Did not breast feed until a week after he was born now we are having problems with my supply being low I need?

Question

I mistaking listened to the doctor who told me it would be best not to breast feed cause my son has jaundice really bad. So we gave him bottles well the pedictrican said that was nonsens advice we have him latched on correctly but I don' t have alot of milk and he gives me hunger cues after the breast also when I pump only about half a ounce comes out each time.What can I or should I do to increase my supply and make sure he is getting enough? Did I start to late he is a week old right now.

We are going to try the breast to bottle thing, we have been doing this and it seems to help.

Answer 1

I really hope you changed doctors!!! When my first child had jaundice, I was told to breastfeed as often as possible, because this HELPS the jaundice go away. You have a very misinformed doctor, and I guarantee it will only get worse. I put a link at the bottom about how to tell if a health professional is supportive of breastfeeding. Please find a new doctor, one who is more supportive. I know it can be a daunting task to find one, since I just switched doctors myself for the same reason; although the doctor proclaimed herself to be supportive of breastfeeding, she was NOT up-to-date on current breastfeeding recommendations and research and therefore gave me bad advice.

As for the problems you are having right now, don't fret. It's not too late, in fact mothers have been known to formula-feed for several months before deciding to relactate and breastfeed their children exclusively with breastmilk for the first time when the child is several months old! When you pump, you are probably not getting anywhere near as much milk as your baby is getting. Pumps are not as effective as babies, so they are a bad judge of the amount of milk you are producing. At only one week of age, your body is still adjusting to the needs of your child. It takes a couple of days of "on demand" nursing for your body to produce the amount of milk that your baby is demanding. I put a few links at the bottom for you -- how to find your local La Leche League (I highly recommend this, they've helped me out tremendously), how to tell if your supply is truly low, and what you can do about it if it is in fact low. In the meantime, nurse on demand and DON'T supplement with formula (and avoid the bottle) -- this will LOWER your supply! Good luck, and don't hesititate to contact me if you need any more help!

Answer 2

I have a 9 month old who is still breast feeding (w/ some solid food meals) We had lows and highs in milk supply amounts too. Keep breast feeding and make sure that you are hydrated. You should have a big glass of water every time you pump or BF. Gatoraid is a good idea. The most important thing is to try not to get to stressed out about it. When ever I would get stressed about how much milk I was getting my husband would always remind me NOT TO STRESS. Easier said than done. Regardless of when you started if you are producing milk, KEEP it up. It is actually a supply and demand deal; the more you BF or Pump the more milk you will make. I hope this helps. Also for other baby care stuff we bought a DVD called "The Happiest Baby On The Block". It really helped us, as our daughter was crying a lot!! (I think collic). Good luck and don't feel bad about whatever you you end up doing. What works for you is the best choice of all.

Answer 3

You should feed him often from your breasts and finish with a bottle. When he's finished, use a good breast pump (doesn't have to be expensive, but electric and preferable two-sided are best) even though not much will come out. This will increase your supply and baby won't be hungry. Also if there is a time of day that he lasts longer (at night or nap time) pump halfway between those feedings also. Be aware that once your body decides it needs to make more milk, you may be engorged until it resets itself to the baby's schedule. Good Luck. I nursed 4 children and would be happy to answer any more questions you may have. You can email me.
And as for nursing during jaundice, it depends on how severe the jaundice is..if the bilirubin levels are not dropping, it's best to use bottles, but you should still pump to keep your supply up. If the levels are not high and are coming down, nursing is fine

Answer 4

no it's not too late. I would contact a lactation specialist, perhaps your local la leache league leader (http://www.llli.org/). They would be more then glad to help you. www.Kellymom.com is a great website too.

Breastmilk works on supply and demand, the more the baby demands, the more milk you will make. Skin to skin contact helps too. How about you both get in bed for a day or two and do nothing but lay next to each other with as little clothes on as possible. Relax and drink lots and lots of water and within a few days your supply should be much better. But contact an expert for sure.

Regarding how much get out when you pump - a babies mouth will ALWAYS get out alot more milk then any pump on the market - just an FYI.

