Not Be Too Successful

Call La Leche...1-800-525-3243. Most hospitals also have a breast feeding consultant on staff to help too. Good luck!

She needs to call her pediatrician or La Leche League ASAP!
Call ###-###-####
OR
http://www.lllusa.org/web/BerksCountyPA.html

I didn't read responses, but call the hospital she delivered at an see if they have a lactation consultant, they should be able to bring her in and help with the latch and anything else that might be wrong. plus htey can weigh the baby for you so you can see that the baby is getting enough.

If your daughter is freaking out, that isn't going to help - someone (you or your son-in-law) should work with the baby to get a little formula into her (outside range of mom - don't want to connect mom and bottle if you want to try breastfeeding). Get your daughter to try pumping. It helped me a lot as my daughter was born hungry and screamed most of her first 2 days until we figured out how to supplement without confusion (the nurse attached a SNS system to me, so my daughter "breastfed" formula from a tube taped next to my nipple). My husband also gave her the odd bottle and I pumped until my milk came in about 4 days later. Your daughter may wake up tomorrow engorged, so if so, tell her to pump and feed as much as she can, then just go get a warm shower and let some of the milk go until she starts to "regulate" better. Patience, not overthinking it, works best - GOOD LUCK:)

Four days old her milk may not have come in yet. Tell her to keep putting the baby to her breast as often as possible. With my first baby my milk didn't come in until she was about a week old. If the baby still seems hungry you can supplement with formula until the milk comes. You will know her milk is coming if you her the baby swallowing and see milk in the baby's mouth. It may take some time.

Hi, I experienced something very similar with my first child. (And many other breastfeeding challenges with my third.) Chances are her daughter isn't latching on correctly. While she works on that, I suggest also pumping before or after a feeding to help her milk come in. Also, lactation consultants will tell you otherwise, but I also urge her to have some formula on hand to give her baby if she really doesn't believe she's not getting enough milk. Better formula than dehydration.

You don't mention if your granddaughter was born prematurely. If so, she may not be fully able to suck yet. Jaundice can also hinder breastfeeding as it makes babies so sleepy. Check with the hospital where she was born to see if they have a lactation consultant or breastfeeding support group that your daughter can attend.

I also recommend a book called Spilled Milk to help your daughter know she's not alone in her struggles.

good luck, D.

I don't know where you're located, but the ladies at the Breastfeeding Resource Center in Glenside have been extremely helpful to me. They have a lactation consultant who could meet with your granddaughter and would most likely answer questions on the phone.

http://www.breastfeedingresourcecenter.org/

At 4 days it is very likely that she is still producing colosterum. It can take up to a week for milk to come in. The best thing to do it to keep baby to breast, and hse milk will come in. Throw away the clocks. She should NOT be timing anything(unless her baby is 'sleepy' and doesn't want to eat at least every 2-3hrs. She shouldn't go longer then 3 hrs in between feedings). Just nurse as often and for as long as baby wants to.

Breastfeeding can be extrememly difficult. I struggled for a long time with breastfeeding. My daughter didn't latch correctly, my supply was low, the baby was losing weight, etc. She should absolutely contact a lactation consultant. The hospital where she delivered should be able to give her a name and #. I had a lactation consultant come to my house. It wasn't cheap (about $150), but she is the only reason I was able to continue breastfeeding and I often joked that she was worth her weight in gold. She spent several hours with me and determined my supply was too low for the baby. She gave me all sorts of things to increase my supply and help the baby latch. I struggled for several months, but eventually everything clicked and I was able to breastfeed my daughter for a full year (though she was supplemented with formula). Having difficulty breastfeeding is no reflection on her as a mother (though it can certainly feel like that when you are dealing with all the hormones partpartum!) I don't know where your daughter is located, but if she is in Bucks County I am happy to recommend my lactation consultant. Good luck!

A.,

I had a heck of a time breastfeeding. My son, EVan, did it about 3 times in the hospital and maybe once at home. I was pumping and trying to nurse until that's how I spent my whole day. He just didn't want to do it. I kept on, for a month. We went back to the hospital for a weight check on Evan and the lactation consultant asked me how it was going. I explained everything to her and she asked me if I was enjoying him and I said it was hard because all I was doing was trying to feed him and pumping. She told me, very gently and kindly that I had tried harder than anyone she had seen in a long time and maybe it was time to just use the bottle and I shouldn't feel badly because I HAD tried and he needed to eat, so giving him formula was not a bad thing.
It is NOT natural for every woman and every baby. I still feel guilty, but Evan is just fine. Growing and thriving. Make sure your daughter knows that, that it IS NOT always natural.
I know what she's going through.

T.

Contact the hospital where the baby was born and ask for the lactation consultant. They should be able to point you in the right direction.

