Not Producing Enough Milk for 3 Week Old Infant- Supplement?

Please please, if you want to exclusively breastfeed your baby,do NOT supplement with formula!! Breast milk is produced on a supply and demand basis and by adding formula to the diet you are undermining your efforts because you are cutting back on the DEMAND for breastmilk which then cuts back on the DEMAND!!! If your baby is gaining weight then just keep nursing him on demand, I nursed my oldest daughter every 2 hours, around the clock for quite a long time because she was a large baby at birth ( 9 lbs 12 oz) and simply needed a LOT of breastmilk! Does the hospital where you gave birth have a nursing clinic that you can take advantage of ? If they do, their nurses are very knowledgable about breastfeeding and can be a source of excellent advice to you. Or look into a La Leche league in your area, they have regular meetings and the other Moms can be a great support and encouragement to you.

5 moms found this helpful

I'm not sure why you think your supply is low. They have growth spurts, you just feed them more often, and your supply then just increases to keep up with the demand. Then, after the growth spurt is over with, as the baby stops needing as much, your supply will decrease. Just feed ON DEMAND and nature will take care of everything, you don't even need to worry about how many oz he is getting!

Adding formula will only screw things up.

3 moms found this helpful

Please listen to KansasMom! She is on the money. Baby is working to regulate your supply at this point and by introducing formula you are throwing a wrench in baby's efforts. When my second was nursing in those first few weeks she was all over the place. Sometimes eating like she couldn't get enough then just taking a bit at some feedings. I figured out that she was in fact regulating my supply. I let her do her thing (***ON DEMAND-you never, never, never hold off a breastfed baby!***) and we went on to successfully breastfeed for 20 months.

Bottle feeding is easier for baby-takes less work-so no problem sucking down another 2 ounces.

You don't need to be pumping between feedings right now either. Let baby do his thing and your milk will be there. Very, very few nursing moms don't have what baby needs.

The best advice I can give you is to be confident in your ability to feed your baby and learn absolutely as much as you can about breastfeeding! It is not anything like bottle feeding. Baby's reactions and needs are totally different.

3 moms found this helpful

ok there is a couple of things you could try or just need to know.

1. The stimulation(demand) you place on your body is what tells your body how much to make.
2. it takes 48 hours after the demand before your body compensates.
3. Medications and foods can help or hurt your production (sage=bad Birth controll= bad Fenugreek/Mothers milk Tea good)

I have breast fed 3 children until they were 12 months old each. (some nursed and some I had to pump and bottle feed)
The way I did
In the 1st month, I fed or pumped everytime the baby was hungrey (every 2 hours from the start of the feeding- yes lots of wok but worth it)

If I am pumping and feeding - once I know I have the supply the baby needs(even a little extra) I pump every 3 hours , except at night.

If the baby is nursing I feed him on each side for 10-15 if he does not eat for the full 10-15 min on one side then right after feeding I pump for 10 min on each side with a double electric pump.

Ok on to my suggestions for you:

If you are feeding him directly then when he is hungrey do as you are feed him. If he has nursed on both sides for 10-15 min and is still hungry then give him what he needs then pump for another 10 min on both sides right after he nurses. You might want to get friends or family to help you just for a couple of days so they can give him those extra ounzes, or what ever is needed while you pump,

You can weigh him before and after each feeding to see how much he is eating. If you do not have a baby scale, weight your self then get the baby ans subtract.

Keep your self well hydrated, keep in mind you need 8 8oz glasses per day normally and now you need to add what you are removing as well.
Eat pleanty of well balence calories (need 300 to 500 more per day)

Take fenugreek (this is a herbal supliment that helps you produce)
Drink Mothers milk tea
NO STRESS!!!! LOTS OF REST!!!!!

ok I am almost done, now the most important thing, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB ALREADY, you know what he needs and that is all that matters you do what you think is best for him, you and your family.
Keep up the good work and if you need anything do not hesitate to email me!

