How did you know you had supply issues? NFT

Catch23

tia

adri77

First, by the diaper output- i think they are supposed to have 6-8 wets at your baby's age???  Also, my DS was fussy at the breast- my letdown was really slow- I had a dip in supply after being separated from him for 2 days and getting my first pp period at the same time. 

asgarrisi

adri77:

First, by the diaper output- i think they are supposed to have 6-8 wets at your baby's age???  Also, my DS was fussy at the breast- my letdown was really slow- I had a dip in supply after being separated from him for 2 days and getting my first pp period at the same time. 

Did you stick it out? Are you still BFing? I am trying to wean my little guy because my supply was just not up as much as he needed and I didn't like the idea of BFing and supplementing...I am having a really hard time with this decision and I don't know what the "right" thing to do is for me. My DH doesn't get it...he just says do what you feel is right for you and the baby. He is not encouraging either way. I always saw myself BFing until we were both ready to wean him (a year or more). My supply was low, I had a really bad cracked nipple which I could not nurse on (I think it was from bad latching on in the earlier days...now I have it figured out) and I used to pump on that breast, but it never got back up to par. I just wish that I had enough milk that my LO wouldn't have to eat formula after. He will feed and then start pushing away and pulling on my nipple with his mouth. Then he's still hungry after he's emptied both breasts...it's really discouraging. Any words of advice? I've tried Reglan and it caused other side effects and did not even bring my supply up a drop! I was starting to use Mother's milk tea and fenugreek (which my DH doesn't believe I should be taking...) and I just don't know what I should do. I am so engorged right now because I thought that is what I wanted, but not really.

tmp-493670500007520

the best thing you can do is to continue to nurse. nursing will help bring your supply up as much as possible. 

i know you dont want to supplement...so only do so when necessary. its not bad for him, but anytime you dont nurse and you use a bottle, your brain isnt getting the message to make more milk.

are you still at home with baby? if so, i would nurse on demand...many times in a day (even if you only normally feed baby every 2 hours....nurse him when baby is fussy or alert...see if he'll latch and suck) this will trigger your brain too.

if baby has 6-8 wet diapers...he's okay....

i know this is hard....im still not able to pump the 4 bottles he has at daycare...usually 2, maybe 3 of them...so I send him in with one formula bottle.  I pump every 2 hours, sometimes 3 depending on meetings at work. 
My best advice to you....remain dedicated as long as you can.  If this is causing you stress, you dont want that to pass to your baby. Make the best choice to hvae a stress free, loving experience feeding your LO, regardless of breast or bottle. 

14years

It sounds to me like you do want to keep nursing, and you can.  Can you call an LC and ask for some help?

I second the pp's advice to nurse as often as you can.  That is the best thing for supply early on.  Also, make sure you are drinking a TON of water.  I basically had a big gulp beside me all day, every day for the 1st 6 weeks.  Another thing I've done that really helped was take More Milk Plus.  If you follow the instructions to the letter, it can really boost supply.  Finally, when you give the LO formula, pump those times, too.

schmoodle

First, baby wasn't gaining weight. At 2 weeks he was still more than half a lb under birthweight and gaining SUPER slow (like 1 oz. in 5 days). He had the appropriate number of dirty/wet diapers too so we always thought he was getting enough until we'd get to a scale. Then when a lactation consultant came (we weren't sure if the problem was his latch or sucking) she identified the issue by watching him and verifying he was doing everything correctly, and then weighing him before and after a feeding, where he got less than an ounce after over an hour straight of nursing. We still weigh him before/after feedings and still never get more than an ounce per feeding.

ETA: I do supplement because we don't have a choice. Not a single known method for increasing supply has worked for me, I'm now taking domperidone and we'll see if that works but I don't have high hopes. I BF at every feeding and then give the formula bottle after, it's time consuming, but that way I don't "skip" any feedings so my supply doesn't suffer from him getting supplements (and by giving the breast first I avoid the risk that he won't be as hungry and won't take as much).