Building up Milk Supply?

Hi L., Eat syrup, its an remedy my grandma passed down, I didn't have a problem with milk supply and when I'd eat syrup with my pancakes the milk would come and I'd have to go pump it out.

Drink lots of liquids, water, fruit juice this should help. Good luck with both breast feeding and getting more milk.

Hi L. - I had the exact same thing with both of my girls! I gave up on the first after 2 weeks because it was much better just having a happier baby, pumped some, but not much. With the 2nd I stuck to my guns a little more and was doing what you are until the point I didn't feel like I was getting to enjoy her at all. Everything centered around breast, pump and supplement, small break and back again. After 4 weeks I switched to formula. My girls are now 9 and 5, very healthy, happy well adjusted kids. I think it's just one of those sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Don't be afraid to give it up. For me, I decided stuggling and bonding time outweighed the need to breastfeed.

D.

First of all, what you pump has nothing to do with how much you make. Some people don't respond well to the pump. It is also a "learned skill". But if you're getting 1 oz when your child is 3 weeks old, that is GOOD! Plus, you're pumping AFTER she eats, which is good to help increase supply, but you're not going to see much in the pumping output. How do you know she's eating 5 oz? That's a lot for a newborn. Remember that if you're feeding formula from a bottle, they will often gorge themselves because it is so much easier than nursing (they have to actually work to get milk out when nursing!). And that's not the best thing for your supply.

If you want to make sure you have enough, the best thing is NURSE ON DEMAND. There is nothing better. At 3 weeks old, you'll be dealing with growth spurts (typically at 3, 6, and 9 weeks, and 3, 6 and 9 months), where she'll want to eat all the time. That's fine. It's nature's way of making your supply meet her demand! Don't schedule her nursing, don't watch the clock, don't limit her. THAT is what gives you a good supply. Most people, when nursing on demand, don't need to do anything else to keep up their supply.

In addition, make sure you are drinking plenty of water!

Mother's milk tea is a good tool to use, but you don't need that right now. Also, eating oatmeal every morning can help, but again, you need to focus on feeding her whenever she asks (and BTW, even comfort nursing - which a lot of people refuse to do - helps your supply!).

So forget drugs, forget herbs, forget about how much you pump. Just feed her on demand and that's your best bet. (And again, pumping 1 oz at 3 weeks AFTER she eats is EXCELLENT output!).

Also, the BEST way to tell if your baby is getting enough is through diaper output. This is better than weighing her. She needs 4-5 sopping wet diapers a day at this age and poo diapers vary for breastfed infants. I'd say if you're changing her every 2 hours and her diapers are wet each time, she's getting enough. Here's a handy chart: http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/enoughmilk01.pdf

It honestly sounds like you're doing fine. If you want to pump, I'd do it on one side while she's eating from the other. She can always get more from you than the pump. But also don't fret about pumping. Right now worry about feeding her on demand. But if she's already 11 lbs, it sounds like she's gaining well!!! www.kellymom.com is an excellent resource for breastfeeding, authored by an Independent Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and featuring articles from the best known experts in the field (and MANY LLL people). This page can help you find answers to any questions you may have. Read up on it. I guarantee you'll get much better info this way. You'll get differing opinions from lay people, and even pediatricians don't study that much about breastfeeding. Your best sources of info are lactation consultants, La Leche League leaders, and this website. http://www.kellymom.com/breastfeeding/index.html

**ETA I only noticed one other person say to feed her whenever she wants, but I want you to know all lactation consultants and breastfeeding experts will agree that FEEDING ON DEMAND is the best way to have an adequate supply. And FYI, most people can have an adequate supply without supplementing if they just feed on demand.

