how can i get my breast milk back up?

Question

my baby was born 2 weeks ago and i really would like to breast feed him. I have been having some problems with it. He will not latch on to my right breast. he does great on my left breast though. and now i have an infection in my left breast from breastfeeding which makes it extremely painful to breastfeed so i have been giving him bottles of breast milk and pumping. a couple of days ago i was able to pump a good 4 oz out of each breast and now i can only get about 1 oz between the two. i am afraid my milk is drying up. How can i get my milk supply back up??

Answer 1

Get baby back on the breast instead of the bottle. Baby is more efficient than any pump. The more often you nurse or pump, the more milk you'll make.

Have you talked with a La Leche League Leader and/or a Lactation Consultant? She can help you out. The LLL Leader will help for FREE.

You can safely take ibuprofen for the pain you have from the infection. Did you talk to your doc and get antibiotics for that? Also, vitamin C, lots of fluids and raw garlic cloves can help to clear that up. And nurse, nurse and nurse some more! Heat before nursing and cold packs in between sessions.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

http://www.lalecheleague.org

Answer 2

You really need to talk to a Lactation consultant ASAP. OR you can call your local La Leche League Leader. 1-800-la leche

If you need more information than provided here maybe I can email you.

Nurse nurse nurse as frequently as you can milk is produced on a supply and demand basis.

The infection in your left breast is not caused by breastfeeding. You need to drain it by breastfeeding as often as possible. You need to ensure that the baby is having a good latch on at this breast.

Ok since your baby is latching on to your left breast you need to start nursing on it at least every hour and a half to two hours. There is technique that you may be able to use called the "slide-over position". You have baby happily nursing away on the preferred left breast, and when he slows down or stops nursing, you gently break suction and slide him across your lap, so that he is at the right breast but hasn't actually changed his position. His legs and feet would be off to your right, you can support them with a pillow as well as your arm. Hint: have the pillow ready on your right before you start, otherwise he might rouse too much while you adjust yourself/pillows.
Sometimes the breast refusal is because there is something physically uncomfortable for the baby in the traditional cradle hold on that side - perhaps a traumatic delivery that hurt his shoulder, or even an ear infection which might make laying on that ear painful to him. Sometimes the nipples are "different" enough feeling in the baby's mouth that they have a preference. Some women have one inverted and one normal nipple, or one flat and one normal. Some babies don't care about those little variations, others are more particular. If you are using bottles or pacifiers, that could add to the confusion if your nipples are noticeably different from one another- a pacifier or bottle nipple would be one more nipple to get used to, and in a baby who is sensitive to those kinds of things, could annoy him enough for him to refuse to nurse.

The refusal could also have nothing to do with the shape of your nipple, but just that the milk flow is different from each breast, and again the baby is showing his preference. Each breast "works" on its own. Also, try to keep in mind that *engorgement* (fullness, hardness) is not a sign that you have lots of milk. It is a swelling of lymph tissue around the milk ducts, not the milk itself. You would expect not to feel full and hard all the time after eight weeks of nursing, as your body will have adjusted to the baby's needs. So, what I am saying is that even though the right breast is small and soft, does not indicate a loss or lack of milk - and the reverse is true for the left breast.

Just try as many gentle ways of persuading the baby to take him less favorite breast as you can. Sometimes a sleepy baby will be willing to nurse from whatever breast comes his way, or a very hungry baby might do the same. You know your baby best!

Also the amount of milk that you pump is not a good indication of how much milk you make.

Answer 3

Breastfeeding works on the concept of supply and demand. To increase supply, nurse or pump very frequently, say, every 1-1/2 hours or so. Be sure to drink lots of water and other liquids to help increase milk supply. Nursing directly is better than pumping, as baby is able to empty the breast more completely than any pump can. And emptying the breast stimulates production of more milk. It's that simple.

You have 2 other issues to resolve now. 1) the latch -on with your right breast, and 2) the infection.
The infection usually results from a plugged duct. Try massaging the problem area in a warm shower. Let the warm water run directly on the breast and massage toward teh nipple. If milk flows in the shower, that's good. Emptying the breast should bring relief. Don't worry about "wasting" milk, since you are trying to increase supply. When you nurse on the infected breast, line up baby's head with the plugged duct, to help empty it completely.

