I have a 1yr old. She is only 16.8 lbs. Very tiny for her age. Her doctor has said it's ok for me to continue nursing. However, I've noticed that my supply has decreased. I'm only pumping around 4oz a day. Seems like nothing wants to come out anymore. Nevertheless, my little one is frustrated and so am I.
Well, i've tried fenegreek & it gave me horrible heart burn. Someone once told me to try Milk thistle, but when i went to GNC to look for it, the lady told me that milk thistle was for the liver.
Well, the thing is that my little one has not lost interest in nursing. She always wants to nurse, the problem is not much comes out. The night time can be grueling b/c during the night, she will STILL wake up EVERY 2 hrs, just like an infant, wanting to nurse. She gets frustrated b/c she cannot draw any out. Ive tried everything to get her to sleep thru the night. Ive even tried giving her a fat bottle w/cereal in it before bed. She will only drink 3oz. Every 2 hrs there after she wakes up. I have to make a bottle of formula, she will only drink 3oz. Cow's milk I've tried too & she doesnt like the taste. Turns her face to the bottle.
Im pretty much at my wits end b/c she is waking every 2 hrs, my milk supply has gone down. I really dont know what else to do. Her dr. suggested a book on sleep patterns, but the reality of the matter is that i'm going at this alone, I dont have time to read. No family in town, dad left, so i have no support or help. What the dr. did tell me whas that she shoudl be sleeping throughout the night by this age.
I feel so bad for my lil one b/c she wants to nurse, but nothing really comes out.
:(
Hi, I went through the same thing and their where two things that worked for me one was a tea called Mother's Milk you can get it at HEB and the other is a herb capsule called More Milk Plus it's made by motherlove and You can get it a Whole Foods or Central Market hope this helps.
S.
you might try "Mothers Milk Tea" at a health food store, I swear by the stuff. Just drink it up to 3 times a day, it doesn't taste very good but really works
hope that helps
Mothers milk, blessed thistle, and alfalfa. is supposed to work, as well. You could probably contact BSA BF support or LLL, http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal_galactag...
Make sure you're drinking lots of water and taking you're prenatal and getting rest. There are also RX they can give you for increasing you milk. I hope this helps,
well i know the best way to get milk if your running out and it might seem strange,a beer and can of tuna! your body needs bruers yeast which you can also find at a health food store but eating that is hard but if you dont mind beer, all you need is one and a can of tuna. My mom who is a midwife and labor coach told me this when I had the same problem with my first child, and it worked for me!try not to drink light beer if you try this it has less yeast, the darker the better! I know you might be thinking that the alcohol in it is harmful but the small amount in one beer wont hurt her! I know it works and just thought to bring it up!or non-acholol! hope u try it I know it works! I nursed both my kids till about 16 months old!
I'll be going back to work in a month and was worried because I couldn't pump no more than 2oz from both breasts combined (latched baby was getting plenty). I drink Healthy nursing tea 2-3 cups a day and I'm able to pump 4 oz from both breasts per feeding. I put some honey in it to give it a better taste and it's delicious.
good for you for wanting to extend nursing!!! Have you gone to a health store and asked? I thought Milk Thistle was for nursing too. There is a tea called mother's milk. It worked great for me.
I had the same thing happen only at 9 months.. You may need to supplement with formula... and/or Whole milk... Babies have to get use to it anyway.. or you can try Pediasure???
I can feel your frusteration, so sorry to hear what's happening. Maybe your DD is hot/cold at night. Have you tried changing the type of nightwear she has. Perhaps she is waking up uncomfortable and wants to nurse because she knows that is the most comforting thing to her. Maybe changing her clothes/diaper, or putting a small fan in the room could help. Have you tried giving her a paci to comfort her at night with the sucking motion.
The only way I get my DS to sleep at night is with a short sleeve shirt, long pants, no socks, lullaby CD, and a small fan in his room for circulation and noise. I also use bedtime bath soap, and bedtime bath lotion everynight. Since I started this routine he sleeps like a champ..... Most nights =) Good Luck!!
I've used mother's milk tea successfully. You can sweeten it with Stevia. You also need to drink, drink, drink - if you're going to the bathroom 30 minutes after you drink, you're completely hydrated (which your body needs in order to make milk).
I couldn't pump 4 oz if my life depended on it - never could. Despite that, my babies had pinchable cheeks and chubby thighs way before they had solids. My breasts just didn't like the pump.
Most of the herbs that are recommended to increase milk supply are liver cleansers. Not sure about the relationship, but beer has been shown to reduce milk supply - so maybe the liver is more involved than one would think.
Are you on any special diets (specifically weight loss, low carb, or vegan)? Any of those can alter your production.
S.
I have heard of some women drying up later in the months. You are at almost a year. Thsi may be happening. Your baby probaly does not need this now especially sice her weigth is already low. Ask your doctor about the drying up. Good Luck!!
