Low Milk Supply with First Baby - Anything I Can Do to Improve for 2Nd?

Be persistent and don't give up hope! I struggled with low milk supply with my first child, and my mother had had low milk supply with all 3 of us children. So I thought I was doomed. Wrong! With my second baby I had more than enough!

1. Drink a TON of water.
2. Don't wear a bra that is too tight.
3. If you have to, pump between feedings to stimulate production.
4. Look into fenugreek and/or reglan.

I agree that a c-section is not the problem.....

Breastfeed ON DEMAND! Any time your baby seems fussy, cries, etc. put him/her to the breast! It will tell you body to make more milk.

Do NOT supplement with formula! Our NICU doctor told us that babies need NOTHING for the first 48 hours of life. (Our son was brought by ambulance to a NICU at another hospital and I didn't want them to supplement. I was going to pump and send milk over and that's when the NICU doctor told us this.!)

Pumping isn't a big deal either! As long as you are nursing on demand, your body will continue to produce milk for you baby.

Drink WATER! That is about the only beverage I drink when I'm breastfeeding. (Sometimes a glass of milk a day too....... NO POP, NO COFFEE)

Do NOT offer a BOTTLE OF ANY KIND for the first month OR TWO of your baby's life. OFFER THE BREAST!

Avoid a pacifier too. If you give your baby that to suck on, your baby may be missing out on giving your body a cue to produce more milk. Let your baby use YOU for a pacifier (at least for the first few weeks/months!

Try not to stress. Do you best and if it doesn't work, you know you did everything you can! Good luck.

Women have been breastfeeding as long as the world has stood, and it's only in this modern day that there are such strong opinions AGAINST it (which inhibits sensitive women like yourself)! You CAN BE successful!
Surround yourself with folks who support breastfeeding and stay away from the 'nay-sayers'!
Ingest lots of fluids and calories.
Practice intense relaxation! I know that sounds like a contrast in terms, but stress reduces milk production; so take time to lay or sit with baby giving him/her your full attention sometimes. Rock, sing to, talk to, and/or stroke him/her. 'Will' your milk into him/her. It sounds as if pure old worry was a contributing factor to your lack of success, formerly.
Put warm compresses on the breasts.
You can also take fenugreek or milk thistle.
If your baby IS given any bottles, make sure it's a brand-name nipple. The soft ones they used to have at hospitals have a bigger hole (and sometimes an 'x-cut' besides), so the baby doesn't have to work at eating which = bad news for nursing moms.

I typed 'produce more breast milk' on a search and got this:
http://us.yhs.search.yahoo.com/avg/search?p=produce+more+...

A few things that might help:

- the c section might have been an issue, but doesn't have to be. However, even if you end up with another section ask that your baby does not receive any formula and be brought to you ASAP as soon as you are out of surgery. If she had low blood sugar they can offer her a glucose solution by dropper. Ask them to NOT give you child any artificial nipples. Then as soon as you get her nurse, nurse, nurse!
- it is normal for breastfed babies to loose up to 10 % of their birthweight and they take longer to gain it back. If the loss is excessive (more than 10%) you should supplement ONLY after nursing from both breasts and while you baby is receiving formula you should pump. Never offer the bottle instead of the breast.
- NURSE! A pump is inferior to a baby in stimulating your milk production. You may not get any milk from pumping, that does not mean that you are not producing milk. Pump yield is NOT a good indicator of how much milk you are producing. Pump only if you cannot nurse for some reason or in addition to nursing.
Because we have the option of formula feeding, many women feel it is not worth the effort that is often required to establish a good breastfeeding connection. They have other children to take care of, return to work soon after birth...babies grow up on formula just fine, only you can decide whether you how committed you are to make it work. Once you have decided that for yourself, surround yourself with a support network that will truly SUPPORT you!
In addition many health care providers STILL are not very educated about breastfeeding and freak out when they have a newborn that is not gaining weight on target. Find a pediatrician that is supportive of breastfeeding AND knowledgeable!
It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but I thought it was worth it for myself and my daughter.