Keep it up

2 moms found this helpful

Three weeks is a common time for a growth spurt, which often makes a mom feel like her supply is low. Babies just need to be fed a little more often during these times, which should really not last very long (a few days at most). If you have been breastfeeding on demand your supply should have caught up with the baby's demand by then. The trouble with supplementing during a growth spurt (although very tempting) is that if the increased demand of the baby is provided from an outside source (like formula), your body will not increase milk production like it should. And when the growth spurt is over, the baby should be getting more milk at each feeding to accommodate his bigger body, but if you were not properly stimulated to make that extra milk, you will continue to be behind baby's demand, creating a never-ending cycle of supplementing. It is not that you are not able to produce enough, you just haven't caught up yet. Nurse on demand, which will probably be very frequently right now. And it is okay to feed on one side, the other, and then go back to the first again if he is still hungry. I know you think it is completely empty, but babies are pretty good at pulling out a little bit more each time, I would often have another let down if I had to go back to the first side again. kellymom.com is a great resource, and here is a link to a brief article about nursing through a growth spurt. If you continue to have concerns look into seeing a lactation consultant or attending a Le Leche League meeting. Good Luck and have confidence in your body!
http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/breastfeedingbystage/a/...

2 moms found this helpful

If your goal is to exclusively breastfeed, then follow this rule:

It's supply and demand--the more you let him nurse, the more milk you'll make. So, stop supplementing (and expect for about 24-48 hours that he'll seem to nurse non-stop!).

I second the suggestions for drinking lots of water (stay away from caffeine, etc.-- drink water). Get lots of sleep (even above every thing else besides food for you, nursing, and basic necessities like going to the bathroom & showering) -- sleep helps a lot to give your body the reserves it needs.

Let him nurse as much as he wants to. And make sure that he is nursing long enough on each side to get the "hindmilk". The "foremilk" which is what comes out first is more "sugary" and designed to whet the baby's appetite, but the hindmilk has more fat and will help the baby feel fuller. So, nurse one side until he has emptied it (my breasts always seemed sort of "deflated" LOL after a good nursing session).

You can also help build milk supply by making sure to nurse on both sides. So, for example, nurse the right side fully, then nurse the left side. On the next session, start with the left, nurse fully, then go to the right. That way both breasts are stimulated to make milk. If you are afraid that switching will cause him not to get the hindmilk, then pump the side he's not nursing on while he's nursing or just after. Then switch sides. But him nursing will do a 100% better job of stimulating milk production than a pump.

All that being said, it's possibly he's going through a growth spurt.

2 moms found this helpful

I struggled in the beginning with nursing too. The information within this kellymom article saved me from a lot of unnecessary stress.

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html

2 moms found this helpful

if you want to breastfeed long term and dont necessarily want him to supplement if not needed, STOP supplementing. you are confusing your body. everytime he needs to "up" the amount, your body wont really know until he sucks and sucks and sucks. by you feeding him, your body thinks "great, i fulfilled him, good job". then you go and feed him the 2 ounces. next time, you will feed him 3 ounces, and on and on. the only way your body will ever know to make more milk, is for him to suck longer than he used to. also, when you say, hold him off, i would say put him on there. let him suck, whether something comes out of not. the only way to make more milk is by letting your body know he needs more.

if you really want to protect your milk, stop pumping between. feed you baby, and even when you think you are empty, keep him on there. then after you are done nursing(whether he is satisfied or not), immediately start pumping. remember, when you pump, it is not always an indicator of having that amount of milk. when you pump out 4 oz, you may have nursed the baby giving him 6 oz. the baby always gets more out of you. so you pump after, both breasts. and each feeding keep him on even if you think you are empty. if you do this, you should increase your milk because you are telling your body that you need more.

the pumpings in between could def have an impact on your supply by feeding. your body is thinking that milk went to the baby in a 24 hour period, but by you removing it from your breast via pump, that milk isnt there for the feeding.

i swear to you, as long as you dont have any medical issues involved, that if you stop supplementing, your baby wont starve and your milk will increase right away. another option is to get his feedings a little closer together. not sure how far apart he is eating, but if you sometimes pump, you need to get that normal pumping time inside his tummy, not the fridge, so you may need to add a feeding or two during 24 hours.

i really hope this helps. from your post, it sounds like you want to be able to just nurse him, and it sounds like you havent any real problems doing so(which can sometimes deters moms from continuing). i am sure if you just maybe take 3 or 4 days, and adjust times and pump a few minutes after, you will have no problems and can get off the supplementing. good luck to you.

