Breastfeeding. Researching Early.

You've got a lot of advice below, but I wanted to add to it regarding early supplementing after birth.
I had to supplement the first 3 days while in the hospital. I had gestational diabetes during preganancy and my daughter couldn't maintain her blood sugar levels. So they had me supplement in the hospital. I too, wanted to exclusively breast feed her. I demanded a pump, which every hospital will have. EVery time we gave her a bottle, I pumped to make sure I wouldn't lose out on valuable milk production stimuli. Even though my milk hadn't come in, I was able to pump colostrum & feed her with a tiny syringe they provided.
Once my milk came in on Day 4, I had plenty of milk. We also saw a lactation consultant the day after we went home. She recommended to feed baby 15 mins on each side, then 10 mins on each side, then pump for 10. I did this for the first few weeks, and had banked a freezer full of milk by the end of the first month. I had more than enough milk. Our hospital has a breastfeeding clinic that you can attend for $40/hr with a private consultation with an LC. Completely worth it!
I think, if they ask you to supplement, then be sure to replace the stimilation with pumping, and/or try to nurse first, and THEN supplement. And once your milk comes in, try to nurse AND pump to get right back on track. And seek help from a LC or an experienced nurser right away if you need it!

Hugs to you! I really think you should get to an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant as soon after birth as you can. I see you're in Miami. Lactation Services at Mercy Hospital is the BEST! I live in north dade and going all the way there was WORTH EVERY PENNY of whatever it was (this was 8 years ago & they're still topnotch!). You can even make an appointment now, I'd bet and get answers & reassurance. But really, seeing them when you get out of the hospital is amazing! Bring their ph # to the hospital & make an appointment after birth! Anyway, they tell you to time breastfeeding at the hospital, but I learned that it's NOT about time per se- it's about knowing your baby's CUES and going from there. That's why it really helped ME to go get help. You take the baby when s/he's hungry, they weigh her/him then they show you how to latch & feed and to know how to see/learn when baby is done and the sucking has changed from nutrative (eating) to comfort-sucking (using you as a human pacifier). Then, they weigh baby again & you SEE how much baby ate by the scale. Amazing!
You'll walk out of there CONFIDENT. Every baby is different. I have 2- one fed from both breasts & one fed from just one breast and was done (then I'd feed him from the other breast the next time it was time to feed him). As for letdown, not everyone even feels it. For some it's forceful and even a spray & for some (me) it's like "huh? letdown?" - I think I finally 'got' it - sometimes for me, not at the beginning of nursing but later into it, I'd feel kinda tingly. I do believe that was my letdown, lol.
The minute you hear "supplement" go get HELP :)

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I commend you for giving breastfeeding another try, it can be so frustrating when it doesn't go well. You have a lot of questions, it will be hard to address all of them. It is very rare that a mother cannot produce enough milk if she is latching the baby properly, nursing often enough, eating right, and resting enough. But many women need help making sure everything is going well. As others have said, be sure to work with a lactation consultant from the beginning, and attending LaLeche meetings, even before birth, can build a lot of support and encouragement for you. A couple of great reference sites are kellymom.com and llli.org.
I am an OB nurse at a hospital and work with new nursing mothers a lot. Most LCs recommend feeding 10-20 min per side, two sides per feeding, and feeding every 1.5-3 hours timing from the start of one feeding to the start of the next. Most women feel their milk "come in" 3-5 days after birth. Some women get extremely engorged and their breasts feel hot, hard, and painful, others (like me) just get more of a heavy/full feeling, but definitely notice an increase in the rate of swallowing, basically gulping with every suck at the beginning of a feeding. For me "let down" felt like a strong cramp in my breasts, others say they get a warm feeling or "pins and needles", some women don't feel anything at all.
At the hospital I worked at the peds typically didn't want to see the babies lose more than 10% of their birth weight. But they all had different ways of handling that if it did occur, some were much more pro breastfeeding than others. I would say if you feel your ped is not very supportive of breastfeeding you may want to look for a new dr.
One last thing I wanted to mention, if supplementing is necessary (and sometimes it is), there is a system you can use so the baby does not need to take a bottle. You put the formula (or expressed breastmilk) in a pouch around your neck and tape a thin tube to the breast. When the baby latches on it takes the breast and tube into its mouth, and as it nurses it gets breastmilk and additional nutrition from the pouch. But I would recommend only using this if NECESSARY, and only with the guidance of an LC. Here is an example.
http://www.amazon.com/Medela-00901S-Supplemental-Nursing-...
I wish you the best of luck!!

