milk supply issues -- update

[xlissa]

so after a recent trip to the doctors its been determined that my three week old is dehydrated and underweight. we have started supplementing with formula while they try to work on my milk problems.

is there any tips you have for increasing milk supply?

----

Well we unfortunately found out today that we don't know if I have supply issues or not. The reason she is not getting enough milk is because she is tongue tied, and can't even put her tongue out past her gumline. We go in today to have it snipped (the mommy side of me is FREAKING OUT), and they said after she heals we will finally know what my supply is like, and if I need help. Shes on a Supplemental Nursing System until then so its easier for her to get breast milk thats pumped, as well as formula. They had us supplementing with a bottle but she can't latch on to that either because of her tongue. So now its tube feeding (In the SNS system, the tube is attached to your breast so baby still breastfeeds technically and has to latch on, but its alot easier for her to eat because technically she doesnt need the correct latch. Which in her case is good, because the correct latch is impossible for her.)

On one hand I'm happy to know what the problem is.. on the other.. my poor baby has to have her tongue snipped! (The part underneath..)

[ame555]

What I found really worked for me nursing all the time, learn how to nurse laying on your side with the baby right beside you...drink lots of water, (I have heard having a beer can help too-- not sure if that is really offical advice?), pump, and try to relax! Fendergreek also helps as well if you take those pills.

Good luck!

[Zonny]

The formula, while necessary in your situation, can really derail BFing. You feed more formula, baby demands less from the breast, you produce less, an endless cycle until you're feeding all formula and no milk. So pump a LOT, even if you're not getting much milk out of the process. The suction usually helps stimulate more milk production. Offer the breast every few hours when baby is awake, pump when she's sleeping. Good luck!

[AmberLab]

Drink lots and lots of water, if you drink caffeine lay off it for a bit, sleep when baby sleeps, and feed on demand and for as long as baby wants to - do not time baby's feeding. When not feeding, pump what you can. Was baby's latch-on okay? A bad latch could mean less milk as well. Have you spoken to a public health nurse/lactation consultant? I want to stress that you talk to someone who knows a TON about BFing because while doctors should know about BFing, sadly they usually don't know enough. Supplementing with bottles will decrease your supply, because baby will realize how easier it is to drink from bottles and not want to nurse.

Check out the website kellymom.com for lots of other tips. I did have a bit of trouble with BFing with my first...I tried a lot of things, even a 24 hour mom-baby bond where I was restricted to bed with my baby and only got out to go to the bathroom. I later went on to successfully feed two sons. Feel free to PM me.

[xlissa]

My doctor actually has been pushing moving completely to formula and has been almost no help at all when it comes to breastfeeding. Her view on it is "your milk is as 'in' as its going to get".

So we demanded an appointment with a lactation consultant. Because as much as I'm not opposed to formula (nursing problems happen to run in the family) I'd like to give breast feeding a healthy try first instead of just giving up at the first sign of problem. She seemed to be getting enough until her growth spurt last week, but it seems that when the demand increased, the supply didn't.

I nurse her before her bottle and afterwards, so shes still very interested in that. She actually really hates the bottle and takes FOREVER to actually convince her to eat from it. For now. Hopefully my supply will pick up before she falls in love with the laziness of the bottle. LoL.

[Zonny]

My doctor actually has been pushing moving completely to formula and has been almost no help at all when it comes to breastfeeding. Her view on it is "your milk is as 'in' as its going to get".

So we demanded an appointment with a lactation consultant. Because as much as I'm not opposed to formula (nursing problems happen to run in the family) I'd like to give breast feeding a healthy try first instead of just giving up at the first sign of problem. She seemed to be getting enough until her growth spurt last week, but it seems that when the demand increased, the supply didn't.

I nurse her before her bottle and afterwards, so shes still very interested in that. She actually really hates the bottle and takes FOREVER to actually convince her to eat from it. For now. Hopefully my supply will pick up before she falls in love with the laziness of the bottle. LoL.

Good for you for insisting on lactation help! IMO, your doc is out to lunch, it's just easier to push the formula rather than get you some real help. Here in Halifax we're very lucky - public health nurses will come to your house to help if you want, and our children's hospital has a clinic where you can get more help if you need it (or at least they did when DS was born six years ago). BFing is HARD, I had difficulties for the first month or so, it hurt, every time DS would cry for food I would cry too. But it got better.

I'm glad she's still interested in getting food from you. Keep trying and good luck!

[bairdgoodwin]

Nth

[mdutka]

its so not fair, you want to make what you feel is the best choice for your baby in such a simple thing as feeding and it ends up being soooo difficult. and then other women have so much milk they dont know what to do with! i have a friend who had so much milk, she HAD to pumpand freeze because she'd be overflowing before baby was hungry. i was so jealous!

good for you for trying so hard! if you have supply issues and really want to breastfeed as long as you can (and especially if you plan to have another child, my supply issues were even worse
with my second) i would invest in a good pump. if i had of known then what i do now, i would have bought the best pump i could. fenugreek helps, i also took domperidone (sp?). what i would also say is to not stress too much about it, probably makes it worse. i really stressed with my first, i thought i would be a failure if i couldnt BF and although i am glad i stuck to it for 11 months i wish i wasnt so hard on myself. breastfeeding means making a huge sacrafise for your baby especially when it doesnt happen the way you think it should but you wont be breastfeeding forever.

[missxhillary]

I had this problem with my LO in the hospital, i wasn't producing enough and the nurses though my LO just wasn't swallowing properly.. she weighed 6. 3oz at birth, and dropped down drastically... i thought i was gonna be able to formula and breast feed, however trying to find the time to pump often, feed your LO and still get everything done is a challenge. I ended up having to stay with just formula because I couldnt find the time to pump constantly, and when i was pumping i was barely getting 1 oz after. my advice to you, do what's right for your baby, if your not making enough milk.. don't feel bad about it.. make sure your LO is getting enough nutrients.. if it has to be formula.. then it has to be formula....
Try pumping.. OFTEN, and just freeze the bags.. also apparently drinking a beer. ( dont know how safe this is.. but it's supposed to increase the breast milk ) try going to several different lactaction consultants as each nurse tends to have different ideas on how to help.. so give a few a try. and stay happy... whatever happens isn't your fault.. your doing the best you can for your LO

[missxhillary]

also what i did, was when i was giving my LO breast milk i gave it to her from a bottle because i didn't want her to not take one or the other from constantly switching from breast to bottle, that may help aswell.. because it's less confusing to the LO,

[jessica886]

Good Luck!

[cakebakingmama]

Good luck as someone who has dealt with a baby that did not nurse well (not a tounge tie just a weak suck). I am so happy you found an answer. A friend of mine had a baby with a tongue tie and once it was sniped baby recovered so quickly and they ended up with a great nursing relationship.

[juniperjune]

My supply almost stopped completely and I started on Domperidone and it came back. My first I had no problem, the 2nd time I have had issues. If your supply is low, and you drink enough water, exercise, eat enough and sleep well, the pills can help. It can take 1 full month for your supply to come up completly, but after 1 day you will have a lot of milk.
Hang in there, keep at it. Good luck