To correct the latch on, make sure baby opens his mouth wide and try to get him to take the entire nipple and most of the areola into his mouth. You may need someone to help you hold him in position while you lift/adjust your breast to achieve a good latch on. It is hard to describe. Hands-on help from a nurse or lactation consultant would be your best bet. Call the hospital where you delivered to see if they have any suggestions, too.

Good luck to you and your baby!

Answer 4

Some would feel otherwise, however I think like so long as she is getting the breast milk proper now, it isn't important HOW she will get it. It will definately be simpler for you to start with to make use of the bottle, on account that child toddlers devour roughtly each and every 2 hours and if you're 2 hours away and she or he is within the health center, that would now not be feasible. But int he lengthy-run, you're much more likely to preserve breast feeding longer is she is honestly taking the breast. Once she's a couple of months historic and her quantity of feedings slash, you can be equipped to do matters like nurse her earlier than magnificence after which depart her with a sitter. Not to say that the act of feeding the child stimulates milk creation a lot a lot higher than even the nice pumps will. And the extent of closeness that may be completed among a mom and a nursing baby is tougher to expand in a bottle-fed child, comfortably on account that you're now not the ONLY person who can do it. Yes, it hurts to start with, however it does not consistently harm. Once you get throught the primary couple days and the child learns to latch effectively, then it does not fairly harm in any respect anymore. Maybe a few uncomfortalbe moments or pinches. And I do recognise a woman who efficiently pumped and bottle fed for over ten months. But she is definately the exception to the guideline. Most females who pump best, best manipulate to do it for a question of weeks, now not months, earlier than their deliver decreases so low it is now not valued at it. You need to pump greater than your child demands, fairly, on account that of development spurts and wasted bottles and such. So at the same time I feel it is nice to honestly nurse her, proper now the important factor is that she will get the milk in a few type. So if you'll be able to best manipulate to bottle-feed the pumped milk to her, then that's what you will have to preserve to do.

Answer 5

There are a couple of things you can do:

Like another answerer said, the more you pump (or feed), the more you produce.

Eat oatmeal which stimulates milk production.

Avoid alcohol & caffeine which decreases milk production.

Try herbal remedies on the market that promate milk production such as Mother's Milk Herbal Tea or Fenugreek tablets that you can purchase at GNC. If you take Fenugreek tablets, you must take 6 per day. Please note that some babies are allegic to the stimulant in Fenugreek, so pay attention to excessive gassiness. If noted, stop taking it.

If all else fails, your dooctor can prescribe "Reglan" which is supposed to stimulate milk production as well. read up on it.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

You need to have your baby eat from the breast. Just pumping doesn't do the same thing. Treat the infection and still feed on that side but do it second so your baby isn't eating so eagerly on the sore side. Even though he doesn't like the right side you need to try different ways to hold him to find out what works and eventually you will get more comfortable. I know my baby practically refused my left breast and I just kept at it. She still prefers my right but she will take either. Good luck!

Answer 7

If you want to breastfeed again you will need to start pumping your milk as many times a day that your baby would normally eat (5 or more)----- this will trick your body into thinking that your infant is feeding and you will gradually produce more milk.

Answer 8

Keep taking your prenatals, drink a lot of water.

But just FYI .... your breasts develop what the baby needs. When your breasts first start to make the milk they produce too much until they know how much the baby is eating. Our bodies are very smart.

Answer 9

If you call a lactation consultant, they may be able to give you several good ways. I know drinking water can really help, and also there is an herb called Fenugreek that breastfeeding moms can take to increase milk, and one girl I know who tried it said her milk was pouring after she took it. There are also different teas (I think some may include the Fenugreek). Good luck!

Answer 10

Just keep trying! The more you pump, the more you'll produce. Just try to pump more frequently... every 2-3 hours. It might be frustrating at first because you'll only get 1oz or so, but the more you do it, the more your body will produce. It's a whole supply and demand thing!

Good luck!