Trouble Producing Milk

Honestly, I gave my kids one bottle of formula a day, well, actually, dad fed it to them. I am Asthmatic, and both of my kids were breifly in ICU when born. So they had formula already. I have always been told this is the best thing because if you get sick & have to take meds, the child is already used to the bottle and formula. It helps dad feel like part of the process too. As for your milk, make certain you drink plenty of fluids. Hot showers would help me produce milk, make certain you are eating enough to feed both of you, and get plenty of rest. The rest is hardest, I had to force myself to go to bed as soon as the baby went ot bed.
God Bless.

Just feed her your breast milk. You will produce more the more that you feed her. Stick with it. It totally pays off in the long run. You can't reproduce breast milk.

Pump your breasts in between feedings. Even if you only get an ounce out. My mom told me a beer is good for milk production...something about the hopps in it. Find a Lactation consultant in your area, The Le Leche League is who can help you. Also there is a prescription your doctor can prescribe for you too to aide in milk production.

Nurse, nurse, nurse - offer the breast as much as you can get her to take it. Also, get a good quality pump, if you don't have one, and pump after every feeding. Doing these two things will help increase your milk supply. Also, remember, the amount of milk when you pump is not the same as what the baby gets. She is much better at getting milk out of the breast than a pump.

Also, co-sleeping will help her nurse more at night - this may be needed for at least a short while.

FYI, for next time, a jaundice baby does NOT need formula. Breastmilk and some indirect sunlight will do the trick almost every time. Don't let uninformed health professionals tell you your baby needs formula. For some, formula is their first answer to everything b/c they are not well educated about breastfeeding.

Make sure you are drinking plently of water and pumping each time she has a bottle. Place her on your breast asmuch as possible even if for just a few minutes. A baby suck is much more powerful to a mother than a pump. Try not to worry and relax. I was worried with my first child also. I breastfed both of my children for 1 year and chose to stop at that time. Do your best. Good Luck

I second fenugreek...Its amazing! And you can get it at any health food store....also, pumping...the more often you feed and pump, the more your milk will come in...and you can even store the milk to use at a later date for that night out you will so much want! Pumping and Fenugreek work wonders!

coming from a mom of 4- who nursed all for a year, or more.......to have a better milk supply you have to nurse more oftend. I hate it when mothers say that the baby can't eat because its not time..... especially when nursing. If right now you are nursing and the baby eats for 2-3 minutes and is done, then 5 minutes later wants to eat again- nurse her. The constant nursing will help you. You also need to put away the bickies, anytime your baby wants to suckle, let her use you. BUT YOU HAVE TO EAT!!!! I don't know if you are eating, but NOT eating will affect your flow. Also being stressed out, so calm down while nursing. Maybe get a nice warm bath ready and nurse while laying in the bath. The warm water will also help with your milk flow if you are hurting. Don't pump, then feed the baby with the bottle- just nurse the baby. The baby's jaw muscles help stimulate the milk. Everyone I know, including me, didn't get near as much milk while pumping as they did nursing. Remember you don't need to know the amount in oz. of how much you nurse. Just how oftend and how long. And the lst thing- DON'T GIVE UP!!!!

Your baby is the best way to produce milk, so nurse exclusively, as often as she needs it and drink TONS of water. Good luck!

I am not sure where the person got her information when she says formula has more nutrients and vitamins then breastmilk, that is absolutely false. Breastmilk is specially designed for your baby, it has everything your baby needs. Formula should only be an option if you can't breastfeed which does happen. I applaud you for wanting to get your baby of off formula. Breastmilk is the best for any baby and they have the research to prove it. Once you start pumping and the baby starts nursing more then you will get more milk in./ Your body only produces as much milk as your baby needs, thus if you only feed your baby 6 ounces a day and then suppliement the rest then your body will only produce the 6 ounces. Therefore, I would recomment you nurse your baby from once side and then pump the other side or pump both sides when you are giving the baby formula so your milk supply will increase. Remember, don't lisen to people who obviously have no idea what they are talking about breast milk is the best food for your baby and there isn't one formula company out there that disagrees. All formula contains tell you breast milk is best but…Good luck!

www.kellymom.com has great information on increasing milk supply and weaning off formula supplement.
Eat oatmeal, make sure you are drinking enough water, get fenugreek tea, or a mother's milk tea.
I supplemented for two weeks due to DD being tongue tied. I was so damaged (my nipples) that I pumped and fed her pumped milk with formula supplement for those two weeks until I could get the tongue tie fixed. I got my supply up by pumping, I did what is called cluster pumping, I would pump fifteen mintues, rest 10, pump 10, rest 10, pump 10. I did this every two hours. It was exhausting, but it did increase my supply. Finally, I found a doctor (in Ft. Pierce) that prescribed me domperidone, a drug that has the side effect of increasing milk supply. That really worked, but it is near impossible to get in the US.
If you haven't already talk to a Lactation Consultant (better yet, a board certified one or IBCLC) or go to a La Leche League meeting. Those women are there to help you.
Good luck and I Hope it all works out for you!
By the way, after those two weeks of supplementing I never had to give my daughter formula again, she is 19 months old and still nurses a couple of times a day, very healthy and happy. I hope you are able to overcome these difficulties too.

