Nipple Confusion and Low Milk Supply

Fenugreek worked for me too!

I used a lactation consultant. Her name is Kay Willis. She worked in L/D at Baylor Grapevine for a million years and now she teaches classes on breastfeeding, baby care, infant CPR, etc. She's extremely knowledgeable, and made me very confident. Her store is called The Nesting Place in Grapevine. I called her for advice on a regular basis..she gives you her cell to call if necessary. She also makes house calls. I highly recommend her.

www.thenestingplace.net

1679 W Northwest Hwy
Grapevine, TX 76051
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STOP THE SUPPLEMENTING! He's going through a growth spurt!! 3, 6 and 9 weeks is when they will nurse like crazy to up your supply.

My advice? Breastfeeding boot camp. Be lazy about chores, everything but laying in bed and nursing your babe 24/7 for a few days and it will all work out!!

No more bottles of formula!! You can pump in between nursing but really I would just let him nurse as often as he can the next few days!

Hello Gina,

Congratulations on your new baby! now to increase your milk production: at sprouts or wholefoods get "mother's tea" or just some anise seed and star anise and boil for a few minutes to make tea --add sugar if you want. you can also drink it cold. (you can get aniseseed just about anywhere but the best price is at sprouts bulk herbs/spices section) also star anise. Good luck and keep trying! also, are you drinking enough water? if by the end of the day your baby is not drinking more... call the ped. you don't want him to get dehydrated ~C.~

Try Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea.Mostly moms drink this natural tea successfully;)

Gina,

Congratulations on your precious baby... and good for you for nursing him! I'm mommy to 3 children and my youngest (a boy!) is 9 weeks old. I had A LOT of trouble in the beginning with keeping my milk supply up. Hang in there, it gets better! Your body WILL catch up with your little one's appetite eventually.

In the mean time, here's what worked for me:

Blessed Thistle and Fenugreek herbs (check a local pharmacy or health store)

Mega Mam lacation support- this really helps! I purchased mine at http://www.trilighthealth.com. Just type "Mega Mam" in the search box at the bottom of the page.

I also drank LOTS of water and made sure I was getting enough good caleries (fruits and veggies and protein).

Like I said, just hang in there and keep up the good work! Nursing a hungry baby can be a challenge at times, but it is well worth the effort!

Blessings,

K. Howard
www.homemakerscottage.com
www.workathomeunited.com/homemaker

I was never able to get more than 1 to 3 ounces every 3 hrs myself, but a friend has seven children and she has really neat training videos for breastfeeding moms at www.motherof7.com. check it out.

If you can find a good lactation consultant, DO IT! It may be covered by your insurance - it's worth checking into. Even if it's not, they can help a LOT. I had Shingles 3 days after giving birth and since everyone was afraid of the drugs/virus passing on to the baby, I bottle fed for a week while pumping. Screwed things up for 3 MONTHS! It hurt a lot, but we got back to breastfeeding 100% and he still breastfeeding at 15months. They have something like a milk "IV" that you can use to supplement WHILE breastfeeding - takes work, but it works REALLY well when you get the hang of it. Please see a professional - you won't regret it. I'm sure your OB can refer someone, or where you delivered. Good luck!

I have to applaud Mellis H....just do what she said...and find a friend who has nurse for support.
I can help if you need

STOP THE SUPPLEMENTING! He's going through a growth spurt!! 3, 6 and 9 weeks is when they will nurse like crazy to up your supply.

My advice? Breastfeeding boot camp. Be lazy about chores, everything but laying in bed and nursing your babe 24/7 for a few days and it will all work out!!

No more bottles of formula!! You can pump in between nursing but really I would just let him nurse as often as he can the next few days!

The same problem happened to me when I began pumping. I would get online and access the expertise of your local chapter of La Leche League. A lot of times you cannot properly relax and achieve letdown when you are pumping and therefore your body doesn't think you need to produce more milk. I am assuming you began pumping so quickly rather than breast feeding exclusively was because you were returning to work or looking for more flexibility? I would say if possible to try to stick with the breastfeeding exclusively if possible for at least the first several weeks- 8 if possible- to get a good pattern of milk production. The baby will take as much as needed but his desire for additional milk will only increase as he gets older. Good luck.

Congrats on your new baby! And good for you for sticking with breastfeeding -it is tough in the beginning, but it gets a lot easier and is a great thing for both you and your son.

Some easy things that can help increase your supply are eating oatmeal and taking Fenugreek, which is a supplement you can find at most natural food stores. And drink LOTS of water.

I also agree with speaking to a lactation consultant, or at least going to www.kellymom.com, which has a TON of helpful info on breastfeeding. You can also go to the La Leche site (www.lllusa.org), and they have phone numbers posted of reps in your area that you can call and talk to. I did this when I was first home from the hospital, and it helped so much. They were very encouraging and helpful. They also have meetings that you could attend, and they could help you out there.

As for nipple confusion, I was so worried about this, since you hear so much about it. My son's pediatrician said that she has never known this to be a problem. She encouraged me to start pumping right away, since my son had lost 10% of his weight once we were home from the hospital. So he was nursed and bottle-fed from about 4 days old. We did not have a problem with him going from breast to bottle and back again. If I were you, I would try to nurse him every time, and then pump when you are done nursing to help stimulate greater production. This is what I did.

And since you mentioned latching problems, what worked for me was a nipple shield. I have heard pros and cons on using these, but I promise that I would have given up nursing within the first few weeks had I not found this. My son was preterm and was not able to latch on once my milk came in (I have flat nipples, apparently). The nipple shield is a small silicone piece that goes over your nipple so that you baby has an easier time latching on. I had to use one for 4 months, but then one day, as I was reaching for it, my son just latched on without it, and we didn't need it after that. It never seemed to affect my milk supply, and it was a lifesaver for us. A bit of a hassle, since you have to remember to bring one with you when you are ready to nurse, but not a big deal. Especially since it meant I was able to continue nursing my son.

You can find them at Target and Babies R Us, and I think they are around $6. They look like this: http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/breastfeedi...

Good luck to you! Keep with it and it will only get easier!

Everyone has given you some really great advice so I will just add a couple things. First if you are concerned about whether your baby is getting enough when he nurses then I would suggest trying a nursing trainer (or lactation aid). Its this teeny little tube that you insert at the corner of your baby's mouth after he's latched on and sucking. The tube is connected to a bottle or bag that has a supply of milk. This way you can supplement when you don't have enough to satisfy your baby and he's stimulating your milk production. Its pretty amazing! If you google lactation aid you can find info on actually using one and there is even a video on YouTube that shows you how it works. Here's a link to where you can buy one:
http://www.lact-aid.com/

Also you should check this website: http://www.drjacknewman.com/default.asp
It has lots of great videos that demonstrate different techniques that help to ensure that your baby is nursing well and getting all of your milk. I found it so helpful with some of my problems with breastfeeding.

Hang in there! Breastfeeding takes alot of commitment but it gets easier and is really rewarding!!