Breastfeeding Advice - Sandy, OR

Hello Nancysue,

First off! Congratulations! I struggled with my first baby on breastfeeding but my newest one went so awesome. The womanly Art of Breastfeeding by the LaLeche League was extremely helpful to me. Give me a call anytime. ###-###-####

Blessings, K.

I started losing my milk when I went back to work and had to pump. My lactation consultant advised me to take Fenugreek and drink 8 ounces of water right before each pumping. I did exactly that and my milk came back. I know that drinking water is a biggy but I think the combination of the 2 really helped.

I don't know if you are able to but I went on a prescription for about a week to boost my very low milk supply. Maybe you could ask you dr. about that?

I'd suggest you see a Lactation Consultant (licenced IBCLC)PRENATALLY to address your concerns and make a game plan. Call the local hospital to get referals for private lactation consultants in your area. Pick one you connect with. Being educated, prepared with a plan of action and having a professional on your "team" can make a big, big difference. There are ways to suppliment at breast so that you are stimulating your supply while nursing your newborn. Also, you can do pre and post feeding weigh in's to see how much milk your baby is getting during a breastfeeding session and then suppliment with formula to make up the difference until your supply increases. A licenced and experienced IBCLC can guide you with evidenced based information to give you and your baby the best start possible.

While breastmilk is best by far, not all moms want to do it. I'm not suggesting this is YOU, by any means. But all moms to be need to get really clear about what they truly want to do as far a breastfeeding goes. Any way, make a plan YOU can live with, and most of all, enjoy your new baby!

. You would have to be SEVERLY malnurished to actually not make milk.Buty your first baby, and stress definitley can hinder, plus you have a little being to be responible for.plus circumstances of your birth.it is very normal for it to take 3-4 full days for milk to come in, your body is smart and makes colostrum, the first few days are the hardest to go throught. you dont feel like you have milk babys often are still full of amniotic fluid, even though you dont see baby "chugging" baby is still getting what nature intended the first few days, i wish we had clear boob to tell us how much..lol
I have 4 babys and nursed all for up to 3yrs, have gone through everything you can imagine. I absolutley know you will be able to nurse you baby. I am also an nurse and have been a leader in leleche, which i hope you will look into now and go to even though you have a little while to go.Having your baby in a hospital is a very different set of standard, "you have to dilate 1cm q hr" baby must nurse within 24 hrs or we cant release you. after you give birth until about 1 hr notice how alert absolutley wise your baby is, nurse then because lots of babys "go to sleep" for a long time, there is a reason it takes up to 4 full days for milk, your baby had to work an sqeeze and work some more, they lived and breathed amniotic fluid it takes a while for their bodies to absorb so they are often "full"for the firest 1-3 days, so you are not going to see soaked diapers.good luck ,you can do it.

Find leleche please you can have a way different experience.
just because baby is nursing every 20 min forever that does not mean they are starving,babys are meant to be so close to us and their building their supply for future growth spurts. SORRY SO LONG!!!i love this subject
bye =)
(please anyone readin, absolutley there are case though rare something is going on thats not the normal ,sunken eyes, sunken softspots on head listless, shallow breathing)

Oh honey, I hear ya. I had similar problems, and man, the guilt that all the lactation people and books and magazines heap upon you is ridiculous. Everywhere I turned, I got the response: "Every woman thinks she has low milk supply--it's all in your head." Uh, not when my baby was LOSING weight during his second week and did not poop for 10 days! I myself tried 5 lactation consultants, Reglan (prescription to help with supply; didn't work), Goat's rue (herb; didn't work), and vigorous pumping after every paltry feeding (didn't work). By four weeks, I was a guilt-ridden wreck.

One drug I did not try was Domperidone, which was pulled by the FDA and is only available through Canadian pharmacies. It was pulled for causing heart problems, and while I wanted to try it, my husband said no way, I have a stake in your good health as does this baby. Some things I might try the next time around: renting a baby scale so I can measure the baby's weight before and after feedings. I'm also going to supplement with formula for up to 6 weeks, as I've heard it can take that long for some women. Hot showers and compresses are also on my list. I might give the Goat's Rue another shot, we'll see.