The only way to truly build up your milk supply is to breastfeed. I would let her feed for 15 to 20 min for now on each side instead of pumping - or add a feeding or two when convenient. She sucks better than any pump will and your body should comply after a few days. When breastfeeding and your kid goes through a growth spurt the only way for your body to catch up is that it needs to know it needs to catch up. Increase feedings to every 2 hours for about 3-4 days. Then your body will catch up and you can go back to every 3 hour feedings until her next growth spurt. Some kids also just need to feed more often. In general every 3 hours, but some need every 2 hours regularly. Each kid is different. My mom says my sister went for a while needing it every hour (and my mom had 5 kids so it wasn't inexperience talking). Your daughter may need to nurse more often. But, it probably is just a growth spurt.

same thing happened to me... my obgyn put me on reglan... helped for a while... may be just what you need to get it going real good... good luck

I also had a c-section with my daughter December 2007. I had some latch problems, so ended up seeing a lactation consultant. She said the best way to up milk supply is drink lots and lots of water. There was also an herb she told me I could take if I felt I needed to boost my supply. It is called Fenugreek.
http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_fenugree...

It is good that you are nursing on both sides and then pumping. That was another thing that the LC told me would help. It is possible that you are making more milk and that your daughter is drinking all except the ounce you get out. If she doesn't seem ravenous constantly, you're probably okay. It takes 1 hour for your breasts to refill after they've been emptied (as per LC). I suppose you could always pump without nursing first in the center of a 3 hour window between nursings/pumpings and see how much you get out.

Good luck and don't give up!
R.

Hi L.,

I had the same problem with my first and second children. Finally, my Ob/Gyn recommended FenuGreek (sp?). Within two weeks, I didn't know what to do with all the extra milk. It was a blessing to not have to stress out over my baby starving any more, and I could finally stop supplementing with formula. I believe that we purchased it from GNC, but you can probably look it up online. It really was the greatest thing and since it's completely natural, I didn't have to worry about hurting my son. Good Luck and Congratulations on your new bundle of joy.

My goodness, how many responses you've received since yesterday! I'm not sure if my two bits of information will be repetitive, but here it goes:
1. I did read one comment that mentioned beer. A nurse shared with me that the reason beer tends to give your milk a boost is the malt ingredient. In this case, you can drink Ovaltine (which also, of course, contains malt), get the same effect (if it works for you), and not worry about the alcohol. Also the milk you use to mix it is beneficial.
2. Is pumping beneficial or not? Well, that's a personal decision. My son was in the NICU and I didn't have a choice. He could not and was not breastfeeding for some time so to provide my milk I had to pump. My lactation nurse recommended "power pumping" to trick my body into thinking it needed to produce more. With a little one you are already caring for 24/7, I don't know if you have the time, but it's pumping 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off, etc for 1 hour. I was advised to sit down to a funny program on TV to help with the good feelings part of pumping (again you have your child there with you and get that added benefit...that is, you aren't producing milk to a pump all the time).
Even with these tips I don't think I would have produced enough milk, but my son's feeding shedule, complicated by his prematurity (feeding tube when he came home), forced a decision to stop pumping so I could sleep instead. I wish you the best.

Mother's Milk Tea 3 times a day works wonders for me. Another thing I have done in the past is feed every 2 hours and after a couple of days my mild supply has doubled. Another mother told me if you drink one Guiness Beer that will help for the long term. Good luck!

You might want to try adding a little cereal to the milk which will help you build up you milk supply because you won't have to feed her as offten. You can also add water to her intake as well. You child is growing and will require more to eat as they get older. I know that you might seem that it's too soon to be adding cereal at this time but every child is different and grow at different speeds. I also breast fed and had the same situation. My son is now 6'1" and I had the same feelings that you are having right now. It's not going to hurt you child because I even check it out with his doctor because I didn't want him to be a fat baby.

One thing I've learned is that pumping can interfere with the supply and demand signals. There is a difference in the hormone produced and supply and demand signals given when a baby breastfeeds and when pumping.

I was in the same boat as you with my first and had to supplement. He had a HUGE appetite. About the time I dried up, at 12 weeks, I came across a book about breastfeeding from the AAP. That's when I found out about the pumping situation and confusing the body on what's really needed.

I'll be delivering soon myself and look to try out the Mother's Milk that's been recommended, increase my water intake, and pump waaaaaaay less if any at all.

Congrats on your new baby!