Best of luck - breastfeeding is the best thing you could ever do for your baby! I'm sorry you got such rotten advice. I would drop that ped pronto.

Answer 5

Your doctor gave you bad advice but it's not too late. I would feed your son as often as he'll take the breast for the next 2 weeks to build up your supply. Also, drink plenty of fluids and eat plenty of calories. Avoid salty foods. There's a suppliment sold in vitamin stores called Fenugreek that supposedly increases supply, however, it did not work for me. Try to avoid supplimenting with formula since that will only add to your problem in the long run. Make sure you massage your breasts before latching him on to optimize flow and keep his interest. I would literally breastfeed almost constantly. Remember he will go through a growth spurt 2 weeks from now and acting hungry then is normal. Consult a lactation specialist and be sure to bring your baby in for weight checks every several days in the beginning. You can do it!

Answer 6

Pumping is absolutely no way to tell how much milk you have
(BTW your pediatrician was right about the jaundice, you should always breastfeed during it).

If he is making enough wet diapers he is getting enough. It is common for moms to misread a babies signals, particularly in the begining.

It is absolutly not to late the more you nurse the more milk you will make! And there are herbs and prescription drugs should it get to that point.

Weaning from formula supplements
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/decrease-formula.html

"You get very little or no milk when you pump. The amount of milk that you can pump is not an accurate measure of your milk supply. A baby with a healthy suck milks your breast much more efficiently than any pump. Also, pumping is an acquired skill (different than nursing), and can be very dependent on the type of pump. Some women who have abundant milk supplies are unable to get any milk when they pump. In addition, it is very common and normal for pumping output to decrease over time. "
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

"WET DIAPERS: 5 - 6+ sopping wet diapers per day (after 1st week).
Expect one wet diaper on day one, increasing to 5-6 by one week. To feel what a sufficiently wet diaper is like, pour 3 tablespoons (45 mL) of water into a clean diaper (if baby wets more often, then the amount of urine per diaper may be less). Urine should be pale and mild smelling."
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enough-milk.html
8. Pumping is a good way of knowing how much milk the mother has.
Not true! How much milk can be pumped depends on many factors, including the mother's stress level. The baby who nurses well can get much more milk than his mother can pump. Pumping only tells you have much you can pump.

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/11some_bf_myths.html#8

Answer 7

your supply will go up if you feed your son on demand the longer he sucks at your empty breast the more food your body will make and inbetween i would pump a little

but baby always have a sucking reflex for at least the first 3 months of their life if you touch their cheeks or nose they will have the reflex so he could be full

and don't worry i breastfeed for 16 months and the most i could ever pump was between 1/2 an ounce and one ounce

i would supplement him for probably one more week with formula but only after he has sucked on the breast beyond the point of empty and babys like to suckle even if they don't get anything hence pacifiers so if you can while you watch movies and he sleeps let him suck if hes sleepin and you tickle is nose or cheek or mouth he'll stay asleep and suck don't worry your body knows what to do

Answer 8

It is not too late.You can increase your milk very easily,be sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water and drink as much as you pump out as well,eat alot and eat healthy.Pump right after you feed him every time,be sure you are in a good mind set as well,this can make a huge difference in your production.Keep your baby right by you when you pump,this will make you feel comfortable.Good luck and you should be just fine you are doing a great job!!!

Answer 9

First of all, you did not start too late; I started several days after my son was born as well. The more that you pump, or he eats, the more milk that you will have because your body will produce what your son eats. Therefore, the more that you pump the more that you will produce. If you are currently not producing enough, it is OK to supplement with formula because that is what I had to do for several days as well. Good luck.

Answer 10

I would contact the LeLeche League and ask them about this dilemma. I have breastfed all three of my babies, but never had to delay that long. My first, we had a hard time getting her to latch on for about four days, but she finally took and i was able to breastfeed successfully. I'm not sure if they have a website or not, but contacting the hospital where your son was born can get you in touch with them...they usually have someone 'in-house' at the hospital who represents the Le Leche League and helps new mothers with breastfeeding. They really helped me with my firstborn, and their services are free. Also, try the yellow pages! Good luck to you!