Good luck!

I feel for you. Getting all emotional about it is part of the hormonal response as well as just a Mom response. When you look through all of this advice, don't dwell on statements of 'well, I had no problems'. Everyone is different and responds differently.

I have been told that things that could help include herbs called Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle. Then there is the drug commonly given to babies with reflux (I did not have a good experience with that one, with the side affects, yuck), and another prescription drug, which I cannot remember the name of, yet I felt helped greatly (I will get back with you when I find that name!).

You can check out La Leche League's web site at this article:
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBmilksupplyissues.html
or this article
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBMayJun05p108.html

Also, in College Station, there is a La Leche League group with certified leaders. I will send their phone numbers by a personal message.

I had to remind myself that keeping my babies healthy was my goal, not how I fed them. My three boys are grown now (well, the youngest is 8-yr-old). For each one, I struggled with a low milk supply and tried (it seems) everything!

Good luck and don't worry too much!

You've gotten a lot of good advice, and the decision to breastfeed any child is ultimately yours. I have successfully nursed five children. My first tongue-thrusted everything from his mouth, and it took a good 3-4 weeks to teach him how to latch on and nurse properly -- very frustrating! However, after I helped him figure it out (with the help of lactation consultants), he didn't have any problems. As a "veteran" my top advice follows:
1. Nurse on demand, regardless of time of day or night, maybe consider having the baby sleep very nearby so it's easier to nurse the baby back to sleep in the wee hours;
2. Limit visitors if they are more demanding than they are helping;
3. Decide to devote at least the first month of life to establishing nursing as your first priority & let go of housework and any other activities, pehaps getting help from family, friends, or even a postpartum doula (google or ask for referrals);
4. Drink plenty of fluids and use nursing as a chance to REST -- in fact, rest, rest and rest some more because your body is working very hard to nourish the new life; and, finally
5. Do what you need to do for your baby: nurse on demand, but if you're worried about weight-loss or being too tired, then supplement with whatever you have on hand (milk or, dare I say it, formula).
Good nursing habits can be difficult to achieve, but it can be done by almost everyone. In the same vein, bad nursing, or other types of, habits (like poor latch-on, poor suck, nipple confusion) can be broken if you decide to work on it.
Congrats on the impending arrival of baby #2! Best of luck with your adventures in nursing, and don't fret because while feeding the baby is critical, it's only a small part of overall newborn care. Happy nursing,

VK

You are definitely doing the right thing to decide to try again. Just so you know, over-abundant milk supply also hinders breastfeeding due to latching problems and over-feeding (he developed GERD and had to be handled carefully after nursing).

I think you hit the nail on the head with the pumping. Start a day or two after delivery in the hospital's pumping room or in-room with a hospital-grade pump. Arrange for a hospital-grade pump rental. Get a prescription ahead of time and look for a long-term rental. I was blessed to find one for about $20/month. I got a little crazy about the formula in the hospital, sort of boycotted it and pumped every 2 to 3 hours to generate a good supply - remember when they are newborn, their tummy is so tiny (the size of their first).

Get some books by Le Leche League and read them, especially the parts about galactagogues such as alfalfa, Aniseed, Blessed Thistle, Fennel, Fenugreek, and even beer. Drink water copiously while pumping and nursing. Go to Le Leche League meetings with your baby and nurse with the other mothers. You would be surprised how fast you start producing when you see all those other mommies and babies nursing.

Set a goal in sight (I will nurse for at least 6 months, etc); find a consultant who can help work through latching problems (we worked really hard for the first 5 weeks). Personal stories: my son and I had latching probs and I felt a failure. Then one day he "got it" (it helped that my consultant had me start pumping a little before we nursed). My son self-weaned at 4 years of age. I was just too easy after we got through the hard stuff. My sister in law observed how hard-core I was and researched breastmilk. When my nephew was born, his mouth was so little, they said he wouldn't get a good latch (he couldn't get his mouth open wide enough to get the areola). So, she pumped with that hospital grade pump for ONE YEAR! To make sure he had breast milk.

