Solid Food and Milk Production

I recently had the same trouble with my milk production. I spoke with a lactation consultant and she told me to but a herbal supplement called FENUGREEK. Taken once or twice a day can double your milk supply within a week or two! When it comes to the 1st foods thing... trying the same food many different times is the only way I was able to get my girls to eat green veggies. Someone once told me that it may take up to ten different times of trying to feed it to them before they like it. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

Hi S., I nursed all four of my children till they were over a year old. The secret to having more milk is to have the baby nurse more or you can pump more. As the baby grows they help your milk supply meet their needs by nursing more. About ever two months they have a growing period of a few days were all they want to do is nurse. Thats because they are helping you meet their need. My children never had solid food till they were about 6 months old. I think it wonderful to hear about a mother that works and still wants to nurse. Hang in there. It's the best thing for your baby if your able to nurse.
Lots of Luck
B. S.

first, i'd like to say it's awesome that you are dedicated to breastfeeding and pumping. o.k. it sounds like your little one is telling you she is not ready for solids. follow her lead. breastmilk is all a baby needs the first 6 months of life and then solids should only supplement that. filling her up with empty calories (rice cereal) will not be beneficial to her. baby's digestive system is not ready to handle solids so young. i definitely would not give her a sippy cup yet. like other mommas said just continuing nursing her when she wants it- supply and demand will increase your milk supply. supplementing will decrease it. also, given that you work she may be craving more contact from you. my dd is 7 months and still wakes to nurse about 3 times a night. also, from everything i've heard from other mom's they always pumped less then when their babies nursed. sorry i'm all over the place. good luck with everything!

I'd try two fenugreek tablets three times a day. Pump every three hours. Drink lots of water, and make sure you're getting enough calories. This helped me.
I think formula is better than cereal for nutritional needs at four months.

If you goal is to produce more breastmilk than feeding your child solids is actually counter productive for this. She needs to nurse more to help your body produce more. Try checking out www.kellymom.com for some great info about breastfeeding and when to start solids. You could also try contacting your local LLL.

I would try fenugreek tablets- you can get them just about anywhere to increase your milk supply. I had to use them with my daughter who is now six years old. It really helped. I have also heard fennel seed- but have not tried it. They also sell tea called mother's milk tea- with all of these in it- it worked as well. As far as the cereal goes- that is the worst thing you can give her. Breast-fed babies cannot absorb the iron that is in it- because it is a different type of iron than that is found in breast-milk. I would also suggest not giving her any solids till- at least 6-7 months old. Because she is breast-fed - she just doesn't need it. With my third child- we never gave her baby cereal and did not start her on vegetables- till she was about 7- 7 1/2 months old. I hope this information helps. K.- Mother of three soon to be mother of four- Due May 3rd.

Sounds to me like it is time to start adding rice cereal to the "milk" after a few weeks you can go on to add something else like oatmeal. Drink more water (I prefer tea), pump at work several times. Supply and demand have a lot to do with drying up.

This is the natural flow of nature and life.

P. R

My question for you is what type of breast pump are you using. I had a good double pumping electric pump. I got plenty of milk but I started out by pumping 15 minutes after each feeding in the hospital until about 8 weeks old to help build supply. The best way to build supply is to feed and pump more often and use a good pump. I also had a times about 6 weeks and 13 weeks old where I thought I was losing my milk. I ended up going to the doctor and my thyroid was no longer working. I got put on thyroid medicine and was able to keep up again.

I also had access to a great Lactation Consultant. She has a website and you may get some tips there. http://www.thebreastfeedingcenter.com/ Look under favoite links.
(I breastfeed twin boys until they were 18 months old and I was working 32 hours a week.) I did mostly breast milk. I think my sitter may have fed them one bottle of formula a day. Don't push food if your little one is not interested or protesting. You don't need food to be a fight this early... it is an ongoing fight and no worth the stress at this point I think. Any breast milk you can feed is good. Don't completely count out formula. It may take the stress off of you and your milk production may pick up.