ETA: the "timing" I recommended earlier was just a guideline for the first few days. Once feedings and your milk are better established it should always be feeding on demand. But even "on demand" feedings typically fall into that range.

Absolutely have a lactation consultant help after you go home with baby, not just the one at the hospital. I breastfed both of mine exclusively and could NOT have done it without the help and support of my lactation consultant. Also, go to at least one La Leche League meeting in your area before you deliver your baby. Those women will give you tons of needed advice and support and it will help to create that network early before you really need it.

I would definitely make a point of having a lactation consultant on hand at the hospital. You need somebody "on your side" to work with the doctors and help you succeed at breastfeeding. It's sad to hear the doctors say that you should supplement right away when you're just getting started breastfeeding. It does take a little while for your supply to build up - certainly longer than the time you're at the hospital! It's fairly normal for babies to lose weight at first (mine didn't ever lose weight, but our pediatrician told me that is very unusual). Perhaps you should look for a pediatrician who is more pro-breastfeeding.

Something that I found really helpful before my older daughter was born was to take a breastfeeding class at the hospital. My husband came, too, which was helpful because after the baby was born and I was really in no condition to be arguing with the nurses about whether they could give the baby a bottle or not, he was able to step in and articulate our wishes to the nursing staff. Anyhow, I would recommend taking a breastfeeding class in your third trimester, and definitely get a lactation consultant to help you get started.

Congratulations!

I breastfed all 5 of my children (and still with my 19 month old.) The docs said to supplement with all of mine for one reason or another but I never did. Doctors have great advice on how to fail at breastfeeding. Even the pamphlets and brochures they sent home with me from the hospital were things that would guarantee failure. I think they're ignorant. One of mine was 5 pounds at birth. They hounded me every day at home to supplement. I didn't. She gained weight really fast on breast milk. There are so many misconceptions about breastfeeding and so many people including doctors are afraid that babies who are exclusively breastfed will starve to death. They won't!! I exclusively breastfed all of mine and 3 of them exclusively for nearly a year. Don't listen to doctors. Talk to people who know a thing or two about breastfeeding. Don't supplement. Unless your child has a serious medical problem that you know for sure needs supplemental formula, don't do it. I wish you the best!! Blessings and congratulations!

Breastfeeding definitely has its challenges but is worth it. I b/f my 3 kids for 11 mos, 8 mos, and and the last for 4 months. I liked the closeness, but that's about all. I never could b/f in public. I supplemented with my first because she had low blood sugar in the hospital, but b/f exclusively once we got her home. Bottom line is: the more often and longer you feed baby, the more milk you will make! I never took any herbs. Don't worry too much about baby not getting enough. Their stomachs are teeny tiny. Just try to relax. My letdown kind of hurt. I remember being in the grocery store and could feel the letdown and would have to cross my arms over my chest and press.

For the first several months, I b/f every 2 hours from the start of one session to the next till baby would fall off (usually to sleep). Good luck!