I like the Mother's Milk Tea, although I didn't need it much (tastes good though). Also, do not pump until after the baby is born unless he/she is full term and it would be ok to induce labor. Pumping will stimulate the uterus to contract. Also, to answer your first question re hormones, pumping stimulates oxytocin; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxytocin.

Blessing to you - it will all be great in the end!

Drink lots of fluids, breast feed on demand, and wake up during the night and feed every a couple of hours. If you suplement with formula, your baby won't try to get as much from you. If your baby isn't trying to get milk from you, your body will think no one needs it and will begin producing less. Let your breast be the pacifier!

PS... I had two C-sections and no problems with supply. I did not supplement or use pacifiers.

I hope it works for you! Good luck and don't let anyone get you discouraged or talk you out of breast feeding. My children have always been incredibly healthy and I really think the breastmilk gave them a great start to life.

I was one of those women.....and no, you can't "will" breastmilk into your baby. I wish people could understand that sometimes it just doesn't work.
Think of it this way......some people have severe fertility problems. If we can realize the fact that some women can't have children naturally, why can't people realize that not all women produce an adequate amount of breastmilk?

Please don't beat yourself up if you don't have luck with milk supply this time around. Don't let anyone else's opinions hurt you. Give it your all and REST in the fact that you are a wonderful mama and you are NOT broken in any way.
I really, really, REALLY hope that it's different for you this time! Blessings!

I've also heard eating oatmeal improves your supply. No scientific evidence to back this up, but many women say it helps. Also, hydrate and eat 5 small meals to keep your energy and blood sugar up. Also, the best advice is not to stress about it! The more you stress the harder time your body has. Good luck!

Please don't worry if you need another c-section-I had 2 c-sections (one with my son being born 8 weeks early) and I was able to breastfeed both babies. My preemie went on to breastfeed for 16 months (after lots of work those first 12 weeks to teach him to breastfeed) and my daughter nursed for 20 months.

One factor is to get baby to breast as soon as possible. With my son that wasn't possible but they brought a pump in as soon as I was out of recovery. And with most babies you don't need to start pumping until around 6 weeks. It's best to let baby get your supply going and regulated if possible.

You need to make sure your partner is your advocate. Asking when the baby will be brought in and getting he/she to you.

Make it clear when you check in that you will be breastfeeding and do not want formula given.

10% weight loss is right at the limit for a breastfed baby. My daughter was born on a Monday night, we went home on Wednesday and I took her back for weight checks on Friday (she was right at the 10% loss at that point) and another weight check on Monday morning. On Monday morning she was gaining and they weren't worried.

Find a very pro-breastfeeding pediatrician. That made a huge difference. Look at my daughter. If our doctor hadn't been pro-breastfeeding they probably would have done the same thing to me that they did to you-tell me to supplement. Instead they listened to me that she was latching well, feeding at regular intervals, was wet, had dirty diapers (all the things that indicate she *was* doing the right things and was on the right track.

Babies are amazing little things and 99% of the time they know what to do and how to make our bodies do it. Be confident in your ability to nourish your baby and follow his/her lead.

And every experience is different. Don't get yourself upset and worried before you even have the change to meet your new little baby and try.

Best to you both.

Anything oatmeal worked great for me. Oatmeal cookies, instant, even oatmeal drinks. Quaker makes one, but it's hard to find. I had to start out with formula too, until eventually I made enough milk. Even if you have to supplement they are getting great nourishment from you and it is a special bonding time. Good Luck!

1. MOST IMPORTANTLY get the baby to breast with in 30 min of delivery, if that is not possible pump asap for a minimal 15 min. on each side.

