Why Is My Milk Supply So Low?

You sound so frustrated and that's not how being a new mom should feel. In my opinion if you wanted to breastfeed and gave it a fair shot and it's not working, then don't feel guilty quiting. My children weren't breastfeed and they are hardly ever sick and have no allergies (and far advanced developmently). I don't buy into the fact that breastfeeding is the best thing in the world. I know numerous people who have breastfed for 1 year and their children have all types of allergies and are sick ALL of the time.

I understand how emotional this can be. I had similar issues and the combination of the following helped:
- Getting rest. This is difficult given the circumstances but very important.
- Reducing stress. I noticed that when I was worried, stressed, etc, my milk supply would take a huge hit.
- Continue More Milk Plus supplement. I had to take the max dosage for it to help and it also took a few days.
- Oatmeal - even the instant type. It's suppose to aid in milk production. I would eat it at least twice a day until I had a good supply. I also noticed that if I ate Oatmeal about 30-45 before pumping, I had more milk. Could have been influenced by other factors but I stuck to it because it was working.
- Caloric Intake. The first few weeks, I found it difficult to find time to eat. You need to consume enough calories to aid in the production.
- Warm towel on breasts prior to pumping to stimulate let down. (Once my supply was good, I didn't do this anymore)
- Power pumping. Pump for 15-20 min. Break for about 30 and try again. If possible, try to do this as much as you can for a day. I know the hassles of washing parts, etc makes this difficult but it can help. I bought extra parts so I didn't have to wash them every time.

All in all, it took about a week to feel better about my supply the moment it depleted which was around week 2 of my milk coming in. Plus, it progressively got better.

I also found calling the lactation consultant at the hospital to be helpful.

Good luck. I really struggled and wish you the best!

F.:

what type of pump are you using? are you using a hospital grade pump?

do they have you on the proper dosage of synthroid?

try pumping for longer at each session.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

I had much the same problem. My son was full term, (a planned c-section, breach baby) but he wouldn't latch on, he had a reflex in which every time he opened his mouth he put his tongue on the roof of his mouth. I pumped almost every two hours for 15 mins every time. I had to pump 2 times to get as much as he was taking in a single bottle. I tried Reglan, but it didn't help much. I think that my biggest problem was stress. I was so worried about not making enough milk, tired from pumping, cleaning the pump, bottle feeding, not to mention recovering from having my abdominal muscles torn apart, a UTI with a fever of 102 and a touch of post pardom that I was just way too over whelmed. I only lasted 3 weeks and then quit. Other friends that have had production problems were told to pump until you don't get anything else out and then add 2 mins. You might try it.

I would just try to relax as much as possible, formula feeding doesn't make you a bad Mom, nor will it hurt your baby. I had so much quilt when I stopped pumping! Yes, I agree Breast is Best, but it's not for everyone and it doesn't always work. My son was a very healthy formula fed baby. He had the sniffles and what not, but he went his first full year with out any illness. He did get an ear infection, but not until after his 1st birthday. I've known breast fed babies that weren't as healthy. So, if it's too much don't do it. Sure formula is expensive, but your sanity is worth it!

Good Luck

Maybe you need some rest and some time away from worrying about this. When baby is ready to nurse, you could try relactation. Somehow, babies are much better at stimulating production rather than equipment. If I were you, I might take a break from this. It is not the end of the world if baby ends up having formula and relactation may also be an option. I really hope baby is well very soon and in your arms at home. Very best of luck to you and your family.

I am assuming that you are unable to nurse your baby which is why you are pumping so much. if that is the case, take a deep breath, pump when you can and relax until your baby can do the work for you. While it is helpful to keep the breast stimulated in the time after birth until your premie child can nurse, it is not always absolutley necessary.
As an adoptive mom, i was able to stimulate milk supply for my child on 1 week notice.
Ask your doc about the herbal supplement called fenugreek and look into a supplemental nursing system, Medela makes a hard case one but I always liked the soft one by Lact-aid. Hopefully your lactation consultant can help you withthis as well.

Good luck. and if you wnat to respond directly to someone's post you can click on their name. i beleive that allows you to send a message to that person.