You might consider contacting La Leche League - an organization devoted to breastfeeding women at www.LLLI.org

Of course this is a stressful time, and hormones are going crazy. She needs some solid support and rest and reassurance.

My personal opinion is that there is a lot of pressure on women to breastfeed. While it is certainly preferable, it is not the end of the world if she is not successful and absolutely no reflection on her ability to be a terrific mom.

Hi A.- Breastfeeding at first is VERY stressful. I breastfed both my children until 7 months for my first and 8 months for my 2nd, they are ages 7 yrs and 4 yrs now.
I am a big advocate of using a hospital strength breastpump to get supply going if there are problems. You can rent one from the hosp where she delivered and I used for both my babies...she has to buy her own tubing and bottles/attachments which the hospital usually sells. I also found that going to the hospital's lactation dept and attending a breastfeeding support group (usually each hospital has one) was a wonderful support for me.
Milk production is a supply and demand deal-the more she pulls from the breast, the more the breast will make..so she should use the pump for 20 mins on the breast she can't get any milk from (and she might be getting milk, you can really see it with the pump) every couple hours and the milk supply responds in a day or so...

Let us know how she is doing. Breastfeeding is very difficult so tell her to stick with it, be persistent and reach out for support...it is worth it!!!

Congrats to you, grandma!!
Andre

The answer is always to persist! The first few days-2 weeks can be SO HARD, just keep going! The two boobs will catch up to each other-be sure she makes the baby TRY to nurse a lot in the right, it will respond the more she uses it. Good luck, and good work.

Tell her..DON'T GIVE UP!!! Sometimes it can take over a week for milk to come in. Try pumping both breasts ALOT like every hour and as soon as you are finished pumping, pump again the extra stimulatiuon should get things going in a few days. (you can rent a pump from the hospital if you don't have one) Also, don't wear underwire bras they can cause some restriction. Also supplementing with formula can cause some issues too so try not to do that unless the doc says so. The baby can get lazy and not want to nurse after she gets a bottle because it is much easier for them to eat from. Breast feeding is the hardest thing to do and the easiest to give up on so it is really important to have good support and determination! I hope it all works out, let me know if you have any more questions! I am currently nursing my 2nd baby and will help you anyway I can.

Laura

I would suggest going on the la leche league website and look for your local chapter. This is a free service. You can call leaders right away, and they will help with the problem. The meetings offer continued support as well. They were so helpful to me when I had breastfeeding issues. Good luck!

Don't be worried at 4 days old your dd will probably just start to make milk. It can take anywhere from 2-5 days for her milk to come in. She will probably notice that her breast's becoming much larger and harder as the engorgement starts. Just because she can get milk out of one side does not mean there is none on the other side. The main thing is for her to relax and wait. To feed often and her milk will come in shortly. I would also contact your local La Leche League. YOu can search for a local chapter online. If she is having any nipple trouble have her get some lanisoh.
If there is something more specific that I can help with feel free to email me.

keep trying each side every time she nurses. eventually her body should adjust. If needed she should call a lactation consultant. they are wonderful. nursing mothers has hotlines to call. you can probably look it up online. good luck and congrats!

A.,

Congratulations on your new grandchild!

I did not have time to read through all the responses, so I apologize if others have told you this as well.

Is thre a Nursing Mothers' Advisory group in your area?

Also, it is worth it to get a lactation consultant if theproblems persist. I hadone with each of my children, and they were wonderful.

My milk didn't come in for 5 days with my first child and, unfortunately, much later with my second. The lactation consultants were worth every penny with the help they gave. My Nursing Mothers' Advisory group advisor also was great.

I don't know what part of city/suburbs you're in, but I can give you the name of an excellent lactation consultant if you are interested--send me a private message.

Good luck! It is wonderful that you are supporting your daughter this way!

stress can cause a new mom to not produce milk......she needs to get calm.....eating right plays a big role too....massage her breast too.....also hot showers help get the milk going......call la leche league they can counsel her over the phone or she can go to the hospital where she had the baby & they will have her come in to help her & show her methods to get the milk flowing, just drive there or call, someone will see her asap.........she is stressed out which will make the milk letdown worse which will make her go into a depression if this is really important to her.......congrats to both of you

Hi, A.!
Congratulations on your grandchild! How exciting!

Please tell your daughter to hang in there!!! It's only been 4 days! Her and her daughter are both learning to nurse & they're going to have some bumps in the road. Just remind her that both of them were designed to succeed at breastfeeding & to have faith in the process.

At only 4 days post partum, she may not even be producing full, mature milk yet.--She may still be producing some colostrum, so it's not at all abnormal for her to feel "less full" on one side.