2. get some mothers milk tea and fenugreek tables from a herbal store if your production is low. Do not worry if you are only getting drops after each feeding in the first few days that is normal. Your milk does not normally come in for 2-3 days after delivery. You normally only have a tbs of colostrum in the begining then it slowly increases.
3. after each feeding pump which ever side the baby ate on for 10 min.(should be both sides)
4. get LOTS of rest (which means in the 1st few days help at home will be needed)
5. eat well (take in an extra 300-500 calories from your prepregnancy diet), and drink ( rule of thumb what you pump out in oz, drink in, in oz as well as your normal water intake.

Do not take any birthcontroll, and DO NOT EAT SAGE. Get a well fitted bra, DO NOT WARE ANYTHING TIGHT

The C-Section is not the issue, it is your body and its normal hormonal production. Not all women have an easy time producing milk. I have never had the issue but alot of my friend do so try not to throw that off with birthcontrol, or stress.

Do not hesitate to call the lactation consultant. Be a pest if you need to. Most of them understand the fears involved.

I have breastfed 3 kids to 12 months 2 of my kids needed to be bottlefed with the milk for all of 6 months of the 1st year and one of my kids was a great nurser, so I am pritty experienced in the subject so you can ask me anything anytime as well.

Good luck and most importantly RELAX!!

I had a c-section with both of my girls and my 1st baby struggles with weight gain and had a poor latch. I ended up nursing her for about 5 months and supplementing with formula. My 2nd daughter (after c-section) had no problems nursing or gaining weight. It was the easiest thing with my 2nd. I think it will be easier for you because you will be more relaxed with your 2nd. Most people I talked to find the 1st child to be the hardest to nurse/low milk etc.. i was way more nervous with my 1st and it was hard to relax and I think that was part of the problem.

I had the same experience as you with my first. For my 2nd I tried for a vbac, but ended up having another c section. My 2nd baby lost 14% and we had to supplement w formula just like the first baby.

The good news is I was able to stop supplementing this time around after about 2 weeks!! Here's what I did:

took reglan
pumped after every nursing session for the first month
remembered to drink tons of water'

good luck!

I had the same problem with my first. She had a weak suck reflex and couldn't latch on, so the hospital recommended we start her on formula. I really think that was what did us in as far as ever being able to successfully breastfeed. Latching on was so difficult for her; once she started having bottles, there was really no reason for her to try! It was so frustrating for both of us. I was pumping, but I was so exhausted that I could only manage to pump every 4-6 hours, so my supply never increased to an amount that could sustain her. I finally gave it up when she was 6 weeks old and went to 100% formula, under a tremendous amount of pressure from my husband, my mother, and even the pediatrician. I had postpartum depression and I think it was in large part due to the whole breastfeeding fiasco. With my 2nd, I allowed her to be supplemented with formula once while in the hospital so that I could rest, but not until I had made absolutely sure that she was latching on and nursing well. She was a champ at breastfeeding, but I was so nervous that I came home from the hospital with a scale and would weigh her before and after each feeding to make sure she was getting enough. We ended up breastfeeding for 13 months; at 6 weeks, I suddenly realized she'd only had that one bottle in the hospital, so I started trying to bottle feed her some breast milk, but she absolutely would not take a bottle no matter how many different bottle/nipple combinations we tried. So I had the polar opposite experience with her! I successfully breastfed my 3rd child for the same amount of time; however, with her I did not allow supplementation, even though she lost over 10% of her body weight, because she was not latching on and nursing as well as my 2nd. We eventually got it right (and I ended up OVER producing!), but it took about 5 months (it turned out that she was allergic to dairy, which I didn't figure out until she was 10 weeks old). So, my advice is, do NOT supplement, no matter what you're told, until you see that your baby is latching on and nursing like a pro. And even then, try not to supplement with formula...pump and save your milk for supplementation later. Obviously you will have to be very careful and you may even consider the scale, as I did, to make sure baby is getting enough to eat. Keep in close contact with your lactation consultant and the pediatrician. Good luck!

