Low Milk Supply - Hays,KS

I've been drinking 1 beer a day to keep my supply up for my 8 month old. They say it's the hops in beer that helps.

This may sound really weird but I had that problem with my last son and my sister in law told me to drink lots of iced tea and it worked for me. Otherwise, just keep supplementing as the baby needs what you can give him. Renting an electric pump from a pharmacy also really helps too.
Hope this helps. BD

I attended a breastfeeding conference recently that showed that breast massage followed by hand expression can help boost milk supply. Here was the recommended video to show the proper technique for hand expression:
http://newborns.stanford.edu Click on breastfeeding, then hand expression. This method of milk production was reported by the speaker, Dr. Christine Smilie as being as good as the galactagogue domperidone.

Good luck

Get in touch with a breastfeeding consulatant they will be able to help you better.They are located at the hospitals,clinics if you are on WIC or the LLL League.Don't give up he is only a little over 5 weeks old some it takes a little longer but if I were you I wouldn't supplement becasue the more baby is on the breast the more your milk is getting stimulated even if he's on for over 30 min at a time.My baby is 6 months old and is always on the breast everyday from the day she was born.I plan to continue till she is walking and then wein her.Good Luck

Dont give up, i was the same way just didnt have reglan... i drank mothers milk ate oatmeal(make sure its not instant) and did the pills also i also nursed every 2 hours and i pumped if u have a pump try pumping i also used to nurse 10 on one and 10 on the other then i tried 5 min at a time so 5 on one 5 on the other if there still hungry repeat that helped tons! If you need anymore help or if i can help you let me know ____@____.com
PS: supplamenting with formula is not a bad thing just think positive at least babys still gettin some! :) try not to stress stress can lower ur supply

Hi S.,

I can sympathize with you- I have a 10 week old and stopped breastfeeding at 4 weeks because of the same problem...I was dead set on breastfeeding but no matter what I tried nothing worked- my body just did not want to do it anymore. My advice is just to make sure your baby is gaining weight with you still trying to breastfeed. I was only getting 2 oz a day in from both breasts and my baby actually started losing weight and then stopped gaining completely. I went to supplementing and then full formula (he then had problems latching on anyway-bottle nipples are so much easier) and kept pumping with no avail and only getting .5 oz a day- not even enough to feed him one bottle. After I gave it up (which did not make me happy- but it made me more unhappy to watch my son suffer from hunger and no growth)...he gained and growed like a weed and put on 3 lbs in 2 weeks! Now instead of being under his percantile for his age he is at 50%- so for me even though I hated the idea- formula worked- we used Enfamil Premium Lipil which is pretty close to breast milk with the proteins and DHA and all that. Just know that you tried your hardest and that at least your baby has gotten some immunity from you in such a short time if you have to give it up. Good luck- I know it is hard! C.

I was nervous to write this, but I see that you've already had the same advice from two others. Drink a beer! And no, you don't have to pump and dump. You can just feed your baby. The beer really helps.

My husband was concerned about my milk supply, so as I was breastfeeding our oldest, he gave me a beer. So there I was, nursing a child and nursing a beer. He said that by the time the baby was done, I would be, too, and it would give my body time to metabolize the beer before nursing again. It really worked for us! Plus, as mentioned before, the relaxation benefits were pretty cool. Just one beer, but it really worked.

Drink Root Beer !!!!!!!

Sorry for asking an obvious question but what signs are you seeing that your milk supply is low?

Is your baby gaining; losing, or staying stable in terms of weight? The baby is a pretty good gauge. If your baby is happy and healthy than you probably don't have much to worry about. If your baby is losing weight, not gaining as he should, or isn't producing enough wet diapers than you might have a problem.

Have you had to supplement the whole time or is this something new? If it is something new your baby might be going through a growth spurt. Babies with a growth spurt can have insatiable appetites. You can literally be nursing all the time. It is your baby's job to build up your milk supply. Most of the time they do it pretty efficiently. About 6 weeks is a normal growth spurt.

When you say you only get 2 oz at a time, is this when you pump or are you assuming that this is all the time? Your baby is much more efficient at getting milk out than a breast pump. It is really hard to gauge how much they are really getting when they nurse.

