Insufficient Milk Production

My daughter had the same problem and she struggled with the problem for 2 months and finally gave up. She learned later on that it was because she has an underactive thyroid. She was dissappointed with her doctor for not bringing that fact up for her when she was pregnant.

Yes, it is possible. One of my breasts never produced more than an ounce or two of milk per feeding (tops) through breastfeeding two children. I supplemented with formula for the first and managed almost exclusive breastfeeding (mostly from the better-producing breast) with my second. That breast never got as large as the other when my milk came in. People kept telling me it wasn't possible when my firstborn was a baby, but I think they have a better understanding now. I believe that breast doesn't have as much glandular tissue.

It's hard to say - the c-section etc. would definitely make a difference. My second son was 100% better at latching on and being determined to get milk and it made a difference - pumping isn't even close to the same thing. And I thought even partial breastfeeding was worthwhile to boost the baby's immune system and for the closeness and comfort.

Good luck! If you want to breastfeed another baby later, look into supplements. I used Reglan and fenugreek and another medication I can't remember the name of (at different times) and I could definitely notice a difference in production.

Hi K.. I too had a little one in the NICU (a 94 day survivor!). I pretty much started pumping within two days of having our son in order for them to tube feed him when he was able to take milk. Did those you consulted advise you to pump asap if you were not able to nurse often? From my understanding, our milk supply is determined by a few things, but most importantly in the first couple days, by the milk supply being stimulated by nursing and/or pumping. You can establish your supply, but it takes a ton of work and determination. Try going to www.kellymom.com and read some of the forums from mom's whom are also experiencing supply issues. I pumped exclusively for both babies(emergency c-section, first baby was vaginal) since she had latching issues and our first went onto a special formula due to his prematurity. Hope this helps

I suggest you Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea that`s wonderful tea. Same happened with my best friend so she tried it and this natural tea worked with great result.Take it...

great posts, just wanted to add: your breasts likely produce more than an ounce a day... perhaps you only PUMP an once a day. I nursed for about 10 months, but the time i worked i pumped every 2 hrs and was LUCKY to get 2 oz out a day w/the electric pump. our little ones are much better sucking than anything else, otherwise i gotta think my little guy would of wasted away to nothingness! i used fenagreek, and avoid tylenol/advil/may herbs in food like i think basil, thyme ... do a google search.

Yes, I too had this problem with all three of my children. I went to see the lactation specialist when my son was 7 days old and he had lost weight. At home we were nursing like almost every hour, you could tell that he was still hungry. But he was still having wet diapers, so I thought that it was ok. Anyway, she watched me nurse for 15 min. on both sides and then weighed him again. The change was not much maybe an oz. Then she put me on a breast pump, 20 min on one side 20 min on the other. Again I had only produced an oz on the right and 1/2 oz on the left. I would make sure I drank tons of fluids but all in all it turned out that not all of my milk ducts are connected. I was devistated and felt like a failure. My pediatrician was great and said that it doesn't matter how you feed your baby as long as you are. Formula is just fine. I don't have large breasts but I am not flat chested either. My left breast is smaller closer to an A cup where as my right is a B cup. I think something just happened in development. But it does happen and there is not much info out there for people like us, or they tell us that we are just not doing something right. I was able to nurse my children for a few weeks but had to suppliment with formula. So I was happy they at least got the antibodies they needed from me. My middle son actully refused my breast after two weeks I think because he was not getting what he needed and it might have been to much work so then I would pump for a half hour only get about an oz and add that to his bottle.
You too might just be one of those people who just can't produce or maybe it did have something to do with not being with your son for the first two weeks and with all the stress of that. Did you pump while you were at home to keep up the supply? Hope I was helpful. You probably won't know for sure unless you try again if you have another baby.

I had low milk production with my fourth/last due to age. A friend suggested a natural remedy named Fenugreek. You can pick it up at a natural food store. I ran it by my lactation nurse first and she said the only reason why she hadn't suggested it is because it doesnt work for all women but it couldnt hurt to give it a try.