Are you weighing her before and after feedings? I never pumped more then an ounce at a time...I'm a really bad pumper! I had 4 sections, and the first two I gave up after two weeks of pumping and breast feeding and bottle feeding so you have one week up on me! The third I didn't even bother pumping and used formula while breastfeeding (eventually only 4 oz formula a day till she was eating solids.) But the fourth I was able to exclusively breastfeed and pumped for milk storage when my mom was to watch the baby.

So anyway, just because you only pump an ounce DOES NOT MEAN that's all she's getting when she nurses. And if you stick with it things should get better. Congrats on making such a big commitment for your baby. My first two were in the NICU and were 2 weeks old and 10 days old before I could breastfeed them so I'm sure that contributed greatly to my milk problems.

If you are getting an ounce out of each breast immediately after you feed her then you are doing pretty well. I have a 2 month old and I pump one hour after I feed him to allow my supply to build back up some before I pump and then build back up again when he needs to eat again. It takes a while for your body to get used to the demand you are now asking of it - the more consitent you are with your feeding and pumping schedule the more your body will respond with what you need. My Ob/Gyn also recommended to me to take some herbs - fenugreek, bitter fennel, aniseed, blessed thistle - I drink a tea that has all of that in it called Mother's Milk and it seems to help. Make sure you are drinking lots of fluid as well - my grandmother tells me to drink a beer a day because the yeast helps milk production - I did it with my daughter and it seemed to help, but I have not done it with my son.

Don't worry so much--while your milk supply may be in, pumping is a whole different story and that often takes time to build up a supply. It is not unusual to only be able to pump a small amount in the beginning. Especially if you are pumping right after a feeding --pumping doesn't trigger your body exactly like a baby would, so your body needs time to get used to the pump. you might try waiting until in between a feeding to see if you get more. Also, let her feed as long as she wants, don't stop her just to pump--this will definitely mess up your body. Remember, babies will go through growth spurts especially around 2-3 weeks and it may seem like your baby is feeding forever, but this also helps build your supply. Again, that is why it is soooo important that your baby nurses as much as she wants before you even pump. You can always call a lactation consultant too. Most moms think their supply is low, but in fact it's not at all--growth spurts, diet, etc play a role. So don't give up. If you are truly concerned about pumping--you can rent a hospital grade pump which is a more advanced pump and is often used to help moms build their milk supply. good luck.

If the baby is growing normally (and 11 pounds sounds good) and sleeping well and not hungry, you have enough milk. How do you know she's getting 5 oz if you're nursing? I nursed 2 for over a year each, and they were great. I could never get more than an ounce or so if I tried to pump after, but the babies thrived on nursing. When she goes through a growth spurt, and she will, she'll demand to nurse more often for a couple of days, and that will build up your supply to match her needs. The only problem I had was with the middle child who had a bad suck, and I had to supplement with him. I never could pump successfully, but the other 2 babies did great without my pumping. Just keep nursing, with a bit of pumping after for some emergency milk for the freezer.

I would just skip out on pumping for now unless you need to. The more you nurse her, the more milk you will produce. It works like supply and demand. Sometimes you may not feel like your baby is getting enough, but as long as she is gaining weight properly and having enough wet diapers throughout the day, then she's fine. Also, it is so hard to get milk out right after you feed her. The milk that you are getting out when you pump does not reflect how much she is getting. The baby can get more milk out than you can get from the pump. It's really hard to pump when they are that young, because they are nursing so much. I hope I helped!

Congratulations on your new arrival! I wouldn't worry too much about your milk supply. Just make sure she is eating for at least 10-15 minutes on each side. the longer she nurses and the more milk she takes, the more you will make. it's a supply and demand schedule for your body. Just keep going. You're doing good. Just make sure you are drinking PLENTY of water and juice, and NO caffeiene. Caffeine and sugar make a really big difference in your milk supply. It will seem like she's starving sometimes, but like you said, it may just be a growth spurt and you just have to keep feeding her and your body will know what to do. Good luck and congratulations!

