Lactation - Boston,MA

Milk supply is based on demand so if she is not nursing, you should be pumping as often as she is eating. To increase supply, pumping every 2 hrs for a couple days will help. Hand expression after pumping is also very helpful for increasing supply. Also, especially now, make sure you are drinking enough. Dehydration will cause supply to go down. If your pump is used, it may seem to be working correctly but not be stimulating the supply well enough (the motors have a year lifespan).

Kellymom (mentioned below) has a lot of good info on how to get a reluctant baby back to the breast. She is much better at it than a pump so if you can get her back to nursing effectively it will help a lot. A lot can go into this so it might be a good idea to talk to someone who can figure out what is going on. Call a LLL leader. This is the link to the Boston group page http://www.llleus.org/web/BostonMa.html.

I found that pumping was not nearly as effective as actually breast feeding. So it seems it would be best to keep trying to get the baby to latch on.

Do you have a lactation consultant you can call? I had a really hard time nursing my daughter, and it seemed like it took 2 months before we were really getting it. I'm so glad I struck with it!

I would visit a certified lactation consultant. It may be a number of things that can't be diagnosed over the internet. Your pump could be an issue, the horns on the pump could be an issue, you may not produce for a pump but feed your baby just fine, she may be tongue-tied...so call an LC and have an in-person consultation.

Kellymom.com can give you tips, but do still call an LC.

I agree with AV, but you should also consider taking an herbal supplement. Many lactation consultants will not recommend herbs because they are not regulated by the FDA. That doesn't mean they are not safe, it just has to do with the FDA's limited power. Look into herbs on your own, like fenugreek or a combination like More Milk Plus. I had much better results with these herbs than with increased pumping. Good luck!

Hi W.,

I'm so sorry to hear about the difficulty you're having with nursing. I have a lot of experience with difficult nursing situations myself, having had two babies who refused to latch at birth and having to pump to increase supply.

Did your daughter recently stop latching? If so, it could be a nursing strike. Kellymom (which someone mentioned) would explain more on this and I hope help if this is the case. If she has never latched on well, have you ever tried a nipple shield? This is what I use(d) with my children. It is a silicone shaped nipple that fits over yours and helps the baby to suck. You can find them at Babies R Us. At this point, I'm not sure how much you'll be able to increase your supply, but pumping is key. I was pumping after every feed for the first month or so. I also took 9 capsules of Fenugreek a day and 3 cups of Mother's Milk Tea, which all really helped.

The best thing to do would be to contact a lactation consultant. La Leche League or maybe one at the hospital where you gave birth? If you're in the Hopkinton area, I would be happy to send you info for the one I used. A consultant will be able to set you up with a plan to get your milk going. And what you pump is not always an indicator of what you're actually producing. Do you ever feel full in the breasts? When your daughter doesn't nurse, do you get engorged?

Also, don't be afraid to give formula. A lot of times we're meant to think that we've failed if we have to give our kids formula. I supplemented both of my children at times. My daughter was 1/4 nursed and 3/4 formula fed and my son the opposite. Sometimes it just helps and puts you at ease. I always felt that as long as they're getting some of my milk that is great.

Hope this helps and good luck!