I am six days post delivery and had trouble with latching, so supplemented with formula in the hospital. After two days when I came home I have tried pumping so we can feed him breast milk in the bottle, but it seems like my "full milk" hasn't come in. It is still yellowish and after pumping 20 minutes on each breast I am only yeilding less than an ounce! The pediatrician stated for a first time mom it can take five to seven days for full milk to come in. Has any other mom experienced this? How can I create more volume when pumping?? I am using the Medela Pump.
L.,
My baby was almost two months early so I had to use a pump. The Medela pump (the one you have to rent because it is expensive), is the best. I tried everything but my son was not ready to latch on since he was a preemie. I strongly suspect that having the baby latch on instead of pumping is the way to get the milk going.
A baby can go up to a week without eating anything. Do no worry about him getting enough nutrition at this point. Keep working on latching him on and pumping. If you are having trouble, try using something other than a bottle. If he gets used a bottle, he may refuse the breast because a bottle is easier to get milk out of. The milk you are getting now is colostrum and it is very important that your baby get it. Even though it is only a small amount, it is very very very dense in nutrients and fantastic for baby.
I had the same situation in the hospital with my first son except that he had low blood sugar and his body wasn't regulating it like it should so they supplemented him just a little in the NICU. But the more you supplement, the less supply you are creating on your breasts. Make sure you pump every time he eats and try to always give him breast milk. Try to latch first, then if it isn't working out, pump and give him what you pump.
I would get to a lactation consultant ASAP for the latch issues. there is great info here on latch: http://www.kellymom.com/newman/26baby_refuses_to_latch.html
and the videos here may be helpful
http://www.thebirthden.com/Newman.html
If you can't afford an LC, call LLL and see if you can get a leader to do a home visit. It is essential for BF to work for these issues to be worked out early. My son finally did start latching correctly but not until he was 4 weeks. I didn't supplement once I got home, just fed him what I could pump and pumped every time he fed, but not all women respond to the pump that well. Drink lots of water and make sure you are getting enough nutrients. I don't think I would take any herbal supplements until your milk comes in cause you don't know yet......you will know when it comes in cause ALOT comes in and you will be uncomfortable. TAking a supplement now may make it come in even more full force and make you very uncomfortable.
Good luck! I know how frustrating it is!
Hi L.,
I don't know what kind of pump you are using, but in my experience, the personal kind you buy and keep at home (like Medela pump in style) don't really work for some women (like me), compared to the hospital-grade ones that you can rent and just buy the personal attachments for. My first child had jaundice quite bad (he was in Children's for a couple days) and the doctors were adamant about me pumping so we could measure how much liquid he was taking in, and my supply was great. When we got home and I switched to the Medela, things went downhill fast, and he never wanted to latch on well, so I had to stop at 6 weeks. With my second (she is now 3-1/2 months), I was determined to work through things, and that meant for the first 14 days or so, having her latch on every 90 mins (she was a truly hungry girl, and since not much came out the first few days, she instead had to eat really often). Remember, it is matter of demand and supply, not supply and then demand. And it is true that your baby is the all time best stimulator, so I would really recommend getting someone to help you establish your latch as soon as possible - sometimes insurance even pays for a lactation consultant visit (they just reimburse you).
Something that no one else has mentioned is using an SNS, or Supplemental Nursing System. Go to Google and put in SNS Medela and you will see what I mean. It is a kind of small bottle (1.5 oz or so) that you clip to your clothes and it hangs upside down with a small tube running down that you tape w/medical tape to your breast and the baby latches on but also gets some formula along with colostrum, and your breast gets the stimulation it needs to get up and running. You can just mix and put regular formula in. I had to use this off and on for the first two weeks because my daughter was just really hungry and I kept having supply issues (I got the stomach flu 7 days post partum - being sick really does a number on your supply!) but the only way to keep it up is by your baby demanding it from your body. Hope that might be helpful to you and good luck!!
L.:
what type of pump are you using?
nothing is as effective as a baby nursing...
you might benefit from the assistance of a lactation consultant coming and working with you.
P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions
www.breastfeedingandparentingsolutions.com
Absolutely. I felt like such a failure because my newborn was screaming because she was starving and there was nothing in my breast either. I finally read to try her at the breast and whichever it was, I would pump for ten minutes. I gave her formula after trying her at the breast until my milk came in. It takes awhile but my milk finally came it enough to nurse her. I ended up always giving her a bottle of formula before bed. Best of luck I know how frustrating it can feel.
hello L.,
Congratulations! get "mother's milk" tea at the healthfood store. or look for aniseed and boil it for a few minutes to make tea. (they have it at the spice section at walmart). drink lots of water too.
keep trying! ~Carmen~
The best thing you can do is BE CONFIDENT THAT YOUR BODY WORKS. Just think - if you were exclusively breastfeeding your baby and not pumping or supplementing, you'd have no idea that your milk was still transitional.
As for creating more volume, I would just nurse your baby until he's full. So nurse on one side for 10 minutes. Then the other side for 10 mninutes. If he's still hungry offer him the first side again etc etc. There will be some days - esp. when he's having a growth spurt - where it seems like ALL you're doing is nursing. But this is by far the best way to get your milk going. Much better than pumping. And a lot less trouble too.
If you haven't gotten your latching issues figured out please see a lactation consultant. Also consider using a Boppy pillow or similar, and trying a football hold for nursing. I find that this is the easiest way for little babies to latch especially if they're having trouble.
Good luck! You can do it! Your body is PERFECT for this job - have confidence that it works.
Hi L.,
With my first I believe my milk came in on the 5th day. Try not to stress out over this. Stress will work against you and can reduce your milk supply. I wouldn't worry about volume until your milk comes in. Just keep drinking lots of water and eat healthy. I wouldn't take any herbal supplements either.
Your baby is the best pump ever. I would continue to work on the latch. Try not to wash your nipples/aerola with soap or use scented lotions. Something as simple as that could stop a baby from latching. Skin to skin, soft music, and most importantly, relax.
Some things I have heard that will help is having baby room in with you at night, nurse often, even if he is just suckling, and when you see your baby show signs of rooting, nurse. This will all help your milk come in sooner. Good luck!!
Best thing you can do is keep working on that latch and get him on the breast all the time, before pumping or supplementing. This will help send your body the signals it needs to kick production off. Pumps are nowhere near as good at getting milk from your breasts as a baby. Please also try to hook up with a Lactation Consultant or your local La Leche League leader for help! They have tons of advice and can be amazingly helpful you to work on your son's latch and positioning if you still need help there as well.
Check out the website www.kellymom.com It has a lot of useful info. It can take up to a week for your milk to come in. Pumping doesn't yield as much milk as baby can get so keep working to get baby back to breast as he will get more and also stimulate your breasts better to produce more. I would get a lactation consultant ASAP to get some better advice-- supplementing for a bad latch will not fix the latch or do anything for your supply so finding someone to work with you on the latch will be beneficial.
Mine took a long time to come in with my first. You will KNOW when it comes in, just be patient and keep putting him to your breast.
