Should I just go immediately to the formula, I don't want this baby to starve. Of course I'll talk to my doc about it, but since I'm curious now, I thought I'd ask you guys!

I tried to use a breast pump to get the milk out, but even that didn't produce enough. It's funny, even though I wasn't producing anything, I still managed to get a back up duct and became infected.

Answer 1

I had a similar experience - i was not producing enough milk for my son. I realized early on that there was something wrong and went to see my OBGYN - he confirmed what I already suspected...so my son started on formula by the time he was a week old. Even tho I wasn't producing a sufficient amount I was given pills to decrease the swelling of the mammary glands and stop any further production of milk. I had the same OBGYN with my daughter - we determined the day she was born that I was not producing. As soon as she was delivered I was given a shot to prevent any milk production. My kids, now 20 and 18 1/2, are healthy adults and never had any health issues that some grandmothers warned me about.
When you are far enough along in your pregnancy your physician should be able to tell if you are producing milk and suggest the proper course for your situation. Best of luck to you. God Bless.

Answer 2

Probably you just needed better support, actual inability to produce enough milk is VERY rare only about 1% of women can't make enough milk. Start going to La Leche League meetings NOW so that you have real support in place when you do have your next one. Also ANY breastmilk is better than NO breastmilk it isn't an all or nothing thing.

La Leche League:
http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html
(Change the country in the upper right if you aren't American)


Also read these:
Hidden Hinderances to a Healthy Milk Supply
http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/hindrances.html

How might I increase baby's weight gain?
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/weight-gain_increase.html

Is your milk supply really low?
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html#supply

How to Know a Health Professional
is not Supportive of Breastfeeding
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/18MD_unsupportive.html

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/11some_bf_myths.html#1
Some Breastfeeding Myths
1. Many women do not produce enough milk.
Not true! The vast majority of women produce more than enough milk. Indeed, an overabundance of milk is common. Most babies that gain too slowly, or lose weight, do so not because the mother does not have enough milk, but because the baby does not get the milk that the mother has. The usual reason that the baby does not get the milk that is available is that he is poorly latched onto the breast. This is why it is so important that the mother be shown, on the first day, how to latch a baby on properly, by someone who knows what they are doing.

Answer 3

I had the exact same problem with my first. He was much happier when he got the formula and was actually full! I thought I'd try nursing with the second, I thought perhaps I'd have enough milk this time or that I'd learned how it worked after the first one and was willing to give it a try. I was also more willing to go to formula if it didn't work after what we went through with our first. Well, as we discovered, I didn't have enough milk the second time, but he got about half breast milk and half formula for 2 months, which was better than nothing. Keep a small container of formula at the house in case you discover that the baby is hungry early on, but I figure it's worth a shot if you really want to breastfeed.

Answer 4

I think you should give it a try. Whatever the reason was for not producing enough milk the first time around, that reason may not exist the second time.
Breast milk and it's precursor, colostrum, are living fluids that provide many health benefits to the baby, especially for his/her immune system. These benfits are passed through the fluid even if you only BF for a few days or a few weeks.
In addition to talking to your doc, you might want to speak with a lactation consultant, or your local La Leche League. These experienced women may be able to help you identify what went wrong with feeding your son, so you can have a successful BF experience with your second baby.
Good Luck!

Answer 5

I agree with all of the mothers out here that said you should definitely try again and that most likely you did not have a low milk supply the first time. Many women are told this, but it is rare to have a low milk supply. I would recommend that you go to a breastfeeding class before your 2nd baby to get a refresher course on how to latch the baby on, etc. They will also talk about how to pump milk effectively and you can talk to the person that teaches the class about low milk supply. When you are in the hospital, insist that you have a lactation consultant come to your room and observe you nursing...also explain the situation to them. Lastly, many insurance companies will pay for a lactation specialist to come to your home within days after the baby is born to help with breastfeeding difficulties. They are so supportive and they will observe a breastfeeding session & weigh your baby while there to make sure they are gaining weight. Call your insurance company about this now and arrange a visit ASAP after the baby is born.

If you do end up needing to supplement in the beginning due to poor weight gain, continue to breastfeed before offering formula...this will help to keep up your supply...and then pump after the formula feeding, again to stimulate your nipples which stimulates milk production.

There are so many supports out there...LaLeche...nursing mothers organization...websites...books...use them all! You can do it!!

Good luck!

Answer 6

Definitely try! I also had a lot of trouble when I tried breastfeeding my daughter. I ended up breastfeeding but supplementing with formula- I was able to breastfeed her for over a year. Yes, she did get formula, but I feel like at least she got some of the antibodies from the breastmilk- she was in daycare, and hardly ever got sick her first year, which I attribute partially to the breastfeeding.

So, go ahead and try, but don't get discouraged if your doctor says your baby isn't getting enough.

p.s. I also remember from the classes that when you breastfeed, the first milk to come out each time is thinner, less fatty. For the baby to get the "good" fatty milk, you have to breastfeed at least 10-15 min on each breast. Hope this helps, and good luck!

Answer 7

Absolutely give it a try! Just because you had low milk supply with your first does not mean you'll have the same result with this baby. Ask to talk with a lactation consultant in the hospital and share your concerns with her - she can be sure that baby's latch is good (a bad latch can mean baby doesn't eat enough, therefore you don't produce enough, etc.) Look for a La Leche League group in your area - they'll be very helpful as well. And you might want to consider buying some tea with fenugreek, which helps boost your milk production, to start drinking as soon as possible after giving birth. (Link below to the tea I used, with great results.)

There's a great link below to an article on increasing your milk supply - in fact, kellymom.com is a great site in general on all things breastfeeding.

Best of luck to you - I hope it works out this time!!

Answer 8

If your desire is to breastfeed, a good effort is definitely worth trying for. There are so many ways you can try helping increase your milk supply (nursing frequently, pumping after a feed, taking Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle, making sure there is a good latch, eating and drinking well) It does take some time and effort and will be worth it when it is a success. Get LOTS of support from a lactation consultant. I hope everything works out. If you want to breast feed I say give yourself and your body a good chance.
Good Luck !

Answer 9

It might have been a number of reasons the first time around. My first wasn't getting enough until I started tapping it and the milk flowed easier. Most fathers won't do that for their children but a breast pump might help. Oh, by the way I didn't like the taste but the sacrifice was worth it.

Answer 10

If you want to breast feed the try it. If you feel like your baby is not getting enough give some formula after each feeding.

your body will change with each child, Just because it didnt work last time it does not mean it wont this time.

Good luck :)

I do have to say that some times we do not have enough milk. No matter what i did we could only get a tiny bit of milk. A nurce got me to pump, she helped me do it to make sure I was doing it right and there was just enough to glaze the bottom of a bottle.