Breastfeeding - Fort Myers, FL

To increase your supply:
i would try to get him to take the breast first, then pump the rest to give him in a bottle. If you give a bottle of formula then imediatly pump, and make sure to use breast compression when you do to get ALL the milk out. Also, get some fenugreek (from GNC) and take 3 pills 3 times a day (for about 2 weeks then wean yourself off of them).

If he takes a complete feeding from one side, and is done, pump the remainder of the milk.

I wouldn't give up the breastfeeding altogether, whatever you can give him will help him tremendously, in my opinion it is the best gift you can give to your child

also, make sure you aren't taking anything that will decrease your supply (estrogen birth control) you can see a complete list at www.kellymom.com.

1 mom found this helpful

Congrats on breastfeeding, it is the best gift you can give your child! I'm still breastfeeding my 2yo. You have gotten a lot of good advise already. I would also suggest you contact LLL, here is the local info, http://www.lllusa.org/FL/web/FortMyersFL.html

Keep it up, you can do it!

1 mom found this helpful

M., congrats on your new baby girl and sticking with your breastfeeding journey. We had a similar problem with my son and we finally had to offer only the breast for one month without exceptions. This totally changed our b/f relationship and we never looked back. We were able to eventually add bottles and pacifiers back in but not until we were well-established. He is now 1-1/2 and still b/f'g. I found the same thing that I just couldn't keep up by pumping. I then read some where that the pump does not express as much milk as the baby would. Try Pat Lindsey, www.patlc.com, she is wonderful.

Hi M.,

Congrats on breastfeeding. I have recently started taking the Mother's Milk Tea by Traditional Medicines - available from drugstore.com and GNC. It works very well. Your baby is probably going thru a growth spurt, as others have said. I have also heard fenugreek is good for breast milk enhancement. I pump exclusively for my son - he has not nursed from me since he was about 8 months old and he's pushing 11 months now. I have found I make the most milk during minutes 13-17 of pumping, so try pumping for 20 minutes at a minimum and drink plenty of fluids (preferably non-caffeinated ones).

Hope this helps!

A friend told me if you eat shredded carrots with sugar on it, that it increases your milk supply for that feading. I have never tried it. It's worth a shot.
I would continue to pump and give her bottle you have been succesful at it this long. If she is still hungry I would start by supplementing one feeding a day with formula. Or she is now 31/2 months you could start her on a little rice cereal once or twice a day before a feeding and finish off with a pumped bottle. Keep up the good work.

I just wanted to let you know that I can perfectly relate. My oldest son took to a bottle first before anything else. I had a horrid time breastfeeding and did exactly what you did- rented a hospital one. I also worked with a consultant and here's what we did so I could get off the pump. We used a nipple shield. I don't mean the hard plastic ones used to draw out the nipple I mean the silicone ones that are just like a bottle nipple. Since my son had a preference for the taste and texture of the bottle nipple, he took quite easily to the nipple shield. That was the only way I was able to nurse him without pumping. And although we did this for a couple of months one day I was cradling him in my arms and he just latched on to my breast without the shield. After that it was only breast. So it CAN happen. You've done great so far though. I really hope you can get it to happen. The same thing happened with a friend of mine and she got it going with the shield as well. Good luck!

My son, too, learned from a bottle first as he was in the NICU for 50 days since he was born 13 weeks early. So, I was pumping the whole time he was there and even had some stored in the freezer. When we finally got home he really did not want to breastfeed and this stressed me out and my production began to decrease plus he was growing and was demanding more so my stored supply was getting less and less.

I researched a lot and come to the following conclusion and resolution. I had to have peace of mind that everything I produced was better than nothing at all thus I must not get stressed out about it. I know it sounds crazy, but before every pumping or breastfeeding session, I took a minute to close my eyes and try to concentrate on the happy things about my baby, almost like a short meditation session. Then I tried to stay in that place while I pumped. And concentrated on him if I was breastfeeding. Stress reduces milk production, so find whatever way works for you to de-stress. It is important.

As far as breastfeeding, I kept trying. I gave him a bottle in the beginning when he was hungry and then half way through, I would switch to the breast. This way he wasn't so hungry that he would get frustrated with the breast. Sometimes he would latch on, sometimes he played. Once he got the hang of it, I lessened the time that I gave him the bottle and increased the time I gave him the breast. I believe he was already 6 months old by the time I was able to breastfeed a whole feeding. But it did take a long time. Be patient.