Have you seen a good lactation consultant or a La Leche League leader? Sometimes babies can't empty the breast efficiently or get as much milk because of their latch. If this is the case a good lactation consultant or LLL leader can help you and your baby work more efficiently together.

Sorry if I am stating the obvious and these are already things you know and have tried. However I have heard of women who have given up breastfeeding at about this time when it was something fairly correctable or when they don't really understand why their baby is always hungry. It is common at certain points for women to question their milk supply during a growth spurt.

If you have not already done so, please do contact your local La Leche League leader. They will be able to provide you with support and tips to help. For your son, 2 hours may be too much of a break in between nursings. It may take nursing him more often without the supplementing to get things back on track. Good luck!

The more you suppliment, the less milk you will produce. The BEST THING you can do is put that baby on your breast and let him nurse for HOURS if he needs to! This seems extreem, but it will work.

When my son was 3-5 weeks or so, he would cry as soon as I took him off, but since I was DETERMINED (stubbornly so) to never suppliment, I was on the phone with La Leche League begging them to tell me what I could do. They said during a growth spurt, he will be hungrier and just let him nurse more.

I would "switch sides" every three hours (left side from 12-3 and 6-9, right side from 3-6 and 9-12 all day, all night) to help build milk in the other side, and so he was sure to get all the filling hind milk from each side. This helped a lot. My advice? STOP supplimenting and let him nurse as long as necessary. You might not think he is getting much, but as long as he is healthy and gaining everything is fine!

OMG! I am having the same issue. My newborn is 3 1/2 weeks old. I can't pump more than 2oz maybe 3oz at one time and it takes me at least 45 minutes to an hour to get that from both breasts combined. I have tried everything and am almost at my wits end. My baby has had to got to the dr 2x for a weight check. Thank God she had gained weight at her last visit. She nurses quite well but I am discouraged that I can't pump enough milk for supplemental feedings especially when other family members have so generously offered to help out(even with the 3a feedings). Pls help! Thx!!!!

#1. Don't give up !
#2. You are stressing way too much over this, and stress will cause your milk supply to dry up. Just relax, don't worry so much, and enjoy your nursing times. It should be just you and baby time. No distractions, no worrying about what else you need to be doing. Enjoy looking at your baby, talking to him, just enjoy being alone with him and having quiet time.
#3. Nurse him for longer periods of time. The more he nurses, the more your body is signaled to produce milk. Here again, relax and take your time. Give him all the time he needs. Don't hurry and then supplement. Let him get a little hungry between feedings so that he will nurse longer and more vigorously. Obviously you don't want to starve the poor child, so use your judgment about whether or not he may need a supplement by the end of the day, but if he is not hungry enough, he is only going to "snack" at the breast instead of fill himself there.

Best wishes !

S.-

You've been given lots of great advice. Know that you are not alone is struggling here. I had the same issue when my little guy was about 5 weeks old- I nursed him for 2 hrs straight one night, and he was still wanting more! That was the night we started supplementing. It was also one of his first growth spurts! Hang in there. I tried a lot of what's been recommended. A beer in the evening and fenugreek helped me a ton! Think the beer helped me to relax! I have more milk earlier in the day, so I made sure to pump after I fed my guy to get my body making more. I'd keep pumping for a few minutes, even after I was done expressing to stimulate my body to make more milk. I'm barely supplementing at all right now and my supply has gone up a bunch, so it will get better. Some breastmilk is better than none at all. You're doing great!

You've gotten a lot of good advice. It sounds like you're doing everything right. I would suggest NOT supplementing with formula though and nursing as often as possible instead of pumping. Babies are more efficient at getting the milk, and better at triggering the hormones that make milk. Milk is made by supply and demand, sooo... the more you supplement with formula the less you will produce. If you absolutely must supplement with formula, then yes, go ahead and pump. But try nursing every 1 hour - 1.5 hours first and see if that helps.

Drink plenty of water, eat lots of oatmeal, continue your script, etc. Definitely contact a lactation consultant!

As far as the beer goes, I'm pretty sure it's the dark beer (like Guinness) that works. With only 1 beer, you shouldn't have to pump & dump. Target and Babies R Us has those test strips you can buy to test the alcohol level in your breastmilk, if you're concerned.

