Breastfeeding Help PLEASE!!!!

maybe a growth spurt?

I think the other moms are right on...sounds like a growth spurt. My boys both would get really cranky for a few days, acting as if they were frustrated and not getting enough milk, nurse like crazy, and then the supply would increase and life would get easier for everyone. Some babies are just a lot more insistent about making sure you know what they need! It always caught me by surprise, even though both boys followed the typical pattern of a growth spurt at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, and then every month or two after that. I'll add my encouragement to make sure you take care of you as much as possible....drink enough, eat enough, and try to get some sleep. Good luck!

I wouldn't supplement with formula since his diapers show he is getting enough. He might be reacting to something you are eating, like dairy or chocolate. He might be gassy, so make sure you are burping him enough. Or he might just be frustrated that your milk is taking a moment to let down. I went through this when my son was 3 weeks and I came to realize that every time he cried I would put him to the breast thinking he was hungry. It turned out he was fussy for other reasons (fatigue). So, we just had to try other ways to make him happy, like swaddling and dancing him around the house. I hope this helps!

You shouldn't expect to get much from a pump after your son has nursed. Some women don't respond the same to the pump...it also depends on how good your pump is. I've heard figures that say most good pumps are only about 60% effective of getting out what your baby can.

It sounds to me that he could be going through a growth spurt. This website has lots of good breastfeeding information:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html

I was like a dairy cow in terms of the amount of milk I was producing, but it doesn't mean we didn't struggle from time to time during a growth spurt.

Encourage your son to nurse longer by burping him and then putting him back to the breast--this will also ensure that he is getting plenty of hindmilk. Frequent nursing could be causing him to get an overabundance of foremilk and that could be making him gassy.

If this cycle continues for more than a week, consider eliminating dairy from your diet (I did for about 4 months and it made a world of difference) or look for other possible food allergies. I sometimes think that reflux is overdiagnosed, but you can talk to your pediatrician about that possibility as well.

In the end wet and poopy diapers are a great indicator that your baby is getting plenty to eat. Keep yourself well rested (as much as that is possible) and drink as much water as you can hold--dehydration will affect your supply.

Good luck. This too shall pass...and then something else will come along.

Definitely don't start supplementing yet. I would suggest to call your OB's office and ask for a referral to a lactation consultant. She may even have a nurse in her office who is a lactation consultant. Get your appointment with the lactation consultant ASAP, and they can help you determine what the problem is.

It could be a few things. You could be producing too much milk, it could be that he is not latching on properly etc etc. So please get with a professional who can assist you ASAP!!

I'm sure it's something that is easy to figure out! Good luck!

Supplementing is NOT the answer if you want to maintain milk supply. Babies go through growth spurts where all they want to do is nurse. It's nature's way of increasing your supply. At these times, you just have to NURSE NURSE NURSE.

If you are pumping after he eats and only getting one ounce, that is perfectly ok. He's just emptied your breast, so you shouldn't have much left for the pump!!! And babies are MUCH more efficient at getting breastmilk, so you can NOT rely on a pump to tell you how much milk you have. The judge of whether or not you have enough is in his diapers, which you seem to already know!

It is normal for a baby going through a growth spurt to want to eat that often. You just have to nurse through this. Babies typically have growth spurts at 3, 6, and 9 weeks, and 3, 6, and 9 months BUT they have their own schedules and may not follow that exactly (they don't read the books we do!!!). You could be experiencing the 3 week growth spurt a little late, or the 6 week spurt a little early!

Please please please if you are dedicated to breastfeeding, don't supplement. You will find yourself doing it more and more, and then at 3 months when he goes through another one, you are likely to do more formula. Remember, this is his way of making sure you are making enough! Very few women truly "don't make enough milk" for their babies IF they nurse on demand. I know lots of moms say that they didn't, but generally it is because they didn't follow baby's cues and feed as often as baby needed.

This won't last that long! Nursing is the best possible way to get through it. And if he's having enough wet and poopy diapers, that means he IS getting enough. That is a better guage of it than the pump or even his weight gain. He seems to whine because he wants to do what nature is telling him: nurse until you increase supply!

Attend a local La Leche League meeting. I guarantee they'll tell you similarly to what I said. And check out www.kellymom.com It is a wealth of research-based breastfeeding information that is geared toward support.

My daughter (2 months) was acting hungry after her last feeding (9pm). I supplemented with defrosted Breast M and then pumped, added pumping immediately after BF for the 1st 2 feedings in the morning and have noticed marked improvement in my supply. I have also reduced the use of the pacifier and increased soothing and offering of breast throughout the day. I went from being able to barely pump anything to pumping 5 ounces this morning after I fed her. What I read was that the best way to increase your supply is to have your baby stimulate your breast.

HOpe this helps.