I breastfed my first child until he turned 3, through my pregnancy with my second and for those last 2 months I nursed both. My second was a couple months shy of turning 5. The last time he nursed was a day or so before I got the positive test for my third. My third child is 2 1/2 years old and I can guarantee she's not going to stop any time soon. None of them ever got a single taste of formula or even a bottle of pumped milk. We were home with each one in less than 24 hours from birth. My first child developed jaundice a couple days after being born. His pediatrician never said to supplement with formula. In fact she said Not to give formula, just to nurse as often as possible and put him near a window in what sunlight we had (it was really rainy and stormy when he was born) in just his diaper whenever we could or as little clothes as possible, holding him while sitting by the window. It cleared up all on it's own. You do not need to supplement.
You should Never Ever feed on a clock schedule. Feed them when they start showing signs of being hungry. Don't take them off the breast after so may minutes (10 being the common "old wives tale") to switch them to the other side. Let them nurse on one side until they stop nursing. Offer the other side after burping. They may or may not want it as they may be full from the other side already. The longer they eat on one breast the more "hind milk" they get which is the richer, fat filled, creamier milk that satisfies their hunger. The "fore milk" is the milk that comes out first to satisfy their thirst but does not fill them up. The more fatty hind milk a baby gets the better the weight gain. They stomachs are no bigger then their tiny little fists. About the size of a marble. So a lot doesn't fit in there at a time. Breastmilk is digested faster than formula. This means they need to eat more often than.
Not every woman feels the letdown and there are numerous ways it can feel. Mine would be after a little bit of nursing my breasts would feel fuller then before and then relax and milk would come out a little faster and my baby would start swallowing deeper and would suck in shorter intervals. It never hurt or anything. Just a release of pressure. The best way to make sure you make enough milk is to nurse whenever your baby is showing signs of being hungry, sucking on hands, "rooting" or nuzzling towards your breast. Don't let them get to screaming mad hungry, you've already gone too long at that point and it'll be harder for them to eat as they are now stressed out and it makes it hard for them to nurse effectively. Tell all those "well meaning people" who insist that you pump to give them a bottle to "give you a break" or so they can "bond with the baby" to shove off. Tell them they can help you by grabbing a load of laundry and getting it started for you or take care of your dishes or run the trash out or insert other thing they can do while you and baby take a nap or while you feed them. They can bond by changing a diaper, or playing with or holding them while they are not hungry (which is a lot more of the day then you think!). My husband never once gave our kids a bottle and he bonded with each one of them just fine. In the early weeks he'd go get them, change their diaper and then give them to me to feed. He'd then take them from me and put them back to bed when they were asleep sometimes. There are so many other things to go that a baby needs that's not feeding them!

These below are by far my favorite resources to recommend to those wanting to breastfeed.

The Breastfeeding Book by Dr Sears
http://www.amazon.com/Breastfeeding-Book-Everything-Nursi...

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League
http://www.amazon.com/Womanly-Art-Breastfeeding-Diane-Wie...

Kellymom
http://kellymom.com/

La Leche League
http://www.llli.org/

I NEVER felt letdown, or engorged, or any of the other things "they" say you're supposed to feel. Some people never do and a LOT of others feel them at first but then the feeling goes away as the body adjusts. So do NOT go by what you feel. (Also do NOT go by what you can pump-- I could pump until I was "dry" but if Isaac decided he was hungry he'd have milk in 3 seconds most babies are better than most pumps!) COUNT the wet diapers. If the pee is coming out then you know the milk is going in!

The weight thing depends-- if you (and therefore the baby) were pumped full of IV fluids during a long labor the baby can afford to lose more weight since what's actually being lost is "water weight" from the IV fluids. So (again) the number of wet diapers need to be taken into effect, and whether the baby is feeding effectively, etc. If there's concern about too much weight loss it's time to call in the lactation consultant and the La Leche League Leaders to determine A) do you really need to supplement and B) the best WAY to supplement if you do need too. You can syringe or finger feed or use a supplemental nursing system. There are alternatives to the bottle.

I found that going to some LaLeche league meetings while I was pregnant waas VERY helpful! You can find one near you at http://www.llli.org/webus.html

My biggest advice is make sure you have an ob and pediatricain that both really really support breast feeding. It is normal for babies to lose a bit of weight at first, especially breast fed as you are waiting for you milk to come in correctly. Do not supplement unless absolutely needed. The first week can be hard for some. I had a great OB who I called on more than the pediatrican for support in breast feeding. I would have never survived the first with week without his support, especially since no one else was in my corner. Well except for my husband.

My second son was 9lb 8oz at birth. Two days later, he was 8.9. He had a lot of fluid in his tummy which made it hard to eat due to tummy ache. I saw my lactation specialist at the hospital, and we got him to have an ounce or so of breastmilk. He had a huge poop, and felt much better! Even though he had lost weight, that amount is not abnormal. I was never, ever encouraged to supplement with formula.

Congratulations and good luck!!

