Low- Milk Supply - Syracuse,NY

Hi Mara,

I am so sorry you are going through this, I had the same problem you are having and I was recommended a fantastic lactation consultant, she's also a MD her name is Mona Gabbay her phone number is ###-###-####.

You will love her, she is very nice, knowledgeable and I know she will be able to help you out.

Best,
Sylvia

Hi Mara K,

I was hospitalized for a week following a difficult birth and my son wasn’t able to nurse so my milk almost dried up. He was low in weight as well. This is what I did to recover it with the help of an excellent lactation consultant/ peditrician called Dr. Smillie of Stratford CT.

UNDIAGNOSED FENULUM

First and foremost, if your baby's losing weight, take a look at your baby's fenulum (the thin membrane under the tongue than connects it to the bottom of the mouth). It is sometimes too short and makes nursing harder than usual, contributing to low flow. This often goes unseen/ undiagnosed and is very important as it affects eating & speech down the road.

In my son's case it was attached to the very tip of the tongue (extreme - level 1) which made it hard for him to nurse, though not impossible. He somehow was able to adapt using a nipple shield, but it took him a very long time to nurse (45 minutes or so). He preferred the bottle because the flow was faster but I continued nursing him as well and pumping afterwards, as there would always be about 1 oz left afterwards.

Most cases are not so readily visible - look to see if the baby can stick out her tongue (stick your finger in - sometimes they push it out). If the tongue doesn't pass her gum line, doesn't stick out past her lips, or if the shape seems odd (like a "w") there may be a problem.

Once the fenulum under the tongue was clipped by his pediatrician in a 5-second procedure, he was able to stick out his tongue and move it without any problems, and nursing quickly improved. He was far more efficient and now takes 5 minutes or less to nurse. No milk is left to pump.

HOW TO GET BABY TO ACCEPT NURSING

Our biggest obstacle was getting him back to the breast at six weeks of age, as he was used to the bottle and to the nipple shield. If he was hungry he would reject the breast.

To get around this, the doctor suggested only breastfeeding when the baby was happy, so that nursing would be a pleasant experience for both mom and baby. This is easier said than done, of course. While doing this therapy, these were the instructions I received.

* Never nurse your baby when he's starving, as it may become an unpleasant experience for the baby and it will stress you to boot.

* Try to feed frequently and on demand - about every 2-3 hrs was right for my son. Waiting 4 or 5 hours between feedings is Ok only if the baby is on formula exclusively or asleep (do not wake them) - breastfed babies must be fed more frequently. If you can, pump after you nurse to increase milk production.

* Engorgement is not a sign of good milk production – it’s a sign that you’re waiting too long to nurse. Milk will NOT build up and increase supply – rather, it will signal your body to produce less milk. So nurse frequently (every 2-3 hours) around the clock (yep, no one ever told me this before) to keep up the milk supply (but only if baby wakes up, otherwise pump).

* If you supplement, give small amounts of formula, in line with how much he would take in if nursing. A 5 or 6 oz bottle is way too much if you are also breastfeeding - it expands the baby's tummy (which is the size of his fist) and if you nurse him later, you can't compete. Try 2-3 oz of formula at a time (in my case I sometimes supplement after feeding as my left side has no milk).

* Before nursing, give an ounce or so of formula if the baby's very hungry to take the edge off the hunger. Then offer the breast. Do this at first only and keep pumping, the idea is only to calm the baby a little.

I also had problems with very slow flow and low supply (measured, it took 300 pumps to get 1 1/2 - 2 oz of milk over 20-30 minutes - it is now 50-80 pumps in 5 minutes for the same volume). It's also normal to not be able to pump much even if you have a lot of milk (some women can't get anything at all) - the best pump is always your baby!

To help solve it:

* Fenugreek herbal supplements (1-2 capsules per meal) - only if OK'd by your doctor if you have a history of diabetes. Otherwise, high protein meals and milk help. You can try fenugreek tea as well but this was less effective.

* Avoid spearmint or any type of mint that may lower supply.

* Make sure the baby's positioned correctly. The baby's head should be halfway between your wrist and elbow, she should be facing you, and her body should be resting under the opposite breast (the baby should not be horizontal). Use a cushion or nursing pillow that can be molded (like the one from Sealy, sold for $14 at Bed, Bath & Beyond) to help support your arm and keep you from getting tired.

* Sit in a comfortable spot. I have a glider but don't use it anymore - I found a $20 backrest with armrests from Bed Bath & Beyond to be far more effective in supporting my back. I sit in bed and nurse My son.