I did keep the rented hospital grade pump to get the most out of me. I pumped after each feeding to empty me out and to make sure I was full when he was hungry again. I also drank more water than a fish. But most of all, I kept trying.

Does she still seem hungry after the amount you pump? Are you pumping at the time of each meal or in advance. There is some great info at kellymom.com. (here are the results of a search on pumping: http://www.picosearch.com/cgi-bin/ts.pl )Pumping will not help your supply as much as actual breastfeeding. Also, keep in mind that your milk changes as the baby ages, and the QUALITY will improve, not necessarily the QUANTITY. I wish you luck, and no matter whether you choose breastmilk or formula, know that you are doing the best for your baby.

M.-

Keep at it! even if you are only getting 1 bottle of mommy milk a day, some is better than none! I had a hard time with my son at the beginning. He wanted nothing to do with me. eventually I kept trying him at breast and he finally got the hang of it...I think he was 2 1/2 months old by then. I had been pumping the whole time prior. When I went back to work my milk diminished a little. It is the fact that it is the pump and not the baby. babies are better at getting "all" of the milk out, where the pump wont completely empty you, giving your body the impression that you need to make less.

Fenugreek (at GNC) worked great! 3 pills 3 times a day. You will smell like maple syrup though! I hear Oatmeal does the trick too.

Good luck and keep with it as long as you can!
Jen

I had the same problem with my 3 child. I pumped for probably 2 months because he just wouldn't take to the breast as well as substituted with the formula. After a while my supply was almost nothing. My Aunt told me to drink a beer. I hate beer but thought hey why not. Let me just tell you my breasts hurt the next morning because they were so full. It only lasted for about a month that way but at least he got an extra month of the breastmilk and by 4 or 5 months he was on formula only. Which now a days is ok because they have all those with DHA and ARA which is what is in breastmilk. Good Luck!!

Hi!
There are alot of good suggestions here. I nursed all of my girls. I remember when I was actively nursing I had an increased need of thirst it seemed. Make sure you are drinking alot of water. I have personally never used a hospital grade pump, but when I returned to work part time I used the Avent Isis and I was very shocked on how well it worked. Also, maybe contact your Local Le Leaugue, they will have alot of suggestions for you. And maybe from someone who has been there, done that.

Congratulations on being able to give your daughter the best thing for her; breastmilk. It is a huge dedication! You could try Mother's milk tea. It doesn't taste very good, but it does help. Also, eating a couple bowls of oatmeal a day will definitely boost your supply. I would suggest going to Kellymom.com and looking at some of the links about increasing your supply. There are a lot of good readings on there. I would continue pumping, and maybe trying a nursing supplementing system.

Good Luck!!

S.

Everyone told me the supply and demand thing - well I felt like my daughter was attached to me for the first few weeks, I was in so much pain. I tried pumping - only to realize that I was only producing about 2 ounces of milk between both breasts... obviously I had to supplement. You do what you can, breast milk is best, but you will continue to use formula - you know what is best for you - and your baby! And over time, it may continue to decrease in production and you will have to use formula full time - it's okay! :) Good luck!

M.,

Hi! I am also the mother of a baby girl (almost 5 months old) who was born 4 weeks early and spent 9 days in the NICU. I was, and still am, set on breastfeeding my child. However, because they had to start feeding her with a bottle, it was very hard for me to make the transition to breast. I had to pump for her food while she was in the NICU, so I decided to just continue doing that and to feed her from a bottle. My milk supply went down to almost nothing at one point in time (I think it was when she was around 3 months) for no reason whatsoever. To get it back up I pumped for 15 minutes every 2 hours. I am now back to pumping about every 3-4 hours for 15 minutes and have not had a problem since. What happend is that your milk supply is based on supply and demand. Your baby is more hungry now because she is probably going through a growth spurt. She wants to eat more often to tell your breasts to produce more milk for her. The more you pump (or breastfeed; it's the same either way) the more your milk will come in. Now, it's not going to happen overnight...it took me almost a week and a half to get back up to what I had been pumping before. You also have to remember that everyone's body is different. My advice to you is to keep pumping. Also, make sure that you are drinking plenty of water, your body won't produce as much milk if you aren't giving it enough fluids. In the meantime, if your current supply isn't enough to satisfy her, you could either give her formula or give her defrosted breastmilk (if you had been saving from before). Hope this helps!

