Breastfeeding Question - Pottstown,PA

you may not "let down" as well with a pump, but as long as you are feeding like you have been and then do Extra pumping it will not hurt your milk supply and should incresses it because you are stimulating your breast with the pump between feedings. even if you don't get allot out when you pump, you are still telling your breasts you neeed more.

You'd think if your child is sleeping for 5 hours at a time at night, then they are getting plenty of milk. BUT at the same time, the hospital suggested i feed every 2 hours (in the very begining) to build up milk supply, even if i had to wake the baby. and to feed from both breast. first one, then i usually had to wake her up and get her to eat a little bit from the other. but you want to try and empty at least one boob every feeding so that the baby gets some of the Hind Milk.

i just went through this myself, because i don't exactly feel like i am over flowing with milk the way many women describe. but my baby is gaining weight steadily and almost sleeping through the night, so she is doing fine!

Here are some of the things i read when i was worried, myself, that you can aviod if you are having trouble:
softdrinks
caffeinated drinks
chocolate
vit C Supplements
Vit B6 Supplements (no more than 200mg/day)
Aspertame
Orange Juice (no more than one glass)

I also have a big list of foods that are sopost to be good for breast milk, but basicly, it's about eating healthy.

Also... it may be an old wives tale, but dark/stout beer is sopost to help breastmilk. you might try one after your evening feeding.

but most of all, RELAX! Being relaxed is very important.

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first off.. water, water, water!! the more you drink the better your supply. Also I would pump after you lil' one is satisfied.. this way you produce more milk & you can freeze it. it's all about supply and demand. I always fed my baby and then when they were done I would go ahead and pump. Your body will provide for what the baby needs. Also call Le Leche League. They usually have classes and they're awesome. I have 3 kids and breastfed all mine. but the 3rd one for what ever reason was diff than my 1st. So it all depends on the baby. Don't get discouraged or stressed!!! that doesn't help your supply at all :( Instead enjoy your lil' one and Good Luck to ya!

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I read some of the other posts and you already have some great advice. My daughter is just 6 weeks and I've been having a variety of issues with breastfeeding, but I'm hanging in there. Just to reiterate some of the advice, I definitely recommend a lactation consultant they have alot of information and can help you understand why certain things are happening. Your baby is so young, so as long as they are gaining weight and peeing and pooping they are getting enough. The first couple weeks I was worried she wasn't getting enough until I went for her two week check-up and saw how much she was gaining. There are also different growth spurts at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months...so you'll maybe see your child wanting to nurse more frequently. My daughter at times was on the breast constantly where it felt like she was eating every hour...b/c she was! I also recommend drinking lots of water...but the baby is so young it may take a little more time to regulate your supply with what she needs. As far as pumping, I've always understood that if you replace a feeding with pumping, it will impact your supply b/c a baby suckling draws down more milk. But pumping after a feeding should increase your supply b/c you're stimulating even more than the baby is. So, many people I know choose to only pump breastmilk and won't actually breastfeed which I'm not sure why, b/c unless there's a certain reason if you're there to pump...why wouldn't you save a step and just breastfeed. But it always results in them stopping early b/c their supply diminishes. So, pump after a feeding to increase the supply, just don't pump to replace a feeding.

But first and foremost, call a lactation consultant b/c they are definitely worth it and can help answer your questions and even come for a visit to make sure everything is going the way it should. Good luck and hang in there!

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I had major supply issues with my daughter. The reason they determined my supply was too low was because she was not gaining weight despite frequent, on demand feedings. If he is gaining and your pediatrician is happy with his weight gain and diapers, then you're probably OK. If not, here are the tricks that I used to help boost my supply. (Despite all my efforts, I did have to supplement because of my daughter's poor weight gain, but I still nursed her up until 1 year).

First, find a lactation consultant- they are worth their weight in gold! My lactation consultant came out to the house, watched an entire feed, weighed the baby before, during, and after the feed to see how much she was eating, and determined that my supply was inadequate because she wasn't getting enough ounces to eat. She was available for phone consultations after we met so I could call her with any questions. The lactation consultant had me pump after every feeding to help boost my supply. If you pump instead of feeding it is not as effective as the baby's suck, but by pumping after feeding you get extra stimulation which should encourage your milk supply to increase. I pumped after every feeding for several months. The best thing that I found for increasing my supply was an herb called Fenugreek. It can be purchased at health food stores like GNC. I noticed a huge difference within about 2 days of taking Fenugreek.

Getting through my milk supply issues was extremely frustrating for me, but it eventually worked. Hang in there and good luck!