Also, if you are using a Boppy, it is too high in some cases and holds the baby horizontally, as opposed to diagonally. A softer nursing pillow that you can adjust is better, but be careful with a young baby if she falls asleep.

* Keep pumping. Don't let more than 4 hours pass without pumping or nursing & pumping.

If you pump, it's possible that you'll get less breastmilk than what the baby does while nursing (they're better at drawing milk). Likewise, breastmilk is used more efficiently by the baby's body so they don't need as much of it as regula formula. So if you are pumping milk and it's less than the above guideline, don't worry, it's OK.

It's also possible that you may not be able to pump or don't get too much breastmilk when you do, but that your baby can still nurse without problems. The only way to know if your milk supply is adequate is baby's weight gain. You can measure this accurately at home without a pediatric scale. We have a $69 Tanita BF681 digital floor scale at home with body fat measurement and calorie intake recommendation - I weigh myself with and without the baby, the difference is his weight. It's fairly accurate.

Although I give my son formula at night, I never wake him up. I wait for him to ask for formula (he'll still be hungry after nursing). Enjoy whatever time you have to sleep because you don't want to create new habits that you'll have to undo down the road. I feed my son at night only because I have to either pump or nurse at least every four hours to keep up my precarious milk supply. Other moms I know had their babies sleep through the night (some 10 hours) and said their bodies adjusted, even if they were still nursing.

On my own, this is what I discovered also helps.

* Keep your weight up. I got used to the belly fat and upper arms, thinking of it as padding for my son. I've kept on 20 lbs on purpose to help with breastfeeding, by eating 2200 calories a day (chicken, cheese, PBJ sandwiches, juices, mixed green salad, Nesquick cocoa w/ whole milk and Kushi granola bars are the basis of my diet).

* Bribe your baby with soft materials. I got cozy microfleece or velour longing sets from Costco ($20 each) that My son loved to cuddle up to while nursing, and are good PJs to boot. Clothes also made a huge difference in my outlook - J Jill and Macy's Charter Club both sell great jeans and pants that are made of stretchy material that fits great and is very forgiving to the extra pounds. J Jill also has great velour tops (like velvet) that are machine washable and/or can be wiped off easily in case of spit up.

You can also try the following tips from baby books, in case the baby rejects the breast:

* Slow milk let-down- Milk may take up to 5 minutes to come down. Help the milk flow by using a warm compress or pump a little so that the baby doesn't have to work so hard to get some milk.

* Diet - strong foods (garlic, spicy food, cabbage) can alter the taste of the milk.

* A cold - if baby's stuffy, he simply can't eat and breathe at same time. Use vaporizer, saline drops (one small squirt of mist in each nostril, while baby's upright).

* Teething - but I think your baby's too young for this..

* Earache - if the baby's not eating in general, crying, tugging at its ear, has fever, etc. Call your doctor immediately.

* Thrush - if baby has fungal infection in mouth nursing may be painful.

* Hormonal change in you - if your period has come back or if you are pregnant (!) your hormones will change the taste of the milk.

* Tension in you -If you are worried or upset the baby will sense this.

* No reason in particular - it may just be an "off" day and she may not want to nurse.

* Too many distractions - TV, radio, people, etc. Go to a quiet, dim-lit room.

* Baby's ready for weaning - not likely this young though

* Alleries - if your diet includes milk (or you add it) see if this affects your baby in any way as it can sometimes give them gas. In my case, I can't drink more than 3 glasses a day (borderline lactose intolerant). It doesn't affect my son.

Whatever you do, don't take this personally if the baby doesn't want to nurse. There's a lot of causes for it and several things you can try.

And as always, if she doesn't nurse, or doesn't nurse much, pump afterwards so it doesn't affect your supply.

Hope this helps!

My daughter is now 3. I had the same exact problem. She was also born before the holidays. I pumped when people were not over. I also had a low supply. When I pumped I also got a few ounces of milk a day. I gave her formula and whatever little I had. I did this for six weeks and then I didn't even make anything anymore. It happens. It is not your fault. Do not feel guilty. At least you are trying. Just give what you can and the rest will have to be formula. There is so much in formula now that babies get with breast milk. Whatever immunity benefits I gave her she got the first six weeks. At leat with pumping you know how much you are giving her and can measure out what she needs in formula.

Eat and drink plenty yourself, this is no time to diet. Little to no caffeine, you need to be well hydrated.

Make sure when your baby girl latches on she gets as much of the areola in her mouth as possible, not just the nipple.