Please call Carol Chamblin with http://www.breastbabyproducts.com/ if anyone can help, I bet she can. Also check out the site www.kellymom.com You will probably get lots of opinioons, but these sources will give you some of the most up to date, research based info.

C.

You have gotten a few good suggestion already but just wanted to say, some women never produce enough milk to continue breastfeeding for any length of time. Don't mean to be a downer but it does occasionally happen. Many times it because of anxiety or stresses in the moms normal day. You may not even know that you feel stressed but your body does.
Also pumping is not the same as baby. You can try massaging the breast before using the pump. You should be able to get some milk flow started in that way. Try some of the good advice from the other moms.
Best of Luck
S.

I had the exact same problem with my 1st baby. He was a preemie and couldn't nurse and pumping just didn't work for me. I don't really have any advice though... my supply eventually dipped so low that I stopped all together. I tried Reglan, and wouldn't recommend it AT ALL. It made me feel horrible and really depressed.

Good luck! Hopefully when your baby is able to latch on it will help things!

Hi,

First of all, you don't actually say how much milk you are expressing when you pump. At this point 1 or 2 oz. is probably pretty normal. Also, it must be really difficult to have your baby still be in the hospital (and so far away!). I can imagine that the stress from all of that might affect your supply. How much longer will she be in the NICU? Are you able to actually breastfeed her at the hospital? Actually nursing your baby (as opposed to pumping) is better for keeping up your supply, so once you can do that I would think your supply would increase. Just try to drink plenty of fluids, get enough (healthy) calories (you need 500 more per day than when you were pregnant), and get some rest. If you can afford it, I would invest in a second set of flanges, etc., for your pump so that you don't have to wash things as often. Unless your baby is very sick, you could probably just rinse the parts in hot water and be sure to wash them (or run them through the dishwasher) at least once a day. Keep doing what you're doing -- you're doing the best you can, and your baby appreciates it!

All the best,
R.

I have six children and nursing was ALWAYS an issue. First one she wouldn't wake up and eat, second one wanted to stay latched on all the time, third one, after gallbladder operation, the milk supply didn't return, fourth one, baby had heart condition, pumping worked great in the beginning, but between all the doctor's appointment, kids, and husband in the hospital, then son back in the hospital, something had to give. Next one, had pneumonia after her birth, pumped for awhile, she wouldn't latch on, and my last one, was hungry and was soooo frustrated with nursing that she just didn't want to nurse. I was pumping and just getting drips also. Finally after 6 weeks, I just said, enough is enough. It was stressing me out and it wasn't doing her any good and definitely not for me either. It is definitely a head game I played with each of the kids, because I want it to work so bad, but sometimes it just doesn't. On the flip side, others love to feed the baby, the kids are all healthy, and you do get over the psychological disappointment after awhile.

If you are driving to see the baby, and are worried about the health of the baby, and you are not eating and drinking, it's not going to work. There is no easy answer, and sometimes the answer is made for you. It's just not always the answer you want.

Good luck! Enjoy the little one, they grow up way toooo fast.

Hi, wow, you are such a GREAT Mom!!! Know that first and foremost. I also had low milk supply and kept trying to pump and pump and pump. I was never a good pumper either - it is true that the baby gets SO MUCH MORE then you could pump. I remember I would pump, and I would keep looking at it and drops would be coming out - it was so depressing... Anyway, the one thing that did help me was to take a hot shower, then I would rub my boobs and relax and take deep breathes, and drink LOTS of water, and I also tried the Fenugreek, and it did get better. No where near the amount other moms did (I just realized I was not a great pumper). But then someone told me one trick. In the morning I would feed the baby, and then an hour later is when I would pump, and that was the best and most milk I would get out. It is difficult I know cuz' you are far away. Do what you can, and don't beat yourself up about it. If you are supplementing, it is ok, and your baby is ok. You are a GREAT MOM. I am almost crying now cuz' I know how I felt. So many people wanted me to give up (because I was so exhausted, plus I know they didn't think it was worth it), but I did not give up, and I was glad that I didn't.

