Milk supply questions

rockinwife · December 2012

I'm sure this is a stupid question but I can't seem to find any intelligent articles on Google.

I was visiting with my MIL over the weekend. She was saying this weekend about how it's impossible for someone to have low supply. In other words, you will always produce enough milk for your baby.

I haven't heard of this. I'm hesitant to take breastfeeding advice from someone who (1) didn't breastfeed and (2) is h*ll bent we are having a girl based solely on the heart rate.

Thoughts?

ETA: Fixed a typo

ziggy23213 · December 2012

I am no expert, but from what I've read so far, unless you've had some kind of breast surgery that's damaged ducts in your breasts, you shouldn't have a problem with supply if you're nursing on demand, from both breasts, not supplementing, etc. I'd recommend reading a breastfeeding book; I just finished the American Academy of Pediatrics' New Mothers' Guide to Nursing, and I'm planning on reading the La Leche League book next.

BnchaNums · December 2012

From what I have read, it's not impossible to have a low supply, but it in unlikely if you are ebfing. Now there are obviously medical reasons (some ladies with pcos have low supply), but it is much more rare than the number of people who claim to have a low supply. Not feeding on demand can cause a low supply. Also, some women don't respond well to pumping, so they aren't able to pump enough when they return to work and then their supply dwindles.

MoparWife67 · December 2012

Ditto ziggy, very few women have actual supply issues unless there are complications like previous surgery or illness.

There are perceived supply issues, or supply issues arise when switching to pumping since no pump is as efficient as a baby.

I think the most common reasons people stop is by supplementing unnecessarily and tanking their supply or latch issues which cause a lot of pain and problems all of their own.

beachbum0084 · December 2012

I didn't develop enough for my first. I would pump and pump and pump and would only get an ounce about every 4 hours. I have had breast enhancement surgery though. I've always wondered if that had something to do with it but Drs didn't seem to think so.

rockinwife · December 2012

Thanks, ladies! I apprecriate the feedback.

LiLi23 · December 2012

BnchaNums:
From what I have read, it's not impossible to have a low supply, but it in unlikely if you are ebfing. Now there are obviously medical reasons (some ladies with pcos have low supply), but it is much more rare than the number of people who claim to have a low supply. Not feeding on demand can cause a low supply. Also, some women don't respond well to pumping, so they aren't able to pump enough when they return to work and then their supply dwindles.

This is exactly what happened with me and it made me really, really upset. I was pumping three times a day at work and by the last session I wasn't even getting a half an ounce from both sides. I was doing absolutely fine with breastfeeding, DD was gaining great at all her checkups. I think it was the pumping that ultimately did me in.

buggybear87 · December 2012

I tried ebf with DD and that lasted all of 9 days. I had to use a nipple shield because I have inverted nipples and she couldn't latch. On day 9, she was latched to me for 2 hours, then immediately after drank 2 and a half ounces of pumped milk and another 2 ounces of formula (the first time I ever gave her any). I was told that the shield can make you lose your supply, which may be why I wasn't able to get a good supply, but after day 9, I turned to exclusively pumping and by the fourth week, I was only getting 1/2 an ounce a day total from both breasts. I doubt I'm the norm, but it is possible to have a supply that is much too low.

Luthien1015 · December 2012

My best friend gave birth in September, and while her milk came in, it wasn't enough for her boy and she's had to supplement with formula. I don't know if she had other medical issues, or if it was because her baby was a giant among babies, but she wasn't able to exclusively breastfeed like she wanted.

MoparWife67 · December 2012

Luthien1015:
My best friend gave birth in September, and while her milk came in, it wasn't enough for her boy and she's had to supplement with formula. I don't know if she had other medical issues, or if it was because her baby was a giant among babies, but she wasn't able to exclusively breastfeed like she wanted.

This kind of story means nothing to me, I'm not trying to be mean, but I've seen women who try to put a baby on a schedule or limit nursing time or something that affected their supply. You don't know what she did or didn't do and repeating a story like this without all of the facts can scare women into believing that there can be supply issues for no reason.

BLT20051 · December 2012

I honestly don't know. But I've heard from several people that eating oatmeal helped boost or keep their supply up. I'm stocking up since I love oatmeal anyway!

mongoose9 · December 2012

If you dont take care of yourself during pregnancy or after, I know it can. A friend was sickly obsessed with getting too big or looking fat and got very thin fast after birth and she couldnt keep her supply.

carmen_sandiego · December 2012

My dear friend whose exclusively breastfed son only gained a pound between his 2 and 4 month checkups despite her breastfeeding on demand and pumping between feedings to increase supply would beg to differ. Her son downed 12 (!!!!) oz of formula the first time he was offered a bottle at 4 months because he was basically starving and she had no idea because she had also heard this myth about a low supply not really existing. My friend has had no work done on her breasts, ever.

In other words, your MIL is absolutely dead wrong. It's not super common, but it absolutely can be a problem.

ConnieRob · December 2012

I didn't have a problem with supply however I was taking Fenugreek capsules and tea (started 3 days PP) which is supposed to help boost your supply.

My milk didn't come in until 5 days PP so we did supplement for the first few weeks with formula. Also I had some horrible chapped and blistered nips so we did one feed BM and the next formula for about a week. After my nips had healed and my milk was in I BF on demand and then would pump for about 5 minutes from each side once he was done. I never got much milk from pumping but I had heard that it would boost your supply to do that. I did that for about a month or so.