Don't stress about the formula!!! Most of us were raised on it and we're all smart and healthy. It's more important to get your baby enough calories than to starve her with only a few of the "right" calories. I would give the breast first and then "top her off" with some formula. If you pump, use a hospital-quality electric breast pump like a Medela, not a manual one.

When you're nursing try to be somewhere quiet and softly lit, with few audio or visual distractions, and position yourself so you and your baby are as comfortable as possible. Try to relax and enjoy your baby. Your milk will come.

Best of luck!

First of all, go to www.kellymom.com. I would suggest calling your pediatrician to ask for a recommendation for a lactation consultant to visit your house. The ones at the hospital are often overworked and distracted or just plain disinterested. I didn't get any help in the hospital and the best thing for me was getting a lactation consultant to visit me.
Also, get The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears. It's a great resource that helped me a lot!
Second, I would suggest when you do feed her breast milk, just breastfeed her. Pumping does not get out as much milk as the baby can get out, and it will not stimulate your breasts to make milk as much as breastfeeding will. Keep breastfeeding as much as possible. In the beginning, they need to breastfeed at least every 2 hours, and often every hour! I fed my son whenever he wanted it, even if it seemed like he was on me more than he was off me for the first month. They often go through growth spurts which make you think you don't have enough milk. But the reality is that their extra breastfeeding will stimulate your breasts to increase production the next day. So don't worry if it seems like you don't have enough to satisfy her. The more your breastfeed, the more milk you will make. Don't let the hospital make you think that you are not making enough milk. They are not always right, and there are many factors that can keep your milk from coming in "on time" such as stress, dehydration, c-section, pain, and medications- all common things after giving birth. Give it some time and don't give up on breastfeeding yet. Just try and get some rest, take care of yourself and your daughter, and make sure you drink enough water. You can also buy Mother's Milk tea.
When my son was born, I had a c-section and he was given bottles before I was able to breastfeed, and he had latching issues because of this. I didn't get my milk in until about the 4th or 5th day, and even then it wasn't a huge amount until about a week. He lost some weight the first week (completely normal for all babies), and then it took more than a week for him to regain his birth weight, so the doctors were worried and had me start supplementing with formula too. I supplemented for a few months but continued breastfeeding as much as possible with the hope that I could quit the supplementation. Any more than once or twice a day can deplete your milk supply. But after a lot of persistence and encouragement, my son eventually started latching well and he made up for his weight loss and did really well. I'm still breastfeeding 11 months later and he is so healthy and happy. He has never been sick except for one cold around 8 months old and I believe it's from breastfeeding. You just have to trust your body and have confidence in your ability to produce for your daughter. You can do it!! Good luck and congratulations on your daughter.

Mara,
First, congrats on your new baby girl! And good for you for nursing. I had a lot of trouble nursing my son when he was born and I tried the hospital lactation consultants and the pediatritian for help. Long story short, I only nursed for a few days and then pumped for 6 weeks and then gave up. He is always sick (he's 5 now). When I had my daughter I was determined to nurse her no matter what I had to do. With the help of an independant lactation consultant and my own determination, I was able to do it. But it wasn't easy. The pediatritian told me to supplement with formula because she had lost a tiny bit of weight, and my family told me nursing wasn't worth the stress. Anyway, after two months of problems we were able to figure it out perfectly and it was as natural as could be. ANd she never gets sick (she's 3 and a half now).
I totally know what you mean about how it feels when you think you aren't able to provide for your baby. It's heart breaking! And you should be proud of yourself for not letting that stop you. Please get in touch with the local la leche leage. My lactation consultant is pretty far from you (and I'm not sure if she is working right now) but her name is Rebbecca and her website was www.breastchester.com if you want to give it a try. If it wasn't for her, I would never have had the confidence in myself or the know how to make it work.
Also, please know that what you pump is NOT an indication of how much milk you have. Your body responds completely differently to a pump than to your baby. One of the things I had to do in the beginning was to spend a few days simply nursing my baby. Anytime she wanted to eat, I nursed. I didn't offer anything else, just breastmilk. That made a big difference in my supply. And keep in mind that there are growth spurts at 3 and 6 weeks so she will want to eat a lot more than. Don't use a clock to time when to feed her. Let her tell you (she will try to suck on things, I think it's called rooting).
And be sure that you are eating and drinking a lot. Lots of water and protein. If you aren't getting enough you can't supply enough. I did try fenugreek when I was nursing my son but I ended up with an allergic reaction to it. As far as I know at this point, water would work even better. Of course, I am not a doctor and can't give medical advice so take all this for what it's worth. Doctor's didn't seem to know much about nursing though. Neither did the nurses at the hospital.