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I agree wholeheartedly with the post to see a lactation consultant, not at the hospital. My pediatrician's office has one that screens every newborn, and does a breastfeeding consult - she's fantastic. From what I understand, the more you nurse, the more milk your body will produce. It's ok the baby is sleeping at night, just nurse him on demand in the day, never letting him sleep longer than 3 hr. stretches. And take your time with feedings, mine with my 9 day old son are now lasting around 20-40 min. each time. But he's just going through his 1st growth spurt b/c he ate almost full meals every 1hour and a 1/2 yesterday evening, then slept really good last night. Hang in there, you'll be great! Oh, and I was also told to relax as much as possible, the more stress, the harder it is to produce. And with my 1st son, I found Dr. Sears breastfeeding book to be really helpful and reassuring! Good luck, it'll be fine! Oh, by the way, my sister in law, tried unsuccesfully to breastfeed her 1st 4 kids, then with her 5th, has had a great nursing relationship for over 2yrs. now! It's great!

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You really can't base whether he is getting enough on the timing of his feedings or his schedule, you need to look at his diapers. If he is having enough wet diapers, then he is getting enough milk. With my first I always thought I didn't have enough milk. I actually pumped after every feeding, and got no milk out. But she was gaining weight and had lots of wet diapers. After about 5 months I finally believed I had enough milk and stopped trying to pump after every feeding. My breasts felt empty to me and I couldn't squeeze any milk out myself. But she was gaining weight and had enough wet diapers. She would nurse about every 4 hours, and sometimes go longer at night. There were times she would nurse every 2 hours as well especially in the day when she was growing, and more frequently at night too. If he is gaining well and has enough wet diapers, I wouldn't wake him to eat at night. You should wake him during the day if he goes longer than 3 or 4 hours in the day. If he is not having enough dirty diapers, then during the day you should wake him every 2 hours to feed. You should wake him up, undress him down to his diaper, latch him on and use a cool wet cloth on his head and feet while nursing to keep him awake. My daughter had a preemie suck and was very sleepy(severe jaundice), so this is what I did during the day to keep her awake long enough to get enough milk. I didn't do it at night though. Just make sure he is having enough wet diapers. My daughter lost weight initially for 2 weeks and I had to work hard to keep her awake long enough, but then she started gaining, but I didn't trust it until months later and I ended up nursing her quite long. My son, I didn't worry much at all, and he gained weight from the beginning, even though I again never felt like I had milk.

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Is there a La Leche league in your area? You mentioned a lactation consultant, but are you still able to use that person even though you aren't still at the hospital? If your OB/GYN office has Midwives, they are EXCELLENT sources of information, and I have found that they are able to take the time to really listen to you during an appointment, especially if you are having problems.

I nursed both my sons. My older son I was able to nurse until he was 11 months (and started getting teeth). My second son I was only able to nurse for 6 months (due to health issues and work). With my first child, I was going through the same fears as you, about when my milk was going to come in/would there be enough for the baby/when to feed him. I was told to let the baby be my guide, and not to stress about it since stress can affect the breast milk. It was about 2 weeks before my milk actually came in with him. If your son is gaining weight, and is relatively happy and content after eating, I wouldn't worry about the supply. The body is an amazing thing and will produce as much as the baby needs (although perhaps not all at once). If your doctor is concerned with his weight gain, only then would I consider supplementing.

I was also told after both my sons were born that pumping can be detrimental, however I pumped with my 2nd son because I was back at work as well as the health issues. I did find my supply depleting.

I guess my advice is to let your little guy be your guide. I know that there are people out there that will tell you (as they told me) that you have to get your baby on a schedule right away, and only let him eat for 5 minutes per breast for 2 days, and so forth and so on. The way I see it, babies are human too! Some days you are hungry and some days you aren't. If your baby seems to be eating more, your body will accommodate him! Just put your feet up, hold your baby close to your heart, and cherish these moments because as you well know by having 2 other children, they don't stay little forever!

Good Luck!

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I exclusively pumped for almost 6 months with my son and I can tell you that I had an overabundance of milk and actually had to discard a very large amount because he couldn't drink it all before it went bad in the freezer. I pumped every 4 hours for almost 6 months to keep my supply up. I would try pumping a few times a day and see what happens. You'll know very quickly if it isn't working for you. Good luck!

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I saw some posters recommended/mentioned Fenugreek. I DO NOT recommend this at all. It gave my baby loose bowels which were green (the same color as the herbs in the Fenugreek capsules I was taking). I didn't notice an increase in my milk supply that was worth mentioning.

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I feel your pain. I struggled to produce enough milk and still had to supplement some. I think pumping is a great idea-- here's the trick. You pump AFTER baby eats (immediately after), so the breast gets all the stimulation of the baby, plus a little more demand. It can be a real pain (used to take me 1 1/2 hours every 2 hours to nurse, feed a bottle, and pump) but it can help. Just don't pump as a substitute for feeding.