All the best to you and your baby!!! Make sure that you only talk to people that are going to be supportive...you don't need any other talk!

i think you should contact your local LA Leche League. ALSO remember if you are only able to provide your child with half of there milk that is FABULOUS! especially being a preemie it will do wonders for them and their delicate immune system. I know its so hard in the beginning and discouraging BUT you can do it! If you have to supplement that doesn't mean you have failed!!!Keep up the good work mama and as soon as you are able to get that baby to your breast to help stimulate I bet you will see a drastic increase to your supply. Get some rest, drink water avoid caffeine and just do what you can!

Your body might be responding to the stress. It sounds like you may have some milk frozen for your baby? I drank Mothers milk tea, you could try that but you really need to take a supplement for more than 3 days, it could take much longer to get going in your system. I did NOT pump 8 times a day when my little guy was born at 30 weeks(who is a big healthy 3 year old now), don't beat yourself up over that, it's not your fault. Just try your best, even if she just had a little milk in the beginning it's better than nothing.
And buy the Medela steam bags. You throw the parts in there with a lttle water and put it in the microwave, you can even do it in the hospital, they were great.

How is your baby doing? Are you able to directly nurse her instead of pumping? She will be much more effective at stimulating your milk supply than a pump will be.

Off the top of my head, I'd say you should:
* get the suction on your pump checked and make sure it's in good working order
* nurse your baby as much as you possibly can and pump every 2-3 hours when you are not nursing your baby
* drink and eat plenty
* be patient and wait for the Reglan and/or herbs to kick in - it may take a week or so
* make sure you're taking your synthroid
* try "power pumping" - basically pump for 15-20 minutes, then take a 20 minute break, and pump again. Do this every 3 hours. You may not get much the second time around but it will stimulate your milk supply.

I suggest you repost this to the yahoo group "pumpmoms" since there are many other moms who have had similar experiences (preemie, NICU etc - which is an entirely different set of challenges than us typical nursing moms).

Best of luck to you. Remember that pumping is as much psychological as it is physical. You will not let down if you are stressed/worried/uncomfortable/too cold/etc. Think of it like masturbation (sorry, but it's really the best analogy). If you're not "into" it, it just doesn't work. So the best advice I can give you is to stop worrying about how much your'e getting. Put a cardigan sweater over the pump so that you can't see how much milk is coming out (plus that keeps you warmer, which is helpful). Relax, close your eyes, take some deep breaths and imagine the milk flowing out with each exhale. Smell something that is your baby's - like a blanket - while you pump. Listen to some nice music.

I had twins at 24 weeks (unknown as to why they came early, except multiples). I pump as well, but didn't get a lot as well. However, the lactation was able to test my milk and tell me what the calorie intake was. I didn't take medication (side note there is hugh law suit right now with reglan. I tried to find the website, but couldnt) so be careful.

I don't know if your daughter is taking milk right now, but they usually start of very slow. They did that with my twins. Long story short because they were born preemie they needed a more broken down food. So they needed formula. I only pumped while they were in the NICU. It is hard being their for your child, driving to the hospital, talking to doctors and nurses, resting, and trying to pump.

Another suggestion is to see if you can put a small blanket with your child and small one in your breast. After 24 hours switch the blankets. The smell of you will help your daughter and the smell of her might help you pump more.

I am in support group for preemies and we always talk about pumping because it is so difficult and sometimes it just doesn't work. You are trying and doing a great job! Congratulations and hope all is going well with your daughter! What a blessing!

The baby is a much better pump than the pump is. No pump is going to make you make milk like your baby actually on the breast will. When I had both of my kids, the only time I got anything out from pumping was when I was engorged. The other times, I only got like MAYBE an ounce. But I exclusively breastfed both of them, am still breastfeeding ds2 at age 20 months almost.

So... if there will come a time when you are going to be able to nurse all day, then for now, as long as you are making milk, I would not worry. Stress inhibits milk production, too. There is nothing wrong with supplementing in the beginning especially in your circumstance, The first sis weeks of nursing are the toughest. It gets way better. Once she gets home, it will also get SO much better and easier.

Pumping is a lousy way to get milk, but it's all we have without baby. So keep it up because that milk is precious. The idea now is just not to lose your milk. Not to be able to get lots out with the pump. Baby will be able to get it out so much better.