2 moms found this helpful

My advice for you would be to stop pumping and supplementing. Then nurse/nurse/nurse! What you are experiencing is normal for a newborn. They feed this much because they are working on upping/regulating your supply. Personally I would nurse every time your child looks hungry. Do not hold off "waiting to replenish". That is a false assumption, since your body will only produce when it receives enough stimulation. It is normal for newborn to nurse every 2 hours or even more frequently during growth spurts. You CANNOT overfeed a breastfed baby! Always feed on demand.
The supplementing can mess with your milk suuply and you will end up with low supply, which it doesn't sound like you have low supply now.
Contact a lactation consultant or La Leche League in your area...
Good luck and enjoy!

2 moms found this helpful

I wouldn't give formula unless you have to. You milk supply is like supply and demand. If you keep your baby on the boob, your body will adjust and learn how much to produce. Just keep on nursing! :)

1 mom found this helpful

I did the same thing, right when my daughter was born. I was supplementing several ounces of formula a day for her. i thought it was great, that she went between bottle and breast without a problem, and I plan on doing it this time around as well.

one thing i did to help encourage my supply was to drink 20 oz of water EVERY TIME i nursed. Since she was nursing about every 2-3 hours, i made sure that I wasn't feeling dehydrated and after about a week or so, I did notice a difference in my milk supply.

1 mom found this helpful

Just in case no one told you, here are the sizes of stomachs at different ages:

Newborn - marble
3 day old - shooter marble
10 day old - ping pong ball

This is why so many babies are on Zantac for "acid reflux" - many (not all) are feeling thier babies WAY too much....so it has to go somewhere. 2oz is PLENTY for a 3 week old.

I took Mammary PMG to regulate my milk, since I had WAY too much. My friend didn't have enough and she took Mammary PMG, and her milk supply skyrocketted.

Remember demand and supply.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

You already have received a lot of GREAT advice. I just wanted to add that I have struggled breastfeeding my previous 2 children. I was only able to BF the first baby for 6 wks, and the second baby for 3 months. I am now on baby #3 who is 2 mos old and we are doing WONDERFULLY breastfeeding. In my opinion, I wasn't drinking enough! I drink about a gallon of lemonade (I just can't stomach that much plain water!) every day. I have my own gallon jug in the fridge. It helps me measure how much I am drinking every day. I have also limited myself to 1 cup of coffee OR 1 can of soda each day. I can definitely notice a decrease in my supply if I indulge in too much coffee or soda, or don't finish my gallon. You have to drink enough to satisfy your body + enough for your body to produce milk for your baby. It's like drinking twice as much as normal. Your body's natural instinct is to preserve itself, so if you start to dehydrate your milk supply will be the first to go.

Good luck to you. I know how hard breastfeeding can be....do your best to stick with it! =)

1 mom found this helpful

Well to me it doesn't really sound like your not producing enough milk. I mean almost all infants that are breast fed eat round the clock. You really can't start a solid eating schedule with him this young. With both my babies I just fed them on demand. It's the best way to keep them healthy, happy and for you to keep your milk supply good. I remember some days nursing my babies like every hour to hour and a half. I always had tons and tons of milk but when babies are little like that they eat all the time. If you want to breast feed only stop giving your baby formula and just nurse as much as he wants. As he gets older he will go longer between feedings. But right now nurse, nurse, nurse.

