Need Advice for When We Have Our Next Child Conserning Breastfeeding

It is wonderful that you tried to bf you baby and unfortunate that you were perhap not able to get the support and information you needed. The advice from Wanda was very good. I've heard of many women using herbal teas to help, use your own judgment. I am a large breasted woman and nursed all my children and never had a supply issue. I nursed back in the late 60's early 70's (and no I wasn't a hippy lol)My second baby went 9 days w/o a bowel movement but I knew it was ok, but when she went wow! the only way I suceeded was having the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding book and later attending meetings when they became available in my area. I never would have survived w/o them! You don't have to have a nursing baby to attend and you could learn lots before you become pregnant again. And also nursing a baby is much more than just food, IF you can't make enough milk you could always bf first then supplement after and continue to bf. Like I said check out LLL and get fully informed! Best to you.

B.,

Have you talked to your OB about this? I would stay away from the herbs. I don't think there are enough studies to know the side effects, in infants.

I don't think anyone can gurantee that you won't have a problem again. If it is genetic, well, there may not be a whole lot that can be done.

I would talk to your doctor (OB) about possibly getting hormone injections if you don't produce milk,(the 2 nd time may be better) such as Oxytocin. Get info on potential side effects.

I am expecting my first so I am concerned if I can produce milk. My Mom didn't nurse my sister and I (not the thing to do in the 60's and 70's unless you were a hippy). My sister tried, but had medical issues and well as not producing much milk. She is extremely large breasted, and women with large breasts have a harder time producing milk than smaller breasted women. I have not heard of an explaination why. Excess fat tissue maybe.

If you can't produce milk for your second, try not to stress. Do what you can, If it works great, if not you gave it your best shot. Getting info early is good.

We all try to be the best parents we can be. It is more stressful for women, just do your best. Have a back up plan incase things don't work out.

But talk to your OB about your concerns!!

I bf my first child for 3 months and stopped due to difficulties. My second is now 5 months old and still bfing. Even with my second I had problems making enough milk. I took all the advice I could get. But at some point you have to realize what is not working and move on to try something else. The Doctors and Lactation will tell you (this is what they told me repeatedly) to eat 3 balanced meals and drink to your thirst. They told me that 2,000 to 2,250 is plenty enough calories. This advice did not work for me. I knew that was the calorie intake I had before getting pregnant, how could this now be enough for both of us? Same with liquids! I literally drink at least 1 1/2 gallons of water a day, I drink water even when I am not the least bit thirsty! The only other thing that I drink besides water is occasionally juice. I take a prenatal vitamin everyday, and eat at least three meals everyday along with 3 snacks and dessert every night. The 5 pounds I lost within the 1 1/2 months after delivering I gained back. No matter how much I eat I do not gain any more though. I had to get over my body image and focus on doing whats best for my baby. Althoug I am the same weight as after delivery, my body is more toned and my stomach is very flat. My baby is gaining weight like he should. But held up next to a baby that is the same exact weight he looks smaller. He is leaner, no double chin here. Did you know that bf babies are less likely to be overweight when they are adult? I just found that out! STRESS is also a big issue when bfing, it can dry you right up!! If possible plan in advance to take off at least two months of work. That way you have one less thing to worry about. Also I rented a breast pump from the hospital... it was expensive! After I nursed my son I immediately pumped both breast at the same time for at least 10-25 minutes, sometimes up to 25 minutes in one sitting. It took a week to notice any results, but eventually I could tell there was more milk and my son was always satisfied. You have to make sure you do immediately after bfing though.

If you ever want to discuss anything in more detail, please do! I would love to help. Bfing is a hard job, but I think it is worth every minute!

i do know that it is usually NOT a good idea to take any sort of herbal supplement while pregnant or breastfeeding.they are not usda approved nor have many of them been tested for possible negative effects.the only thing i can advise is to make sure and take your prenatal vitamins from the begining and into breastfeeding.also make to sure to drink lots and lots of water.they say you should be drinking like 8 oz. every time you sit down to breastfeed.it could be possible it is just a hereditary thing that you may not be able to do anything about unfortunatly.there are many different things that women experience that can cause them to be unable to breastfeed.there could be something physical that just doesn't allow you to make enough bm.i would definately talk to your OB and see if they have any advice or suggestions.they may be able to reccomend something safer than herbal supplements.i hope you will be successful this next time,but remember not to feel guilty if you can't.if you have to ff at least it's for a good reason.i have known some women not to bf for purely selfish reasons,like not wanting their boobs to sag or something ridiculous.but anyways,good luck! i hope you will be able to find something that helps!

Hi B., I have three kids. With the first one I only bf for a couple weeks because I had to go back to work. With my second my supply dropped after a few months. Now my third is 8 months old and I'm still bf'ing. I think my supply dropped with my second because I started to watch what I ate and I started to work out. Your calorie intake really has alot to do with your milk production. This time I've pretty much ate whatever, whenever. That is the only things I did different and its worked out well. My daughter is a happy chuncky little thing. Breastfed babies can go up to 14 days without having a bm because they can use all they get but they should be gaining weight. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you the first time but I'm sure if you stick with it, it will work out better this time. Good Luck

Hey, B.. just wanted to let you know that I had the same problems bf my baby too. I was only able to do it for 3 weeks, because my son was loosing weight rapidly. he was 7lbs 8ozs at birth, and after 3 weeks of struggeling to bf he weighed 6lbs 4 ozs. the lactation specialists could not help, and so I had to give him formula. as with you, my breasts never became engourded and swollen. so many people warned me of how bad your breasts feel and how painful they can get, but i never felt anything. I never even changed bra sizes throughout my entire pregnancy or after my sons birth. I went into a little depression afterwards...and felt like such a bad mom. I've never really gotten over it and it still bothers me when my friends talk about bf thier babies. My husband and i are trying to concieve now, and so i'm desperate to bf the next one. i've been unable to find info about what i can do differently this time...so if you do, please forward it to me, and i will do the same. i hope it works out for you with your next baby, and if it dosen't.....just know that your a great and loving mom reguardless!