I had a similar story with both my babies. One I did not succeed in BF and the other i did, though she dropped below the acceptable 10% of birth weight, weight loss. Number one have a good lactation consultant. They can recognize problems and give you tactict to trouble shoot them. I had problems with milk production and thought that the cause of it was me. Learned in fact that my baby had a weak suck which not only caused her excessive weight loss, but in turn did not stimulate me to make enough milk. She would nurse for two hours in a row and was still hungry. The solution was to continue to put baby to breast (for the practice), but then pump and subliment with my own breast milk. This went on for months before she "woke up" and leaned to suck the milk out herself. It was hard work, but we exclusively breast fed. We avoided nipple confusion by syringe and finger feeding (look it up on Kellymom.com) for the first few weeks. The critical time frame to avoid bottle nipples is the first 10 days. If for any reason you need to supplement, learn to syringe feed your baby. I also had to do some formula supplementing, but with the right lactation consultant this does not have to be the death nail to exclusively breast feeding. I agree, supplementing was the death nail to BF with my fist though. the reason it wasn't the second time around is that I pumped with every feeding until my body got the message to make more. I made meticulous charts and could see that the amount of formula she got was dwindling little by little as I continued to pump after the feeding. Soon I was only pumping a few feedings a day at 2 months. Determination is only 1/3 of it, the other 1/3 is support and the other 1/3 is a knowledgeable lactation consultant who gets you doing the right things. That is assuming you are having real troubles. Perhaps this time all will fall into place.

I could have so easily been your story. My DD was born small and lost a full 10% of her birth weight in the first days (probably even 15% to be quite honest, I am pretty sure my ped calculated it favorably) BUT I had a very knowledgeable pediatrician, who himself was a dad to three breastfed babies, so he really helped me relax. It took my DD at least two weeks to gain back her weight loss... slow and steady, but my ped never as much as blinked about it. I went in for weekly weight checks and he only checked THAT she had gained weight, no matter how much and that she was otherwise developing fine (alertness and such).

Now how do you know that it's going okay? I was told to make sure she has at least 8-10 wet diapers in a 24 hour period and not to let her go for longer than 3 hours without feeding for those first few weeks.

One last thing, if you MUST supplement for your baby's health, consider nursing first for EVERY meal, then supplementing a small amount while you pump. Nurse frequently (every two hours) to increase your supply. Nursing frequently will help your baby put on weight and stimulate your production more than any supplement you could take. Use the smallest possible nipple size (slowest flow possible) - if you make bottle feeding easier for baby than nursing, of course they will prefer it.

For me it required a lot of determination to be successful, I think all moms are worried about producing enough milk in the beginning and you want your baby to thrive. It's nerve wracking and exhausting and yes, it would be much easier to just plop a bottle in their mouth - BUT it is TOTALLY worth sticking it out. I hope it all works pout for you this time around! Find a lactation consultant or LLL leader before birth, so you already know someone when problems crop up. Good luck.

if your child is jaundice, you just go outside and walk around with the baby for about 10-15 mins a day! For your dr to tell you to supplement, you're not at the right dr. Sorry but they are idiots. Consult a lactation consultant instead need be.
Your body makes the right amount because that's what it's supposed to do. Eat right, drink water and rest, your body will make what your baby needs. Just like cows make the right milk for THEIR babies. Cow milk is intended for calves, human milk for humans.

I'm so happy to hear you want to breastfeed. Let me encourage you that just because you had trouble breastfeeding your other 2 doesn't mean you can't with this one. My first child (a girl) was very difficult to breastfeed and even at 2 months was "failure to thrive". I had some terrific help from 2 lactation consultants and she breastfed until 15 months --and her weight was in the 90th percentile at 6 and 9 months! My 2 boys were a breeze to feed and nursed for a little over a year.
First, you have a lot of great answers already, so I will be brief. Breastfeed as soon as possible after delivery (usually in the first 15 minutes for a vaginal delivery and within a couple hours after a C-Section). Ask for a Lactation Consultant as soon as you are admitted to L& D. Insist that you see her so you have free help after you are discharged from the hospital. Nurse your baby every 2-3 hours initially and then more like 3-4 once the child is 6 weeks or so. Feed when the baby is hungry and don't watch the clock too much.
DO NOT TAKE FENUGREEK while pregnant. It's not safe or helpful. You make milk while you nurse your infant. You will make more if he or she nurses more and less if they nurse less. It's supply and demand. Wishing you the very best and CONGRATS on your growing family. Nurse Midwife Mom of 3

I love that you're being so proactive about this! I bf both my children exclusively to six months and then in addition to food until 14-15 months.

First of all, it is NORMAL for babies to lose 10% of their body weight the day or so after birth, not counting IV fluids as PP have mentioned. And if the cord is clamped immediately, that might even be a little higher.

My DD was called "failure to thrive" at six weeks. Well, first of all, we'd been waiting for 2 hours at the doctors office before they weighed her and she'd had two bowel movements and been too distracted to nurse. So my first point is that ONE low weight does not make failure of anything or require supplements.