Gosh, your story brought tears to my eyes. I had twin girls at 27 weeks by c-section, two weeks after I had in-utero surgery to save their lives (twin-twin transfusion syndrome). I passed out after delivery and needed two blood transfusions. Anyway, to say the least, I wasn't well, but too, wanted to pump milk for them because they weren't doing well. It took me a couple days to get going on the pumping and I had very little milk. Like you, I kept at it with poor results. I am also on synthroid for what was hypothyroidism (I had to have my thyroid removed 3 years ago). We, too, lived 1 1/2 hours away from the hospital. I finally stopped after a while because I could hardly keep up with their needs. I went as long as I could. My advice to you is to know that it's ok to stop. I'm certainly not telling you to stop, I'm just saying know that it's an option if it feels right for you. My twin daughters were 1 lb 13 ozs and 2 lbs 5 ozs when they were born. Lots of complications with them. They are now 22 months old - happy, healthy, strong and beautiful. No health problems what-so-ever. Everyone says you would never know they were born so early with so many problems. Be extra kind to yourself. Here's wishing you love and peace in your decision.

Take care and congratulations on the baby girl!

B., Sophia & Grace

What kind of pump are you using? You should at a minimum be using a double electric pump and you may find a hospital grade pump beneficial. I would also increase the number of times you are pumping- we tell moms to feed newborn babies a minimum of 8-12 times in 24 hours so you should pump at least that much ( if not more) to get your supply up.

There is another drug called domperidone to help with milk supply that will sometimes work better than Reglan. It is hard to find in the US and has to be made at a compounding pharmacy. If you are interested in more info about this send me a message and I will give you a link to the pharmacy I use.

Lastly, having a c-section, premature baby, and thyroid problems can all contribute to milk supply problems. Some people are able to breastfeed with no issues while others really have to work at it (myself included).

I would recommend finding an independent lactation consultant (www.cygnuslactation.com is in wonderful!) to get some extra help. Also, look for your local La Leche League- the leaders are very helpful and the members of the group provide great support.

Here is a link to Dr Jack Newman's website. He has lots of info on breastfeeding and milk supply issues. http://www.nbcionline.org/index.php?option=com_content&am...

Good luck and congratulations on your new arrival.

First of all, relax. It's great that you are doing what you're doing for your baby and a little bit of breast milk is better than none. I would say stop stressing out about it. Don't pump more, just be consistant with what you're doing. Maybe the reglan will help. Drink lots of fluids. Try drinking a beer. Just keep at it. It would be very hard to pump 100% of the time so congratulations for trying. Good luck :)

you've gotten a lot of advice, but i wanted to add that i actually had the opposite problem - i had so much milk that it interfered with my baby's feeding. even so, pumping didn't produce milk the way feeding teh baby did. i also had to stop bfing for a few days due to my own health issues at one point. i did not pump religiously bc i was just too sick, but my milk supply came right back once i was with my baby again and able to nurse.
i'm not expert, but it may be that you don't have to worry about producing enough milk, but any milk.
it also sounds like you are just beat and your needs do count! you might want to consider slowing down on the pumping a little just to give yourself a break. also, try to take a nap whenever you can while the baby's still in the hospital! you are not going to be sleeping through the night for awhile, especially with a preemie.

It sounds like the stress of it all is taking its toll. Try and relax and do the best you can. Any breastmilk is better than none, even if you need to supplement with formula.

My milk diminishes significantly at around 4 months (still have some but need to supplement) and with my first child I tried everything to make it come back. Try eating oatmeal a couple of times a day and I also take an herbal supplement which is a tincture, by Motherslove called More Milk Plus. Can't say I was engourged but it gave my babies about 3 more months of nursing.

good luck!

You are amazing! I had my girl only a week early and because she was intubated I had to start my milk by pumping, and it was terrible. Any milk you can give your baby is better than none. My Lactation Nurse told me to pump for 30 minutes. I don't know if that would help you, and I think that's probably the last thing you want to hear. you are doing more than a lot of people do. I dont think extra sessions will help, but longer on each pump might. Much love to you momma. Much Much.