Some underlying causes that may be at odds with breastfeeding, despite all our best efforts: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and undiagnosed thyroid problems. I have PCOS, and it is a known factor in low milk supply (and strangely over supply as well). MANY lactation consultants have no idea about this. Oh, and about those lactation consultants? A lot of them are medical workers who go to some weekend training and then start calling themselves lactation consultants. Make sure you work with someone with good credentials and experience. And whatever you do, don't fall for that "all women can breast feed"--it's total BULL.

Good luck,
AMD

Be prepared to bottlefeed if your milk doesn't come in. Have formula on hand. Don't feel bad if you can't breastfeed, your body just may not be able to produce milk. Nothing bad on your part! Good Luck!

kellymom.com SO helpful!!!

Hi!
I am A. Swift and live out of The Dalles on a ranch.
My daughter had a lot of trouble producing milk even though she was taking the supplementation, nursing tea, good food and so that her midwife suggested.
With a later baby she had been introduced to a patented nutritional supplementation during her pregnancy. the pregnancy was much better that the previous, but a wonderful bonus was she has had plenty of milk! Just now weaning her 16 month old baby!
if you are interested in finding out more, call me ###-###-####

I had a similar issue. My son was in NICU and I couldn't nurse due to my own conditions. I was afraid I wouldn't have any milk left before I was cleared to nurse. In order to keep my milk coming I had to pump regularly (regularly is crucial) and the lactation nurse suggested drinking beer or taking a supplement called fenugreek. I can't stand beer so tried the fenugreek. It worked great.

I have several friends who had no milk with their first child, but had a ton come in for their second! It's like their bodies figured it out the second time around. I am currently nursing twins and I did not make enough milk at first but I kept nursing and pumping and also supplementing with formula as needed and after a couple of months my body gota clue and now I don't need formula anymore! If your milk is really low then you might need to supplement with formula after every feeding but that's ok - even if the baby just gets a little bit he/she will get the benefits from it! Hopefully this time around you will have lots from the beginning .. hope this encourages you. D.

I feel for you my now 2yr old was almost kept in the hospital for his jaundice since he was not getting enough nursing. I too had to supliment, pumped and drank the 'mother's' tea to try and get my suply back up...it was hard work eventually he started nursing correctly (near 3 months) but I never got over the fear he wasn't getting enough.

After talking with others the best advice I feel was to start pumping immediatly or soon after your baby's birth. The nurses brought in a pump soon after my now 5mnth old's birth since he wasn't latching and I started pumping every 2 hours, he's my third son and I've never had my milk come in so strong and so quickly! Though he still hasn't gotten the latching thing down (and I'm afraid he's just not going to) at 5 months my milk supply is still strong and he's growing like crazy!

Out of three births only my first was 'easy' to breastfeed, it's tough sometimes but I think it's well worth it. Good luck on your new venture and I hope I've been of some help.

God Bless

Hi Nancysue,
You have gotten LOTS of advice, but I will put mine in as well. 1) Get involved with LLL (La Leche League); lots of wonderful support to be found there. 2) Get a prenatal consult from a REAL lactation consultant: an IBCLC. There are lots of "lactation nurses" out there who have not met the requirements IBCLC's have; this certification is the ONLY professional standard. 3) Keep positive; there ARE mothers who do fine with the 2nd baby. 4) DO NOT use alcohol; it can be passed through breastmilk, and while it is unlikely to truly harm a baby in such small amounts the risk is there. 5) DO NOT just automatically supplement; that may be necessary, but if you start out with it the bottles can truly hurt your chances, unless truly needed. If you are in the Salem area, or if you would like some more in depth advice on the phone, I am an IBCLC and LLL leader, and would be happy to talk to you about your situation... just e-mail me!Whatever you end up doing, know that made the best choices you could for yourself and your baby. Best wishes to you!!!
E.

Find a Le Leche League meeting in your area. I had had trouble breast feeding my first 2, but was successful with my youngest with the help and support of the Le Leche League. I attended all during the last 1/2 of my pregnancy as well as after she was born. Wonderful information and support!!
Congratulations, best of luck and God Bless!

I would say try and talk to a lactation consultant before your new baby arrives. See if there's anything you can do the last weeks or so before baby is born.

I personally have a problem with keeping my milk supply up the whole time that I'm nursing. It is a constant battle for me. I had to use Fenugreek just to keep going, but so far I've made it 9 months. This site http://www.kellymom.com/ helped me a lot.

-W.