Good luck!

I also never produced enough milk. My son's weight did not increase enough and the pediatrician told me to suppliment with formula. I ended up nursing and formula feeding for a little over a year. My son (thank G-d) developed beautifully in that time. He didn't catch any colds and doesn't appear to have allergies. Our pediatrician said that ANY amount of breastfeeding is worth it. Even if you're supplimenting, the child will still get much of the benefit that nursing provides. Granted my one child doesn't prove that to be true, but that's been my experience so far.

One more point I just remembered...the pediatrician told me to always nurse first, then give the bottle. I generally nursed my son for ten minutes on each side, then I'd give him as much formula as he needed to be full. That seemed to work pretty well. I'm not sure how pumping milk would figure into that.

I hope that was helpfull.

Dear Mara - congratulations on your new baby. It looks like you have some wonderful advice so far. I agree with all of it - an outside lactation consultant - or La Leche League. My story is different, but my daughter has Down Syndrome and it was difficult for her to latch on and I was tempted to give her formula. Luckily I had her at home and she is healthy. I did rent an (industrial strength pump) but its true that pumping and a baby at your breast produces very different amounts of milk. We fed her through a finger feeding apparatus with my milk for awhile, and eventually she latched on and breast fed for years. My point is just that its good to really try your best to nurse if you can. Also many babies loose some weight at the beginning. and then they hit their stride. But whatever you do, I'm sure it will be fine. But again, my daughter has been so healthy and I do partly attribute it to being breast fed. Rest for you, water and good food. Good luck to you. C.

I know from experience with two of my boys out of three I was able to find out that Fenugreek (an herbal supplement) and the one I preferrred was the capsule. It was great with increasing breastmilk. It was used during the Biblical times to increase breastmilk. Check the health food store and ask them about it. There's a tea too and there's herbs and I tried that in my tea and I didn't like it too much because of actually feeling the herbs in my mouth. I guess I have this thing how certain things feel in my mouth and trying to swallow it was impossible for me. Check them out and I'll pray that you receive Wisdom from Christ.....congratulations on your new Gift from Heaven above. And I know how I enjoyed breast feeding, but I also know that sometimes I can't produce enough and lost it and felt sad but accepted the fact that my boys had to be on formula which are costly and sometime inconvenient. But, at least I tried and if you tried and it didn't work out, don't feel bad or guilty. Do the best you can and you tried to do the best for her. She'll be okay and grow either way to receive food. Let us know how it goes and e-mail me if you have any questions.

Hello Mara,
Congratulatuions to you. I know your concern. I went through this when I had my little girl too. Totally paranoid I thought I wasn't giving my baby enough milk. Just to let you know lactation is supply and demand and pumping is not as efficient as the baby. The baby can get more out than the breast pump can. My advice would be to let her suckle to her hearts content and not supplement with the formula because if you do she won't need to get it from you. If this doesn't work do not feel as if you are less of a mother because you can't breastfeed and end up giving her formula. Lots of women have trouble. I ended up breast-feeding for no longer than 8 mths.(she got teeth) and was happy to be relieved of the burden of constantly thinking I wasn't giving her enough milk.

Fenugreek is an herb that helps increase milk production. You can get it in the pill form. Or if you get the seeds, you can boil them and make tea. The tea is bitter, I'd add a bit of honey. I have been taking it for a couple of weeks and noticed the difference, especially at nights, when milk production is normally lower.
I also just read that turnips increase production... the only veggie I do not like.. but, will include it in soups now.
good luck.
K.

Hi Mara,
Breastfeeding is not as easy as one would believe, however, it is so worth the benefits. Do not give up on breastfeeding. My advice is for you to drink lots of water, milk, yogurts, lots of veggies, lots of protein. You need to be in prime condition to breastfeed. You will notice a huge difference in your beautiful baby girl's weight!!! Please stay away from spicy foods or anything that has a strong scent, believe me, babies don't like it and she will not be willing to take your "scented" milk. I do hope my advice works for you. I've been there, done that so I know. Merry Christmas & hugs, C.

Mara,
If you breastfeed, you will breastfeed. Go here:

http://breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml

The more you nurse her, th e more she will nurse. She is 12 days - my son didn't nurse much more than a few minutes at that age - many time s a day. I didn't get engorged so-to-speak right away either. Not sure if there is an age issue there or not.

The more breast milk and less formula you can MANAGE, the better for her.

She will be ravenous all night too - and the less formula you feed her, the more she will make up for in your milk.