K.,
I feel for you, as it must have been a really stressful time for you! I, too, have small breasts and they did not gain size during pregnancy. The size of the breast doesn't matter, but the fact that the size didn't change is a potential indicator. My lactation consultant believed that this factor DID in fact contribute to my lower than average production. I never raised the lack of changing breast size issue with my midwife, and she never asked. Additionally, my son was very sleepy for the first couple of days and it was really difficult to wake him to nurse. Had he been a more hungry baby and nursed more frequently, maybe it would've helped stimulate the production in the very beginning? My baby was slow to gain weight and it was a very stressful couple of months. Finally with the help of the lactation consultant, I began taking Fenugreek, and supplementing my breast feeding with bottles of formula given by my husband. It was a very good, best of both worlds situation, allowing my husband precious time with my son in the evenings. I had NO production issues with my second son and breastfed him exclusively, so your next pregnancy (should you decide!) will probably be completely different! Your situation was very different than mine and being away from your son in those early days probably impacted your production too. Your son is growing and healthy at 15 months, right?! If you're planning another pregnancy and concerned, it's something to discuss with your dr. or worth consulting a trusted lactation consultant. Best of luck to you!

i didn't have this problem, but i did stop nursing for a 2 weeks when my child was about 2 months old for other reasons. then when i was ready to go back, i would pump, (electric pump rented from hospital) every two hours. it took about one week, but my milk came back. good luck.

I had a similar problem with my first, and while I was able to breastfeed him I had to supplement w/formula for the first 6 months or so (till solids came into play.) I have v. small breasts too and like you said mine did not grow either. (which is soooo unfair!)

However, my second child was born when he was 21 months old, and my milk production was over-the-top. She was in the NICU for a month and I pumped like a wild woman, but even in the beginning I had a lot of milk, unlike with my son where it just sort of trickled.

I'm sure your situation has everything to do with your production, and I just wanted to assure you that a-you did what was best for you and your family, b-you are no less of a mom for not breastfeeding (despite the propaganda that's out there telling you otherwise) and c-if you choose to breastfeed your next child you'll probably have no trouble. Find a good lactation specialist who will help you to pump if the baby ends up in the NICU like before (both my kids were NICU babies.)

Both of mine (now 6 and 3) were taken by emer c-section at 36wks and I didn't have any problems producing milk for either of them. The more they ate the more milk I produced. I nursed my son for 15mo. and my daughter for 17mo. If you were pumping while waiting for him to come home that should've helped and once you started nursing, your body should've started producing enough to sastisfy his needs. Although there are a lot of people I have talked to that their bodies just couldn't produce even an ounce a day. So everyone's body is different. Be glad the he at least got some of your milk because it is very healthy for him and very bonding for you both.

I am sure it had more to do with the situation than your body...although it is possible (but rare) to have problems producing milk (my mother struggled with this with 4 of us only to find that she had a hormone deficiency that was causing it...didn't find out till the last child). During those first days if you aren't in constant contact with your baby....you have to pump like a crazy woman. Pumping doesn't work as well to stimulate your body to make milk as a baby suckling does. I know how hard it is to have a baby in the NICU......I had trouble with my first as well because every time I was up there it would seem like no one was around to help me and he wasn't latching well, but finally when he was about a month old he had a ah ha moment and things started clicking.

There are 3 things that factor in milk production, the hormones in your body, expelling the placenta and your baby signaling your body to make milk by nursing. If this was lacking for you in the early days....that definetly could have been the culprit.

K.,

I'm sure the fact that you were separated from your child for the first week and a half didn't help, but I highly doubt that was the sole reason you did not produce enough to breast feed. I think each woman is different and there are unfortunately some that honestly just don't produce enough to breastfeed. I, too, have small breasts. However, they did grow during and after my pregnancy...but they never did produce enough milk to satisfy my son. (We wondered why he was crying all the time during the first week he as home...turns out he was starving because he wasn't getting what he needed from me. I felt HORRIBLE and was incredibly disappointed because bottle feeding had never been an option in my mind.) I tried everything I was told to try to bump up milk production and when the baby slept (and I SHOULD have been sleeping) I was pumping. It just never increased my supply by enough to feed my son. I'd feed him what I could, but it didn't take him long to reject the breast because it was too much work for too little reward. And although I was still pumping in the hopes that I'd be able to breastfeed him again, all I was ever able to do was bottle feed him the few ounces I'd get from a day of pumping.

I don't believe breast size has anything to do with it either, because my mom is smaller than I am and she WAS able to breastfeed all three of her children. So I'm sorry I can't give you an exact reason that you would then be able to use to make sure you produce milk for your next child. I wish that were possible because I'd do it myself for MY next one! The good news is each pregnancy is different. Just because you didn't produce with your first doesn't mean you won't with your second. I know I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for myself...while I'm at it, I'll keep them crossed for you, too!
~P.