HI N.,
I use a thing called fenugreek. You can get it at the local Fred Meyer. It is really good and it helps with milk supply. Take three or four the first day and then do what the bottle says. It makes you smell a bit like maple syrup but it does help. Best of luck. Nursing can be very difficult at first. No one really tells you that.
B.

http://www.llli.org/

Get a hold of a lactation consultant now and see if there is anything you can do to prepare ahead of time. Also, you have to relax.

Good luck

Hi N. -

I had significant production problems but managed to breastfeed my son until he was two. It is one of my best memories, and just about two months ago my little guy (3 in April) laid back on his bed and said whimsically, "I loved nursing. I loved LOVED nursing!"

Here's how I did it: After almost three weeks of making practically no milk (my son was one pound less than his birthweight when he was three weeks old - scary!), I finally saw a lactation consultant (none too soon, I shudder to think). The lactation nurse set me up with what I affectionately referred to as my boob tube. It's a rectangular shaped bottle with a couple of small tubes that you tape to your nipples. Formula goes in the bottle and when the breast milk runs out, if there's any at all, you open the valve to the tube that the baby is nursing on. You may have seen this contraption when you saw your lactation nurse. At first I was very wary of using this device, but then my lactation nurse told me about a mom who produced no milk at all, but still used this device for nine months and proclaimed herself a "nursing mother." When I heard this, I thought I could definitely try this thing, too. I used it for about six months and then when my son started eating solids and wasn't completely reliant on breastmilk/formula for nutrition, I stopped with the boob tube and just supplemented breastfeeding with bottles. He of course much preferred breastfeeding. In fact, at nine months he STOPPED accepting the bottle and just insisted on the breast, so of course I had to scurry into action and introduce him to the sippy cup to be certain to keep him hydrated. What a big job breastfeeding was, but the bond that I experienced from nursing cannot be described, so I urge you to consider the boob tube to get things rolling.

Best of luck to you, and congratulations on your second child!

I had a "supply" issue with the first baby, so she ended up being bottle fed. When #2 came, no problems at all! Doc told me that a lot of first time mothers have problems because they are uptight but don't know it and don't produce milk. Second time around, he recommended a beer each evening to relax if I needed it, I only did that on occasion when I could tell I was uptight. For the next 3 kids (I have 4) I could have fed a third world country, there was milk galore.

Hi Nancysue--
I can definitely relate to the low milk supply--I was really determined to breastfeed my daughter, even after having breast reduction surgery, of which there is a 50-50 chance of being able to do so. I have to say first and foremost, THINK POSITIVE! There actually is some benefit to this and your milk supply--the let down process can be affected by your mentality, as I found to be true. It may not be the answer, but think positive thoughts and try visualizing yourself spewing fountains of glorious liquid white gold! Someone once said to me "as soon as you are told you cant make milk, you wont." I know there is more to it than that, and other suggestions I can give you have probably already tried (I took Mothers Milk herbal supplement religiously, pumped after nursing, drank that tea, drank lots of water and ate good, etc.) so I am sure you will do everything you can to ensure that you have a better experience this time around. Also, obviously I dont know what your delivery was like or what your birth plans are this time, but just an FYI, avoiding drugs (like an epidural) while in labor will give your baby a better chance of latching on right after birth, which is also crucial to get the colustrum and milk going. Babies can be born weak and sleepy and not as willing to latch as much if the drugs have passed into their system.
Best of luck to you--oh, if you are wondering, I was able to breastfeed almost exclusively for 8 months until i started having plugged ducts and mastitis and then thrush, much of it complications from having the surgery and I had to stop all together. I always had to supplement some and remember that ANY bit of colustrum or breastmilk that you can deliver to your baby is a gift, and if you cant give the baby any, formula is just FINE!
Take care and enjoy!

I had a lot of problems breastfeeding with our first one so with our second I started pumping in the hospital and that seemed to make a huge difference. The only thing I can say is make sure you get a good pump. Than be willing to spend the time it takes to do it for as long as you want. I would spend 2 and half hours a day hooked up to the pump to feed my son even more with my first though because my milk didn't come in as well. At that time I still had to suppliment with formula. From everything I've heard though I figured at least she was getting some milk and that was better than none. I used a medela pump in style advanced pump. It was about $300. You can rent pumps though if you don't want to spend that money initially. Last I would like to add that as new mothers and wives and full time employees we do the best we can and if you can't breatsfeed at least you've tried and should not be hard on yourself if you can't. Congrats and I hope this info will help you.

