Not producing enough milk for newborn?

Question

I'm having a bit of a problem. My newborn son LOVES to eat, he'll eat every half hour on average, and only one of my breasts produces milk for some strange reason! So, in other words I dont think I'm producing enough milk for his needs. I dont know for sure, but he's starting to get fussier after feeds like i'm not giving him enough or something. Should I suppliment with a bit of formula when I have no breast milk to give him? And if so, how much a day should he eat, and what kinds are the best from your past experiences?

Answer 1

How newborn is newborn adn you should have your breast checked out. But in answer to your question, you one breast should still do the trick...it will though as you say, be needed to nurse the baby more frequently. Your boobs replace what is ever removed. Do NOT substitute water or formula though. Your milk will diminish

Answer 2

That will not fix your problem. The more you nurse the better your supply will be. If you want to continue breastfeeding do not give formula you'll sabatoge your efforts. He's probably not latched on correctly and so he's not getting the full let down. Contact a lactation consultant to fix your problem before you result to formula. It is very rare for a mother to not make enough milk for her baby. Multiples are a little different because there's two babies. But one baby there is almost always enough milk.
Make sure you're sitting up right. Slouching back on a bed isn't going to work. Sit in a comfy chair with a pillow behind your lower back to make you sit up straight. Then have a boppy or other pillow under your baby so your arms aren't holding your baby. they are just steadying him. Then you'll have arms free to move your breast and his head right where they need to be. Wait till his mouth is huge (most pictures show a babies mouth much bigger than it will actually open) then when he opens, bring his head fast onto your nipple. Then watch his jaw. It should drop and pause. After a few sucks he really should be drinking. 5 minutes of drinking will get him a lot more milk than 40 minutes of just sucking on the nipple.

Contact a lactation consultant and have them help you latch your baby and don't leave until you get it right. Once you get breastfeeding down it is so easy and not painful and very rewarding. I didn't try very hard with my first and I really wish I had. I've had success, by working closely with a LC, with my second baby and now she's almost 5 1/2 months and we're still exclusively breastfeeding. She's never had a bottle of formula.
Good luck and keep trying. But please don't give her any formula.

Answer 3

A woman can nurse twins up to 6 months. You probably have plenty of milk in one breast but you really should talk with the doc about the other. Make sure he is nursing for a long enough time to get the after milk at each nursing. The foremilk (the kind that comes out first) is like skim milk-thin, watery, and sweet. If he only nurses a little bit, it will quench his thirst but not fill him up. He needs the fatty, nutritious after milk. Keep nursing. Bottles will only confuse the issue. But do see your doc ASAP or supplement if he doesn't wet and poop enough diapers!!!

Answer 4

Don't supplement yet. First figure out whether he is getting enough to eat. You can't tell just because he's fussy after he eats. It could be that he has gas or something. The first link below will tell you how to figure out whether he's eating enough.

If he is really not getting enough to eat, you can try to increase your milk supply. The second link below discusses that.

Don't give up nursing him until you are sure you are ready. Remember that as long as your son is nursing, he is getting breast milk. And nothing is as good for him as breast milk.

Good luck.

Answer 5

My son was the same way , he is 6 months and still a bit fussy. My left side always produces more, but since it is based on supply and demand, I let him nurse on the right side for 10 minutes, and the left side for 10 minutes and he is satisifed. I found that he wanted to nurse for hours sometimes, I felt like all I did was lay around with my shirt up and he would nurse and nurse! I had no life. Finally, I found relief in giving him a pacifier! I put him back on a schedule of every 2 hours and napping in between! He was a premature baby and really wanted a pacifier. My nipple happened to be the pacifier until I changed that. Now, he sleeps, gets up, nurses for 20 minutes, I know I am empty when he starts fussing and unlatching, I give him his pacifier and then he goes back to sleep! ( I also use a crib mobile that helps). Sometimes baby's just need something to soothe them, a pacifier can really help!

Answer 6

Keep nursing to make more milk. If you supplement with formula, your milk supply will drop. That happened with me and my son was completely on formula by the time I was working full time again. Just keep nursing him by trying to offer him both breasts. If there's no milk in the left (which I doubt), let him use that breast as a pacifier to suck for comfort. That should get your milk going. When my son was a newborn, he did nurse every 15 minutes. Their stomachs are tiny and digest bm quicker. Just keep nursing him on demand and it will get easier.

Answer 7

You have milk, its just regulating. And his demands grow. Especially if he at the 3 or 6 week mark. That time is just well known for growth spurts. Its normal during that time to him to be hungry ALL THE TIME and to nurse constantly, its how your breasts know to make more milk. IN a few days, or a week, of nursing on demand all the time your supply will be up. Until then he gets enough, its just in small bits here and there.

Its perfectly normal and part of nursing. If you suppliment your milk will never reach the demand he needs.

Answer 8

i was told that the more he nurses and your breast are stimulated the more milk you will produce,,,, in between feeding try using a pump to see if that helps..
sorry but i know you must already be sore but hes a hungry little guy!

congrats on a beautiful health baby

Answer 9

You should supplement formula at night time so he can sleep and you can sleep.
You need rest too.
breast feeding is hard at the begin in first week because milk has not come in.
In come in day 4. every time you finish feeding him drink water or milk. Or when you are feeding drink some water or milk. try to put him on 20 mins
try to feed him both side for 20 mins. Drink water when you go sleep. Have your husband give him formula at night so you can product more milk in the morning(then you can pump in the morning.)
Drink a lot of water during feeding and after feeding.
baby should be eating when they start cry.
Do not sub-tub crying with food.
try to see what else he need. he may wanted to sleep after.
i been feeding
Enfamil Lipil Milk-Based Formula with Iron, Powder, for my daughter at night time. she only drink formula at night or once or twice during the day when i am out. You should feed on the side you didn't feed on.
You should talk to your doctor about breast-feeding.

I have new born too. going to be two month next week. he should eat about every time 1-2 hours most 3 hours

but remember go by the cry not clock..

do not worry it would get easier when he 2 month old

Answer 10

supplementing with formula is fine, however be sure that you are truely not producing enough milk. Is your son gaining weight? As long as he is gaining and not loosing then he is doing ok. When you first start nursing, your body must adapt to the amount of milk your child needs. If you start supplementing with formula you will not be giving your body an accurate reading of how much milk it must provide. fussiness after breast feeding can be caused by anything. Could be something you ate that he doesn't like, or could be that something you ate upset his tummy. Make sure you are rotating from breast to breast properly. If your son is under a month old then more then likely your body is still adapting. If you want to continue breastfeeding talk to your midwife or your doctor for other suggestions. If you want to switch over to formula, that too is up to you, but be sure to contact your pediatrician as to which formula to start your little one on.