Eat your four meals a day, and make sure you're balanced in your nutrition and supplements (I space my vitamins out to 4x aday instead of 4 pills at once). Make sure you have plenty of water (ie: 8 oz after using the restroom, 8-12 during nursing and after - but this is up to what works for you, if you are not able to drink a full 8 oz again after nursing 2-3x in one hour (and it will happen) go with what feels right for you). Most people get eight 8oz glasses in a day. Nursing moms (if I am remembering correctly) should be close to half again or double that in a 24-hour period. I'm getting thirsty just typing this!

Good Luck! And I'd like to know how things work out for you,
M.

Hi Mara,
The most important thing that you can do is to contact a lactation consultant. Paying for this (which may be reimburseable by health insurance or FSA plan) can be the best investment of your baby's infancy. The hospital LC's work for the hospital, I would contact a private one. Your local La Leche League group or independent childbirth educator or a doula should be able to recommend one, as may your baby's pediatrician.
Feeding your baby formula regularly will not increase your milk supply. Putting your baby to the breast often will. It is normal for a baby to lose 5 to 7.5 percent of their birth weight by the age of one week, and should be back at their birth weight at 2 weeks old.
To bring your milk supply up, you need to nurse the baby or pump 8 to 12 times a day, the more the better, pumping for as long as the baby would breastfeed. The breasts need stimulation around the clock to establish the milk supply. If your baby is full from formula, she won't nurse as often. I would suggest getting her to the breast for every feeding - if your lactation consultant says you must top off with formula til she is getting enough breastmilk, you must feed your baby, but it should always be breastmilk first. If she is used to the instant gratification of formula in a bottle, she may fuss at the breast because she has to work for the milk. Watch her for early hunger cues like head moving side to side, mouth opening and closing, fist in mouth, don't wait to put her to the breast when she is desperately hungry and crying. You might even try to pump just a bit to get the milk to let down before putting her to the breast.
It may seem like a fulltime job to get your baby to the breast for now, but it's really so important and can be your priority for a bit. My last baby was a no latch, no suck baby and I had to pump exclusively for 2 months so that he could get only breastmilk, before he was able to nurse at the breast. It was a lot of work, but very much worth it - after that, he breastfed til 14 months and once he was just at the breast when I was at home (I still pumped bottles for work), life was so much easier, I had hands free during feeding, wasn't spending extra time at home pumping and this made life easier for me (and for my 4 year old).
Good luck and please do contact your La Leche League leader and lactation consultant.

My sister swears by a herbal tea she found at a natual food store called "mothers Milk" Read the box but I think she said it was 1 cup in the am and 1 in the PM. Can't remember so ask the people there AND read the directions. Caution though: If you are allergic to anything or on any other meds just check with the doctor to be sure it is safe. NOT ALL HERBAL REMEDIED ARE SAFE WHEN COMBINED WITH OTHER THINGS EVEN OTHER HERBAL REMEDIES!!!! Keep going with the breast feeding and DRINK water until you think you may float away! If you don't have enough fluid in your body your body can't make milk and avoid caffeinated things (chocolate included!) as much as possible. Congratulations an your new baby and hang in there. A.

Try to be patient with yourself. Alot of activity for some people does not help produce milk. Right now the only thing to think about is having enough nutrition for your precious baby. When I breast fed I use to sit down with a glass of water or milk and crackers and relax before the babys feeding. If you are calm and relaxed it might help produce more milk.
Hope all turns out well

Congratulations on your baby girl! I am so sorry you're going through this- I know how rough it is, I had low milk supply with my first daughter. The good news is that it is possible to overcome this! I worked with FANTASTIC lactation consultants in Stratford, CT, Breastfeeding Resources, they might be a hike from where you are, but they are worth the trip! I took fenugreek and goats rue herbs and drank fenugreek tea like it was going out of style. I also pumped as much as humanly possible and nursed around the clock- pretty much, some days, I would just lie with my baby without a shirt on and cuddle her and she would nurse whenever. Be sure you are eating and drinking enough and don't get discouraged...I didn't realize until my baby was over a month old that there was a problem ( I had been supplementing the first 2 weeks) and it took about another month to reach full production, but she was able to nurse for a full year and at 6 months she was literally off the chart for height and weight, exclusively breast fed at that point. Good luck!!!