I can relate somewhat. Between 2 and 3 weeks of age my son didn't gain any weight, they sent us straight to the ER and imediately had a bottle of formula in his mouth. We continued supplementing with formula for a couple months while I tried to get my milke supply back up. I really wanted to breast feed and once we realized I was the problem we went to the lactation specialist. She had me start taking a supplement called fenu greek. I started taking 3 capsules 3 times a day thats over 4 times the dosage on the bottle, and sometimes I even take an extra one during the day when my milk is real low. This works great for me. I stil have to take it everyday or my milk is so low and sometimes disappears all together. My problem wasn't that I never made milk though. I had milk, more then enough in the begining, but one day for some unknown reason my milk just disappeared. Aside from the supplements they also have me pump like every hour, or breastfeed even if there is no milk because the more you nurse the more milk you'll make. My son is not a very strong nurser though. He loves to nurse but his suction is not very strong so I had to pump pretty regularly for a while to help keep my supply up. Once my sone started eating some solids I cut back on the amount I spent pumping because I don't need quite as much milk now. The supplements and a twice daily pumping has done the trick for me. I hope you have better luck nursing the second time around, and I hope my story has been of a little assistance to you! Good luck and congrats on your ne bundle!

I was also not able to nurse my children. I have 3 kids (4, 2 and 6 months). With my first I tried EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING. I pretty much wore myself out (as well as stressed myself out). With my second I was very optimstic that I'd get off to a better start and not stress about it, knowing I could just start to supplement with formula if I had to. He made it 2 months before weaning himself. With my third, I tried again because I really wanted to make it work. Again, I had a very low milk supply and wasn't able to nurse my baby. So after 1 month she was weaned to complete formula. I wish I had some great advice for you to make it work, but know that there are many moms out there with the same issue (which I was NEVER led to believe with my first). Just give it a try, do everything you can and be positive about it. Just take care of you and your baby and do what works for you two.

congrats on your growing family!

i suggest contacting your local la leche league. i was a real snob about lll until i had my first baby and we had terrible thrush/nipple yeast problems. my la leche leader was the only person to really help us! they are a real wealth of support and information...and free!

good luck!

HI! I had a very low milk supply as well, and my Dr put me on a perscription...can't remember what it was called, but talk to your Dr. about it!! More importantly relax and enjoy your pregnancy. Breastfed or formula fed, the baby will adapt!!! Good luck!

I read through all the responses and there was no mention of colostrum. It is the first nutrients before & up to a week before your milk comes in. See below and also rest, relax, rest and drink so much water that your pee has no color!

What is colostrum?

Colostrum is the milk first produced in the early days after your baby is born. It's usually yellowish in colour and is very rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals and immunity factors that are found only in breast milk. These help protect your baby against infections.

After the first week, colostrum changes into milk that is whitish in colour. The milk at the beginning of each feeding is called foremilk. Foremilk is watery to satisfy your baby's hunger and fluid needs.

As the feed continues, foremilk gains fat content until it becomes hindmilk, which is much whiter and looks richer. Hindmilk gives your baby a feeling of being full and satisfied.

Hope this helps, you'll also need to continue drinking tons of water while nursing.

So, I heard oatmeal is good for increasing supply.
I breast fed all three of my kids for the first year. I wasn't one of those women who could breast feed and then still have a bunch left over to pump. I did notice however I started eating oatmeal everyday for a week and my supply seemed to increase. Could it just be a coincidence? Yes, but oatmeal is really good for you and baby-so why not try it?
Good luck.

Also, can you pump and bottle feed? I was in a terrible car accident while I was pregnant with my 2nd child. She was born early in the hospital because of my accident and I had a broken leg and other things so I couldn't be with her to nurse on a regular basis for the first month but I pumped every two hours. My supply was just what she needed after being bottle fed also.

Check with the local natural food or supplement store. Some of those people are masters at knowing what gets breast milk going. Fenugreek was one of the herbs recommended. I also have a breast pump I used and pumping milk helped my body to generate more. If I hadn't done that I would have run out in the first 3 months.

You're probably sick of getting responses by now...but hopefully this one helps.

I wasn't able to breastfeed my son either, and just like you it wasn't for lack of trying, he also ended up back in the hospital for dehydration and jaundice. My challenge was having breast reduction surgery when I was 20. I did a ton of research and tried everything as well. Unfortunately I was too scared after the hospital incident (much as you were I'm sure) to just commit solely to breast feeding until my body figured out how to make enough milk and I really depended on formula.