1 mom found this helpful

~Nurse on DEMAND! Let him use you for a pacifier as that will tell your body to make more milk.

~Drink WATER! Skip any soda, coffee, and sugared beverages for now. WATER, WATER, WATER

~Stop supplementing. If you plan or want to exclusively breastfeed, any other food forms will mess with your supply. I exclusively bf our son for 9 months before he had ANYTHING else (baby food, cereal, etc.).

~Don't hold him off. If he wants to nurse or seems hungry, latch him on and let him suck. It is his way of telling your body how much he needs.

~If you are going to pump, do it directly after a feeding. If you do it in between feedings you will have less milk for your baby when he wants to eat. OR if you are engorged, then pump a little too. I only nursed on one side at a feeding so you could do that and then pump on the other side as your baby is nursing. That way you will have the stimulation and let down you need to get some milk. Pumping is hard. Sometimes you don't get much out because it is not the same as a baby latching on.

GOOD LUCK!

1 mom found this helpful

if you supplement, your breasts will never get the message that you need more milk. i get that yer in a tough spot, but if you can tough it out for 3-4 days, thats all it will take for your breasts to up their production!!:)
drink TONS and eat even more. it is AAALL being used up so dont worry. breastfeeding burns even more calories than being pregnant so the weight is not an issue. eat and drink as much as you want , whenever you want. i woudl wake up in the middle of the night so hungry i would eat all the leftovers. my mum got to the point where she would just make an extra dinner and leave it for my "2am feed"!!!:)
hang in there...your boobs WILL get the message. drop the supplement...this is what your body was made to do mama:)

1 mom found this helpful

Make sure you're drinking LOTS of water while nursing, it'll help.

C., one important thing is to make sure that you empty the breasts completely of milk. That is the only way you will be able to maintain a good milk supply. The body will decrease milk production if the breast is not emptied completely. The law of supply and demand? When breast feeding, it's important to let the baby nurse when he wants to. Normally, it's every two hours. Make sure you clean and dry your nipples very well after nursing so that you don't end up getting sore nipples. That can cause you to quit nursing way before you really want to. I was unsuccessful trying to nurse my first three children for more than a couple of weeks because I didn't have anyone to give me any support and tips on how to do it. I joined the La Leche League with my last baby, and they were so helpful with information and encouragement. Here is a link to a page that helps you find a group in your area. http://www.lllusa.org/groups.php Back in the 70's, there was no internet, so the support was all telephone help. I could call any of the other nursing mothers for help and information. Hope this is helpful for you. Keep on nursing your baby - it's best for him and you! God bless!

I think you might be undermining yourself. Your breasts are supply & demand. If you supply somewhere else, your breasts will not produce as much because there is no 'demand' perceived.

Don't supplement. (ESPECIALLY since he's gaining weight.) Your boobs will always catch up to demand, no worries.

I was never a good pumper, but since I worked I tried. I found that my best pumping was first thing in the morning, WHILE he was latched on the other breast.

These 2 books were GREAT:

"So That's What They're For" [I particularly loved the humor of this one], and I always get this next one backwards, but it's either: "Nursing Mother, Working Mother" or "Working Mother, Nursing Mother")

So much good luck to you!

I was worried about my milk supply with both of my kids even though I didn't have any problems. When my son was a newborn, he had a huge appetite. He was over 9 pounds at birth and it took a lot of milk to sustain such a big baby. I started doing what you're doing- pumping between feedings. He was eating every 2-3 hours and I'd try to pump between them. My lactation consultant told me that if I pump too much, I wouldn't be getting enough during his actual feedings. So, once I stopped, he started getting enough during his feedings. If you stop pumping (for now), he'll probably get that extra 2 ounces or so to put him into a "milk coma."

I'd hold off on pumping until he is old enough to go longer periods without eating- to keep your milk supply up. Like, once my kids started sleeping through the night, I started pumping around 11 when I go to bed.