H.

P.S.
This might sound a little odd, but I donate my milk supply to a milk bank for mothers who want to breastfeed their babies but are not able. If you are deadset against giving her formula, I have plenty of stored milk that I can donate to you instead of the milk bank. If not, I completely understand...I just wanted to make the offer.

My daughter is also 3 months old. I started breastfeeding her but it end up that she wanted more then what I made. I could have continued with is and just feed her the rest in formula but I just decided to stop breastfeeding and got on straight formula.

M.,
I chose to breastfeed my son and was devasted when I became so ill that I couldn't breastfeed when he was 7 weeks old. I was on a medication that did not allow me to breastfeed for a week. I pumped that whole week (while feeding the baby formula) to try to keep my supply up hoping to resume breastfeeding when my medication was done, but by the end of the week my milk production was deminished. It is supply and demand and unfortunately the "demand" of a pump didn't make my body react the same as it would've from the "demand" of my son. Everyone is different though. As long as your body keeps producing the milk, I say give it to him, but supplement with formula if you need to. You can mix the formula and breastmilk together in the same bottle if you need to to fill your little girls tummy. Hopefully pumping for you will keep some supply going, just don't be disapointed if doesn't. Remember breast milk is better for babies, but formula won't harm them.
K.
PS I used the Mothers Milk Tea in the beginning also and it is very effective stuff!

Congratulations on making it this far in your journey with breastfeeding. I have made it to 5 months and plan on going till my little boy weans. I have a few suggestions for you. I’ve learned in my LLL meetings that sometimes pumping isn’t as efficient as a baby in helping your body produce more milk. Have you tried using a nipple shield? This is good for introducing the breast and will make it an easier transition. You baby is probably going through a growth spurt and this is why you’re noticing a difference in supply/demand. Also, another highly recommended product is called Mothers Milk Plus. You can get it online or at any health food store. It has been proven to increase milk supply. What works for me is Oatmeal. And of course more water. Sometimes I feel so tapped out when my baby is on me for days during a growth spurt so I have to up my water intake and I have oatmeal every morning to help keep up. Diet also plays a big roll in your body producing the milk your baby needs.
I hope this helps.
Good Luck. Keep us posted.
S.

HELLO M...
YOU HAVE ALOT OF GREAT ADVICE...I MYSELF WITH MY DAUGHTER SHE DIDNT WANT THE NIPPLE EITHER, SO I USED THE FAMOUS PUMP.
I ACTUALLY HAD ALOT OF BREAST MILK, BUT THERE WERE TIMES, THAT IT SLOWED DOWN..BUT THE MAIN THING IS KEEP ON PUMPING..
TAKE A HOT RAG..OT SMALL TOWEL AND PLACE THEM ON YOUR BREAST...YOU WILL SEE MILK LEAKAGE..AND PUMP QUICKLY!!!
THAT HELPS GENERATE ALOT OF BREAT MILK!
I DID THAT ALOT, AND IT WORKED GREAT FOR ME..TRY IT!

TAKE CARE,
LET ME KNOW HOW THAT GOES~
J.=)

Great job putting so much effort into breastfeeding your baby. I believe she will benefit and all your troubles will be worth it. You might try some "Mother's Milk" tea with fenugreek in it if you want to increase the volume of milk you are making. Unfortunately, it will tend to create more foremilk than usual so you won't be getting that much more of the hindmilk but it does help with volume which makes baby feel full. You can buy the tea at Chamberlains Health Food Store or Whole Foods. I don't recommend the pill fenugreek because it makes people gassy.

Good luck.

When I went back to work after my son I wasn't able to pump as much therefor my milk production went down... I went to GNC and bought Fengrate (something along those lines) it worked well, I am about to go back to work next month after the birth of my daughter and I started pumping earlier this time so I think I'll be okay. If you go in and ask they can tell you exactly what it is...
Good luck....
A little about myself, 35 mother of 2 a son who is almost 3 and my daughter who is 8 weeks...