The one thing that I didn't try, was apparently there is a prescription medication that can be prescribed by the lactation nurses that can increase milk supply. I wish I could remember the name of it, but I believe it starts with an 'R'. Good luck this time around! I understand how much you want this experience and to do the best for your baby. But remember that if it doesn't work out, that you did what you could.

SOmething that I heard works is to start pumping right before your due date. ALso, how frequently were you pumping? I would try pumping for at least 30 minutes every couple of hours. If you don't have an electric pump, rent one.
Good luck!
:o)

I recently read this on a blog that I frequent. I haven't tried it personally, but it worked for this gal.

"*What did I use to up my production? Fenugreek. It's an herb, I bought it form "Nature's Way" - which I remember seeing in lots of health shops/GNC type stores in the USA. DO NOT get the Fenugreek with Thyme as Thyme is not recommended for nursing mothers. Pair this with breastfeeding and then pumping (manual or electric) after nursing so as to ensure the body is completely empty. The body will respond to making as much as is needed."

Hope this helps!

Hi Nancysue,

I'm so sorry that you were unable to breastfeed your first child. I had a similar situation with my first child. It's hard looking back and realizing it didn't have to be that way.

My second and third children were a dream. What I finally did was chuck everything every expert was telling me, every book I'd ever read on the subject (except Spiritual Midwifery), and any old idea I had about how to breastfeed and how the world works in general. I drank lots of red raspberry leaf tea (great for baby, labor, and hydration), walked everywhere with my oldest children, and made myself calm before the birthing. I reminded myself that baby and I were about to do something women have done for ages, and that if I just let myself be just that, we'd be fine.

When Tara was born I was so engorged she could not latch on. I sought the advice of a nurse present at the birth. She was also a lactation consultant and organized a new mothers group in Ashland. There she helped me express milk, gave me a nipple shield (which I only had to use for a few minutes until Tara could get a hold of me), and encouraged me to drink a tea that might make me feel better about the amount of milk I was making (I recommend Traditional Medicinals Mother's Milk). From that point on my milk production stayed with what Tara's need was. I nursed her until she was three and a half. A long time, but it felt right for both of us.

Try not to be discouraged, and congratulations on expecting another wonderful life!

C.

FIRST, Don't stress out! Stress will prevent your milk from coming in. SECOND Don't give up.
Fenugreek is awesome, and there is a liquid herb you put in your drink, it smells like black licorice, any natural store will have it, ask them, they have a special aisle just for nursing. I used both. I had a C-Section and it delayed my milk production, but with pumping, and still nursing even though I didn't have much, and the herbs, I was full time nursing in a few weeks. Did your breasts hurt or get hard the first time you couldn't nurse? That means you had milk but couldn't get it out.
While you are working on your milk supply, you can cup feed your baby if you are afraid of giving her a bottle and causing nipple confusion. Cup feeding is putting formula in a tiny medicine cup and putting it to thier mouths, they lap it up like a little kitten, I am serious! My first I had problems and she got jaundice from not enough milk, if I had known about cup feeding, I could have avoided that. With my second daughter, also a C-Section, a nurse told me about cup feeding. You nurse your baby first, then give her a tiny med cup of formula, and then baby can go back to sleep with a full tummy. Keep up with nursing, even though your milk isn't in, keep nursing, then cup feeding. I also read a book called "The Nursing Mother's Companion" It was VERY helpful. Also, get a pump, any kind will do, and remember, don't stress out!

Good for you, not giving up! It's SO important to breastfeed if you can. Please contact La Leche League ~
ASAP! This is an organization that has been helping women with breastfeeding for decades. They have chapters all over the US , so you may find local meetings wherever you live. And of course there's always online...try this forum...
http://forums.lalecheleague.org/
I breastfed both my babies and visualization was a big help. Relaxing environment, also key.
To prepare make sure to eat lots of healthy food, including leafy greens that have essential folic acid.
Brewers Yeast is good, but consult your doctor before taking any supplements.
Read Read Read! La Leche League puts out great books on the subject, too.
Let us know how you do, please!
I think you'll do great this time, because you'll be prepared.
~D.