Mara~
Congratulations on the baby! Next, do not despair - and do get help IMMEDIATELY! We had the same problem. My daughter just turned one and I am happy to report I am still successfully nursing her. Although our beginning was very bumpy and rough too. My daugher also started dropping weight instead of gaining, but my husband and I were determined we wanted to make breastfeeding work. So, after a panicked visit to the pediatrician where we were instructed to begin supplementing with formula, we contacted a private lactation consultant. Jeanne Rago in Morristown. ###-###-####. I met with her the day after the visit to the pediatrician. Jeanne was very helpful, and listened patiently to my detailed story of breastfeeding from minute 1. She then asked to see my charming baby, and after about 30 seconds, declared, "Well no wonder she isn't gaining weight! This poor little baby is tongue tied!" Long story short, the flap connecting her tongue to the floor of her mouth extended too far, and she couldn't get my nipple far enough in her mouth to ever get the hind milk coming. I saw Jeanne at 12 noon, and had an appointment at 3pm that same day with an oral surgeon who preformed 30 seconds worth of laser (no knives or incision!) surgery on my daughter. I was able to nurse her right after the surgery (in his office). Over the next few days thing improved and continued to do so over the next few weeks. As I said, she is a year and I am still nursing her successfully. My point is this: GET HELP from a lactation consultant - and in person! Over the phone consultations may not be able to identify the problem. And the problem you think you have may not be the problem at all. I too, was told it was poor milk supply. Whatever the issue, be sure to get the help you need from the correct person. We learned that the pediatrician may be the perfect person to see for medical problems of the baby - but if you are having a breastfeeding issue - see the professional in that field.
Good luck - and let me know how you make out! Don;t give up! Breastfeeding becomes more and more amazing as each week and month passes. Hang in there!
B.

Hi Mara,

I applaud you for wanting to stick with nursing. Your body has been designed to provide your baby with adequate nutrition. If there seems to be a supply issue, it probably is something else going on...not that you cannot nurse or make enough, but that you simply are not making enough right now because of some other issue. Could be not enough liquids or nutrition, could be the baby not latching properly, could be the supplementation (I'm not an advocate of that). Bottom line...when it comes to nursing, don't listen to the pediatrician (sorry pediatricians)...they are not experts at nursing and many of them are not even nursing advocates.

I have successfully nursed 4 babies for a total of 4.5 years of the last 9 years of my life. I have dealt with tons of pain, engorgement, infections, if I can do it, anyone can. I have had consultations with a lactation nurse for each and every baby. It doesn't matter how many babies you've nursed before, there is a learning curve for each and every one. Nursing is not easy, and it may take a month or more before you become a truly functional team with your precious daughter, but trust in your body and her instinct...you can do this!

So, all that to say..see a lactation specialist, don't give up, and do the least amount of supplementation as you can, and nurse way more often...every hour if you have to, and your supply will pick up. Remember, you are made to do this!

D.
35 year old mother to 5 with one more on the way

Mara,
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. I had a similar experience and now 4 years later I can tell you to call La Leche now. The number for the Syracuse area is ###-###-####. Get off the computer and get a consultant to come to your house to get help ASAP. Dont be shy about it, they are un-paid volunteers that have made a committment to help breastfeeding mothers and are excellent. Keep the baby at the breast and dont give up if you truly want to breastfeed.

Please don't give up. What she needs is your breastmilk, and it isn't too late to figure out how to make it work. Call for help, la leche is great or a lactation consultant. It will be well worth it. This is the most important thing you can do right now for you and your baby.
L. P.

I know how hard this situation is because I went through low milk supply issues with my son--he was stuck in the hospital for ten weeks and I was stuck with just a breast pump for 8 of them. It is so frustrating to feel like you just can't do what you know/feel is best no matter how hard you try! Pumping is just not as good as a baby at getting milk from the breast (I never got more than 6-7 ounces a day pumping--not even 2 feedings worth). It seems to work best to nurse first, then offfer a little formula if you need to, then pump. And it takes a lot of time and energy because you have to repeat the whole process often. La Leche is a great place for support and info--plus they can usually help you find a lactation consultant. I called 4 or 5 before getting one who could come to the hospital (the hospital didn't seem to have one available for NICU babies!). I never did get my son to breastfeed exclusively but we did our best and he got some breastmilk every day until about 5 months--not what I had hoped for but the best we could do under the circumstances. After the hospital practically force feeding him formula with cereal for 6 weeks he was just not willing to switch. I had to fight them to even let me try breastfeeding! (He was being weaned off an IV for nutrition and they were totally anal about how much he was eating even though he was over 9 lbs.) Among the many things I learned was to be persistent in getting help and asking questions but not to feel bad about yourself as a mom if it doesn't turn out as well as you hope. Most of the informational stuff I learned other moms have put in their posts. I hope you can get the support you need to make breastfeeding work.