Good luck

Hi S.,
I just wanted to say that you are doing a fantastic job, it is wonderful that you are pumping milk for them to feed her at daycare. So many mothers would just send formula and I really want to applaud you for not doing that.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that if your intention is to increase your milk supply then you want to wait awhile longer to start adding solid food as that will definitely have a detrimental effect on your milk supply. Remember, anything that you feed her at this point in her life is replacing a superior food with an inferior one. There is nothing you can give her that will even come close from a nutritional standpoint to your milk. The fact that she is in daycare makes it even more important that she get as much of your milk as possible, it will help keep her healthy even tho she is exposed to "daycare syndrome". To put it simply, she needs your milk more than she needs solid food.
You are right about pumping, it does not produce as much milk as when your baby nurses. They have never created a pump that works as well as a baby! It might help to let the baby nurse on one side while you pump on the other. Sometimes when your milk lets down you may be able to practically fill a bottle.
My advice would be to postpone the solid food and wait until she is about 6 months old to start it again. You are giving your baby the most wonderful, important gift that you could possibly give her. The more breast milk you can encourage her to drink, the better.
About the night feedings, you know by now that every baby is different and comparing her to her brother will show you that. It is interesting how two children from the same set of parents can be so very different.
Also you mention that she "gets up" a few times at night. If it is interfering with your sleep have your tried just tucking her in bed with you at night? I did that with all four of mine and it was certainly condusive to lots of sleep and an increased milk supply. You can let your daughter nurse as much as she wants and you can sleep as much as you want! The end result is that your milk supply will increase and you will not have to "get up" with your baby at night. If you are away from Leilani during the day this would give her some precious time with you at night without sacrificing your sleep. Just something to think about, it really worked for me.
Take care and again, kudos for the wonderful job that you are doing by breastfeeding your little one!
Love and Blessings
P.

I swear by "mother's milk tea." Mine came from GNC I believe, CVS carries it as well. Also, if you can get a quiet weekend lay and bed with your baby and nurse her as much as she will let you. It sounds kind of funny but my lactacian consultant told me to do it, and within days my production was back up! Your body produces milk proportional to your babies needs. The latch of a machine is different, and your body "knows" it. My little girl will be one next week and because of our "weekend getaways" about once a month she's still exclusively breastfed.

I too work full time for a local non profit :)

S.,
If you want to continue to nurse her you might try to pump after she nurses. It may only give you an ounce or two but this will tell your body to make a little more.(I tried it with both my kids and it works).Plus those extra bits of milk can be used to add to her cereal at home so you don't waste your stash. As far as the eating food, she'll eventually eat more and more given time, remember this is all new to her. 4 months is a liitle early for the sippy, just keep offering her the food.
Good Luck!!
R.

Hi S.,
I'm sorry if I repeat any responses already posted. (I didn't have time to read them all.)

6 ozs every 2-3 hours *is* a lot for a 4 month old baby. You generally want to be able to provide 1-1.5 oz/hour you are seperated from her. She might be taking this much from a bottle, as most botle-fed babies do, to satisfy her need to suck. I would ask her childcare provider to offer smaller bottles and see if that satisfies her.

I don't know how often you pump, but the average amount any woman pumps is 2oz/session, from both breasts combined, so you are probably pumping pretty well. If you want/need to increase your output you can 1) try eating oatmeal everyday 2) do breast compressions while pumping and 3) drink enough water so your urine is pale yellow. There are other things you can do as well, but these seem to work pretty well. Let me know if you're interested in additional ideas. :)

Re: your reduced pump output- that is your body adjusting to your baby's needs. Most every woman will experience a decrease in pump output after the first few days/weeks.

One thought on adding solids to your baby's diet- ANY solid intake will decrease your production by some amount. And honestly, a baby's entire nutritional intake should not include solids of any sort until they are *at least* 6 months old.

Congrats on your decision to breastfeed!

sounds like your baby is definitely ready for cereal. It might be a little soon to try baby food, although I do know of some who have started baby food that early. If you want to try baby food, you might try the jared cereal as it is a heavier consistency than the cereal you mix. Also, use breast milk to mix up the cereal.

Don't give up on the food. Did you try mixing the cereal with breast milk?

I had the same problem with milk production and the pump. My oldest 3 kids had to have formula because of it. With my last child, I would pump one breast while he nursed on the other breast first feeding in the morning. He was satisfied with the one breast. I then could combine the milk from 2 different pumpings into one for the additional bottle we needed. If you feed before you go to work, maybe you could try the same thing.
Who is feeding her the solids? If it is you, she may not take it from you because she wants to nurse. She likes the time with you. Some babies won't take a bottle of anything from their mom because why take a substitute when you can have the real mccoy?
R.