I never had am oversupply of milk and DS never seemed to be hungry so I guess it worked.

I did have a GF who exclusively pumped and she had what looked like gallons of extra milk in her freezer.

skio · December 2012

That's not true. There are disorders and diseases that can cause a woman not to lactate, and there are also definite unexplained reasons as to why a woman may not produce enough.

I have a good friend whose baby was on the breast every half hour to hour for 36 hours straight and ended up in the NICU for three days with severe dehydration because he wasn't getting any milk. It never came, despite the near round the clock nursing. She had consulted with LCs while at the hospital and was told she was doing great. The baby was okay on colostrum for the first day. She has not had breast surgery and has no known illnesses that would've caused this. She tried to continue to pump after that and couldn't get more than a half an ounce per breast. It was very hard on her, and it's people like your MIL making blanket statements that make these poor women who try to BF and can't feel like they failed when it was entirely out of their control. Sad. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No.

Dumbledore · December 2012

It's definitely not impossible, but it is not common.

Of course there are many different factors that can cause low supply, but having a true low supply with zero explanation for it is really rare.

rockinwife · December 2012

skio:
That's not true. There are disorders and diseases that can cause a woman not to lactate, and there are also definite unexplained reasons as to why a woman may not produce enough. I have a good friend whose baby was on the breast every half hour to hour for 36 hours straight and ended up in the NICU for three days with severe dehydration because he wasn't getting any milk. It never came, despite the near round the clock nursing. She had consulted with LCs while at the hospital and was told she was doing great. The baby was okay on colostrum for the first day. She has not had breast surgery and has no known illnesses that would've caused this. She tried to continue to pump after that and couldn't get more than a half an ounce per breast. It was very hard on her, and it's people like your MIL making blanket statements that make these poor women who try to BF and can't feel like they failed when it was entirely out of their control. Sad. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No.

This was what I was thinking as well when I heard it too.

Between the comment about supply and a few other breastfeeding comments, I was starting to get stabby and frustrated by the end of the conversation.

jmubride2 · December 2012

I had supply issues (I had twins but goes to show body does not make enough for baby you are given). I did everything. Supplements and tea, feeding and pumping both, we demand fed, everything I found researching I did but didn't make enough. Don't stress though I think that made it worse for me. I figure give them all the bm you can and then supplement. They are still getting all the benefits and they are growing

kimberly_ann81 · December 2012

I agree with many of the other posts, having low supply is not common but it does happen. Most women, like 95%, will produce enough milk if they EB. Pumping does not get out as much BM and your supply can drop if pumping a lot.

One thing to keep in mind, when baby starts to demand more milk, it will take your a couple days to make more. Baby will want to nurse more during this time and it usually happens, I've been told, around weeks 4-6. Some women view this as having a low supply but it's just for a short period of time and not an actual low supply issue.

I never had a problem producing enough milk. I'd pump out about 5 bottles (6 oz each) at work and DS would only drink 2-3 while I was a work. I ended up donating 600 oz of BM to a mom who couldn't produce enough due to a breast reduction.

ohdrama09 · December 2012

Oh yes, yes you can. I was one of those moms with DD. I tried with my heart and soul for six months to up my supply. I literally did everything. Herbs, domperidone, extra pumping, sns, the works. At my highest I was supplying half of what she needed daily. It REALLY wasn't for lack of trying.

I didn't quit though. Every drop was precious and every time I sat down to nurse I was just thankful I could offer something even if it wasn't every drop she needed.

After six months I stopping trying as hard to up my supply. I continued to nurse her until she self weaned at 17 months recently.

Low milk supply can be a very real thing. It was devastating for me and a problem I never thought I would face. After 2 LLL groups and 4 LCs, the thought is that DD had an upper lip tie that wasn't noticed until she was 10 months old after a specials visited our LLL leaders group. So her latch was never correct and never brought in a full milk supply.

I'm much more educated from this journey now. I'm a LLL leader applicant and want to take what happened to me and help other moms. I've come to terms that everything happens for a reason. If my experience can help one mom then it was worth it for me.

This time I have a LC lined up to check tongue and lip tie the day LO is born. I'll nurse every two hours around the clock and pump with a hospital grade pump right after nursing. Fenugreek and blessed thistle will be my BFFs. My hope is to be able to have enough milk to donate some myself this time since so many moms gave DD BM.

Holy crap that was a book. Low supply is something really close to me. Obviously.

kymelissa · December 2012

I tried everything as well lactation cookies, Mother Milk Plus, prescription Reglan...I was working with a lactation consultant. I never felt my milk come in or felt my milk drop. I just has white liquid where I had clear colostrum. I could not produce enough milk. I will try my best again but will not feel like a failure because I couldn't. I gave my daughter colostrum and 7 weeks of drops of BM.

ohdrama09 · December 2012

kymelissa:
I tried everything as well lactation cookies, Mother Milk Plus, prescription Reglan...I was working with a lactation consultant. I never felt my milk come in or felt my milk drop. I just has white liquid where I had clear colostrum. I could not produce enough milk. I will try my best again but will not feel like a failure because I couldn't. I gave my daughter colostrum and 7 weeks of drops of BM.

Every drop counts! Good job for giving it your best!

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