If all else fails, then don't feel badly about having to use formula. Sometimes breastfeeding just doesn't work. Just be proud that you've tried everything you possibly can. You're a good mama.

S. I feel your pain. My son was in the NICU for 7 weeks and I had to pump to get him milk since they were tube feeding him. I tried all the same routes, and many more disgusting foods! The thing that worked very well is domperidone. It is not approved in the US for milk production, but is for digestion issues. It just has the cool side effect of milk production. If you can get your doc to prescribe it, it worked wonders for me. It is not chesp though. If you get it here in the US it is about $100 a month. I ordered from Canada and saved a lot of money, you just need the script. Let me know if you have any questions.

K.

I had trouble getting my milk supply up for twins and I know it's hard not to supplement because you don't want your baby to lose weight. I still supplemented with formula but as the days passed the supplements got fewer and fewer to now I only breastfeed. My boys are 4 1/2 months now.

What I did was pump more in between. A nursing consultant told me even if it's 10 minutes after breastfeeding, go ahead and pump what you can. Your body will start to realize that you need more and then start to produce more. Also, I had to make sure they were empyting me out. A lot of times they would leave about a half ounce in my breasts and I thought I was done since they nursed for 40 minutes but I still had some left and so the next time I wouldn't produce as much if I didn't empty them out.

After about 3 months old they started sleeping 6 to 7 hours at night and so I'd pump in the middle of the night and freeze those bottles. So now if I have to supplement, I can use frozen breastmilk.

Good luck!

I had issues breastfeeding when my son was born, quit for a month, and then relactated. I took everything you did (some helped a little, others not at all), but the main way I got my milk supply back up was using a nursing supplementer. I got the Medela SNS, but there is another one as well (Lactaid?). With a supplementer, you put formula in it, tape the tubes to your breast, and then the baby is stimulating your supply, getting any milk in there, and still getting formula if needed. They are about $60 but totally worth it. I bought mine online, but you may see if you can get one from La Lech League or a lactation consultant. I think everyone with supply or nursing issues should have one. My suggestion for you to get your supply back up fast is get the supplementer, nurse your son every two hours (don't pump unless you are doing it extra), try to feed him at least 8 times every 24 hours, and spend a lot of time with him. If you really focus on it for a few days, you should see a difference in how much formula he's taking from the supplementer.

My son is now over a year old and still happily breastfeeding, so don't give up. It is so much easier to get your supply back up then completely relactate, so I know you can do it.

Have you worked with the breast feeding consultants at your hospital? I went to see them when I had the same problem. It was a little depressing because they told me I was supplementing too much but they helped me with strategies to help. I ended up supplementing for the twins the entire time I nursed (7 months) and I don't recall but I'm sure I supplemented some for the third child.

You are doing your best. You love your child. Don't beat yourself up or let others make you feel guilty if you can't produced 100% of the milk your child needs!

There is lots of good advise in these postings. Definitely do not supplement it will only hurt you. You need the baby to suck more even if he is not getting anything it will come. If you supplement your body wont know the baby needs more. PLUS I didn't learn this till it was too late for me but she was also 9 months old so she had a good run. You have to eat!!!!! You have to have more calories then even when you are pregnant. Here is an article about it.
http://www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=787 Hope this helps and do not give up it the best thing you can do for you and your baby. Best of luck. Also formula gets expensive fast and I only had to use it for 3 months.

With the help of Healthy nursing tea, I was able to produce enough to satisfy my LO.

It sounds to me like you are doing all of the right things...the only thing I would say would be do NOT supplement...as you know, breastfeeding is a supply and demand thing...if you are supplementing you are cutting down on his "demand". Are you in touch with a lactation consultant or your local Le Leche League?? I am sure they would be an invaluable source of information and encouragement for you.
Best of luck to you
R. Ann

try two things--try a beer! believe it or not the yeast helps--you can find articles on it from midwives.

the other thing is to try warm washclothes, warm heating pads--a friend told this at a shower--she said it made her relax and her baby cuddle up and latch on-
good luck
jam

S.,

I am going to say one thing that I did not see as I scanned your advice and that is RELAX. Being stressed and worrying about you milk supply can actually inhibiting your bodies ability to let your milk come in. Don't mix formula, just nurse for a while and you'll find that your milk supply is built up. You may have to nurse a lot more often for a little while, but it will be worth it!

