Low Milk Supply - Plano, TX

I had some issues like you with my first baby, but not my second. Here is a tip that may or may not work for you. Worth a try! Pump from one side while you are feeding from the other. Next time reverse sides. Also, the trick to increasing milk supply isn't longer feedings, it is more frequent feedings. You can also try to fit in an extra "feeding" where all you do is pump. Pumping after feeding probably doesn't yield a lot because the baby has already taken as much as he needs. Remember to drink a lot (water, etc.). The pump may not matter that much. I could get just as much using a hand held Avent pump as I could using a big rental one from the hospital. Just get the timing right! Good luck!

There is an herbal tea that you can take the name, Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea...I tried it and it definitely helped me...PERFECT;)

Hello A.,
L. the lactation consultant, here.
It sounds like you've done a great job of establishing your milk supply. That's wonderful! You mention that you're sure your baby is getting enough.

If you are breastfeeding exclusively (not feeding formula or other supplements), your baby is gaining well - at the rate of 6 or so ounces a week, wetting at least 6 diapers, having at least 3 - 4 good sized yellow,"seedy", runny bowel movements in a 24 hour period and seems content most of the time between feedings, your milk supply is most likely fine. Hint: to determine how "wet" a diaper should be, try pouring 3 tablespoons of water into a diaper. That's considered the equivalent of a "wet" diaper. Bowel movements should be at least the size of a poker chip.

Breastfeeding is mother nature's best example of supply and demand. The more your baby breastfeeds, the more milk you produce. Breastfeed when baby asks and you'll have plenty of milk as he grows older. Allow baby to breastfeed approximately 20 minutes on one breast and the offer the other. Allow baby to determine how long to brestfeed on the second breast.

It makes sense that your body is not producing much additional milk, since your body produces what your baby needs, so you're not getting much, if anything, if you pump following feedings. That's normal. It sounds like it's time to stop pumping after feedings, and just breastfeed. Try to relax and enjoy this time with your new son.

For mothers trying to establish a milk supply, renting a hospital grade pump is the best option. The Lactina or Symphony is available for rental through our practice as well as through many other resources, such as Simply Mom's at Baylor University Medical Center and others.

Once a mother's milk supply is established, (at about 4 - 6 weeks) a "purchased" pump like the Pump in Style works well. If you plan to return to work or school, you'll need to pump in order to continue providing your milk for your baby. When do you plan to return to work/school?

Happy mothering!
L.

I was never able to actually breast feed but I pumped until he was 4 months. I used the Medela and loved it. The next best thing is to rent one of the hospital grade pumps. If he is growing and gaining weight then you are doing great. Your body will produce enough to keep up with your baby. Once he starts eating more then your body will produce more. Good luck!

My baby girl is 3 mos old. We had some problems initially because she was jaundiced and wasn't nursing enough so my milk supply went down. I got it to come up by using a rented hospital grade pump (Medela Symphony). It was $60 to rent it for a month and that was all I needed. My supply increased greatly in about a week. My Lactation Consultant told me that renting the Symphony would work better than purchasing a Pump In Style. I am a stay at home mom so I just use a manual pump on occasion as required. I would definitely recommend renting.

A.,

I had the same anxieties when I started nursing my son. I wasn't sure what to expect and there is that constant fear that I'm not feeding my baby enough. However, I've learned that the best breat pump is your baby. I'm sure that my baby could suck more milk faster then any breast pump. Don't put too much energy into eyeing how many ounces you pump after feeding your baby. Just the sensation the pump was giving me was enough to increase the milk supply, but it takes days or even weeks for that to happen. As long as your baby is getting enough to eat and gaining weight...don't worry. You have enough milk for your baby and your body will adjust as your baby gets older. Remember, by the time your baby is quite a bit older, you will start supplementing your breast milk with actual food! If I could do it all over again, I would try to avoid all the worry and stress I unnecessarily caused myself over ounces of breast milk. Also, another tip, some pumps weren't strong enough for me. I had to get some higher grade pumps to get the milk out. The Medela pump in style is probably the best next to hospital grade pumps so definitly give it a try. And remember...relax and enjoy your baby!!! This time flies by and you are doing a fabulous job breastfeeding!!!

A.,

I have had the same problem as you, and was having trouble keeping up with my growing babies nursing needs. After talking with my lactation consultant she suggested taking Natures Way Fenugreek(comes in a bottle w/a green lid)You can buy them at Whole Foods, Herbmart, or probably any other place that sells supplements. I have been taking 3 of them 3x a day and it definitely helps with the milk production! She also suggested pumping after feeding my baby...who is a speed nurser at times...and this seemed to help as well. I have the Medela Pump N Style and love mine!
You will not be sorry you opened it, I personally believe mine has been worth every penny and then some!

fyi, I pumped alot when I went back to work and I think it caused my milk to let down faster. My baby did not like the stronger flow. So don't mess with the natural supply and demand if it can be avoided.