I am a grandma now but before my first child was born, I started going to La Leche League meetings. They were so helpful and answered my questions before my daughter was born. Everyone came with their nursing babies. It was a really relaxing atmosphere and I felt very comfortable. This was back in 1966 when formula was the thing to do! I hope you can find a group in your area. I had phone numbers to call so I could get support. Best wishes.

i'm not sure where you live, but the lactation consultants at evergreen hospital in kirkland are excellent. if you are able to get a referral, i've heard the lactation consultants at children's hospital are also exceptional. make sure you drink lots of water (you need fluid to produce fluid) and try taking some tincture of fennel (natropathic), however, check with your pediatrition before taking the fennel.

Many years ago when I had my child, society was on the crest of the "politically correct" wave in pregnancy and child care. Old remedies, mid wives and cloth diapers were for the insane mothers, like me. My son nursed CONSTANTLY in the first month. I got no sleep and was a ragged, desperate woman when I called a nursing specialist for help. There wasn't time to make enough milk for him when he nursed every 45mins or so.
This wonderful voice on the other end of the line pulled me from the walls and told me to listen. She soothed me with good information and said that although she could no longer officially advise me to do this, that drinking 1/2 of a beer could help with milk production. (She said that in other countries it is not at all unusual for a nursing mom to have small quantities. Something in the hops that's good for this purpose.)
Be it far from me to advise the use of alcohol, the truth is that that bit of beer worked wonders. Good luck & blessings.

I had the (almost) same experience with my first child. My milk finally came in only very weak supply eight days after she was born, but was never really full strength. I MADE her nurse, even though we were both so frustrated, and that kept my meager milk supply from decreasing. I supplemented one or two bottles a day, but refused to give up on breastfeeding. In the end, with all the teas and supplements, and pumping and relaxing, I was able to stop supplementing at around 4 months. She self-weaned at 16 months. It was hard, frustrating work, but I knew without a doubt that it was the best thing for my baby. With my second, I was so nervous about repeating that first experience! I'll tell you, though, that my body knew exactly what to do, and my tiny son was gulping down colostrum only a couple hours after he was born. My breasts swelled up with milk two days later. Phew! I never had a single problem (except thrush, hopefully that won't happen to you!) with him, or with my third.

My advice to you: Relax. There's nothing you can do about it right now except educate yourself and enjoy your pregnancy. Any La Leche League leader or member would tell you that your body knows exactly how to produce milk for your baby, and that a mom who simply can't breastfeed is an extremely rare thing. Your body will most likely do everything automatically and correctly, and you won't have a thing to worry about except enjoying your new little one.

Please let me know if I can help in any way!

-S.

I too, was not able to nurse my first daughter (no milk and she wouldn't latch on) and was devastated! But 3 years later had another daughter, and 7 years after that, had a 3rd daughter, but of which I nursed successfully, they were naturals! I'm now pregnant with twins and plan to nurse them also. I was told by doctors and midwives that once your body figures out what to do, you shouldn't have any problems.

Hope this helps ease your mind, it is possible to nurse after one won't. Just go easy and relax, I know it's easier said than done, but you'll be successful!

Best of luck, and congratulations!

K.

Almost everyone should be able to breastfeed, I would consult a La Leche League leader. She can help you prepare for breastfeeding and educate you on things you may have misses before the first child!
Good luck! I hope it all works out for you because breastfeeding is the best thing you can ever do for your child!

I read Breastfeeding Made Simple by N. Mohrbacher and Kathleen Kendall-Tackett. The book really helped me and put a lot of my worries to rest. But, remember, just relax, nurish yourself, and enjoy your baby. Lots of skin to skin contact. Drink lots of water, and get a good pump (Medela pump in style is a good one) And start going to La Leche meetings now before you have the baby -- that also helped me. Good Luck!

N.,

I'll give you the things that helped me when my supply shrank due to hyperthyroidism: Fenugreek and Mother's Milk Tea.

Also, have you heard of Dom Peridone? It's not approved for use in the US, but is used in Europe, etc. It's actually a GI drug of some sort, but the side effect is lots of milk. So, you might consider it. You can get it from a compounding pharmacy in the US with a prescription. I have 2 Naturopaths that recommended it. Haven't needed it yet, but have it on hand just in case.

Most of all, know that your body is made for this. I believe the many women have trouble or perceived trouble with milk supply because of the media and public idea that babies will starve and women don't create enough milk. This causes stress which of course, does hurt supply. Try to center yourself and know that your body was created to feed your baby. If it needs a little help, that's ok!