Second of all, doctors seven years ago--and most doctors now--did not have the World Healthy Organizations revised growth charts for BREASTFED babies. If you compare a bf baby to a chart for formula-fed babies, it doesn't work.

And, third, babies have different metabolisms/builds. My daughter is now, at seven, tall and lean and still about 90% height and 50% weight. She eats like a bird, but it works for her. My new pediatrician (yes, I left the one with the 2-hour wait and the "failure to thrive" diagnosis :-) compares her to her own previous measurements/growth---not to kids with heavier builds.

All that's kind of off-topic, except to say that nothing can replace your own instinct and research. You don't HAVE to supplement for jaundice!!!

On topic--I was engorged with my first and never with my second. My first had a hard time latching, I had sore nipples; my second was a breeze. I know other people who've had easy first and bumpy second babies--it all depends! My first was a snacker--less than ten minutes a side VERY often, my second was a marathoner--20 minutes a side (yes, 40 total) but not as often. And, btw, I didn't have much luck pumping--I only used a hand pump--so I could never "measure" what they ate. I just went by the number of wet diapers and whether they seemed content after each meal.

You've gotten some great advice. I also recommend breastfeeding on demand--that's pretty much constantly the first couple of weeks and then during the growth spurts, but settles into a schedule otherwise. But it will be your schedule and your baby's, not anything that anyone else dictates. And they do get super efficient after a while--you'll wonder if they got anything and they're just doing a great job getting it out!

Get support now! If you don't have access to a lactation consultant (and a lot of midwives and doulas are also LCs), then start going to La Leche League meetings now. They love having expectant moms, and it's fun because a lot of moms nurse their kids right there in the meeting and you can see what normal is at all different ages. Plus, they know all the books and articles that I've read but can't remember right now!

HTH, and happy baby!

I'm not an expert but I did exclusively breast feed my daughter. She lost a pound in her first few days an also was jaundiced. We were at the pediatricians every few days with her between colic and jaundice etc. never once did kaiser recommend supplement though. Breast milk sometimes takes a few days to come in but If you supplement it might take longer for your milk to come. Just feed on demand as much a s baby needs and it should go fine. Talk to a lactation specialist and find a breast feeding friendly doctor or office.

Hi E.!!
My firstborn was very jaundice (like under the bili-light and in the hospital for 1 or 2 weeks...then we had to bring the portable bili-light home for another week) They told me to supplement as well (I think they just automatically tell everybody that...) but I didn't. I breast fed exclusively. I'm only telling you this so that if it happens again, you don't HAVE to follow their "recommendations" especially if you don't feel right about it. I know he initially lost weight too (can't remember how much...but he was 6 pounds 4 oz at birth) so I'm pretty sure he was down to 5 pounds something. The human body is amazing and breast milk comes in when it needs to. Just be sure to have a GOOD latch (so you don't get sore/cracked nipples AND so that the body recognizes it as a latch) and have your newborn nurse a LOT - this will get the ball rolling and your milk will come in. Your boobs might quadruple in size when this happens, just to warn you. :) If you begin having problems latching, just empty some of the milk into a sink first so it isn't so difficult for the baby to grab on. It took me 6 weeks to "learn" how to breastfeed...it was very very difficult, so get a lot of support. I highly recommend finding a very good lactation consultant. I found one at the local Health Department. Contact her BEFORE you give birth, get her phone number (and maybe even a cell phone #) so that you can call her anytime - especially if you're in the hospital and need help. A good lactation consultant will be happy to come & see you even if it isn't "office hours". Even though it's difficult to get started, it's totally worth it. My babies were never sick. When I read the ingredients on formula, I get queasy. It's full of chemicals. :/
Be sure to drink a TON of water and that will ensure that you produce enough milk. 8 - 10 eight ounce cups/day (or more if you're still thirsty).
Time for feeding depends on many factors. Some babies eat for 30 minutes/side. Mine, on the other hand, only ate from one breast per feeding......and it was only for 5-10 minutes. Any longer than that and they would spit up tremendous amounts. I guess that explains why my breast-size quadrupled...I had a massive amount of milk! (But I also drank water like a race-horse.) Everybody is different. If your baby is having (I think it's at least 6) wet diapers/day, then you know he/she is getting enough. I think they're supposed to have one dirty diaper/feeding, but I already forgot. Sorry. :( I always fed on demand. (Feed, change diaper, sleep, feed, change diaper, sleep, constant cycle...)
I hope this information was helpful. I wish you the best of luck with breastfeeding your baby!!!!!
Lastly, I never heard of fenugreek. ??