Hi A.: First, congratulations on your new baby boy! Being a new mom is challenging, yet exciting and wonderful. I have a one year old boy. I experienced the same problem as you did the entire time I breast fed. You may get different advice/suggestions, but my experience was that nothing I did increased my milk supply. I think some of of mothers are blessed enough to have some milk and be able to BF, but it's just enough to feed our little ones. The lactation consultants and nurses always told me the more my baby nursed, the more my milk would come in and as he grew and needed more milk, my body would produce more. I never really felt like it did. My thoughts on the pump is that yes, it maybe easier to use and quicker, but unless you have a decent supply now, it's not really going to increase your supply that much. Unless you were playing on buying another one for going back to work, etc, then I don't know that I would spend the money. I had a top of the line new Avent electric pump that was awesome and granted it was easier to use then the manual ones, but it didn't increase my milk. Also, I don't know if anyone told you or you know, but make sure you drink lots of water and eat all of your meals. It's hard to make yourself eat when you're busy taking care of your new little one but it's important to keeping up your milk supply. Also, you have to get some rest. This is key in keeping up milk as well. Of course, I didn't learn all this until I had already been BFing for 3 months or so. Good luck! And just remember, do get discouraged and even if you just BF for a couple of months, it's the best nutrition for your baby. Also, always try to nurse your son in a room alone with him that's quiet and you can relax. Any additional stress from perhaps a father or anyone can cause your milk to be lower as well.

Best of luck,
L.

Hi A.! I just wanted to offer you some encouragement on this issue and also give you some helpful advice that really helped me witht he same problem. I have a 12 week old and had the same problems with my milk supply and worried that he wasn't going to get enough milk as he grew. First, let me tell you that the Medela Pump in style is one of the best pumps on the market and also very close to a hospital grade electric Medela pump. One of the best choices you can make for a pump. I will work great and help you keep your supply. Your body produces milk on a demand basis. So if you are giving your brain the signal that your body needs to produce more milk by feeding and then pumping, your body will increase it's supply. I started to pump with a Playtex Embrace pump and would only get an ounce at a time from both breast, was very sore, and became very frustrated. I took it back and got a Medela Pump In Style. It worked so much better. But I also tried taking some very helpful herbal remedies as well that were suggested to me. You can take Fenugreek capsules and Blessed Thistle capsules and within 72 hours you can see an increase in your supply. These are remedies that you can take the entire time you breatfeed your baby and they won't cause any harm to you or him. Also, you take 3 Fenugreek 3 times a day and 2 of the Blessed Thistle twice a day. Both are sold at GNC and the Vitamin Shop. They really work if you take them!! Also, you should get more milk in the mornings than the evenings and this normal when you pump. I am now able to get 10-12 ounces a day and although I have to supplement my son while he's in daycare, some breastmilk is better than none at all. There is a very helpful website that can be a great resource for you too.... kellymom.com. It is all factual based and has some great info for you and your baby. I am sorry to be so wordy but just know you can do this. Feeding your baby is most important so if he is nursing and satisfied, the pumping will kick in when you need it. If your baby misses a feed, that will be a good time to see how much you can actually pump at one time. But also keep in mind, your baby is much more efficient at getting what he needs by nursing than any pump is. He can get 1-2 oz more per feed than you can pump. As he grows and needs more, your body will produce more. I hope these ideas will help and I wish you much success. Don't give up!

I use the AMEDA pump. It is just as good as medela but priced lower. Pumping with it helped me to maintain my supply for my son.

You can get the fenugeek seeds much cheaper in Indian stores rather than purchase capsules etc. Also, try eating Dill (the herb or making a tea from its seeds). Keep yourself well hydrated and give yourself time as well. Your body is going thru a lot.

Good luck.

Hi A.,
Good job hanging in there with breastfeeding! It's been almost a year since I breastfed my last child, but I remember that my lactation consultant told me that it takes 45 minutes for a fresh supply of milk to come in. So if you are feeding your son then turning around and pumping that may be the issue (if I understood your post). I used the medela pump and it worked well. But I also used an inexpensive pump that worked ok.One other note, while I was home with my son, I couldn't really feed him and store up a supply of milk, b/c he was every 2 hours. I just couldn't keep up! When I returned to work and wasn't with him all day, pumping really worked and I was able to pump about 8-12 oz's a day. Cherish this time if when it's a struggle... I bf my son for 1 year and I really could have continued it for longer. I really miss that special time.

Breastfeeding can be worrisome when its all new to you. I wouldn't worry too much right now. First off sometimes nerves and stress can slow milk production and being a new mom with a 4 week old can be both nerve raking and stressful. Take some time to yourself and get what rest you can. Second your only 4 weeks into this, milk production usually takes 6 to 8 weeks to really set in. They usually suggest waiting for that length of time before you start pumping regularly so as not to be discouraged. As long as your baby is satisfied and getting enough you will be fine. Milk production tends to increase as your baby grows to satisfy their needs. And the amount you pump will increase as time goes as well. Don't force it to much right now you may do more harm than good to yourself emotionally and physically.

I would look up the La leche mothers website (www.lalecheleague.org) and do a little research that way if you are really worried. Also talk to your childs doctor and talk to the nurses if you feel you need. They should be use to these issues and may give you info to feel more at ease.

Lastly, when I just started out breastfeeding my supply was up and down at first, the mother's herb tea didn't work real well for me. A friend told me about Fenugreek. I got it at Wholefoods and took it the whole time I breastfeed (that ended up to be a year after a rocky start) and that really helped me out more with the milk production.

Good luck to you, I hope some of what I said will help.

There is also a herb that you can take - I can't remember the name, but the lactation nurses told me about it. I can't tell you if that particular pump would be better for you, but I had a low milk supply as well and did notice different pumps worked better for me. I had the one from the hospital that was electric and very expensive and it did ok, but I also bought one for 50 dollars from first stages and I really prefered that because the suction cups worked better. I am not sure if that helps, but good luck - I know it can be frustrating when your milk supply is not where you like it - especially when you see other moms producing like crazy. Good luck and congratulations on your baby