I have never been very good at pumping with any of my 3 kids--I just can't get a lot out. I don't think I even tried to pump until my first baby was a couple of months old (and I never bothered at all with my next two), but when I did, it worked best if I did it first thing in the morning, on only one side (for some reason it was easier to get milk out of one side rather than the other). I found that once the breast was mostly emptied from the baby nursing, I wasn't likely to get much out from pumping, so I pumped the "good" side first thing in the morning, then let my baby nurse, first on the side I couldn't pump well and then on the one I did pump. I never HAD to supplement with bottles, though, so I didn't need a huge supply of milk in the freezer. Hope that helps.

Hi,
Another good thing to do would be to look at these resources:
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBmilksupplyissues.html
and/or call the La Leche League hotline at ###-###-####.
Good luck!

I had lots of problems trying to get my milk supply to come in fully and finally it turned out, after another emergency visit to the hospital, that I still had some left over placenta that never came out. I'm not saying this to scare you but there are soooo many things that can effect your milk supply. But from everything I read your supply sounds just about right for 3 weeks. Remember, your baby will do a better job of getting milk out of your breast than any pump will. If she is gaining weight then I wouldn't worry about it so much. Also, the stress your putting yourself through can effect your supply also.

My advice, start with drinking lots and lots of water. You can't produce milk if your dehydrated. There are lots of great over the counter things you can try to help your production and I've heard about and read some really great feedback about them. (I never got to try any of them since my problem was medical but I had already started my research) My favorite that I read about was drinking a dark beer once a day. This one beer will not hurt your baby, the yeast in it can jump start your production, and you might just enjoy it too after not being able to drink for 9 months. Some of the others are mothers milk tea and then there is a natural supplement that I can't remember the name of but I'm sure if you asked you will get it. Both of these are safe. My neighbor did both the supplement and drank a beer each day and she had so much milk she had plenty to store up for her hubby to do more of the work and that's never a bad thing.

There is another thing that might be suggested to you, Reglan. It's a prescription drug that your doctor might prescribe. Some doctors will tell you more about first, mine didn't, or like one lady said earlier that they will keep you on it for only a week. Mine was talking more long term and that scared me into doing some more research on it. This drug is an anti-nausea drug primarily. It's side effect is increased secretions such as milk supply. You have to "step up" on it to get to the level in your blood stream you need to be on and "step off" of it to avoid some really nasty withdrawal symptoms. And while your on it you will feel sleepy and drowsy all the time. Not something you need to feel when you are sleep deprived already. If your doctor suggests this drug PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do some research of your own first. Just look it up on line and you will find plenty of other women's opinions on it. It might be safe for the baby but no amounts of breast milk is worth that kind of risk.

The last think I want to say is kudos to you for trying so hard to stick with the breast feeding. It's so hard to keep trying when it feels like your not doing any good. Don't give up! But remember, while breast milk is best, you still need to be healthy too. Supplementing with formula isn't going to hurt your baby if that's what ends up happening. Most of all of us, moms in the 30-40 year range were bottle fed because that was what was recommended at the time. And you can't possibly believe that the formula we were given was anything near as nutritious and the formula they have now for our little ones. If you go back in history you will see that while all babies were on breast milk it wasn't always the mothers milk it was drinking. You will hear the lactation people telling you that women since man first began have been breast feeding their children, and that's true but in a lot of cases it wasn't their own children. Woman for centuries have had problems just like we do today, and they didn't have beast pumps or science to help them. They would turn to their village wet nurse to help out. In some periods of history this was just "done" anyways. So don't believe for a minute that you are doing something wrong if you can't keep up with your baby. That's life and that's nature. Keep trying to feed your baby but don't let yourself get depressed about it if you have to resort to other measures to do so. Your still a good mom.

Good luck!

I took Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea and seemed to help. Drink plenty of water also...!!

I know exactly how you feel. Speaking with a lactation consultant can help you understand how breastfeeding works better, but I can offer you some help.

1. You will never pump to match what your supply is. You may be able to feed your baby 5oz out of each breast and not really know it because you pump only 1-2 oz. Some of the best fed breastfed babies have mothers who can only manage to squeeze out 1 oz. from a pump, but their babies are well fed and healthy. In fact I was one of these mothers too. Rarely i'd get around 2 1/2 -3oz. out, but mostly would only get 1-2 oz. Yet my baby was satisfied and well nourished by my breastmilk for 13 months. Don't judge yourself by how much you can pump because your baby can draw out WAY more than that.