You've gotten a lot of great responses. I had to supplement the first time around which sort of screwed things up and the one thing I would do differently if I had it to do over again was insisting on a "supplement system". Medela makes one that is basically a tube you can tape down to your breast so your child can nurse and get supplement at the same time. If you have to supplement, in my opinion, it's the only way to go. A couple of prior posts have said to have zero tolerance to supplementing. IMHO that is a bit extreme. Those moms obviously have not dealt with a life or death situation. If you have to supplement, just insist that they give you the "supplement system" and don't give your baby one of those pre-prepared bottles. That stuff practically pours out.

The other thing I would add is to try as hard as you can to stay as stress-free as possible. Stress can be a huge factor in your ability to produce. Staying stress-free is hard when you have a new baby, but the more you can relax, the easier it will be to produce.

Best wishes to you!

Much like you, I was not able to exclusively breastfeed my first and am due in Aug with my second, so I completely understand your worries! I however didn't have a c-section with my first. One of the things the lactation consultant told me might be the cause for my lack of milk is my breasts are spread farther apart than normal. No matter the reason I nursed my little girl for 18 months. I would nurse her first and then give her the formula. In the end you just have to try and if it doesn't work out don't worry. Just relax and even if you don't have a large enough milk supply you can still keep nursing and supplement with formula.
By the way I did try a combination of Blessed Thistle and fenugreek the first time around. I didn't notice a huge difference and got tired of taking so many pills a day so I stopped those. As others have said there is also a prescription med called reglan you might be able to get however a huge side affect is depression, so I didn't try it.

I feel you. I the same issue with my son but it turned out he ate less and continues to do the same as a toddler. I understand the pressure about weight. He's underweight per the growth charts but is developmentally ahead of the curve- meeting milestones early and following many medical evaluations determining there is no problem. Sometimes we are pressured to follow a norm but our child's norm may not be the norm. I wad able to nurse him until 18 mo but it was a struggle as I was working and always struggled with milk supply. I attended a local la leche group and got great advice. We are currently working on our second child and already have a plan to address the milk supply issue. I would suggest on taking the "more milk" supplement (liquid)- it helped to boost my supply. I ordered it on amazon. Also suggest to rent a hospital grade pump. Insurance may payfor this if you get an MD letter. Also suggest emptying after every feeding. This is exhausting, but it helps set up your milk supply early on especially if your child is a grazer. One woman in my la leche group did this for her second child and found that she had an over supply because she tricked her body into thing she was nursing twins. She modified a sports bra to accomodate the pump while nursing so she wad able to simultaneously nurse and pump. I plan on borrowing this method. Hope this helps and I wish you luck.

With my first I had a reall hard time keeping my milk flow going. With my second I found out that a weightloss patch my husband had been using also was good to increase your milk. I started using the weightloss patch and before long was producing up to 8 ounces in a sitting. When my son was about 5 months I wa pumping about 4 to 5 ounces per breast in each sitting. The bonus was I also lost weight. When I decided to quit breastfeeding I had to stop wearing the patch until I could dry up. The patch is all natural too so my doctor said it wasn't anything that would hurt me or the baby. I signed up as a distributor since I was using it because I'm all about the discount so if you are interested in more info check out my website. www.nexagenusa.com/startthepatch On there you can see the ingredients and how it works.

Don't let the consultant let you think that a c-section was the issue. I had an emergency c-section, tons of IV fluid (I was huge from the excess!!), and had so much milk my pediatrician suggested donating to a milk bank. A couple of things may help.... herbal supplements (check whole foods), mother's milk tea - I drank that a lot. You might also want to see if your OB will let you start labor naturally next time instead of scheduling your next c-section. Lastly, make sure they bring you your baby to breastfeed within 1 hour of birth (1/2 hour if possible) if you have a c-section. Honestly, I only vaguely remember the first time I fed my son since I was still so dazed from the emergency C. But - I really believe it was the best thing for both of us. He nursed for 2 1/2 years after that until I had to wean him cold turkey! I hope everything works out for you this time. Good for you for wanting this for you and your baby!

