Breastfeeding issues

beanie401

Ladies, my little boy came a month early via c-section.  I lost a lot of blood and had to have two transfusions.  My milk never "came in" but I am trying to breastfeed.   I let him feed and pump as well.  After he feeds, he is not satisfied and I have to supplement.  I have taken Fenugreek but I am not sure if it is making my little one gassy.  Has anyone developed anemia and gone on to have a decent supply?  This is so frustrating!!!!

ChrMoo

I don't believe being anemic has anything to do with your milk supply. Your milk gland work in the same way your sweat glands do that's why fenugreek is used to help increase your supply. Anemia is an iron deficiency. If you need help bringing your supply up contact the LLL they will help you tremendously. I myself had a very low supply in the beginning but was able to increase through a lot of hard work. Its not fun, very frustrating and you will not sleep for days because you will literally become a dairy queen. What I had to do is feed every 2 hours for like three days straight before I noticed a big increase. Just remember you starting time is when your clock starts so if it takes your LO 30 mins to nurse you're feeding him an hour and a half later. Then always start on the breast you finished the last feeding on. I kept a hair band on my wrist and would switch it back and forth to remember what side to start on. Take fenugreek 3 pills 3 times a day as well as blessed thistle. Get some NA beer cause that helps also. Keep the baby as close to your bed as possible cause you'll need to rest as much as you can between nursing. It worked for me but I was not very happy doing it, in the end I went back to supplementing because I was miserable and making my DH miserable too. Good luck!

blu-eyedwife

This may be a silly question, but why do you think he's not satisfied?  I'm assuming that when you're feeding him you're doing breast then bottle?  (Please correct me if I'm wrong!)  With the bottle, they drink faster than their brain can process, so sometimes they seem hungry after finishing because their stomachs haven't told their brains "Hey - we're all full down here!"  Babies have tiny little stomachs that fill pretty easily.  I would try waiting a little bit before determining he's not satisfied to give his stomach time to send the right message to his brain.  Otherwise you're going to stretch out his stomach and it will make it harder for you to keep up the supply.

Adanessa

blu-eyedwife:

This may be a silly question, but why do you think he's not satisfied?  I'm assuming that when you're feeding him you're doing breast then bottle?  (Please correct me if I'm wrong!)  With the bottle, they drink faster than their brain can process, so sometimes they seem hungry after finishing because their stomachs haven't told their brains "Hey - we're all full down here!"  Babies have tiny little stomachs that fill pretty easily.  I would try waiting a little bit before determining he's not satisfied to give his stomach time to send the right message to his brain.  Otherwise you're going to stretch out his stomach and it will make it harder for you to keep up the supply.

I agree with this, also, supplementation can lead to a decrease in supply. I was told to supplement and my supply would not go up. Finally I quit supplementing. It took me 2 weeks of having LO on the breast almost 24/7 but I finally got a really good supply. If you continue to supplement offer formula after breastfeeding only, and offer it one ounce at time until baby seems content. Then pump afterwards so that you don't miss the chance to tell your body it needs to make more milk.

beanie401

Thanks ladies.  I do do breast then bottle.  I know he's not getting enough based on the visit with the lactation consultant.  He was weighed before and after and is only taking in half an ounce (that's with proper latching and stimulation).  I do pump afterwards, at this point I'll try anything. 

traciie

My LO had to be breastfeed then supplemented for a week.  He would not latch and now gets feed the bottle after I pump.  You will have to work hard at your supply like I did every 2 hours for a few days.  at 8 weeks old I can pump every 3 to 4 hrs and keep up my supply and freeze some as well.  Good Luck