Hi S.!
My suggestion is to make sure you are drinking enough good old water, and stay away from to much soda and tea. I know when we go back to work we can get caught up in the daily tasks of our job and not drink enough. Be sure to pump at regular times and maybe a little more often to increase the milk supply. It's all about supply and demand. When I was a young mother, I thought I could not nurse my first daughter because I didn't produce enough milk. I then learned that it was all about supply and demand. Just keep up the good work and remember how much better the "momma' made milk" is for the little one. :)
Good Luck!!

You will never pump as much milk as you do when you breastfeed. A lactation cousultant told me it could be as much as 50% less. There are various reasons why your milk production could drop off such as stress or illness. When I was working with my first child I could literally see my milk production drop signifacantly thoughout the week. Come the weekend my milk production would increase. Also, try renting a hospital grade pump for the week. I had a problem with my milk suddenly dropping off with my second son after renting second pump I found out it was my pump. Good luck.

Hi S.. As for breastfeeding, it's like the good old supply and demand thing. The more milk is that is emptied from the breast, the more milk will be produced. Allowing night time nursing is wonderful for this especially when you are working outside the home and can't get in extra nursing sessions during the day. If you can increase the times per day that you can pump, this too should help. It will take a few days to start to see an increase in your milk production so try not to get disheartened at first.

Also, my son is 6 1/2 months old and still nurses about 2-3 times per night.

Good Luck!

There are so many things going on here that it is difficult to respond. I am an experienced mother and have nursed all three of my children (now ages 14, 9 and 2). I was back at work after three months with my first and lucky enough to stay home with my two boys. I found la leche league REALLY helpful in supporting my breastfeeding efforts. They are all nursing moms who believe that breastfeeding is best, as much as you possibly can! AND they have decades of experience to offer. In lieu of contacting your local La Leche League leader, I'll share some of what I've learned.
1. Every child is different, they all have their own needs and wants and even nursing styles
2. As time progresses, your milk changes. As a child ages, our miraculous bodies know EXACTLY what to produce for our children
3. Stress makes being away from your little one and pumping less and less successful. Relax and trust that you are doing the right thing...
4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, eat nutritiously...just as if you were with your little one full time, this will make pumping much easier and more successful
5. Your baby knows a lot more than you think she does, if she wants to nurse, she needs to nurse. Little ones require the closeness of human contact to develop properly both physically and emotionally. If you are adding solids early...don't forget to do extra cuddling! AND, don't forget that your body is producing EXACTLY what her nutritional needs are.
6. Again, infants, especially in the first 6 months...NEED human contact and the satisfaction of sucking...it is important for everything...
7. YOU CAN DO THIS! If you are determined that breast feeding is best, then, work to adjust your routines when you are with her to make that happen...she LOVES YOU and NEEDS YOU...so, if you are a working mom, expect to spend a lot of time when you are with your little one, breast feeding. Maybe even more often at night...it's not just about the nutrition, it's about human skin-to-skin contact, it helps her brain develop, it meets her emotional needs...yes, emotional...that's important for a healthy baby too!
8. MOST OF ALL, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS! Appreciate this time, it will pass quickly (as you already know since you have an older child). She won't be this small or need you this much forever, allow some other, less important things, to go and spend as much of your non-working time with your little one as possible..before you know it you'll be potty training!

Hope this was helpful. Good luck in your efforts, you'll have a healthy baby and it will all work out!

ok, so some people are not going to be happy with what i am going to say, but they'll get over it. i started my now 3 year old on solids when she was 3.5 months, i breastfed her as well until she weaned herself at around 4.5-5 months old 10 bites is good, she should only go through about half a stage 1 jar and that equals about 10 spoonfuls. if she didn't like the rice, did you mix it with breast milk? cause BM is sweeter than formula, or you could try oatmeal. but at 3.5 mths. my little one still got up 2-3 times a night to eat.