Find a LLL group now, they are so supportive and have info about MANY topics. Eat and drink a lot of water and healthy foods so your body can produce well.Try to relax, stress prevents you from producing. Many women get so worked up and nervous about it, then don't produce. You can start pumping right away after birth or even a few days before, but not too soon, it can put you into labor early. Have your baby on your chest, skin to skin, right away after birth. Allow them to nurse right away after birth. Keep them in the hospital room w/you and offer the breast at least every 2hours. Once you get home if the hospital lactation nurse doesn't think you're producing enough, pump (even if nothing comes out) after each feeding. Always offer both breasts to the baby, alternate which one you start the feeding with. Try to keep the baby awake till they have a full feeding. This may mean putting cold hands on their neck... to keep them awake. Good luck.

What a great mom you are. I had problems with this with my second child years age, and it is extremely emotional. The other 2 went very well, so don't give up. Just as every pregnancy is different, every nursing experience is different. As a more experienced mom, you'll be less anxious and that will help a lot.
Work with a supportive lactation consulatant BEFORE the birth. Make sure the hospital knows NO formula supplement. You may have a fight over this one, but it is worth it. Get a really good pump. Stay hydrated and relax as much as possible.
Even if you have to go to formula after a bit, the milk your baby gets from you will be priceless with the extra antibodies. Any nursing you can do is wonderful.

Wow, it already sounds like you are well aware of the main issues. There have been studies after studies confirming that c-sections and supplementing really create a big obstacle. Not to say that if you have a c-section you can't breast feed, it just may be a more difficult road. To get helpful supportive ideas go to kellymom.com, it is an awesome resource for breast feeding moms.

Also, regardless of whether you have a c-section or vaginal birth one of the most important things is to breast feed your baby as soon as possible, preferably immediately following birth but no later than 2 hours after birth. You can even start nursing before the cord is cut, I did. If you have to have a c-section don't have them knock you out but have local anasthetics instead. You'll be more alert and able to bond and nurse quicker. After that, don't allow them to supplement, leave strict orders and have your baby room in with no trips to the nursery. Feed him/her anytime you see the pucker, babies cluster feed almost round the clock in those early days. Pretty much if the baby is awake it should be eating.

Also 10 percent loss of weight following birth is the NORM, 12-15 percent start worrying and start pumping, but almost every baby loses 10 percent of its body weight in the first 2 days - all of mine did. All of my kids were back to birth weight (or greater) after about a week.

Last if you really have supply issues there are natural supplements like fenugrek that you can take to increase your supply. But, it sounds like you are going in informed and proactive so I am sure this time will be successful. But, if it all goes wrong and it doesn't work for you don't let yourself be stressed or load yourself with guilt. No matter what happens or how you feed your baby - a happy healthy kid is the only outcome you really need.

I had a c-section with my first and was still very successful at breastfeeding. It sounds like maybe things just didn't really get going in the breastfeeding department that first week and it was hard to get back on track. They say the more you nurse the higher your supply will be. So even if it isn't going well for a few days keep trying and your supply should catch up with you. Also, I drank a ton of water while i was breastfeeding. The crystal light single packets are amazing.

First of all, I don't think that having a natural birth after a c-section is such a great idea. Especially if you just had your first child in 2008. My doc and most docs won't even do a natural birth after a c-section because there is a risk that the uteren scar, where the other c-section was done, may tear and cause death for both the mother and child. If your doc will do this, please seek a second opinion and make sure that this is a risk that you want to take. You definitely don't want to put yourself or your new baby at risk.