Great advice from the other moms! They forgot to mention one important factor... your baby may have a huge, instinctive need to suck!
There is nothing wrong with giving him a pacifier and letting him fall asleep once his sucking needs are satisfied.
Reality - the average baby only needs to nurse for 5 minutes to get all of the milk they need at a feeding. I found this out when that was all my second daughter was nursing, as she wanted to eat and move on and see what her older sister was up to!(life hasn't changed much!... she is still a fast eater is is always seeing what everyone else is doing around her! haha) She was also my chubbiest baby!!

Don't stress out about it, as it will decrease your milk supply!
Keep ice water next to you ALL day long, so you are constantly drinking it, as it will replenish your milk supply.

Enjoy!

Are you eating enough food and drinking enough water? With my first, I was having problems with not enough milk and then started drinking 16 oz of water every time he breastfed. That seemed to take care of the problem. A good formula on how much WATER, not soft drinks or coffee, to drink is to take your weight and divide it in half and drink that much water. If you weigh 100 lbs, you should drink 50 oz per day. Also stop pumping in between feedings. Don't pump unless he is completely satisfied for a day or two.

My son also went through growing spurts about once a week. He would eat more often on those days to bring in more milk. If you are giving him formula on those days, you are not making more milk to keep up with his demand.

If your child is hungry, FEED him! It is true that if you put him to the breast more often, your supply will go up but in the meantime he is a growing baby who needs to eat. Obviously nurse first and have it be the primary source of nutrition. But think of it this way: you wouldn't ever dream of withholding food from your child, so if he is hungry and your tap's run dry then by all means, supplement. People will INSIST that you don't use formula etc., but the goal here is to make sure that your child is fed and nourished and not going hungry, not to be able to say "Hey, I'm the best breastfeeder on the planet and that's the ONLY thing my son's going to get."

Herbs that will help increase your milk supply are fennel, marshmallow, and nettles. Chamomile and catnip would be a good addition for baby's digestion (and yours too). Drink as a tea.
Congratulations on your new miracle :)

Went though some of this with my first, and just finished a breast feeding class. Supplementing will effect your supply. If he's gaining weight, I'd just try to get through this time with some extra feedings and a somewhat hungry baby until your body catches up. Its so much easier to top them off, but it will do nothing to establish a good milk supply and you are still in a time where this is critical. For myself I can say supplimeting is one of the things that lead to my ultimate failure to breastfeeding my first. I'm committed to not even have formula it in the house when I bring my second home. Its hard, but he's probably in a growth spurt, stick it out and your body will respond. Supplement and you're are going down a road that could lead you to through in the towel at breast feeding.

I personally think a lot of people think they aren't producing enough, then start supplementing and then really end up not producing enough because they are supplementing when they were really fine all along.
If he's gaining weight fine, my two cents, you're producing enough...
-M

Have you looked into a product called "Mother's Milk" that you can buy at health food stores like Whole Foods? It is a tincture that helps you produce more milk. Also, make sure you are eating enough food and drinking enough water.

My little guy really loved being on a schedule - just his personality (and it worked well for mama too!). Until he was 2 weeks ok, I fed him every 3 hours and he never went hungry - at his 2 week checkup he'd gone from 9lbs to 11.5lbs. After that I followed the Gina Ford "Contented Baby" routine and he thrived; he's always been in the 90+% for weight, height, etc, but he did start off big :) Gina Ford isn't for everyone but you might want to check out her book at the libray.

One piece of advice of her's that I did pass on to bf-ing friends that always seemed to help them out; just before the 7am feed, I'd pump 2-3 oz from one breast, then feed from that breast and switch to the other. That way he got to the hind milk (which is fattier and what helps babies to gain weight) and after he drained that breast we'd go to the other, which he'd typically drain. I did drink lots and lots of water, especially while I was feeding - it seemed to help keep the supply up.