It is good to learn as much as you can now, before you ahve another baby. While breastfeeding is "natural", it is something many of us have to work hard at in the early weeks.

My recommendation would be to read "the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League, browse through the LLL web site for information (a good start would be http://lalecheleague.org/NB/NBearlyweeks.html ), and attend meetings in your area. http://www.lllusa.org/FL/groups/index.html The nearest group might be the next county over from you, but you might find it worth the drive to meet other moms who have overcome similar problems. Check to see also if the hospitals or WIC in your area have breastfeeding support groups.

There are many things that can affect milk supply, including medications during birth, premature birth, c-section, induction, epidural, IV during labor, medications after delivery, improper latch, weak suck, breast reduction surgery, scheduled feedings, dehydration, stress, lack of sleep . . . and the more of these going on at once, the harder it may be.

Just a note with the intake scales the lactation consultant uses - that can be a good way to see how much a baby is getting at a particular feed, but that does not mean the baby is always getting that amount. That is just a measure of that individual feeding. And if you tried to use the sale all day, you'd drive yourself nuts. The best indicator of intake is output. In the first week, the number of wet diapers should equal the number of days old the baby is. Poop can vary, but it is normal to see at least 2 per day.

Please don't continue to feel guilty about not breastfeeding your baby. You did the best you could with the information and help you had and ultimately made the best decision for your circumstances.

I wanted to mention also about the family history of breastfeeding issues. This is actually very common to hear. Many women have had true difficulties, but there has also been a history in this country of misinformation. Doctors for a few decades would have women express milk into a vial and then the doctor would hold it up to a light to see if it was good enough. Women were instructed to feed on 3 or 4 hour schedules which often leads to a decreased supply. And there are other external factors through our history that has made breastfeeding difficult or impossible for many women.

My mother was not breastfed and she did not breastfeed her babies. My sisters were unable to breastfeed due to c-sections, medications, bad advice, etc. It was a real struggle for me with my first, but I found the support I needed to get through the bad latch, supply issues, and self-doubt.

Hello B.,
How is that beautiful baby doing? So glad to hear that he is walking! We have talked a lot about bfding. When T was just a few days old a nurse in the hospital told me to drink a very dark stout beer (guiness) I tried this and within 24 hours my milk was in full throttle. As you know I have never had a production issue but I do drink the mothers milk tea occasionally. Especially if it is that time of the month. I notice that my milk supply is a little less during those times. Also the nurses in the hospital told me not to go more than 15 min on each side when he was first born. I timed it to the minute and would unlatch T and put him on the other side. I also did not let them take him to the nursery unless they needed too. Drinking plenty of fluids seems to help a little but I read somewhere that you do not have to drink an excess of liquids. Just make sure you drink so you are not thirsty. I have also heard that with every child it gets easier to BF. Your milk supply should be better with the next. Also the fact that you have more knowledge than you did when C was born will help. Damn those nurses in the hospital who didn't come to your aide when you needed them.

Dear B., I have 2 boys, now 4 and 2 years old and breastfed both but in the beginning with my first I experienced a lot of what you describe about your experience. I just thought I'd share my experience with you and you can take from it what you will.

When I gave birth to my first boy he had no problems with latching on and feeding but he did not gain weight at the rate the medical people wanted him to. I was feeding him about every 4 hours for maybe even 30 minutes per side. I was very tired and a bit worried that he wasn't gaining weight. The Pediatrician and nursing staff I saw at that time were less concerned about the benefits of breastfeeding for the baby and mother and were mainly focussed on his weight and it was suggested to me to give him a complementary bottle of formula in the afternoon/evening everyday when my own natural supply would be lower.

I did this but saw my own supply seem to satisfy him even less until my husband and I thought maybe I should give him even another formula bottle a day. However I was so determined to breastfeed and I found out from a friend about a female doctor who was supportive of breastfeeding. She told me if I really wanted to breastfeed I had to stop the formula immediately. It was giving the baby a very quick and effortless supply of milk and he was definitely going to be less and less interested in my milk.

She then said that I had to feed him every 2 hours, 10 minutes each side and that's it. She told me he might complain at first but that after 3 days of this my own supply should be back up and the baby would know that he had to have his milk at those feedings.

Well...it worked! I know that the feeding schedule changed after about a week or so but I'm sorry I can't remember the timing but I never went back to just sitting there feeding for ages because as I've been told and have since read, the baby really takes most of what it needs in the first 10 to 15 minutes and the rest is more for comfort.

After this wonderful woman's advice and support I went on to breastfeed for almost 13 months. My little boy was always a bit on the lighter side of average but once we started incorporating solids when he was about 6 or 9 months he reached about the average level for weight.

As much as family and friends all mean well I would advise that you have to remember that so much more is known now about the human condition than ever before. In years gone by they wanted babies to be fatter so that if they got sick then they would have a better chance of survival. They didn't have the knowledge of vaccines, deseases and medicines then that we do now.

You are right in believing too that breastfeeding is easier especially for those night time feeds and it supplies the baby with natural immunities from sickness and it is less likely that your baby will have digestive problems or bowel problems.

My second boy fed well from the beginning and I think that the fact that the second time you are more calm and have more confidence mothering definitely makes a difference.

I am 40 years old and expecting my third baby in about 8 weeks time and hopefully will be able to breastfeed again.

Hope this helps in some way. Wishing you all the best. Good luck.
J.