Copy and paste this link regarding VBAC. Although the risks are low, they are still there.

http://womenshealth.about.com/od/labordelivery/a/vbacs.htm

Now then, I had a c-section with my first child also and she lost more than 10 lbs. while we were still in the hospital. We did supplement as well for about a week, then my milk came in. My daughter was about 50th percentile in weight for the first 6 months and then dropped down to 3rd by the time she was a year and I never really did produce that much milk. My girlfriend on the other hand, has an abundance of milk and her babies have always been nice and hefty with the cute little rolls. I thinks some mothers just produce more milk than others. I didn't start pumping until well after a month or so when I had to leave my daughter for more than a couple of hours. If you do have to supplement, supplement with small tube edged in the corner of the baby's mouth while she/he is latched. That way they are not on a bottle. The nurses showed us how to do this. Plus your baby thinks it is getting the milk from the breast.

Don't beat yourself up for this. You can't help what your body does. Maybe consult another lactation specialist and see what they say. I know that there are massages and vitamin supplements you can use as well. Good Luck.

I have really bad low milk supply. My LC told me to try an herbal tea called Breastea. After the first day I went from pumping 1/2 ounce to 3 ounces. I'm now up to 5 ounces a pumping. You have to order it from their website at breastea.com but boy has it made a big difference. Just make sure you are breastfeeding or pumping alot.

Do not let anyone give your baby formula with a bottle. They can use a dropper, but not a bottle. Anytime the baby is given formula, the baby is not nursing and not stimulating your milk production. You need to drink LOTS of water and drinks and eat a rich, nutritionally dense diet, as it takes more calories to feed a baby than to be pregnant. You can also add alfafa sprouts to your salads, as they will make your milk richer. My Mom (who successful nursed all 4 of us and is now 75 years old) was told to eat chocolate cake, fried chicken, an anything else really rich to increase her milk supply with baby number 4 who was hungry all the time. It worked. She was also told to have a few sips of beer at night to help and she did and it was fine ( not a whole beer, just a few sips from her husband's beer). I had my first baby naturally and he nursed fine. My second was a c-section and I was on heavy painkillers and was not able to nurse immediately...so I pumped and the baby was given formula with a dropper so that she wouldn't get nipple confusion. After 24 hours, I was able to nurse and she did fine. Make sure that every time you sit down to nurse that you have a giant drink beside you and to drink it as you nurse. Also, eat regular rich meals and make sure that you also have snacks through out the day.
Hope this helps,
K.

We are in the same boat. I drank "Mothers Milk" Tea and it really helped with the second. The breastfeeding class instructor seemed to be in denial of the possibality that somone could not be able to breast feed. She said as long as you keep trying you will be able to produce. I told her I pumped for 6 weeks and really tried and never made more that 1 oz for the entire day. She seemed shocked and basically said I wasnt trying hard enough. With the second I was making about three oz for the entire day. I gave up after two weeks. Trying to clean the pumps (which seemed to be wearing out after the two weeks), take care of my toddler, my husband, visitors all hours of the day, my self and bottles. I gave up on it. Something had to give. That unfortunatly was what gave. There were days I didn't have the chance to drink water let alone eat. Its much different with the second one. I hope you have much better luck and can find something to help produce. But the mothers milk tea really showed improvement for me. The instructor finally admited that if you take a certian prescrip to help produce that actually might dry you up.which my doctor put me on. Also if your under a lot of stress (several life changing things happened right before i was preggers durring and after).

Rest easy my friend! Your anxiety will add to the low supply. I am a living testimony that the second will be a completely different experience. I too had a c-section (emergency) with my first along with similar complications from my daughter. No go on the nursing after 4 weeks of trying.

My second is almost 2 and I just weaned her 2 months ago. I ended up with a second c-section, but scheduled this time so that may have helped a bit. I practiced slow breathing and prayer as well as limited the number of visitors at the hospital. In fact, we asked everyone to give us a day without visitors for my recovery and to bond with the baby. Baby girl was perfect and latched immediately after surgery and we went full steam ahead until she was ready stop.

You can and will do it!
K.

I have had great luck boosting my supply by drinking Healthy Nursing Tea by Secrets of tea;)
I bought it from secretsoftea.com