Have you tried Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea???? It's worked wonderous with me..!

www.llli.org
For starters!

Now, I have a few questions for you (as well as some answers)...
1) What brand and type of pump are you using? If it's not the plug-in heavy duty type, upgrade. It's seriously worth the 40$ a month for quality pumping.
2) What sort of latching problems are you having (if you're still having latch issues)?
3) 9 times out of 10 a mother will produce enough milk for her baby. If your baby was dropping weight, did the doc check for other problems such as sickness, fever, thrush, odd-shaped lips (which could go with the latch issues) or gas issues? If he/she didn't, you might consider another ped. Also, some peds will try to scare you into formula feeding since it comes with more possible doctors visits. Formula is waaaayy more likely to give a child problems in digestion and mood, and thus a doc will get more visits and more of your money. Beware the ped who hands you formula without offering you resources of local b'feeding support.
4) Some babies go on what's known as a "nursing strike". At 12 days old, it is still a pretty important time period in the development of latching skills, and I beg you, please put that baby on your breast as much as you can stand! Nursing strikes are generally short-lived and while a young young baby like this may lose a fair aount of weight in a 3 day strike, it's generally not hard to re-gain if your own diet is good.
5) Have you started slimming down your diet in an attempt to lose weight? Don't do it yet...the first 60 days make sure you eat similarly to the way you did while preggers, so your baby undoubably gets enough to eat.
6) Have you eaten anything that migh have caused baby to turn her nose up? I've seen moms eat broccoli on friday night and had baby turn their nose up to the breast for 2-3 days afterwards. Some babies are picky!

Now, don't take all of this as "I'm a perfect mommy and I know all about b'feeding"...my first child refused to b'feed after 6 weeks. She didn't enjoy being close to me long enough to b'feed, and the only wayv she would nurse was lying down with her body placed away from mine. It was heart-wrenching, but I leanred from it and my second child is a booby baby with only a few minor hitches.
The website above is a GREAT resource, and if you find you can't get help and just want someone to talk to, feel free to shoot me a message and I'll gladly give you my number.

Good luck!

Congratulations on your baby!! Hang in there! My daughter is 14 months now and I am still breastfeeding but it was a rough beginning.. She wasn't losing, but she wasn't gaining.. So my pedi had me bf and then suppliment with formula after breastfeeding.. Sometimes she would take an oz or two, sometimes nothing.. I never was engorged either, and it took a while for my milk to come in.. I also ended up with thrush which was so painful.. I tried some mom's milk tea and fenugreek, but none worked for me.. I never was able to pump much so I supplimented with formula for daycare...I was feeding my daughter every 1.5 to 2 hours and in the beginning she would feed for about 30-45 mins.. Luckily it does get easier and quicker!
So Hang in there, and keep breastfeeding, even if you have to suppliment, she will still be getting your milk... You are already doing a great job by looking for help in the right places! Good luck!

I feel your pain!!!
Lactaction consultant. If the one you had from the hospital sucked (which mine did!) I found a different one who was a godsend!

La Leche League - when I had problems, the woman came to my house to help - I cannot thank her enough!!!

kellymom.com - great website for info

You CAN continue to breastfeed - and you may be able to get off the formula - to feed her fulltime - but do be mindful of your supply - pump often if you can to keep stimulating your breasts...

HANG IN THERE!!! It's ok!!! I struggled with two babies with this and you'll find your groove soon. :)

I had a huge drop in supply when my daughter was around 2 months old and was instructed by my Lactation Consultant to take Fenugrek capsules to increase it. I also drank the mothers milk tea and my supply increased. I had to continue taking the Fenugrek until she was about 1 year old, but I never had to supplement again. Good Luck - I remember how nerve raking it is when you can't provide for your little one. Hang in there!

My own experience over a decade ago was that pediatricians know little about this. It's one or two lines in their medical texts. Lactation consultants are the best bet. They can teach you how to effectively manually extract your breastmilk. You'll get to know where in your breast the milk is. They can also help you get a thin tube apparatus that you can fill with formula and strap to your breast so baby sucks on both breast and formula at the same time. It is possible, especially if you are 40+, that your prolactin hormone is not functioning as well as a younger mom. Keep working at breastfeeding...it is so worthwhile for the general health of your newborn. The benefits hugely outweigh the struggle.