The most important thing that she can do is to encourage her just nurse, nurse, nurse! Do NOT give ANY artificial nipples at all right now! NO binkies, bottles, etc...!!!! The baby will probably need to be nursed a little bit more frequently right now then she will in the coming days or weeks (minus the 3 wk, 6 wk, 3 mo & 6 mo (ish) growth spurts of course!) b/c she's still learning how to nurse efficiently. So even if she JUST finished nursing & baby seems hungry/fussy, go ahead & offer.--WHEN IT DOUBT, WHIP IT OUT! lol

I also strongly advise her to contact her local LLL Leader for extra help. Going to a meeting would be priceless support for her but just talking to one over the phone would, for now, provide her w/ some extra info & support.

www.KellyMom.com is also a priceless site loaded w/ info that is all evidence-based.

Of course, she needs to be sure that the latch is good on both sides as well since an improper latch CAN inhibit a good production.

Congrats to both of you again & just tell her to relax, enjoy & KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!!
Hugs,
A.
www.ThingaMaSling.com
Custom-Created Baby Slings
(15% off for MamaSource members! Coupon: "mamasource")

Hi
I went through a similiar situation. My children are now (4) & (5). They wouldn't latch on, so I rented a breast pump from the hospital. It was double work, (pumping every 2 hours and then feeding), but the pump helped.
I also heard that chocolate milk is a good source, and there is also a tea you can get from a health food store, that helps with milk production. The important thing is to try not to get frustrated- stress, and lack of sleep can reduce milk flow.
Good luck~ and I will say a prayer

Hi, A.:

Check the web for your local breastfeeding consultant at La Leche League International at:

www.llli.org

Hope this helps. D.

I would recommend seeing the lactation consultants at the Woman's Center at Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Sewell. (Only about 20 minutes from Marlton.) They really helped me and you can go for a private session. I was successful at breastfeeding my daughter for her entire first year thanks to them. They are really helpful in teaching you everything you need to know about breastfeeding such as how to increase your supply, lanch-on issues, etc. The person that helped me was Joyce - ###-###-####. (I know when I called the office the receptionist wasn't too pleasant so don't be turned off by that - the lactation consultants are really great.)

Also, the first couple weeks are really critical to make sure you get your supply level up so make sure you get the help soon.

Good Luck!! =)

It's great that you are supporting her right now. The first 6 weeks of breastfeeding are often the most challenging as both mom and baby learn how the process works.

At 4 days post partum, it's totally normal for mom's milk to not be in yet. The best thing she can do is keep nursing all the time, around the clock, every 2 hours. If the baby nurses at 9 am for 30 mintues, she needs to offer the breast again at 11 am - 2 hours is from start of feed to start of feed. At this stage of the game, it's normal for her to be breastfeeding ALL THE TIME.

The best thing you can do to support her right now is to encourage her. Help pick up the slack around the house with everything else that she's not doing - laundry, sweeping, dishes, food. Offer her water and snacks every time the baby eats. She needs to stay hydrated.

A newborn's stomach is very, very small, and the colostrum mom is producing IS enough for the baby. Offering sugar water or formula can have negative impacts on a breastfeeding relationship. No artificial nipples should be given at this time. The baby needs to be doing all of it's sucking at the mom's breast to help bring in the milk. Even if the baby doesn't appear to be actively eating, it is vital that the baby is on the breast - there are compounds in the baby's saliva that help tell mom's breasts what to do.

If you think she needs in person support, please look for your local La Leche League group or an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant - IBCLC - and the letters are important.

Please tell her too, that her breasts aren't like waterballoons where they're full and then you empty them out. She should think of her breasts as cups sitting under a slowly running faucet and the baby drinking out of a straw in the cup. They are nevery truely empty - once the baby drinks what was sitting in the cups, the baby can and DOES still drink milk, just on a slower flow as it comes into the cup.

www.kellymom.com is my go to resource for all things breastfeeding.

There are great breastfeeding support communities on www.livejournal.com (free blogging site). "Breastfeeding" and "adopt a mom" come to mind off the top of my head.

S.
mom to an extended nursing 2 year old.

One more quick thing...the first few days, the baby's stomach is only as big as a marble! Tell your daughter that--even if it only seems like the baby is getting a few drops, she is probably getting full!

Good luck!!!

First off, relax.
Milk comes in slower the first time and three or four days is nothing to worry about. Also, she may not be *even* in amounts or ease of nursing. Breasts are like that!
What you can do to help: Make her rest.Make sure she has a glass of liquid in front of her at all times. Nurse the baby on both sides frequently ( mine nursed every 1.5 hours even when they were getting tummies full) While the milk isn't coming in, try to keep the nipples exposed to air to toughen them up. Make her rest. Make sure she eats nutritious food.
REPEAT ALL THE ABOVE.
REPEAT ALL OF THE ABOVE AGAIN.
and relax, please:)

A.,
Hi there. It's Nanny Franny (www.fpollen.com) here in Elkins Park. You should definitely ask your OBGYN to set you up with in-home nursing assistance. It's not unusual to have difficulty at the beginning. Sometimes it's your stress amnd/or how the baby is sucking and just getting the whole procedure started. So check with your OBGYN and your insurance policy. Help is easily available. Oh, and/or check the hospital where you delivered. Social Workers can also set you up with in-home assistance. For any other issues, my niche is coaching children with infants through Kindergarten. I'd love to meet you.
Nanny Franny
____@____.com
Creating Happy Children, Happy Parents, and Happy Families is my passion and my goal.