2. Pump before you feed and then let the baby stay on the breast as long as she wants to. Yes, it's time consuming and your baby may be latched onto you for like an hour but the best way to build supply is to have that baby at your breast for as long as they need to be there. Baby is the one that tells your body how much they need, the more frequently they are at the breast the more milk you will make. It takes about 8 weeks to establish supply so let that baby nurse to her hearts content. Pumping before a feeding gets some of the milk out, making your baby signal to your body to make more. After a couple of days your body will gladly oblige and baby will be getting even more milk.

3. Don't time your baby, like I said above it's best to let them latch off by themselves so that they know when they are full. Feed baby at least 15 minutes on each side or until she latches off by herself before switching sides. As she gets to be a more established feeder the nursings will get faster and 30 minutes will turn into 10 total minutes of feeding.

4. Don't supplement. Talk to your doctor and a lactation consultant before you even think about supplementing. I made the mistake of supplementing my baby on doctors orders when it ended up I had no milk supply problem. It took a little while but I was able to build my supply back up to where it should've been and all was fine after that.

Pumping is good but only do it if you need to, especially at first. A pump is not going to make your supply go up, your baby will though. After breastfeeding is established, then use the pump as you need it but don't depend on it to build your supply because it won't.

One more piece of advice. A diet full of protein is very good for breastmilk supply. Eat a protien bar every day and eat a healthy diet and your supply should be fine. Hang in there, you're doing just fine. Your baby will tell you when she's hungry. It's normal for a breastfed baby to feed every 1 1/2 -3 hours up until close to 4 or 5 months of age. After that you'll have about six to eight feedings a day and it'll taper off as your baby grows and is introduced to solids later. Hope that helped a bit. ***hugs***

here are hints that helped me: let her nurse as much as you can stand for several days to a week (use nipples shields if you are dying), eat oatmeal, take the herb fenugreek (sold at central market, some heb stores, peoples pharmacy), drink mother's milk tea, beer is supposed to help (but don't nurse after :) ), and also renting a hospital grade pump (not your medela advanced pump in style, but a medela symphony or equivalent) and pump after each feed and/or between feeds. also keep taking your prenatal vit, drink lots of water, make sure your eating enough calories and rest. do that all and your body will respond. also, you can get your ob to prescribe the gi drug reglan (a side effect is increased milk production) however it is a last resort, because it has a strong association with postpartum depression and so they won't put you on it for more than a week usually. also note that some women don't respond well to the pump so even though you are only pumping off an ounce, she is getting at least twice that. oh and special addition in austin is a huge resource--a bunch of lactation consulants own it. hope that helps!

I was also going to suggest the Mother's Milk Tea, it works really well.

Start upping your water supply...A LOT!!!! Also breastfeed her longer on each side and continue pumping after each feeding. You can also try drinking Mother's Milk tea...found at most health food stores. Good Luck and keep at it!

This happened to me also....drink the mother's milk tea...you have to drink alot of it. Also, you need to put the baby on your breast more often and to have her nurse for 20 min each side....the pumping isn't going to make you produce milk like the baby will. I gave up after a month, I wasn't producing and she was drinking so much more than I could give. The whole nursing, pumping, then feeding her a bottle thing was too crazy for me, I also have a 3 year old who needs me.
I had a lactation consultant, Cheryl at Special Addition in Austin. She was sooo great and supportive. You should give them a call and tell her you situation, she will be able to guide you. Seriously give them a call! It is sooo worth it!

Definitely try the fenugreek! I nursed my son for nearly two years and every time my supply started waning I'd take it for a couple of days and find myself with more milk than he could drink! It worked for a friend too who was on the verge of giving up breastfeeding because her daughter wasn't gaining...I gave her a bottle and within three days, she was having to pump to get rid of the excess (and was able to continue nursing for nearly nine months)!

I was told to pump for 20 min every three hours to build up my supply - even throughout the night. I pumped and bottle fed. When you get a good supply established you can skip a pumping here and there and pump until empty rather than 20 min. It's supply and demand for the most part. Also make sure you have a good pump and it's a lot easier to double pump rather than pump one side at a time. You can rent one from the hospital that's awesome!