I breast fed my daughter for a year and at her 1yr check up, she only weighed 17lbs9oz. Don't let anyone make you feel like she's unhealthy! As long as she is hitting all of her milestones and the doctor shows no concern, she is fine! : ) I agree with one of the ladies responding earlier............sounds like she might be weaning herself off, which is perfectly fine! All of the studies show that her GI system is now ready for cow's milk or goat's milk if you want to start crossing her over. I felt guilty giving my daughter cow's milk at first, I'm not really sure why, but she continues to be a great milk drinker and is still petite, but very healthy! If you do decide to try it, one thing I did for my daughter to help with the switch was add a little bit of sugar to her bottle of milk.
Good luck with everything! Hope this makes you feel better!
Take care,
T. T
Don't be stressed. There are a few things you can try. My daughter was also small at 1. She is now 2 and only 22lbs(the average size of a 1 yr old)
First, pump like crazy. Every hour or so even if no milk is coming out let the pump run to tell your body it needs to make more. Don't get frustrated when nothing comes out just keep on pumping.
Secondly, there is a tea that is made for nursing mothers to help with their milk production. The brand is called Traditional Medicinal and the actual tea is called Organic Mother's Milk. They have a whole line of herbal teas for women. And the best part is, it tastes good!:) Maybe try looking at your local health food store, or on line.
Try these things out. I hope they work for you!
I also have had problems with my milk supply. I usually use the Fenugreek, but it is Blessed thistle that you should also try. They don't sell it at GNC you have to get it at a health food store. I get it at Sun Harvest. You should also try drinking non-alcoholic beer. They say that the hops in it helps with your milk. I absolutly hate the taste of beer so I never really stuck with that one. If worse comes to worse, with my first baby I had to get a RX from the doctor of Reglan, which also works. And make sure you drink lots and lots and lots of water! Hopefully this is some help for you. Good Luck!
well I have just been a mom for 2 weeks now so I cant really give you very much advice but I know someone who can.Covenant has lactaction specialist who are great.You can call and ask anything you want to for free.I have called about 6 times already.With all kinds of breatfeeding questions.the number is ###-###-#### and just ask to talk to someone about breastfeeding most of the time one of the specialist answer the phone but I always ask just in case.They are great and dont make you feel stupid no matter what the question is.Hope this helps you as much as it has helped me.
I see that in the responses, no one suggested that your stress level (her father not being involved and your worry about her nursing) can dramatically affect your "let-down." You also need to remember that the amount you pump is not a good way to measure the amount your baby nurses. I would suggest Mother's Milk Tea, More Milk Plus (a liquid herbal supplement), warm compresses to your breasts before nursing and see if you can get a doctor to write a prescription for Motillium (domperidone). It's not made in the U.S. anymore so you'd have to get it from a Mexican or Canandian drug store. Motillium is similar to Reglan without all the negative side effects. It is used to help with digestion and one of the side effects in an increase in prolactin levels, which will, in turn, increase your supply. I used it and it worked great! I would not suggest pumping all the time if your baby is with you. Nurse her as often as possible and RELAX. You may want to see a lactation specialist to make sure her latch is correct also. Your baby might not be transferring milk properly from you to her when she's nursing.
Teas and pumping are both good ideas.
Here's something interesting:
I nursed my son until he was almost 3. As children get older, their sucking gets stronger. The breast responds by making the milk a little harder to get out. For instance, when you have a very young baby (4-8 months) you may still leak at times...your milk is still easily accessible. But when your baby gets older (1-2 years) the milk doesn't leak anymore. It requires more intense sucking to bring out.
Also, the American Medical Association recommends that every woman breastfeed the first six months, but preferably the entire first year, and as long as is comfortable for mother and baby after that. The World Health Association recommends that babies be nursed AT LEAST the first year, preferably the first two, and as long as is comfortable for mother and baby after that. So congrats on nursing throughout your baby's first year! Keep up the good work!
im not sure if this works or not but yesterday a mother i was talking to had a similar problem and her doctor told her to drink one beer a day and that would help her milk supply. im not sure the reason, but that is what she told me. i guess its worth a try, though.
My lactation consultant told me the best way to get your supply up is to pump or breastfeed more often. It's supply and demand. Try doing it every three hours or so for a few days and see if that has any affect. Your daughter may not be going to the breast as often due to solid food. Try to breastfeed first before any other foods are offered. If she still isn't interested, she may be weaning herself. Some kids do. My daughter barely weighed 20 lbs at a year, so don't worry too much. I have a friend whose daughter is even smaller and still healthy. Good luck.
Try the herb fenugreek. I hope that I am spelling it right. You can find it at herbal shops and maybe larger chain shops in the pharmacy area. It will make you smell like maple syrup but it really helped boost my milk supply. I am not sure if the taste changes and how that might effect your daughter my son was still too little to know any difference.
Hope that helps!
S.
M.-
My 4 1/2 year old is only 32 pounds. She was 16 pounds at a year, 21 at 2 and 26 at 3. She was OK in size according to the Drs that we have seen (Several) but seemed small for her age because of how big a lot of babies are these days. I just thought I would tell you, so you knew that your little one isn't "very tiny" for her age. Also, whole milk may help quite a bit with weight gain, especially if you add a little rice cereal to it.