Hi S.,
I agree totally with the drinking more water. I had one more thought though. Is there any way that you could see your baby during the day to get one nursing in. I don't know if it's close enough for a lunch break for you. Or if your schedule is flexible enough to schedule meetings near there, etc. Or is there someone that could bring her to you. It is so wonderful for them and for you to nurse her when she's a little older too so if you could try to move through this heavy nursing stage with one stop during the day. Just a thought. I affirm you for this. I know that the pumping is really difficult. The best to you.
J.

i had the same prob so my dr put me on reglan to increase milk. it worked in 2 weeks. if she isn't getting the right amount then supplement w/ some formula. they need those nurtients for AT LEAST the first year of life. giving food isn't going to give her what she really needs at this point. the baby food is to merely teach them how to eat, practice foods. so i suggest either fenugreek or call your dr for reglan. i know how frustrating it can be. and they constantly go through growth spurts when they need even more breastmilk.

I have a four month old son who we have recently started on rice cereal as well (not because of a lack of milk however, just because he seems really interested in food). I've read on how to introduce solid foods and it seems like there is an array of opinions. Some say give them the rice cereal before moving to the second breast. Some say give the cereal an hour or two after they eat and some say an hour before they eat. In my opinion I think that 20 minutes before nursing might be too close to the feeding.
As far as milk production, I did go through a week or two where my quantity seemed lower and my lactation consultant recommended a few pills I could take to boost production. You might want to contact your lactation consultant or a health food store to see what they recommend.
Hope this might be of some help!

in addition to what Suzanne said, as silly and obvious as it may seem, I ran into a somewhat similar problem when my son was 4 months. He would nurse a while, then be wanting more and I was totally dry. In an absolute panic I called my Mom ( she nursed 6 of us so I figured she was probably my best resource), she said "Drink more water". I did and by the end of the day my milk production had nearly doubled! It was so simple.

hi there!
i would suggest nursing as much as possible. as i am sure you know, the nursing at the breast is what stimulates the milk's supply the most (more than pumping)...
i would always nurse BEFORE you give her the food too. fill her up/ work on your supply with the milk before getting her belly full with food...
keep in mind that the more food she gets, the less she will nurse and the more your supply will diminish...
overnight nursing will really help your supply too...you will have to sacrifice sleep though but it will help to nurse as much as she will during the night...good luck to you!!!!!!!!

Hi S.,

I believe that each child is different and as a parent we have to trust that each of our children will let us know what they need. How many times a child should eat or how much I don't consider can be put in rigid numbers. I personally believe that fourth month is too young to start giving solids, and to expect them to sleep trought the whole night with out eating. My baby first food where giving when I notice she become interested in solids, and they where banana and avocadoes. I don't believe in rice cereals. I'm bless with being able to be a stay home mother so I can breast feed my baby as long as she wants and when she wants it.I have heard that you can nevere produce as much milk from pumping as you can from breastfeeding,, you might try brestfeeding as much when you are home to build up your supply, I have heard that they milk production depends on the needs of the baby which are transmitted through the sucking and the frequency. The baby book by SEars is a great source. La Leche Legue books are good source too. Information on why I don't agree with rice cereals is base on different books on nutrition, for instance The 150 healthiest food in the planet. There is a believe that grains are not as good as they have been presented to us. Dr. Mercola has information on grains too you can find him on the web.
Regarding the sippy cup I also believe your child will let you know when she desires water then you can try it mine become interested at 4 months.
Good luck
C.

It's hard to go back to work while you're nursing, I know I've done it twice. Make sure that you have a GOOD pump. It really does make a difference. Drink plenty of water, and then some more, don't encourage your baby to sleep through the night, pump on the same schedule that you nurse on the weekends. You can also try fenugreek, it worked for me. Start with 2, 3 times a day, if it isn't working increase the number until you notice it is working or until you start smelling maple in your sweat. I started all three of mine on cereal, then first foods at 3 1/2 months on the advice of the ped. Just take it real easy and she will let you know when she's had enough. I also started with the sippy cup at 4 months, you just have to teach her how to use it. Start with the valve out so the liquid just runs into her mouth, then when she learns what it's about put the valve back in so she learns to suck on it. Trust yourself, she's your baby and you know her best. You'll be fine!