Dear F.
I had the same problem and I tried everything!!! I know you are doing your best so please don't feel bad if people is telling you is your fault.. I think what you can do (what I did) is relax and try your best.. I was giving my baby 3 ounces every time I pump (for both breast) in his first 4 months and I complemented with formula. I felt like a bad mother because I was doing everything and nothing was working (people also were telling me that I supposed to try to pump more and everybody around were producing milk like cows.. but not me) but, like you, I did my best. If you can only give your baby 3 or 2 or 1 ounce each feeding (or every few hours) she is still receiving the beast milk. I gave up at 4 months and I can said I am proud of me because I tried. The most important thing is that you enjoy the feeding time (even if is with the bottle) and even enjoy the pump time (you can watch some TV meanwhile). My advice is:relax and take it easy, you are doing your best!

P.S: I also took MOre milk plus, I saw 3 breastfeeding consultanst and nothing worked.. my grandmother told me is a "family issue" because she also had the same problem and so my mom and my aunts. I am not saying that this is your case but this helped me to feel better with myself and a woman and momy. Your baby is very lucky to have you!

Good luck!

Exact happened to me, I took Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea .Wonderful, natural tea with no caffeine and help to increase milk supply frequently.

I just wanted to let you know you are not alone. My daughter was born with a severe birth defect (congenital diaphragmatic hernia) an hour from home in Chicago. We were told she would not survive and we basically lived in a hotel to be close to her. I NEVER produced milk for her! I had NO engorgement, NOTHING! And this of course was likely due to the stress of the whole situation. I have three older children that I produced just fine for in the early days. One of the hardest things about being a NICU mom is taking care of yourself. And remember to be cautious of what fluids you are drinking-ex:pop can dehydrate you so if you drink 12 cans a day for your plenty of fluids it will be useless! Also your local WIC office should be able to assist you as well. Another idea is to talk to your baby's dr and nurses about getting in touch with a social worker. There are numerous ways they can help even financially like gas cards,food cards,a place tostay near the hospital,etc. Which can alleviate the stress of that if that is a concern for you. They can also hook you up with the hospital's lactation consultant if you are interested. And they can help you get a hospital grade pump for at home as well. If however you decide pumping is no longer an option for you remember that every little bit helps especially in the first few days of pumping. So anything you already have will be beneficial to your baby. I'm curious how old your baby is as they say the medicines you recieve during delivery can sometimes cause difficulties with production until the medicine is out of your system. Also when they start feeding babies in the NICU with health issues they start very small. Like ML's. So what you have may be what she takes for some time until her body is able to tolerate more during feedings. So if you decide to continue working at this I would say you have time to work at it while she is not going through all that you already have stored.

Thinking of you and your little one!

T.
www.JaslynParker.com

Hey there....Congrats on even trying to pump breastmilk...having a 28 week old baby is probably stressful enough...My little guy was born just a month early and was quite large, but was still in the NICU for a few days...the lactation consultant really helped me in the NICU in regards to getting him latched on, etc.....I don't know if it's possible with such a little baby, but they let me nurse him, while at the same time, he was drinking from a tube connected to a bottle of formula...the tube was taped right near my nipple and the bottle was suspended above my shoulder..this way he was sucking and getting the required amount of formula per feeding...don't know if this is an option now, but it may be in the near future...

Also, with my first daughter, I took Domperidone to stimulate my milk supply along with Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle herbal supplements...Domperidone (Motilium) is tough to get in the US, however there is a compounding pharmacy in Naperville which used to dispense it with a prescription...Reglan scared me due to the side effects (depression, anxiety, etc.) It definitely increased my supply...Oatmeal is also recommended for nursing moms...

Good luck to you
M.

Hi F.,

I had the same problem. I delivered my twin girls at 26 weeks almost 9 years ago. I also could not produce milk. I did the herbal stuff to. The nurses told me that it was ok. The never got breast feed and are doing well. Does your doctor seem concerned? If not I would not worry about it. I know how you feel about wanting to breast feed but for some unknown reasons some of us just can't produce enough. They have some issues but that is because they were born so early and had some health problems, concidering what they could have had they are doing great.

Best of luck to you,

D.