First, I would get in touch with an independent lactation consultant. The ones at the hospital were of little help to me, and I've had many friends say the same thing. Here's a website where you can find one, or you can contact your local La Leche League chapter, and they can point you in the right direction...http://www.ilca.org/falc.html. Sounds like there could be a few things going on. You could be doing too much, not resting enough (imagine that, with the holidays, right?), because your supply, especially in the beginning, is tied to getting rest AND to having that baby at the breast. So unfortunately, the more you pump, the less you may be likely to produce. Babies are more efficient than pumps, so what you're pumping out is likely not an indication of what your baby is getting. (I hated pumping, and wasn't able to get all that much either.) The more you put your baby to your breast, the more that amount and type of sucking will tell your body to produce more. The best advice I was given when starting out was to get in bed with my baby. That closeness will encourage your baby to latch on when hungry, help the two of you get into a rhythm, and ensure you get the rest you need.

I feel for you, because my son was born 2 years ago on December 16th. It was very hard for me to establish breastfeeding, and I had a lot of problems, including engorgement. But I stuck it out, and it was so worth it. Good luck to you.

P.S. I obviously don't know you or your baby, but many times doctors will try to scare you into formula feeding, leading you to believe you are starving your baby while trying to get breastfeeding established. I've heard this is rarely the case--it is just easier for them to hand you formula than to have to follow up on the breastfeeding and field questions about it. That's another reason a supportive lactation consultant, who also usually happens to be a nurse, should meet with you and evaluate your situation.

Sorry my response can't be longer right now. I have to get off the computer but it is very common for babies to lose weight before gaining so try not to let that bother you so much. Oatmeal is good for building milk supply as is mothers milk tea and lastly, look up your local La Leche League group and call a leader or two. www.llli.org They can help you and/or point you in the direction of a person trained in this area so you don't get the wrong information. A lot of times pediatricians will advise you to stop or supplement but it's rare that that's needed and *that* can negatively affect your milk supply.
Best wishes to you and your baby girl!

Hi Mara,

My pediatrician's office kept a Lactation Nurse on staff. She was a Godsend for me. I wouldn't have gotten through the early months of breastfeeding without her. My insurance even covered the visits. I had my daughter when I was 41 so I am not sure if that is why I had difficulty keeping my milk supply up. Pumping with a good quality pump helped me keep my supply up and I breastfed my daughter until she was 18-19 months old.
Chances are you will be able to work out your breastfeeding issues. Most Moms that I know had at least one issue or another to work out with breastfeeding. If for some reason, however, you feel you must go to formula, don't feel guilty for a second. Many healthy babies are brought up on formula and sometimes taking the pressure off of breastfeeding can allow you to just focus on quality time and bonding with your baby.
I wish you all the best,
B.

Are you near Stratford, CT? Breastfeeding Resources is there (Dr. Smilie) and she specializes in breastfeeding, she also accepts insurance so you just pay a co-pay. If you aren't close you could call and they will email some helpful pdfs. A year ago they had meetings on Wedesdays for mothers trying to breastfeed, and you won't be poo pooed for using formula (I supplemented because my son would not latch on). Don't be hard on yourself and good luck!

I dont have a personal experience but I saw Dateline or 20/20 once where a woman was carrying a baby for another woman - she was a surrogate, and before the baby was born the non-pregnant mother to be was given something from her doctor to make her produce milk. She was unable to get pregnant and yet was able to produce milk for her new baby who was carried by a surrogate!!!

So I'm sure your doctor can do something.... and nag those lactation specialists, eventually they will return your call so as not to be annoyed anymore.

Hi Mara,
I have used Fenugeek and it seems to work. I have heard great things about Mother's Milk - pill form and I hear it is better and really works. I just haven't gotten myself to go get it. I only breast feed 3 times a day - my daughter is 4 months old and have weened a couple feedings - Back to work and travel. My milk suppy has definitely gone down and started Fenugeek again and seems to have increased the supply again.
In the beginning I paid to see a private lactation consultant. There are a couple in my area. They are expensive but, will probably help you more. The Birth Boutique in Denville NJ - Shari - she is nationally known. You can check out their web site etc. She will do a phone consultation too. I have gone to see her twice. It was well worth it for the advice and peace of mind. Tell her I sent you if you give her a call - D. Galloway.
Good Luck. If you can do it - it is well worth it. My daughter was so cute today while breastfeeding this morning and looking up at me and smiling. Priceless.

eating oatmeal in the morning helps ( actually eating really well is key)/ maybe you can buy fenugreek tablets
at a local health food store - they worked for me/

stick with it . . . it will all regulate

maybe you can also start pumping after your nursing sessions to further stimulate the breast