The beer suggestions is good, as it helps with the milk supply and helps you relax. If you are still having problems contact the LaLeche League and they are great about helping with problems that mom's are having!

Hopefully things will work out for you!

L.

If you can, let your baby nurse on you, don't pump! He can get much more out than a pump and that will stimulate you to create more! Also, try a lactation consultant--they are usually at evey hospital and they are FREE! Good luck!

It's really hard to tell how much milk you are producing with a pump. It took me some time to 'bond' with my pump.. Pumping just doesn't feel very natural and the body doesn't respond to it as well. I was told by a lactation consultant that the best gauge is whether he is pooping and peeing enough. He could also be going through a growth spurt. There is supposed to be a major growth spurt around 6 weeks. He will act hungrier and want to nurse more often. The more frequent nursing will trigger your body to produce more milk. It's a very frustrating process, but after a few days, you should see the boost in your milk supply.

Years ago, when I belonged to La Leche League they said that drinking a beer would help with milk supply. I've never tried it myself. Here's their website http://www.llli.org/
maybe you can find some other suggestions?

Whatever you do, keep nursing if you want to keep nursing. Do not pump instead of nursing if baby is awake. Supplementing can decrease your supply.

Contact a La Leche League Leader. They are very helpful. One came to my house three times to help me when my son was newborn. They also have meetings every month. Go to llli.org.

I agree that you need to contact a breastfeeding specialist if you have not already. They will for sure let you know what to do.
In any case, the 2 oz you are giving your child has more of the needed vitamins than you may think. So you are helping his little body to grow. Don't sweat it too bad. You will figure it out with the right help :)

You have gotten a lot of great advice, and it seems that you are doing all you possibly can. I just want to remind you that supplementing with formula does not negate the health benefits your baby is getting from your breast milk. Some is always better than none. You are doing just great!

Our pediatrician told us once that "how long" can matter more than "how much", and to just keep trying to give some breast milk for as long as possible. Keep up the good work!
Good luck!

Hi S.! Hang in there! Nurse, nurse, nurse as much as possible. That will increase your supply. Try NOT to pump except for a few minutes after each feeding (a few minutes per side). It is best to nurse since baby is able to stimulate the breasts to produce more milk better than a pump. Nurse as long as your baby will nurse.
Make sure that the latch on is correct or your breast will not empty properly and baby will not stimulate it to produce more milk. The tongue should be below the breast and the mouth should have the entire nipple and most of the areola in the mouth. Best of luck. Don't give up.
Stress will make it worse. Contact your local La Leche League for advice. They will give you assistance and if need be, come to your home to ensure that your baby latches on correctly.
I will pray for you. I nursed all four of my sons (even my twins!) and loved the experience (I had a great deal of difficulty getting started with my first!). Hang in there. It is worth it. The bond you share with your child is so special!
K.

Call your OB and ask him to put you on reglan... worked every time for me!

Yep, drink a dark beer every evening! Also, you can up the fenugreek to taking it three times a day plus drinking Mother's Milk tea. I made batches of it and drank it like water all day long. This really helped my milk.
Just keep at it. After he nurses from you, pump pump pump. If you really want this, you will need to nurse and pump constantly! Even if mothing comes out with the pump the first few times, it will get there. Of course, nursing is the best. I would recommend after you nurse, to pump right afterwards and try to nurse often.
Good luck, I know its not easy!

Ok S., this advice will have women all over screaming about how someone can be so stupid, but my mom did it with 5 kids and it worked. I also have a friend that did it and it worked. A can of beer a day or a small glass of wine. The beer is suppose to work the best, I think that it's the yeast in it. Plus it will help you to relax and the milk let down better (I think I just hear seveal women shreik!). My Great Grandmother was a midwife (back when they were pretty much your baby doctor). She told my mom to do it and I heard other older women say the same thing. I know one women that said that the hospital that she had her kids in (40+ years ago) gave the moms a beer to help boost supply. And I'm not talking going hog wild and getting sauced each day, just one can (and regular 12 ounce not the 40 ounce) or a SMALL glass of wine. Good luck!!