Congratulations on the baby!!

Your question brings back memories of the not too distant past. My son is almost 6 months old and I too had this problem. I was able to express colustrum easily by hand from my left breast but couldn't express any by hand from my right. The nurses suggested I do that to help get it going before feeding my son. While in the hospital, I was told by the lactation consultants to begin each feeding on the 'empty' side. Because the baby feeds more vigorously on the first side this would help get the message to the 'empty' breast to get to work. I keep putting empty in quotes because it's not really empty, just slower to get going. My son was also 7 days old before my milk came in so I was concerned with the absence of milk for so long, and he ended up being 8 oz over his birth weight at 1 week. If the two of you are still unsure, call the pediatrician and take her in for a weight check...if she's gaining then hopefully that will put your concerns to rest and your daughter can relax (easier said than done) and begin to enjoy the baby. I hope this helps!

Not to sound dismissive, but call a lactation consultant. Seriously, it made ALL the difference in the world. An improper latch will result in the baby not getting enough milk and her breasts not producing more because what they did produce isn't being used.

My milk didn't fully come in for almost two weeks (and when it did, it came in with a vengence! lol)

Three keys that I found helpful:

RELAX - it's hard not to stress, but stress makes it worse.

HYDRATE - drink lots of water

OATMEAL - a natural milk boosting food - even oatmeal cookies work!

I also know that Allegheny County has a breast feeding hotline - don't have the number with me, but you should be able to find it through the county's health services website or main number.

Good luck!

C.

Has her milk even come in yet? Mine takes a couple days until then the baby is getting colostrum. Do your self a favor and get in contact with a Le Leche League member. You can look up the closest person in your area. They are absolutely spectacular. I have called them a couple times and they are so very helpful.
Good luck!

I just wanted to encourage YOU A.. I would never have continued breastfeeding without my mom's support. She did her best to help me even though she used formula herself. Offer pillows, water and snacks, and keep her company while she's breastfeeding. Mom would read me Dear Abby or other little articles to help me relax. Give her the baby to hold and cuddle when the baby is sweet and sleeping and not hungry. One of the worst things about breastfeeding for me was that I felt like I only got to hold the baby when he was a crying, frustrated mess and I was already so sore! Once I told mom that, she made sure I got a little time just to look at him and enjoy him, and then she'd send me right to bed. She also came with me on one of my visits to the lactation nurse at the hospital where I delivered. The nurse will actually watch you feed the baby and offer help. I went three times in the first three weeks. Feeding always seemed to go better there; I think I was more confident because an expert was helping me! Also, I liked that she would weigh the baby before and after each feeding so I could see how much he was drinking. I didn't see or feel much coming out at first, but the scale said otherwise! Afterward, I noticed that my mom would use some of the same encouraging words and phrases that the lactation nurse did. It was so sweet, and I really appreciated it. I'm sure your daughter will too! I'd also encourage your daughter to pump; I felt much more confident when I could see what was coming out! The first 7 weeks of breastfeeding were miserable and thankless for me, but mom got me through it! After that, my impatient little eater finally got a sense of the routine and it became bearable. Now, at almost four months there are some times when we look like the pictures in the books, all sweetness and bonding. But we definitely didn't start out that way, and we still have our bad days. It takes a long time, but from this vantage point I know that it does get better and that it will keep getting better! Good luck!

it takes work, its not an easy task, does she have a pump, if so have her nurse on each side and after nursing have her pump, the more she nurses or pumps the more she will produce, there are also herbs that you can take to increase milk flow have her call her doctor. let her know that it does get worse before it gets better, the 1st 4 weeks are tough and painful, but its worth it and after that time, its a piece of cake. hope this helps

call a lactation consulatant. Another thing is to make sure she is drinking plenty of fluids. If she is not getting milk out of the right side she may have a blocked mamary gland. I did not breast feed due to a breast reduction and my son turned out fine. While breastfeeding is best it does not work for everyone.

Just keep nursing the baby, the milk will come in. Call La Leche League or the lactation consultant at the hospital she delivered at for in person help and advice. And it's spelled tough, just so you know.

It just takes time. It took me a month before I felt comfortable with breastfeeding (and thinking you're doing it like 10 times a day, that's a lot of frustrating sessions). Make sure she talks to a lactation consultant if available.