Breastmilk Supply - Martinsville,IN

My pedi told me to supplement with formula around 3 weeks because I was having a low milk supply. I chose not too, and instead my milk supply increased like mega crazy within a few days or a week. I could not pump for anything either. I would actually hand express just enough for a few emergency bottles if needed.

The mother's milk and fenugreek teas really help with milk supply. I believe marshmallow root tea does as well, but only when mixed with a tea such as fenugreek. And so does getting lots of rest and drinking plenty of water. Some really great tips on increasing milk supply here:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/499642-breastfeeding-ti...

Don't use formula unless you want your supply low forever. Keep putting baby to breast an exhausting amount of times. Supply and demand usually takes over.

My baby is 3 and a half weeks too and I'm having trouble figuring out my balance as well because I'm working out so much. Eventually our bodies produce just as much as we need. I did get some good advice for things I could do to encourage my supply. Oatmeal, fenugreek, lots of water and one person actually said dark beer, one a night at most. I looked into it and it is reccomended by many lactation consultants to let down supply. I'm in luck because my friends microbrew.

Good luck, and please don't think you should resort to formula , trust your body and give it a chance.

Your baby is so much more efficient than any man-made pump out there. At her age, I suspect she is going through a growth spurt and is more hungry than usual. Also, I'd wait to bottle feed (if you possibly can) until you get this situation stabilized.

Expect to spend a lot of time nursing. Like 30 minutes every 2 hours- you get a 1.5 hour break in between. Its a total supply and demand situation. Every time she demands, your body will provide. Eventually, you can add in a pumping session between nursing to try to build up a freezer supply of breast milk.

Once you introduce formula, it becomes a vicious cycle. They eat less often with formula so your body will produce less milk. She won't be satisfied when she nurses (due to your reduced supply) so you'll supplement with more formula.

It all depends on your particular circumstances and you have to make the choices that are best for you and your baby. Like Amanda G said below, give your body a chance.

I nursed my kids for forever (well, 20 months for the first one, and almost 2 1/2 years for the second). I nursed on demand and always had enough milk. When I pumped, I also hardly got any. 4 oz was a good pumping session for me! So - do not assume that because you are only pumping a small amount that you do not have enough. I forget all the indicators you are supposed to look for - a certain number of wet diapers a day? # of nursing sessions? Babies are hungry in the beggining, and they can cluster feed, where they feed more frequently for a certain period of time, and then space them out a little more.

Often you will produce a tremendous amount of milk in the beggining, your body is trying to regulate your mild porduction with your babies appetite. Again, it does not mean that your supply is inadequate for your baby simply because it is diminishing - you may be just getting in synch with your baby. It is a delicate balance - I would absolutely hold off on formula for right now - at 3 1/2 weeks, it is so early!

If you do have a lactation consultant, use her! Ask her all these questions and see what she has to say.

Sounds like you and your baby are figuring things out - it is normal to have lots of questions about nursing! Good luck to you, sounds like it is going OK. Remember to drink lots of water, and keep up the good work!

You've already got some good advice, here's my bit: Don't base your thoughts on your supply off of how much you can pump. This can change as your body regulates your milk supply. Some women can't pump any, no matter how much they are making. If baby is hungry, then feed him or her! Nursing on demand is best for a newborn/infant. This might mean that your 3.5 week old eats every hour or 2 hours for awhile. It's exhausting, but worth it and it will get better! You won't run out of milk, that's a major perk of BF. Don't do formula just because you think your supply is low, this is one of the main reasons most people make the switch to formula and in most cases it is completely unnecessary. Just keep offering the breast, offering formula means baby isn't nursing and then you really will have to worry about low supply. Good luck!

More info please!
Baby is only 3.5 weeks old?
Are you nursing on demand?
Why are you pumping so early if baby is only 3.5 weeks?
Sorry...can you clarify?

you typically produce 1/2 oz of milk per breast per 1 hour. So if you are pumping every three hours that is about right. and is probably really good if you are also feeding off the breast.

Feed the baby every single time. If you don't your supply will decrease. It's all supply and demand. There are supplements, like Fenugreek, that will help boost supply. If you want to exclusively breastfeed, skip dad's help with the bottle and wake up for every feeding. If you are okay supplementing with formula, have dad give a bottle at night.

Im sure its just because your baby has hit a growth spurt and is eating more and the fact that you are 3 1/2 weeks in so you and baby are starting to syncronize with what you produce to what your baby needs. I just had baby number 2 three weeks too and I had the same issue with way too much milk at first and now that we are 3 weeks in I am not needing to pump and my supply is just enough for her
Good Luck and Congrats

I always had an over abundance of milk but was never told to pump. I was only told to express a tiny bit to relieve the pressure but to nurse on demand as often as baby wanted.

