Could Not Breastfeed the 1St Time...

Well I never breast fed my oldest because I was young when I had him and I just didn't. When it came to my younger son I wasn't able to because I have blood clot issue so have to take meds,so I had to just deal with not being able to do so,but now there are really great baby formulas,my sister uses the Similac Advance,has DHA & ARA, nutrients found in breast milk. Well I hope it works out for you,good luck

L. B

You might try the hospital that you'll deliver at for some ideas. The lactation consultants should be able to help or lead you in the direction of who can help. Or even your OB Dr. I wish you the best.

Call a lactation consultant NOW. Ask around for a good one. She will help you do all you can for future success. The cost of her fees will be far less than paying for formula and the benefits of any success, any nursing at all, will be priceless!

I would highly recommend going to La Leche League meetings as soon as possible to start gathering as much information as you can. If anyone can help, it's LLL. You can find the nearest meeting to you by going to www.llli.org and looking up your nearest city. There are also Lactation Consultants at many hospitals, or you can look them up in the phone book in your area as well. I hope that you are able to figure out what is causing the lack of milk production or let down.
Good luck!
:)

Some women just aren't able to breastfeed and there are support groups out there for them.

Dearest L.,

Hi I have two beautiful little ones. A boy 4 1/2 years old and a girl just turned 3. I was unable to make enough milk for either one of my children. With my son I tried so hard and no one could help me. I did everything; A special diet, took all the vitimans, drank mothers milk tea, begged my doctor to help me figure out what was wrong with me, I pumped like crazy, went to see a lactation consultant.

I tried this for 4 1/2 months with my son. I would nurse him, then pump, feed him the only ounce I could produce, then give him formula. His first pediatrician had me in tears. The second one said not all women make enough milk. He assured me what little milk I did give my son was a good start to think of myself as a vitiman supplement.

After 4 1/2 long stressful months both he and I gave up and just used a bottle. When my daughter came along I was prepared to deal with the same issues. I started to drink the tea, take the pills and eat the foods. No matter what I did I could not fully breast feed my daughter either. I started supplementing at 1 week with her. None of this was easy she was a hungry little gal. I only lasted doing the pumping, nursing, formula for 2 1/2 months. She was not patient plus I now had 2 children to care for.

It still gets to me. I tried to find what could be wrong and why I could not feed my children and no one had the answers. I dont want to discourage you but I am the second woman in my family that was unable to make milk. I pray my daughter will not have this problem or if she does someone will know how to deal with these issues.

Please do not let it get to you. Enjoy the fact your child is healthy, growing and with you. If you would like to talk on this further please contact me.

M.

ps. I also called LLL La Leche League. The lady really put me down for using a bottle. She pretty much told me I wasnt trying hard enough even after telling her everything I was doing and how my son wasnt gaining any weight. Even the hospital support group wasnt any help. It was a bunch of ladies with sore boobs and no one understanding how I couldnt even make 2oz of milk.

I have 2 boys and I never had leaky sore breasts when I was pregnant. I would talk to your dr about it and I think they can prescribe medication that can increase your milk supply (my friend is on it and I believe it starts with an R) I would also visit with a lactation specialist or get involved with your la leche league and reduce stress. Stress can play a big part. I had a hard time with my first and no problems at all with my 2nd and they are only 17 months apart
Good luck

I agree with the other poster - definitely talk with your OB. I'm glad you are willing to give it a try. I had a heck of a time feeding my first in the beginning, too. He actually had motor issues, which we didn't know until he was 4, along with muscle issues in the mouth. I also didn't have enough milk.

After a few months it worked and worked well - he nursed until he was 3.

Then when I had my second, I knew more about what I was doing and was better prepared. But a couple of days after discharge I had to be hospitalized again, so daddy had her on formula, since my milk took 5 days to come in. Once home, we nursed and nursed. She loved it and got plump (too plump). Both she and my son had tummy issues. I took them to bed so it wouldn't be so hard to wake up to feed them. I had too much milk. It would squirt all over her little face as I was opening my bra to feed her.

She's now 3, weaned at a little over 2 and very healthy (not plump anymore!).

As far as what to do, the best advice is to drink a lot of water, relax and try not to stress, and get help for the chores, baby, house, etc., even if you have to pay for it. Teenagers can be a big help. Take some time for yourself, and give baby to daddy so you can have some alone and sleep alone time. Stress, starvation and dehydration will stop that mild from coming. Nurse as much as you can, but, especially in the beginning, don't feel guilty if you have to use some formula. Many babies do just fine with it, but breastmilk is still the best, and there are studies to back it up. The most important thing is to be sure the baby is getting something to eat, and you can supplement either way. I did, and before 3 or 4 months was up. we nursed full time.

And get the My Brest Friend (I got mine at BabyCenter.com, but I think BabiesRUs carries them now). Much better than a boppy.

Chamomile tea is good for both you and the baby, so stock up on that.

The brewers yeast, mother's tea and all that (someone even suggested beer!) did nothing but upset both my and my baby's tummy. No thanks. Didn't do the beer because I don't like it anyway, and it also upsets my tummy. Same with fenugreek.
Good luck!

Congratulations on your baby girl on the way! I had the same problem with my first (now 5) - I was unable to breastfeed him from the get go. He refused to latch on (would turn his head away and scream) so I tried to pump while supplementing with formula. I never built up a milk supply and gave up after a few weeks. I never once got engorged and even women who don't even attempt to breastfeed get engorged at first so I figured it was just a problem with me not being able to produce milk.