One thing that really worked for us was to supplement when necessary. That took the pressure off of me spending (no kidding-- 12-14 hours pumping and feeding a day, every day) and still let me breast feed until he was 11 months old. So many women feel like it is either/or, but we did great with BOTH.

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At 9 days old your son will be all over the map with eating. Right now he is regulating your supply. With my daughter (who I was able to breastfed right from the start unlike my preemie son), she sometimes would eat like crazy then the next feeding almost nothing. But she was getting my supply regulated.

You do not want to start pumping at this point. It just confuses the process. Let baby do his thing. Let him regulate your supply this first 6 weeks or so.

Try stroking his cheek to wake him. That worked for my daughter when she would fall asleep or slow down. Put him to the breast at around the 4 hour mark (time from when you started the last feeding not when you finished) You really don't want to go more than 4 hours at this age at night. Put him to breast and you can even massage your breasts a little to stimulate a let-down and get him started.

I also find it interesting that you stopped at 6 weeks and at 3 months. Those are both growth spurt times and I wonder if you maybe misinterpreted your little ones starting to feed like crazy as them not getting enough. During growth spurts they will feed like crazy for up to a week then settle back down. Doesn't mean they aren't getting enough they are just trying to get your body to meet their needs. But lots of people will try to undermine your confidence by telling you you must not have enough milk! And I think it's a terrible thing to tell a new mom! Follow baby's cues and you'll do fine.

Martha Sears has a great, basic breastfeeding book that I highly recommend. Kellymom.com is a great breastfeeding site that answers all kinds of questions that you may have as you go thru this wonderful time with your baby! Can you tell I loved breastfeeding!? :)

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Go to a vitamin store like GNC and get some Fenegreek.
Check it out online.
I used it and it worked for me. My Dr. told me about it.

http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/fenugreek.shtml

This is from the website.
"Fenugreek seeds contain hormone precursors that increase milk supply. Scientists do not know for sure how this happens. Some believe it is possible because breasts are modified sweat glands, and fenugreek stimulates sweat production. It has been found that fenugreek can increase a nursing mother's milk supply within 24 to 72 hours after first taking the herb. Once an adequate level of milk production is reached, most women can discontinue the fenugreek and maintain the milk supply with adequate breast stimulation."

I wish you the best with this.

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I think I may be repeating some of your other advice but here goes.

Early on, it is better to nurse instead of pumping. And don't supplement unless your pediatrician tells you that you have to because he's not gaining weight. Nursing exclusively will do the best job of establishing your supply for the long term.

And your son won't have a schedule yet. My son didn't settle into a nursing schedule until about a month or maybe even 6 weeks. Feed him when he's hungry, and if he wants to sleep 5 hours at night, be thankful! As long as he's having wet and dirty diapers, he's fine.

Also, please don't correlate the lack of a full feeling as a lack of milk. That feeling naturally goes away over time. When you get to that point, don't think that because you don't feel full, you don't have enough milk. That's not true, it's just that your body has become better at regulating your supply.

Also, keep these classic growth spurt times in mind because your baby will naturally increase his feeding during these times: 7-10 days (yes you'rre in one now), 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 9 months. During all of these times, your baby is likely to want to eat constantly and that is totally normal. It does NOT mean that you don't have a good supply! For more info, check out the Kellymom site, which I use as my resource for all things related to breastfeeding (www.kellymom.com). The specific page about growth spurts is here: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html

Finally, - find a le leche league meeting. Don't be intimidated - I was because I was afraid the members might be pushy or judgemental about breastfeeding/not breastfeeding, but it wasn't that way at all. When I finally went to at meeting, I was so glad I did.

Good luck and feel free to ask more questions! You are doing a great thing for your baby but it doesn't always come naturally. I've got a support network of breastfeeding mommas now, and I ask questions constantly. If you don't have a breastfeeding support network physically around you, keep posting to mamapedia or find an online support group for breastfeeding.

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DEFITNETLY pump!!!! that will bring your milk supply down. Not sure what that lactation consultant was talking about. You can rent them from the hosptial to see if its worth buying.

Drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest. Eat the right foods. Craigslist you can get great deals on pumps too!

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Good luck - I hope you're successful this time around, but please don't beat yourself up if your body isn't able to cooperate. The best thing you can do as a mother is try.

I'm not personally a fan of fenugreek - I'm a scientist, and I have yet to see definitive clinical evidence that it has an effect on breastmilk production. With both of my children, I was fortunate to have abundant milk production. I don't consume a lot of fluid throughout the day, but I could produce breast milk like crazy, and it was a very rich consistency. I believe strongly in demand and letting your baby help you regulate your production based upon his needs.

Your body must produce appropriate levels of prolactin in order to be able to lactate. I knew a Nurse Practitioner whose body produced none. She could not nurse despite being able to bear children. There are no medications on the market to help with production of breast milk in situations such as those.