I successfully breastfed my twin boys for 8 months, but I also had a hard time getting enough milk via pumping. At first I thought it was due to all the blood I had lost during my c-section (I had to have a blood transfusion), but I finally figured out that I was getting so stressed out that it was keeping me from fully "letting down" to produce enough milk. It was like a self-fulfilling prophecy: I was worried that I wouldn't produce enough milk so, of course, I wouldn't pump enough milk. From all the stress you're going through, I'm guessing that it's stress that's keeping you from producing enough milk.

You didn't say in your post, but I'm guessing that you're baby is unable to breast or bottle feed at this time. If that's the case, I would keep pumping and supplement whatever you produce with formula. That way, you're still passing on your immunities to your baby, and you're releasing yourself from the stress of having to produce so much milk. When your baby is ready to latch on, you can stop pumping and breastfeed and/or alternate breastfeeding and formula. Even though I wasn't pumping much milk after the birth of my twin boys, once I gave up on pumping and breastfed I produced enough milk to feed both of them (again, I think it was because I lost the stress). The most important part of breast milk is the immunities that you pass on, so even if you have to supplement with formula your baby is still getting the immunities.

In the end, though, I would forget about breastfeeding if it's causing too much stress and heartache. The most important thing you can do for your baby is make sure that you're happy and healthy enough to take care of both of you, so do what works best for you. Hang in there!

Wow. I am impressed with how hard you are working to breastfeed your daughter. So many would have given up.

I have had better luck with Avent brand pumps. You might try that.

I used the herbal supplement Fenugreek, I don't know if that's in "More Milk Plus".

Next up, how are you? You sound exhausted, stressed. Make sure you are taking care of you. Big meals, LOTS of water and some rest. I know it's hard, so ask for help. Meals, help so you can nap (when she comes home), etc.

On of my big nursing tricks, which may work while pumping is taking deep breaths when I start-trying to relax, it makes a huge difference for me.

Again, kudos to you for trying so hard. I don't know what your consultant says, but maybe you could cut down to 6 or 7 sessions and be able to renew yourself more.

Good luck!

I didn't read all the responses, but many that I did read were excellent. You might try another version of "power pumping" where you pump only 5 minutes or so every hour while you're awake. Babies will often have "frequency days" and it may help to mimic that with a pump. If you can manage longer than 5 minutes while you're doing this, the better. Put the pump somewhere you will see it very often and every time you look at it, pump for whatever time you can manage. Don't worry about the clock. Just do what you can. I'd also suggest getting a copy of "Making More Milk" by Diana West and Lisa Marasco. There may be other factors affecting your milk supply (although the low thyroid is a big one - sometimes doctors only dose til you are in "low-normal" range when you really need to be in a higher range to lactate.) The book may help you decipher just what may be affecting your supply and how to treat it.
Good luck,
K. R. , IBCLC

Bless you for trying so hard!! I did that too for a few weeks with my first one (long story). I wanted to breastfeed more than anything and it was worth it but with my second and third there were medical complications that made it impossible. Honestly no matter what people tell you and I heard from everyone! there is no SIN in formula when you have no other choice. My other two children are just as happy and mostly as healthy as the one I was able to breastfeed for 6 months. I thought I would lose my mind pumping like that and maybe I would have if I had had to continue. As it was I didn't sleep much ect which does not help with the postpartum hormones. With my son my milk just did not come in no matter how much I pumped or how often I tried to feed him. And with the other two to look after I was actually relieved when it just did not work out. Mommy guilt is a powerful thing but life comes out in ways we cannot always control so learning to roll with it can save you alot of grief. God bless you and your precious little one.

Hi there,
I feel the concern and stress in your email and it reminds me of when my son was born and in the hospital for a week, and I was at home pumping, pumping, pumping, pumping.

I noticed that the more stressed I became, the less I produced, so in response to that, I did the following. Try it, and see if it helps:

- Viewed pictures of my baby while pumping
- Quietly repeated this mantra to myself -- it created a lot of positive feelings while I was pumping and had the effect of reducing my stress. I'm happy to share it with you and any other mothers who would like to use it:

"My breastmilk nourishes, protects and strengthens my baby
My breastmilk is good for my baby
My breastmilk flows easily and abundantly for my baby
I love my baby"

I also recommend pumping fewer times a day but for a longer time period each time you pump so that you can find time to nap. You need your rest and health as well.

Take care, mommy!