My wife not getting milk after baby birth?

Question

My wofe delvieryed baby girl 48 hrs back and till not she os not producing milk. The delviery was normal though induced.
Can somebody guide us what needs to be done to start milk.Till now we are giving baby infant powder milk.

Answer 1

She needs to get the baby nursing NOW! She needs to nurse very frequently. SHe is producing colostrum right now and it is very high in protein. IT will stabilize the baby's blood sugar and be enough. I bet by the morning she will have milk if she nurses every hour or two. Let the baby sleep in her room tonight beside her.

The standard number of nursings at this age is 10 - 12 in a 24 hour period.

At 48 hours old she should have had 2 wet diapers. and they may not be very wet yet.

Call 1 800 La Leche if you need a breastfeeding counsler.

Answer 2

Most women do not produce much milk at all right after birth. It may take three days or so before actual milk comes in--before that all the baby needs is a little colostrum, which is thick and won't feel as bountiful as ounces of milk, and giving the baby formula instead of allowing him to breastfeed will only hurt your wife's milk production. Call the hospital where you delivered and ask if they have a lactation consultant you can meet with. We have a great one at the hospital where I work and many hospitals have one.

Answer 3

Okay, I guess your wife didn't get much instruction about what to expect when breastfeeding her newborn. I'll try to clarify for you as best as I can.

Here's what was supposed to happen. Your wife gives birth, then the baby goes to the breast soon afterwards (within an hour is best). The baby nurses and a lactation consultant looks on to make sure the baby is latching on correctly. The baby is not hungry at this point. Your wife doesn't technically have any milk yet, but she is producing a thin, watery substance called colostrum. Colostrum is vitally important in those first few hours and days. It is packed with protein but more importantly antibodies to fight off infection and illness. Over the next 3-7 days, your wife should nurse the baby on demand. The baby will probably eat anywhere from every hour to every three hours, depending on what the baby needs. The colostrum will keep your baby's tiny tummy full and happy, and after about 3-7 days, your wife's milk will come in. It will come in at exactly the right time for your baby if she nursed your baby on demand. Then, she will nurse the baby with her breastmilk -- still on demand, because you never know when the baby will need more for a growth spurt or less. And from then on, breastfeeding works on supply and demand. When your baby needs more, she nurses more, causing your wife's body to produce more breastmilk to keep your daughter's tummy satisfied. It's a delicate balance that is best maintained without bottles and especially without formula.

But this clearly isn't how it happened with your wife. She was mistakenly under the impression that she needed to give your daughter something else besides colostrum until her milk came in. There are several problems with this. The biggest problem is that when your daughter is drinking out of a bottle, she isn't nursing. If she isn't nursing, she's isn't stimulating your wife's nipples to signal her body to produce milk. Giving a baby anything -- water, glucose, formula, powdered milk, etc -- will cause the baby to nurse less, leading your wife to produce less. This can cause a supply problem in the mother. The other major problem with giving your baby a bottle is that the bottle nipple works differently than your wife's nipples do. It is easier to get milk out of a bottle than out of a breast, and babies will often get "nipple confusion" (or as I like to call it "nipple preference") and refuse the breast because they don't want to have to work that hard to get the milk. (By the way, this "working" to get milk is why breastfed babies often have better jaw muscles and are therefore at lower risk for needing orthodontic correction later in life) They also have to wait for a few seconds to get the milk from the breast (until after "letdown") but there is instant milk from the bottle, so babies get impatient at the breast after using a bottle.

Your goal now should be to get the baby off the bottle and onto the breast with no supplementation whatsoever. The very first and most important thing you should do is to get in contact with your local La Leche League leader immediately. These women are trained, they are knowledgable, friendly, and best of all, free. You can also use a lactation consultant, but they can be expensive (and my experience has been much better with LLL). I put a link at the bottom to find your local LLL leader. She should be able to help your wife get your baby back to the breast to stimulate milk production. But I urge you to act quickly -- your wife's milk will be coming in very soon and if the baby isn't nursing, your wife could get engorged or develop mastitis from an oversupply.

Good luck, and feel free to contact me if you have more questions or need some support. Congratulations on your new baby!

Answer 4

No! You should not be giving your baby powdered milk! That will only make the problem worse.

It is normal for it to take 2-3 days for the milk to come in. Meanwhile, the baby should spend a lot of time sucking at the breast. Babies have very tiny stomachs and do not need to eat much the first couple days, plus they need to get all of the collostrum.

Please check with a lactation consultant,

Answer 5

try fenugreek . I have breastfeed 2 kids thus far and another due in 2 weeks and a lactation specialist recommended fenugreek to help produce my milk supply. It is an herb so its natural, they have tablets, seeds or tea form etc. Good luck and God Bless

oh Yeah I forgot be patient, it usually take some women 3 or more days to get actual milk in but they are producing colustrum which the baby drinks till the milk comes in. the hopsital should have a specialist on habd to answer any questions you may have.

Answer 6

To make milk she needs to nurse the baby. Right now she is producing colostrum which is VERY important for the baby. Also the more of this the baby drinks the faster her milk will come in and the more milk she will have.

I don't know why you are offering formula, but you need to get someone to help get your baby suckling from the breast.

Answer 7

Don't worry about whether or not her milk has started to come in. Let the baby nurse as often as she wants and this will stimulate the milk to flow. Honestly, at birth their tummies can only hold a few teaspoons so it really doesn't take much to fill them up. The little bit of colustrum your wife is making is more than enough for your baby and is exactly what she needs. Women nursed for hundreds of years without needing to supplement. Lack of education and support is the reason so many do not breastfeed in this day and age. Stick with it, and do not supplement unless you feel it's absolutely neccessary.

Answer 8

Her milk will come in any time now...but she needs to continue breastfeeding. Right now, the breast is full of "colostrum" which is very healthy and vitamin rich form of milk that is essential for your baby. Also, the more she breastfeeds, the more milk she will produce, and the sooner it will come in. It may not seem like there is much in there now...but it is really all that your baby needs.
Good luck and Congratulations!

Answer 9

Milk will usually start to be produced through the baby's need for it... so most women start off only with a small amount of 'pre-milk' but as the baby nurses she will produce more. It would probably be beneficial for your wife to contact a lactation specialist through your hospital or birth center or try http://www.laleche.com/

Answer 10

Let the baby feed as often as possible. If you give the baby formula it will learn to take that rather than breast. Feeding from a bottle is much easier as they don't have to wait for the let-down. At the moment your baby is feeding from colostrum. It takes a few days. My milk didn't come in properly for ages.

If your wife wants to breastfeed help her by being there. Make sure she gets plenty of rest, drinks at least 2L of water and relaxes as much as possible. Enjoy your new baby!!!