Your baby prob seems hungry because of a little growth spurt. Stop pumping and then nurse on demand. I nursed mine early on every hour and and 1/2 at times.

If you want help at night then only pump at night when your DH is helping. Once your baby goes longer stretches at night and once you have established some milk stock then you can sleep at night. I never got any help at night ;)

I formula fed my first two and they got along great. I am pumping for my third one & it works great too. I am sure you know this but make sure you have a good pump...don't get a cheap one to save money. It took a while for my milk to come in but once it did, I had an over supply. I don't breastfeed so pumping can be a chore but its nice that others can feed the baby as well. I also take fenugreek which helps. Drink lots & lots of water....you probably know that already and I know its hard with a new little one but rest helps as well. Good luck on what you decide!

In the first month to 6 weeks, your milk supply will constantly change as your body is getting into sync with your baby. This is totally normal. As your baby grows, you will notice more of these "ups and downs" as she goes through growth spurts, and then back to 'normal'. The amount you pump means very little. Pumps are NOT an accurate measurement of what your body is actually producing.

Is your baby growing at a steady rate? Does she seem content after a feeding? Having regular wet and dirty diapers? Is mommy staying as hydrated as she should be? As long as you answer yes to all of these, your body is making what your baby needs. There is no need to worry. Stress can decrease milk supply, so try to relax. However, if you are truly concerned, schedule an extra appointment with your pediatrician or lactation consultant just to be sure all is ok.

Please, as others have said, give your body a chance. Nurse her on demand, and I promise you your baby will always get enough. I know its easy to worry, and I can honestly say ever other woman here has had the same fears. You and your baby will be fine. =) And please let us know how it goes.

Only read the most recent response, warning the fenugreek fan cause severe gas problems, research entirely all the good and bad before you use something like that (had a bad experience with my 14 month old and the fenugreek). I was told to eat at least 1 bowl of oatmeal, and try pumping after he ate, also power pump, was told its only pumping for about 5 minutes half way in between feedings so it stimulates the letdown. I also think it depends on the type of pump, I used an evenflow with baby 1 and a first years with baby 3 and I don't know if it was the pump or what but I didn't seem to have the same affects or anything with baby 3 no strong letdown or anything but I could tell a big difference in production if I went just 1 day without my oatmeal (now I can barely stand it), and plenty of water (fluids in general) do not get anything near dehydrated, it will affect your supply. Best of luck to ya, hope you find something that helps. Oh yea, nurse on demand, and don't worry about supplementing just yet, give your baby and your body a chance to get something worked out, she is drinking more than your pumping so no need to worry there, and the more often she seems hungry usually indicates a growth spurt, they tend to want to feed more then.

I was told that what my baby gets from me is often more than what he will get when I pump. When your baby is hungry your body will start to produce more to meet your baby's demands.

And from the sounds of it she may be going through a growth spurt, it will ween down in a few days but unless you child is inconsolable and can't get enough to eat off of you then maybe you can thinking about formula.

I know someone said no don't do it but my sister wasn't producing enough breastmilk at first so she would supplement with formula. She still breastfed the formula was only when it was needed. Her daughter is now 2.5 months and she hasn't had to use the formula in weeks.

Other things you can do to build your supply up is to make sure you are drinking LOTS of water, stay dehydrated, don't skip meals which I know is hard to do. My son is 3 months and his needs come before my own so I often go hungry but I've noticed that when I do that I don't seem to have as much milk. And I have also heard eating oatmeal can help build up your milk. Now with all that in mind your body won't instantly produce milk but give it a few days or a week and you should see an increase.

NO! If you want to breastfeed do NOT use formula or 'top her off'!

Ok... the first month is an up and down of supply, because your body is seeing what the infant really needs. It takes a bit to get into a steady flow of what the child needs and the less the child nurses, the less your body thinks it needs to produce.

Pumping means NOTHING... you can pump 0.5 ounces and still have enough to feed her a huge meal where she falls asleep 'milk drunk'. The pump is a man made machine, it barely gets 25% of what you make... whereas the baby suckling can get all 100% of it. It's like comparing the power between a 1960's Hoover and a 2012 Dyson.

Cluster feeding and growth spurts are very common the first full month and will happen again every 2.5-3 months, starting around 3 months. They cluster feed during a growth spurt because they are priming your body to start producing more, and to get out of the current state it's in and increase production.

If you do not encourage and allow the infant to breastfeed on demand, it can effect your milk production because by supplementing feedings or allowing Daddy to bottle feed, those missed nursing sessions are being seen as baby doesn't need to eat now...