D.R.
hi M., im going to copy and paste a response i sent to another mom who was having trouble with her milk supply. its long, but i think it pretty much covers everything, some of which you have already tried, and some of which has already been recommended to you in your other responses. for you, i think the most important thing is to increase time at each breast, 5 min is not nearly enough, and remember that you must finish the first breast first, the hind milk is what fills them up and fattens them up, also has the necessary fat for brain development. you should be doing at least 20 min on each side right now while you are increasing your supply. hard with a little one around, believe me, i know, mine both nursed up to 45 min at a time at that stage. it wont last though. and secondly, check your hydration, lots of water and nothing like caffiene that will dehydrate you. so here is my other loooong response, please read it, you may really find something to help. take care, D.
>>>you got a lot of good advice here, but one of the most basic and important things is to DRINK WATER. drink lots of it, especially right before and during nursing. and no caffiene, no cold medications, it dehydrates you.
its important to eat well and rest as much as you can, impossible, i know, but try. and very important to relax right before and during nursing, i was never able to let down if i was uptight, do what you need to to relax. sometimes when you are having a rough time, it helps to not focus on the baby. any ads we see make us feel like when we are nursing we are supposed to be gazing lovingly into our babies eyes the whole time in a soft white robe, but if you are stressed about nursing, sometimes its better to focus elsewhere. i had trouble getting started with my son, and i realized that i was so stressed about him nursing that i was actually squishing him. so i started watching funny tv or talking to non-stressful people on the phone while i nursed, and it helped a lot.
***the more you nurse the more you will produce***, try not to use any bottles until you boost your supply. nurse as often as you can, including during the night, as much as you can without your nipples getting sore. **have a nurse-in for a couple of days**, relax in bed with the baby, have plenty of water and healthy snacks and just nurse, at least every 2 or 3 hours on each side. even if the baby isnt hungry that often, putting the baby on the breast for even 5 min to stimulate will help. and be sure to finish one side before going to the other side, and switch your starting side each time. if the baby falls asleep nursing, wake him? up once or twice to get a little more into him. you can wake him gently, flick the bottom of his foot, or wipe down his face/hands with a damp washcloth, or take off some of his clothing, change his diaper, whatever. it sounds rude, but its very tiring for them in the beginning, and they often fall asleep from the effort before they are full anyway. plus its all for him anyway, so dont feel bad:)
pumping with a good electric pump will help a lot, but DO NOT pump before or in place of nursing, only after baby is all done, like the other mama said. (all of this is just for now to boost your supply, by the way, once you do that and get into a groove, it wont be like this, its a piece of cake once you get things settled)
also, oatmeal helped me a lot, i saw a noticable difference. use real oatmeal, and put on fake maple syrup, it has fenugreek in it.
my gyn also told me beer, but he said black beer is best, i dont know what that is, assuming a dark beer?
hope this all helps. the nurse-in is the best thing you can do, drink lots of water, stick with it and you will see a difference very quickly.
if none of this works, la leche is a great resource, i also have the number of a good lactation consultant if you want, email me.
best of luck, stick with it, it will work. and dont underestimate the power of a good support group. if you have people in your life who are not supportive, and keep telling you "just give him a bottle" you need to look elsewhere for support right now, at least until you get established. you can email me any time. your body was designed to do this, stick with it, it will work. best of luck, D.