Best of luck and congratulations.

My experience with using brewers yeast might be helpful to you. At the urging of my sister in law I started using it during my pregnancy for general fatigue and some morning sickness. Not only did it work very well for those symptoms it was wonderful for milk production. (my standard line is ," I could have fed the Deown Quintuplets). I always nursed with a glass of water next to me and tried to allow myself some quiet time. Hope this helps. B.

You can use a devise called an SNS (Supplemental Nursing System), which your lactation consultant should be able to give you (made by Medela). Use it while breastfeeding, and hopefully the stimulation will help. Also, get your lactation consultant to tell you who can prescribe you Domperidone (a medication that induces lactation). Lloyd Center Pharmacy in downtown Portland will compound it for you (not covered under insurance).

I have also had issues producing enough milk, as I have had breast surgery in the past. I found with my first that the herbal tinctures really worked, although they take time and consistency. So, with my second I had the herbs ready and took them with me to the hospital (as well as the tea!) and started the minute my second was born. I had a c-section, which means that it did take a bit longer for my milk to come in and the docs/nurses were already pressuring me to formula feed. However, on day 3 my milk came in FULL FORCE and my baby quickly gained incredible wait --- my letdown was fast and I had the FATTIEST milk I have ever seen. Needless to say, I think the herbs worked -- my baby weighed 11 pounds at 4 weeks and went on to be my "chunker." If you need specific advice on which herbs to take, please let me know, as I have found a great regimine and many of my friends have used it to great success too! Good luck and congratulations!

I had almost no milk come in with my twins. No engorgement, no leaking, basically no milk. I tried pumping and kept trying to nurse with no luck. I bottlefed them with no guilt. They were healthy and happy kids. When I became pregnant again I knew I wanted to try to breastfeed again but refused to stress myself out about it.
The day I checked out of the hospital my milk came in and by that night I had to go get a breast pump to relieve the engorgement. My boobs were so big and hard the baby couldn't even latch on. I successfully nursed for 13 months with no supply problems. My daughter never even saw a bottle. She went straight to a cup when we weaned off the boob.
When I pre-registered at the hospital I requested a lactation consultant (nurse) be there the very first time I tried to nurse, to be sure that we got off to a good start. After that first time I had her come back numerous times to check on me and make sure things were still going well. Nurse often and for long periods of time.
Keep at least 1 bottle and a little can of formula handy at home so you don't get stuck with out it if it is needed (or ask the hospital for some of thier pre-mixed bottles to bring home with you) Stay as relaxed about the whole thing as possible. I think our stress level very much effects our milk.
Not sure if any of this is what helped me succeed but it is what I did.
Good luck

I would encourage you to surround yourself with breastfeeding supporters, who will encourage you and have lots of tips to help. But also, get in touch with your lactaction consultant before you leave the hospital and have her watch/give advice. Also, go to a La Leche meeting before baby is born, as well as after would be very helpful, as they have lots of tricks up their sleeve. If nothing else, get The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding as it explains many things to do (nipple stimulation, supplemental feeders, switch nursing, teaching proper latch on, etc). Good luck, and eat well (you can drink all you want, but if you don't have the nutrition to back it, you won't produce much milk). Check out lllusa.org (La Leche website)

Did you try Fenugreek? It's a naturopathic herb that helps stimulate milk. I've used it off and on for the 9 months I've breastfed. You might try a different lactation specialist--I found the 3 I talked with all very different. Honestly, my naturopathic Dr. helped me the most.
It's got to be so hard to get no milk. Hopefully your body will know what to do this time around! Hope this helped! Good luck!

First I'd like to say that I am no expert, but I have nursed all 3 of my children. You really sound stressed about this whole matter. LET IT GO.... I really believe that will be a huge part in helping your body do what it needs to. Do some deep meditation. I personally use the advise and help from the CD and book "Getting into the Gap" by Dr Wayne Dyer. Not only will it help you with everyday stuff but the pressure that you are feeling. Relax, eat healthy, love your baby, let the dishes get dirty, take some time for you and you may find that will make a difference. Good Luck.
PS Breathe : )