With my second on the way I decided I would give it another go. This time the baby wanted to latch so I put him on my breast frequently - around the clock those first few days (it seemed like every 1-2 hours) - and I was also adamant that he did not get any bottles. It took until day 4, but my milk came in like it never had the first time around. The first month or so it was uncomfortable but now he is nearly 3 months old and breastfeeding is a breeze. My breasts never leaked during pregnancy (and unfortunately didn't even get that much bigger for that matter) and I also never feel "let down", but my son is getting plenty of milk.

So take heart, you very well may be sucessful this time around, I would just make sure you get as much stimulation as possible those first few days and also suggest you take the class offered at your hospital and read a few books. The more you arm yourself with information the better. And try not to stress too much, you already know that babies do just fine on formula, so just try your best. Good luck!

the best advice is from www.mothering.com - click on the "discuss" tab which gets you to the forums. scroll down and there are a numb er of breastfeeding forums! you can do it!!!

oh and i have found most OBs and pediatric doctors don't know much if anything about breastfeeding. they aren't taught it in medical school and most don't support it or see the need for it. it is very frustrating. so i wouldn't rely on those sources for accurate information.

Make sure you are good about drinking LOTS of water, every time you feed the baby you should drink a glass of water. Also maybe contact the La Leche League. They can have some good helpful tips too. Just because you can't pump the milk doesn't mean it's not being produced. I had a difficult time pumping and gave up on that, but was able to produce plenty of milk. Have you taken a breast feeding class at the hospital ? Maybe check into that too.

I agree that you should consult a Lactation specialist. They can help you a bit. I suggest you massage your breasts. Just because your breast did not have the achy swollen feeling may not mean your milk didn't come it. My second child, my milk came in but didn't really know it. I'm one of those women who have a very low milk supply, so I understand what you are feeling. Here is a link that I plan on using with my next baby, http://www.motherlove.com/product_goats_rue.php. I don't have any experience with this, but I've heard good things about it. I've done a lot of research on what I could do to increase my milk. Nothing has worked so far. I do want to encourage you to keep trying though.

What kind of breast pump were you using? I loved using the Medela model, I forget what it is called, but it is the big one. Remember to try and relax when trying to breast feed or pump. I know how difficult that is, but it is important. Massage the breast before feeding or pumping. Take a deep breath, either you are going to get milk or not, but remember you are trying to do your best. It is not a failure. The best thing is to be positive. I wish you all the best with your new baby.

Hi L., I say do all you can to see if it will work this time, but please don't beat yourself up if it doesn't work. I had classes, lactation "specialist", etc for both my kids and my wonderful breasts just didn't do their job and my kids did not suffer living off formula. So don't stress about it and just do the best you can and good luck!

Hi L., I would like to say that the LaLeche League was helpful to me when I had my first son. You may want to contact them prior to the delivery of your little girl. I'll put their number at the end of this message. Don't be alarmed by the non existence of leaking or tender brests. I have always had mild periods, never knew they were coming (besides the migraines), no cramps, tenderness as others have. With that said, with all three of my sons I was able to successfully nurse past 1 year with all of them in the 90th percentile until 1 year and with no supplemental formula. Check with the breastfeeding groups, hopefully you will be able to figure it out....and don't feel bad if you can't, Mom's are awesome either nursing or bottlefeeding...don't let anyone make you feel otherwise. Take care and enjoy your precious little girl.
S.
the web address is www.LaLecheLeague.org
and their number is ###-###-####

I'm sort of in the same boat. Only my issue is that my baby never latched on so my milk production never really got very high. A Chinese herbalist told me to drink a concoction of pigs feet, peanuts, lots of sliced ginger, and salt.... all put together in water in a big soup pot (boil for awhile). It was disgusting, but I think it sort of helped. It's an old chinese folk remedy. Now I have the problem that I developed a bad case of mastitis so that has pretty much knocked out my milk production so I have to stop now for that reason and my baby is almost 4 months old. I haven't had an easy go of breastfeeding either, so I totally understand.

I've been supporting breastfeeding women for over 11 years and in that much time I've seen three women who truly had to supplement their milk. One had breast surgery and her milk ducts had been cut. One had Addison's disease and her body shut down all non-essential-to-life functions. One made tons of milk, but her baby had a metabolic disorder and had to be given a special diet to survive. All that to say that it would be rare, indeed, if you simply can't make enough milk, in which case, I'd strongly recommend being screened for Addison's.

As far as supplements for you, I recommend a product called "More Milk Plus," by Motherlove. Good stuff!!

Also, it may help to know that with every pregnancy, a woman's milk making ability increases.

If I can help you, email me privately. :)

Hi L. -

You can start an herbal protocol of red raspberry, fennel, marshmallow and blessed thistle to increase milk production and the richness of the milk. When are you due? Historically, red raspberry leaf tea has been drunk throughout pregnancy to strengthen the uterus and prepare the body for the birthing process.

Fennel is a carminitive - meaning it helps relieve gas and bloating and when combined with the marshmallow and blessed thistle, it has shown to increase the flow and richness of breast milk.

Blessings,

M. M. Ernsberger, HHP
Certified Herbalist
Payson, AZ