Well, I know a lot of your milk production depends on how often you pump. My son is 5 1/2 months old and is on a 3 hour feeding schedule, which works great for him. He very rarely cries out of hunger and he knows what to expect. I unfortunately have to work to, so I pump at work. Since he nurses every 3 hours on the weekends, I pump every 3 hours at work so that my body stays on that schedule and knows how much to produce. I know that a lot of women dry up. I have been very lucky. I can usually still get 20 ounces a day. As far as solids go I didn't start my son until he was 5 months, and boy was he ready! On a side note it sounds like you're doing the right thing with feeding her that you don't let her cry for it. Demand feeding tends to lead to 'snackers'. Also, I get my son to eat more by alternating from cereal to bottle. He loves his milk, so we just go back and forth and it seems to work for us.
Good luck. I'm sure you'll do just fine!!!!

First, pumps never get as much as babies do, so don't worry too much yet.
Second, Fenugreek, oatmeal, Mother's Milk Tea, and hops (in beer) all help up your milk supply. Make sure you always pump at the same time each day and have pictures of your dear baby to look at to help with let down. I have also found that pumping one side while my son nursed on the other produced much more than if I just pumped but this can only be done at home, obviously :) Do you continue to pump on weekends? That would be a good time to pump and nurse at the same time.
Third, cereal and stage one and two foods aren't going to do much for her. They have so few calories you really aren't making up for anything she misses in breastmilk. They get everything they need for the first year from BM or formula and solids are only to teach them to eat and what textures are like. For the record, buy stage two, it's the same as stage one, just bigger so you get more for your money! Also, if you do want more caloric value, make your own. The purees you buy are half water anyhow. Best things to start with are sweet potatoes and avacado. There are TONS of nutrients and good fats. Cereal is made for formula fed babies who are lacking in things like iron and carbs, it really isn't meant for breastfeds.

Good Luck!

For milk production, I depend on Fenugreek. It's an herb that greatly increases milk production (I usually have to go on it from the time I start work and then periodically until I stop nursing). I think I used to take 3 pills 3 times per day, but talk to a lactation consultant...they were a huge help when I was nursing both of my kids.

My kids weren't big into solid food at first either...I had to keep trying every night until they realized that it was good! Keep trying and I'm sure after a week or two she'll be eating a ton!

Try pumping at work, you might be not be producing enough milk becouse your going so long in the day without pumping. And I would only start the foods that the doctor tells you to start.There are places that can give you a chart to refer to.
I know you don't want to start formula yet but if you give it to her before she goes to bed I bet you will find her sleeping alot better.
Good Luck and God Bless

Mix the baby cereal with your breast milk, it will provide more of a taste she is used to. At 5 months, ten bites is probably all she needs. I only breast feed until my kids were six months and they had plenty to eat. If she isn't acting hungry then she is not. Milk production works in supply and demand. When you are away from her make sure you are pumping during her feeding times and after you feed her at home you can pump as well for extra supplies.

My second child woke up every three hours to nurse until he was nine months. Every child is different with their needs so you can't base it on your first child's behaviors. Just do your best to try letting her cry it out or soothe her without a feeding if you arereally trying to get rid of the night time feedings. I called upon the lactation consultant at our hospital many times (Lutheran in Fort Wayne) and she always offered me support, good advice, and more than one idea on how to handle things so I could find what worked best for my little ones. And they can advise you on ways to increase milk production. Good luck.

Nursing every 2-3 hours, and waking up once or twice a night to nurse is most definitely not a lot at that age! At that age, it's by far best to go with their idea of when they are hungry and when they are not. At that age, my ds was nursing at least every 2 hours during the day, but it was generally more often than that.
It seems to be very common to get much less milk through pumping than you can get through breastfeeding. I only ever got an ounce or two through pumping (it was a manual pump). And my ds was a BIG baby, and had very little solids until he was well over 6 months old.
You can get your milk production to go up by nursing more often. Every time you nurse, it sends a message to your body to make more milk. I did this when my son was small, and there is a definite correlation to how often he nursed, and how much milk I was producing.
As far as solids, it's better to wait until at LEAST 6 months old to introduce solids. At that age, breastmilk is the best nutrition. Here are some tips in this article http://www.healthnetatwork.com/lactation.htm#first%20foods
Imo, the main reason to start solids early (before 6ish months) is the baby's interest in it, and then it should only be a little lick here and there, just to satisfy their interest. Solids won't fill a baby up more than breastmilk- breastmilk has much more fat and nutrition than you will find in most baby foods.
Oh, and if you are feeding solids that close to nursing time, she might not get enough breastmilk because she's not as hungry. Breastmilk is a far more important source of nutrition than solids at this point.