My heart goes out to you! My first experience with breastfeeding was very much the same, i had no supply at all and had to formula feed. I wish I had had the advice of an LC the way you did, it may have helped me when I was so clueless. Anyways I went on to have 3 more children and an overabundance of milk with each subsequent one. Like you i was very nervous with my second child that I would also experience lack of supply again. I educated myself on how to increase supply and here is what I learned

drink water, lots and lots of water, even when you think you cant drink another sip keep on drinking
oatmeal in any form (mmm cookies) is a great natural milk booster and bonus its very healthy for you
eat at least 6 times a day
fenugreek works for many, not for me and it makes me stink. Mothers milk tea and supplement drops did help however.
i wouldn't suggest pupmping, at least in the beginning. This is when your supply is trying to establish itself on a supply and demnad basis, you could end up making way more milk than you need, although if you need to store milk for any reason this could actually be a good thing, so take it as you need it with this advice
when all else fails i have heread than domperidome is a very effectve herbal supplement but I believe can only be purchased from canada.

Continue using an LC and have a wonderful support system around you. Good luck and kudos for your decision and determination to breastfeed!

I'm so sorry that your hopes of breastfeeding your first baby didn't work out. I can imagine how disappointing that would be. I hope that, like many of the women who have written here, you don't experience the same problems with your second.

While I personally did not experience issues with early milk supply (my problem was that it would dry up after 7-8 months) I have several friends who have, and who tried to breastfeed but struggled each time they had a new baby. They ended up supplementing with formula and keeping up with nursing as much as they could, as long as they could. I just want to encourage you that even if it doesn't work out as you hope this time, you are not a bad mom if you give your baby formula!! There are just some women who have more trouble than others, and, while breastfeeding is wonderful and beneficial, bottlefeeding has it's benefits too, and is not a failure for you or your child. Formula is really good these days, and your baby can be very healthy eating nothing but!

I hope for the best for you - just know that whether or not you are able to breastfeed, you will still be able to nurture a wonderful bond with your baby and give her the nourishment she needs.

I'm suggesting the brewers yeast that someone else mentioned. I had a friend who when her milk supply didn't come in drank a beer, now I'm not suggesting drinking but I think she said it was the brewers yeast that did the trick. I know you can get supplements, ask your doctor. Hope this helps!

I have read that oatmeal is a great natural food that promotes lactation and you could also try fenugreek or there is a herbal laction support blend that I found at fred meyer. Good luck with the second!

I couldn't breastfeed either, but there were a lot of factors involved. After my two year olds were born, the lactation nurse prescribed me a medicine to help my milk come in.

When I was a first-time mom in the NICU with my preemie baby, the lactation consultants said to drink a lot of water, but not too much (some people are saying to drink too much) because they said doing so could shut off your production. It took a week for my milk to come in for both my babies. DO pump! That stimulates production; it is worth being out of sync with the baby for a bit if it means being able to breastfeed. The NICU nurses and lactation consultants had the doctor write a "prescription" for a breast pump, so the insurance paid for it (the lowest end electric medela, which served me well for 17 months!) Also, relax relax relax! Stressing out will definitely keep it from dropping once it does come in. Good luck!

Hi N.. Have you tried Fennel and Fenugreek? You could make a very strong tea with these herbs, and even cook with them. And also be sure to drink LOTS of water to help with the milk flow as well. Blessings;

Lots of good advice already posted. I'm a Chinese Medicine Doctor and I specialize in Obstetrics and Pediatrics. Insufficient lactation is generally due to a lack of nutrition and rest.

It's important to nourish your body after giving birth. Eat a balanced diet, and supplement if you have to. And REST!! I can't stress this enough. Acupuncture and moxa are also very helpful in stimulating milk production.

Contact your acupuncturist, if you have one, and feel free to check out my website for more info on breastfeeding.
www.AirmidAcupuncture.com

Congratulations on your second!!

J.

Try massaging your breasts with now and gently wrapping them in warm wash cloths to encourage early milk supply. Also put a warm cloth on your breasts while you nurse the first few times. Relax and think positive. You can do it. It might help to consult a midwife or a lactation consultant now and start early preparation. I was encouraged to eat lots of oatmeal for the last couple of months when I carried my daughter 2 years (still nursing). After you give birth FungGreek really worked for me, a little too well, lol. It's an herbal supplement you can get from Puritans Pride and other herbal suppliers.

When my supply went down with my 1st child, my LC told me Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea. I used this natural tea and it worked to boost milk supply quickly. Hopefully, it`ll help you.
Best of luck!