I know I felt that way for the first couple of weeks! I did some things that helped me, I researched pumps and stopped trying to use the bad one that I had and got a good one which was able to extact much more milk.
Are you getting that one oz during the 10 minutes after a feeding? Cause that is to be expected after a feeding, if that's all you get when you pump in liu of a feeding you might need a better pump.
Is the baby getting enough milk or do you have to supplement? If she is getting enough then your supply is right where it should be. If you find yourself supplementing try feeding more often, babies build up supply way better than a pump.
For me it was just a long learning process that left me exhausted and feeling very inadequate for the first few weeks but we did get the hang of it and I was able to breatst feed exclusivly from about 1-4 months old (when I went back to work). Just hang in there and continue to work on it, but if ultimately you decide to switch to formula don't beat yourself up about it either your daughter will be just fine either way.

A. Don't stress B. there are tea and supplements out there that can help increase supply C. Are you using a hospital grade pump? You can rent them. D. talk to a lactation consultant, your OB should have one.

One of the things I did (had the same problem) was to let my baby nurse for at least 20 minutes on the first side. The hind milk comes in later and is the most fattening and filling. Usually, one breast would satisfy, then I would pump the other side. The next time he was hungry, I fed him from the side that was pumped the last time. I got the most bang for my buck that way, and he was the most satisfied. the milk that comes in first is more watery, to satisfy thirst, then the creamy stuff comes in. The lactation specialist told me that the hind milk was the desert--most satisfying and fattening!

There is also the tea and fenugreek if your supply is truly low, but it sounds like your supply is actually right on track!

Good luck. Also, it's important to not stress too much. If building up a stash is really important to you, you can supplement with a little formula every now and then, but try getting the hind milk in her first and see if it helps.

Your getting more than I did. I only got half an ounce for the entire day. I was also told no peppermint. I should eat alot of oatmeal as this increases milk perduction. I was also told that the type of pump I used wasnt very good on breasts so they rented me a better one. Contact your local lelecha leauge (sp). I have also heard about a supplement that mommas take. I forget the name but I am sure another momma knows. Keep it up. I gave up after six weeks of trying and only getting drops at a time. Best of luck with this and CONGRATS on your baby!

Hi L.,
It sounds like you are wearing yourself out! The key to more milk is not pumping. It's feeding baby on demand... as much as she wants, as long as she wants, as often as she wants. However, not knowing more about your health and history there are more questions to ask. If you would like a FREE phone consultation to help you with a plan that fits your individual family/need feel free to call me.
(Just mention Mamasource)
Kimberly, Lactation Specialist, CLE
T.
###-###-####

Hey L.!
I had a hard time breast feeding. I did not get much milk in plus we had to supplement my daughter with formula while at the hospital because she had jaundice and would not poop. I continued breast feeding as well as supplementing with formula once we got home. I have done this for 3 1/2 months. My baby only eats around 3 oz. per feeding still to this day. I was pumping for a while as well just so I knew how much she was getting. I have since stopped that and just gone to breast feeding & formula. Pumping was too time consuming. I never got enough to freeze and I stay at home with her so I didn't see a reason to do it any more. I almost gave up on breastfeeding several times but something told me to just keep doing it. Even if she is getting a little I am happy with that. The first month or so after having my daughter I didn't eat much. I know that hurt me now. I just didn't have an appetite or I was constantly taking care of her and forgot to eat. You need your calories and water! I tried the herbal teas, drinking a beer, AND the prescription reglan.I found that when I drank a beer, my baby didn't sleep through the night. I tried Reglan twice and each time, after the third pill I got terrible anxiety so I never took that again. Now, I eat better and drink as much water as I can. I still have a couple of cups of Mother's Milk Tea. Things are going as good as they can. I got really emotional the first couple of months because I felt like I could not provide food for my baby. The thought of not being able to breast feed her killed me. I am happy that 3 1/2 months later I can still give her a little of both. It's better that no breast milk at all.
Good luck with every thing. I hope this helps!
~B