I had triplets born at 32 weeks that were in the NICU for the following 6 weeks. I pumped like crazy. Every 2 hours for 20 minutes for 6 weeks. I took reglan and fenugreek. I talked to the lactation consultant, the La Leche League Leaders, the woman who wrote the book on lactation that is the lactation consultant's bible (her name escapes me, but she works at Rush)... and still after 6 weeks of pumping and taking supplements, after 24 hours I would have a total of 2 ounces of milk. I am a size DD. Stress and separation from your baby, and the hormonal differences with a C-section may be all that caused your issue. I'm sure it played a role for me. I did also learn, while it is not well known. Many women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome have trouble with milk production due to hormonal issues while the breast was being developed. I too really wanted to breast feed, but I learned to cut my losses, and keep in perspective that while breast is best, it is not what make a happy healthy and even intelligent kid... (the study that showed that breast fed kids have higher IQs was recently disproved. It is my humble opinion that perhaps it is the mother who is educated enough to know to try to breast feed that nurtures their kid in so many ways that it leads to higher IQs, and that breast feeding is really just a small factor in all of that.) With your next kid, more power to you with breast feeding, but if it doesn't work out, keep it in perspective... it is such a tiny portion of what makes you a great mother.

Dear K.,

The lactation consultant is correct. The size of your breasts will not determine if you will be able to nurse your babies. I am extremely small and never grew any breasts during pregnancy. I did have trouble nursing my first child and had to supplement, but I think it may have been because I was anemic. I did go on to nurse other babies and was fine. I even nursed twins and I am only 32 A, so size really doesn't matter.

I do want to tell you that there could be reasons why you were unable to nurse your baby. It sounds like you had a very difficult time right after your baby was born, and not being around him would definitely affect your milk production. Even if you pumped every two hours (which is what you would need to do), it still could affect your supply. It also can take up to three days after a C-section for your milk to come in. Some issues which could cause you to not produce enough milk or lose your milk supply are stress, thyroid issues or anemia.

Don't worry. You should be fine next time.

I am sure that not having been able to nurse him for the first two weeks is what caused the milk insufficiency. Breast size is definitely irrelevant. One of my friends who is tiny was just a bumper producer of milk and yet other friends who were the opposite struggled especially with pumping. We all do the best we can and somethings don't go as planned so don't beat yourself up about not having produced so much this time.

In a situation like you had, you would have to pump constantly...every 2 hours for sure. And then work on getting the baby latched on when you were able to and nurse constantly. Sounds like you had a very tough situation and it is very likely being away from baby and him being in the nicu were the culprits.
Remember, how much youpump is not an indicator of how much breast milk a baby gets when they latch on. Again, this may not pertain to your past situation, but is a good bit of information. It is very likely that in a better situation, you will produce enough milk.
Thank God that your drs. knew that the chord was around your sons neck and delivered him in time!

You can try to pump, pump, pump! Or try Fenugreek (liquid more potent than pills). It's available at health food places-an herb.

Good luck!

Hi K.,
Since your son is now 15 months old and you're still wondering about this, I can tell this must be important to you. Let me first say that breastfeeding is wonderful, but it doesn't work for everyone. I always hate to hear women beat themselves up when it doesn't work or when the stress of breastfeeding begins to outweigh the benefits.

I'm wondering if you're still thinking about this because you're thinking about future children and whether or not you will be able to breastfeed them. Let me assure you . . . each child is different! With my first, I HATED breastfeeding. I didn't seem to produce much milk, had constant blocked ducts/infections, and was in a lot of pain. I kept up with it for about 7 months, and it never got better! Then, with my second, I was so hesitant about nursing that I almost decided not to do it at all. Well, I gave it a shot and it was the complete opposite experience. She latched on immediately, and we didn't have one complication or problem from day one!

So, do the best you can to shake those negative feelings you're carrying around. You did the best you could for your son under very difficult circumstances at the time of his birth. Give yourself a pat on the back, and be assured that you will have another chance at it, should you decide to have another child.

Good luck to you,
D.

It probably mostly came from your son being in the NICU. Not only did the seperation make things difficult, c-sections and pain meds can also cause difficulties with milk produsction, so you had a lot of things working against you. Pumps are not as good as baby at getting milk out or stimulating production, so that was a problem too.

I would think that you would have no issues breastfeeding your next child if you want to. Only about 3% of women suffer from insufficient glandular tissue causing low milk supply. If you get pregnant again and want to nurse I would recommend attending some La Leche League meetings and getting the name of a lactation consultant who does home visits.

There are a lot of women out there who have difficulties nursing a first baby and go on to nurse their subsequent children. Avoiding a section, pain meds, etc will help with milk production in those early days, but of course you can be succesful with those tihngs too. Best wishes.