Below is the advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics on their parenting site (they recommend demand feeding to help with production): http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/b...

Here are all of their related links for breast feeding:
http://www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/baby/b...

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Congratulations on your newest little boy! And congrats on wanting the very best for him!

There's a lot to cover here & I don't want to make this too long. I can't encourage you enough to contact your local LLL Leader & to go to a meeting! It would be invaluable to you! Children are always welcome to come too, so you can bring all 3. I know that there's a morning meeting in Macungie (I think the 1st Fri of each month????). One of the Leaders from Lehigh County lives in Pottstown too. I think her email is ____@____.com She's amazing!

Anyway! Your supply is fine. Try to wake him/encourage him to nurse as much as you can, but just let him nurse for as long as he can on 1 side before switching. Always offer the 2nd side when he's done w/ the first though.
It's normal for babies to go through growth spurts around 3 wks, 6 wks, 3 mos & 6 mos. Many women think they have a supply problem at those times (especially since their breasts don't feel as "full" starting around then) but it's perfectly normal!
Pumping won't decrease your supply unless all you're doing is pumping. It's all about supply & demand.--The more that's demanded from your body, the more it will produce. Period. So if you pump & nurse on demand, that's fine. It's more important to nurse than to pump though (if you had to chooose) since your baby will ALWAYS be more effective than a pump.

Don't worry about your supply. WELL over 95% of women world-wide can exclusively breastfeed thier children for at least 6-9 mos w/o problem. So the chances are greatly in your favor. I mean, when you think about it, how would we have survived as a species if we weren't able to do that? Formula's only been around for a few decades & humans have been around for a lot longer than that! The system works because it has to.

YOU CAN DO THIS! Just don't hesitate to call/email a LLL Leader when you run into bumps in the road. It'll be much easier to get over them w/ some help, support & good information!

Congrats again!

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As long as baby is gaining weight and peeing/pooping enough then you are doing fine.
Nursing on demand does work both ways. I know you've tried waking baby up to feed and you're having a hard time (try wiping his face with a cold cloth or undress him and go skin to skin), but when he is awake, if it's been a couple hours and you feel like he should feed again there is no reason you can't offer. Offering your breast to the baby is the best way to increase supply.
My son, who is 3 1/2 months old does exactly what your son is doing. He nurses pretty well during the day and then sleeps for 4 or 5 hours at night. This isn't a bad thing, it means you're well rested and baby is likely getting enough to eat.
As far as pumping goes, if you are pumping make sure you put the milk away (freeze it). Don't use it to feed, offer your breast instead. The lactation consultant was right, pumping will hurt your supply over time if you use it to feed instead of offering the breast. Don't skip feedings to pump, do both! But if you're feeding regularly, pumping too and storing the milk, you will help increase your supply. But please, whatever you do, don't use what you are able to get via pump as a guide for what your baby gets! Your baby is much much better at getting milk from you than any machine will ever be able to do.
Just nurse as much as you can during the day. Offering every 2 hours is not a bad thing, especially with just a tiny infant. But again, your best guide as to whether or not baby is getting enough is his weight and wet/dirty diapers!
Hope that helps! Good luck!

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Hi, Steph:

Consult your local breast feeding consultant with La Leche League at:

www.llli.org

Hope this helps. Good luck. D.

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I know some of the mamas will probably boo on me saying this but I heard beer is good to help increase the milk supply. I know anithistamines and decongestants are not food. I would contact a lactation consultant and see what they say. I know you need to drink lots of liquids like water also to keep up the supply. Good luck

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I had a heck of a time with my milk coming in. With my first, it took 5 days; with my 2d, it took 9 weeks....I kid you not. It was a very frustrating 9 weeks for me, but then, finally, everything came together and my son and I had an amazing nursing relationship for almost 2 years. (He weaned himself 2 weeks before his 2nd birthday.)

Best money I ever spent, both times, was on a lactation consultant. She was worth her weight in gold. I highly suggest hiring one.

I also had an advisor from the Nursing Mothers Advisory Council. She was great, but I could not have done it the 2nd time around without the lactation consultant. La Leche League also may be a good source.

I tried Fenugreek...it did nothing for me. I also tried something else...forget the name...where the side effect is lactation...but no luck. I pumped constantly (as I was told to do...to stimulate) and I also used this contraption that adoptive mothers can use where the liquid comes through a little tube.

I am pretty mainstream when it comes to medical things, but I ended up going to an acupuncturist, for the first and only time in my life. I went only once. My milk started flowing. I CANNOT say it was because of this...it may have been more a timing issue with things going on around me... I was ready to go to a hypnotist whom I had heard about, 2 hours away, who had worked with nursing moms! I never needed to go that route.

Good luck and congratulations!

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