my hospital had a lactation consultant. Honestly she wasn't much actual help in the hospital just becauser her time was limited and there were too many people bopping in and out of my room,But She was great once i was discharged. i could take the baby in to be weighed every 3 hours if i wanted and she could reassure me that the baby was gaining ( they all lose weight initially then put it backon --that is normal). SHe would watch the baby feed if i needed to make sure my latch was ok. She had nursing supplies and i'm sure could have helped if i had had issues with thrush or what ever. There were also montly support group meetings that really helped me feel like i wasn't alone with this whole thing.

If your hospital offers a breastfeeding class i would try that too, it might connect you to some new people that might provide some encouragment and it's always good to have a refresher even if you had gone through it before. I appreciated the movies they showed that let you see what it was supposed to look like. Cuz I had never seen it.

From what you described probably the biggest biggest thing that you could do to help yourself is to get a breast pump. You can rent, you can buy, you can borrow. but having an electric pump will let you measure how much bmilk you are giving your baby. you wouldn't need to pump exclusively, but you could have daddy feed the baby expressed milk in the evening every night and it will give you a better idea of what your body is producing, A baby can actually get More out than a pump can, but at least youll have an idea to go on.

My son was jaundiced too and we gave a few feeding of formula but i was able to nurse him in between, then at 2 months i went back to work part time and he got two bottles of expressed milk while i was gone, I would come home nurse him and then pump after to stimulate more milk production and use that for the next days feeding. It's tough but worth it. :)

good luck!!!

You are smart to start thinking about this early since you were not supported properly the first two times. Shame on that hospital for telling you to supplement. Almost all newborns lose a little weight in the first few days until a Mom's fatty milk comes in. I think it's around 7% body weight, unless you were in the hospital a long time then a little loss is normal. The colostrom in the begining isn't there to fatten them up but to "feed" their immune systems. If you supplement from the start not only is it not necessary but your body will not produce enough milk, it's essential you nurse whenever your baby wants those first few weeks and like the poster below says if you can't nurse then you must pump.
I had some BF problems that we overcame with my firstborn and the book below was super helpful. Remember not all doctor's know much about breastfeeding and many just don't care if you do or don't (I have no idea why but it's been very true in my experiences). Talk to someone from La Leche League or a lactation consultant before you give birth so you'll have someone you know to call if you need help.
Good for you for doing what's best for you and your baby! Congrats on your pregnancy!

http://www.amazon.com/Nursing-Mothers-Companion-Kathleen-...

Read "Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers.

As far as I'm concerned, it's the bible for breastfeeding.

You will get all kinds of information from us and other moms - some good, some well-intentioned but misinformed. Find a couple of good books like the one above and "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" (never read, but La Leche League recommended) and get the information for yourself to evaluate.

Also, google La Leche League and your zip code to find a group in your area and start attending the meetings as early as you want. You'll get a lot of good pro-breastfeeding information.

I know some LLL leaders are bit overboard - mine was awesome, though. They're all different.

It is awesome that you want to breastfeed! It's healthy for you and your baby. I have 3 kids and I breastfed all of them! I have a boy whom just turned 1 year and 1 month and I still breastfeed him. It's much easier to breastfeed then to have to warm up bottles and wash them mix the formula with a crying baby when you could simply pull your shirt up. It just makes sense. Breastfeeding for me in the beginning was hard because I couldn't get my daughter to lach on correctly and the specialist suggested that I grab my nipples a certain way so she could attach and lach on the whole thing. Everyone is different. BUT patience is gonna be the key. Again everyone is different but for me, my milk didn't come in till 3 days after birth every single time. I would give them a bottle here and there in the hospital but once we got home, it was strictly breastmilk. When you have a letdown, your breast will be hard and you feel a little burning sensation around the nipples. It doesn't hurt but you can feel it. Usually while the baby was eating on one side, the other side would be leaking lol. That's okay that's the least of the problems. Babies in general if I'm not mistaken will lose weight the first days of their life. Eventually, your body will produce a sufficient amount for your baby. I took the fenugreek with my first daughter because I felt I didn't have enough it did not work. Wish you the best of luck! O yes, I almost forgot, with my second daughter, she also had a little jaudice and it actually lasted about a month. I only breastfed and it eventually went away. Everything will be fine. Take care.