My 4th baby was a 36 week'er and if I hadn't of had many years of nursing exp I don't know if I would have been able to stick with it. The first couple days/weeks are important ones getting your milk supply established. Plus the stresses of being a new Mom and having to worry about your little one being in nicu I'm sure did not help. The best way increase your supply is to offer the breast at every whimper, supply and demand, it is hard to do that when baby is in nicu and having normal preemie latch issues. Nursng doesn't come easy at first for every baby, if you can stick it out for the first 4-6 weeks most problems will clear up. Frustrating as it is while it is going on.

I have no proof on my theory, but i think you're correct. If you went into labor before the c/x, then your body was probably ready to produce milk. It does take a few days, but the baby's suckling is required to get your milk to come in. And if you weren't able to get your milk to come in for a few days by pumping, and your baby wasn't able to nurse, your body didn't know what to do.
I had a friend that had a scheduled c/x and she couldn't get her milk to come in for almost 2 wks. She nursed and pumped and nursed and pumped. It finally came in, but the baby was so frustrated and her LC suggested she pump exclusively. That was bad advice. YOu have to keep the baby nursing, even if you supplement w/ formula, else they won't nurse and your body won't get the milk coming in. There's ways to attach little tubes to your nipples to get the baby to suckle and get something by suckling to keep them interested.
So, if you decide to have another, you can nurse again. YOu just need to get yourself more educated and find another LC that will help you succeed. Also, most moms produce 30% more w/ 2nd and subsequent babies. And, I've heard that studies show that small breasted women tend to be better milk producers than large breasted women. Ha! Neat! If you want a recommendation, mine is super and she's in Naperville (www.lactinv.com).
Best wishes.

K.,

My advice to you is to plan ahead for the next baby. You can't cahnge what happened in the past, but being proactive regarding the next little one can ensure a different outcome.

If you can (circumstances willing) have the infant placed at your breasts upon being born. Make sure you request this prio to his/her birth and call on a lactation consultant to assist you as soon as possible. I used a doula with my last baby during the delivery due to wanting a more natural experience. She helped immensely with aiding in having Nolan latch on.

Also, nurse often, have the baby rooming in with you, and DO NOT introduce bottles while in the hospital and perhaps not until two months later.

Also K., if you are having a production problem this next time, there is a medication called Reglan that increases your hormone levels responsible for mild production. The doctor in the hospital might be able to prescribe it to you knowing your history. It does work. Remember though, you have to nurse often those first few days and weeks. It is a feedback loop, the more you nurse, the more you produce.

FYI- I had twins that were born two months early and they were in the NICU for two weeks. They never really latched on. However, I was a massive producer and pumped for ten months with an one year supply. It was due exclusively to pumping every three hours from the day I delivered on. You have to either pump or nurse to ensure the supply from the beginning.

Good Luck,

I can honestly tell you I don't think the size of your breast has anything to do with it. I have small breast that never grew, changed or even produced milk until four days after both my girls were born. They never got any bigger and you would not have known I was nursing. I never changed bras or anything.

I can tell you I was not able to pump. I don't know if I was using the wrong size plastic cup for my breasts after both pregnancies but I couldn't pump. I would sit for twenty minutes and get 2 oz of milk. Not quite worth my time in my opinion.

I did nurse both my girls for a year. They never lost weight and were chubby, healthy babies. Sometimes it felt like I wasn't producing enough because the oldest always wanted to nurse. She just used mommy as a pacifier and I was too green to know better....had nothing to do with milk production and how much she got when she nursed. She was a baby that stayed off the charts from birth until she was almost four years old.

I am due in a few weeks with number three (a boy). This time my breasts have grown some. They aren't leaking milk like some women do. I imagine I won't produce any milk until a few days after he's born like I did with the girls. The colostrum will be sufficient and I will supplement with one bottle a day even after my milk comes in because I want to be able to give him a bottle when I need to. I made the mistake of not giving my second child a bottle for three weeks until I went back to work part-time at night and she refused to take a bottle. It worked out because I would feed her before I left the house and she would just wait for mommy to get home four 1/2 hours later.

At any rate I'm guessing you are asking because you might consider trying with the next child if you decide to have one. I would strongly recommend it. Your breast size is not an issue. It has no bearing on your abilitiy to nurse a child.

And stop fretting about the first. Circumstances had it that you weren't able to. It's over and done with. I'm sure the little one is still healthy as can be regardless of being nursed or not. If you didn't even have him for 10 days I would think you had started to dry up anyway. Who knows and it isn't worth worrying about.

I hope you decide to have another and if you do try breastfeeding if you can. It is a good experience. It isn't easy, but it is rewarding if you can get through the first couple of weeks. If you can't, then don't beat yourself up about it. Your baby will be healthy regardless.

Good luck and God Bless!