Another Nursing Question... Please Help!

Hi Bethany - call a lactation consultant as soon as you can to help with the nursing. You may need a stronger pump (hospital grade) as NOTHING can express milk like a baby, and store-grade pumps aren't as strong. Your baby may have a problem with sucking you can't figure out, and a professional might be able to help. Ask them about your weight loss and whatever other symptoms you have, just in case they've had a similar case before.

Also, I'd go to an urgent care clinic and call your doctor for yourself. I don't know how you're feeling in general, but it sounds like your weight loss is making you nervous. You need to take care of yourself so you can take care of your baby.

I hope it all works out! Keep pumping and encouraging her to nurse, even just to suckle if she'll do it.

The advice you got was great. Also keep offering her the breast. The more she eats the more you will produce. You may want to find some more caloric foods to indulge in for now.

With my 2nd baby, I dropped almost all my baby weight within like four-six months and it really hurt my nursing ability. I ended up taking fenugreek to help and drinking tons of water of course.

Good luck!

drink TONS more water-- you may be getting dehydrated... ditto for the better pump if the baby is not nursing enough. Make sure you are eating plenty of protein too as well as getting your sleep.! This happened to me too--very frustrating--- I had surgery and the pain meds messed me up...
take care
K.

I strongly recommend Mother's Milk Tea (at the health food store), and you may want to supplement with additional Fenugreek. When your sweat smells like maple syrup, lay off the supplement. You also need to up the protein in your diet and make sure you stay hydrated.

Finally, talk to a La Leche League leader in your area - they are free, and have extensive book study as well as experience as nursing moms and helping others.

S.

Bethany,
Call or see a lactation specialist. She might be a nurse at the delivery hospital and they are generally very willing to help. Also call the local La Leche League. You could probably get a local number via the internet. Their leaders are wonderful at helping with breastfeeding issues. You are doing a wonderful thing for your baby and any breastfeeding is beneficial to her. Good Luck!

You should be on a super high cal diet while breast feeding. As for the milk production You can buy brewer's yeast in pill form. That is what has been recomended to me. Drinking a dark beer will help as well,you get the brewer's yeast and the calorie boost. I know that you may not be comfortable with that but it works.

I would consult with a lactation consultant. It seems expensive but you'll save the money back in just a few weeks then if you have to start buying formula earlier than you planned. We love Kay at the nesting place in Grapevine-you could call & if that she's not close to you, I'm sure she'll give you a great referral. http://www.thenestingplace.net/
Good luck & hang in there!