I hope this helps a bit! Good luck!! BF as much and as long as you can; its good for both of you (I've heard you can burn about 500 calories a day bf-ing, which was really helpful for me dropping the pregnancy weight) :)

I expressed milk since my baby was born as I can't stand the pain of breastfeeding due to the shape of my nipples. Nothing can help. But, so far, after 2 babies, I used expressed milk exclusively without supplements of formula.

When you are trying to increase your milk supply by pumping, you need to pump right after the breastfeeding with your baby. There may not have anything come out, but, this is the reason why you need to pump that time, you are sending the signals to the brain that you do not have enough milk. The breasts are drained. But, don't do between the feeds (if you want exclusively breastfeeding your baby). Also, give sometimes to your body, it needs like few days or a week to increase. My experience, it will take like around 4-5 days to increase 1 oz. Keep eating and drinking. You will see the supply increased.

I have a 7 week old daughter whom I am breastfeeding. Make sure you drink LOTS of water. You have to keep hydrated. Also, when I was in the hospital, the nurse told me to feed the baby then pump after she was done. I think that will help you produce more.
Good luck.

this is my old list from when i was bfing..i made it to help other mothers..here u go..i hope it helps you :)

1. rent a hospital grade pump..Medela Classic is what i'm using..it's
$3 a day and totally worth it! OR better yet buy one off ebay and
when you're done you can re-sell it on ebay and get your money back.
i bought one and it works great..the medela classic is supposed to be
the best pump out there.
2. get the Easy Expression bra www.easyexpressionproducts.com it
holds both cups over you bb's and it's better to pump 2 at a time
3. eat oatmeal ....get the healthy kind i add bananas also i would
think pasta would be good b/c it retains water
4. Take "Lactation Supplement" by Gaia Herbs you can find it at the
health food store
5. try to pump at the same time every day...also try power pumping..
10 minutes pumping..then stop for 10 then 10 again and then stop and
so on. even pump if you aren't getting anything.
6. Make sure the white membrane thingies that attach onto the cups
are fairly new ..over used ones affect how much milk you get
7. Drink lots of fluids including Nursing Mom's tea or Mother's Milk
tea or the tea i prefer is www.breastea.com ..also drinks with
electrolytes like Recharge...Smart Water...Gatorade i notice on days
i drink a lot of fluids i have more milk
8. Eat barley..Barley Grass supplements are great. also..they have
barley bread at Trader Joe's if you have a Trader Joe's where you
live..or just buy barley. I buy a delicious barley tea at the
japanese market and i drink a couple of cups a day..it's decaf and
yummy.
i also drink Healthy Mom's drinks by Ensure
9.A warm wash cloth helps too ..apply to breasts before pumping or
try the breast heating pads that you heat up in the microwave.
10. Keep taking your prenatal vitamin..not getting a lot of milk
could mean a vitamin deficiency
even if you pump just a little ..save what you get and start adding
them together and then supplement with the milk that you pump..that's
why it's also good to pump after they've gone to sleep..then you help
build your supply and you also have more bb milk for baby..
11. nurse nurse nurse..triple up on nursing..you're going to have to
dedicate a week to it
the more you pump the more milk you'll begin to make.
12. LOTS OF REST..nap if you can ..milk builds when you rest
13. DHA supplements also are great for lactation..also found at the
health food store*
14. Alfalfa supplements are also great.
i think that's it..
15. Try a whey protein powder drink.. i use "Whey to Go" by
Solgar..you mix it with milk add some berries and a banana. it says
to check with your doc before using if you're bfing..so ask your
doc..i only drink one a day and i add a some Motherlove's "More Milk
Plus" to it.
16. Again you should double pump when you're pumping so make sure you
get the bra to make it easier on you!
17. Goat's Rue herb is also supposed to help boost
honestly drink LOTS of liquids
keep yourself moist ...don't take any birth control pills.
18. there is also this stuff called Motilium aka DOM a lot of mom's
use this ..it's for reflux but it builds up your supply.. you can
read about it on Kellymom.com http://www.kellymom.com/newman/19a-
domperidone1.html
and you can buy it here... http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/general/
motilium.html