Milk Let down Not Happening

Yup- Like all the other moms have said, have a beer, preferably one you like, I would also add have a hot shower. Hang in there! It'll start to work.
-K.

Have you heard of the cabbage leaf remedy? I have a picture that is worth a thousand words..cabbage leaves over my HUMUNGOUS breasts with the nursing flaps half down..)put a (large) cabbage leaf over your breasts..I am not kidding..leave for about an hour..It actually seemed to help! Here's the history: Farmers would put cabbage leaves over the uddders of cows that had stillborn calves to dry up their milk bags..I don't know how long you would have to wear them to dry up, but to tell you the truth, I was a little weirded out to be wearing produce...but it helped! I was engorged too and my baby looked like a blown up mosquito trying to latch on to a water balloon..augh! gave myself mastitis too from not wearing a nursing bra and just pulling up my underwire up over my breast..so don't do that! Just keep trying..every experience is different..somitimes a combination of remedies has a good outcome..hot showers, massaging, cabbage leaves, nursing, pumping...just keep trying! And take a picture of the cabbage on..it is quite a conversation starter! :)

When I had my first daughter my breasts got so engorged with milk that by the second or third day she was unable to latch on at all. It wasn't that my milk didn't let down, it was that she could not latch on to drink it. After 4 days of "starving" my poor baby (and feeling so frustrated and guilty), I got a pump and in a matter of minutes I had pumped 12 oz. After the pressure was released, she was able to latch on and nurse properly. I say, try and pump a little of and see if that helps. If that doesn't help, you might try talking to a lactation consultant who can better assess what might be going on. Also, try to stay calm and remember that you'll eventually work this out. Congratualtions, and good luck, Mama.

Hi S. B.,

I'm a FTM of a 9 mo. old and I had such a hard time starting to breast feed! Do you have a pump? That's what turned it around for me (maybe that Guiness helped a little too!). It sounds like you've got one already.
I remember being too engorged for my LO to get my milk out, so try to pump for a couple of minutes and latch them on. It took me about 5 days to get my milk going....5 LONG days! Hand in there :O)

The current recommendation is actually ice for engorgement. You should only use heat for a few minutes, if that, and right before a feed. Ice reduces inflammation and helps the milk flow more freely through the ducts. Pumping will relieve engorgement temporarily but will also increase your supply. Feed the baby frequently, every 2-3 hours or more often if she wants. If your breasts are too firm for her to latch then pump a little first.
-L., Postpartum RN

You can stand in the shower and let the water run against your breasts and then try to pump. The first 2 weeks are the toughest. Make sure your baby girl is latching on correctly. Also, you should get in touch with someone from La Leche League (check phone book). They have women who will be able to help you with any breastfeeding challenges. DON'T GIVE UP It is the best thing for your baby. I hope things work out.

I am not sure where you are located, but if you are around Walnut Creek, go to the John Muir Women's Health Center (North California and I'm not sure...it is 2 streets after Target). They have a wonderful staff that can help! On Wed, there is a free class from 10-12 to help with Breast feeding issues. If you are not around this area, try to find help from a lactation consultant or even your child's pediatrician. Both of these people are the best resources right now! Good luck with it! Just hang in there...it sometimes is rough to start out with, but it is definitely worth it:)
Take care
S. D

Number one biggest thing.....don't stress about it! My milk always took about a week to come in...with all my kids I had to get the help of a lactation expert. It took about two weeks before we were really "up to speed."

Make sure you are still eating the same number of calories as when you were pregnant. Put your baby to the breast at least every two hours...and relax. The more you stress, the longer it will take. You'll get there....stick to it!

Hi, I have 3 children and nursed all three for about 1 year. I had problems with let downs with all three, and I found out that it was partially psychological - if you're stressed, worried, in a hurry, up tight, etc. with some women they won't get a let down. Sure enough, I was one of those women, so I tried sooo hard to relax, get my mind off things, calm my body, etc. etc., and finally started getting let downs. When I went back to work 1 day a week, I had to try really hard to completely relax otherwise I wouldn't get a let down while pumping(I'm an RN and it's hard to get relaxed and pump during a very strict 30 min. lunch break). Good luck.

With all 4 of my kids I drank 1/2 bottle of beer and within 1 hour, my milk came in. My oldest sister shared this with me and my mom to her. It is an amazing German remedy and worked for me. That little bit of alcohol should not hurt. Good luck.

I am a stay at home mom of a 13, 10, 7 and 4 year old.

Ok, you can take this or leave this. There is an old wives tale (but I have heard from people for whom this worked) that drinking a beer will help with the first let down. They say it is actually something in the beer but it may just be that it helps you relax just enough. Of course, you know that what you eat and drink passes through your breast milk to your baby so if you try this you should not have more than 1 beer. Strange advice, I know.

pump! that is what i did when the milk was not coming... i drink a lot of water and oatmeal!

My mother-in-law (who was a nurse) swore that drinking beer was the answer to all breastfeeding wows. I didn't do it myself because I had no problems, but she REALLY pushed it. Then I read an article that confirmed that there was something in beer that helped. Maybe look it up online. Try the nonalcoholic beers if you are concerned about the alcohol content. However, if you are just going to drink a little, the alcohol may help relax you which may solve part of the problem. Being relaxed is a key factor in breatfeeding, so stressing over it will just make things worse. Go figure, huh!

warm compresses, gentle massage $ bend over, cup your breasts give them a couple shakes & a jiggles. Nurse often & set up a relaxing space to nurse. Pump after nursing. . .in my experience the baby usually is the one to fix the problem but the pumping often relieves a little pressure

Good Samaaritan Hospital in San Jose, Parenting & Breastfeeding Services sells an herbal tea called M.E.R.Maid that helps with letdown reflex

Hi S.. I have two teenaged boys now, but when they were little, I had a similar problem with my newborn.
I'm no expert but I think the key in this is relaxation.
Try nursing when your two year old is sleeping. Curl up with your infant in a warm comfortable place-like your bed! Put the baby at one breast for a couple of minutes, then switch to the other side. Sing if you like, or just just talk to her lovingly. Focus on just the two of you and keep switching sides. I know it's frustrating, but I think part of it may be due to worrying about what your other daughter is doing, a ringing phone, etc. Please keep me updated.