Hi, when I had my son 4 years ago his first pediatrician made me feel inadequate like I wasn't producing eniugh but he was fine and I nursed successfully for 10 months. All I can say is nurse whenever she wants if you can, even if it feels like it is every hour. The more you nurse the more you produce. Eventually you will make enough. Instead of offering formula, offer the breast. Best of luck to you, nursing can be really hard and it is very easy to get discouraged, just hang in there and most importantly follow your gut, if it feels right it is. Good luck!!

Hi, K.!

Some women do not produce too much milk. I remember my mother and sister complaining about it. They had the hardest time with that. However,this doesn't mean you are not going to have milk for your baby.If you start pumping in between feedings, your breast should produce more milk. The more you take out, the more should come in. As far as taking formula out of the baby's diet, do as you like but it is not necessary to remove it completely. I would keep it just because it is so rich in minerals and vitamins. When you are feeding your baby strictly breast milk, make sure to tell your doctor. The doctor usually recommends some vitamins for your baby just to make sure she gets all the nutrients she needs.
Good luck!

D. T.

To increase your milk supply it is important to signal your body what you need to do. It will respond to more frequent nursing/pumping. Increased nipple stimulation (by nursing) will increase the let down of hormones that signal your body to make more milk. It may not be fun, but if you are determined to do this, just nurse as often as possible. If your baby is correctly latched, this should not cause you any discomfort, just time and energy. Good luck!!!

If you have a breast pump, try pumping when you're not feeding her. The more you pump, the more milk you will make. I was pumping every four hours with my daughter. You might want to try to pump more often to get the milk flow going. You can also contact lalecheleague.org for more resources.

Jen

I used fenugreek. I had the same problem and asked around. Lots of people recommended it. So I asked my OB doctor about it and he said to use it too. He said it's been used for years. I got mine at a vitamin store. I'm not sure who else sells it. I remember it being in a capsule or you can get it as a tea and drink it. I used the capsule form. I saw a big difference in my milk supply.

L.

K.,

Start pumping with a breast pump every two hours, or however often you feed the baby. Your body will automatically start to produce milk at those times, so you will be ready to feed when the baby is hungry. The less you nurse, the less milk you produce.
Good luck! K.

A lot of people think this is dangerous but it does work. I breastfed my son for 15 months and I had to do this a few times to keep my milk. Drink a half of a beer, the yeast in there does something for your milk to keep it thick. When you are done drink 2 glasses of water to water it down in your milk for the baby. It wont hurt the baby. It really does work. I did it and cant stand the taste of beer. Good Luck!!!

I wish you best of luck with getting your milk supply up. Don't beat yourself up if your milk supply isn't enough for the baby. Some women just can't produce milk or not enough. I have a 2 year old and a 8 week old. I tried nursing both of them and i tried everything to make it work. My body just would not produce milk. I hope it works for you!

Drink plenty of water and make sure u take your vitamins. ALso make sure u follow the dietary guidelines for nursing. U can find these in the laleche book- the womanly art of breasfeeding. Also you can try hiring a lactation consultant. They are often very knowledgable and can help u to increase your production. Also u can try pumping in between feedings. The more u nurse the more milk u produce. Hope this helps!

Hi K.

Producing milk is a supply, demand. The more your daughter demands, the more you will produce and be able to supply to her. But if that doesn't seem to be enough, try pumping in between feedings to increase your milk supply. Good Luck, M.

How do you know you don't produce enough milk? If it's because you can only pump a certain amount...that's not a fair indicator. If your baby is wetting plenty of diapers and having BM's, that will tell you if you are giving enough milk.

If it really is a problem with your supply I second what all the other ladies have said, kellymom is a GREAT website.

Good Luck and thank you for nursing your baby!

Call your doctor and ask them about herbs or medications that can be prescribed to hlp you with milk production. I have a 2 month old who is a comfort nurser so he nurses even when he's not hungry. I told my doctor that I was worried that when I go back to work in a month I would not be able to produce enough milk to nurse my baby as well as to pump for the nanny. My doctor prescribed Reglan and it has helped quite a bit. Also, lay off the formula b/c the less he nurses the less your body will produce (supply and demand). Keep your baby latched onto you as much as possible and your body will respond. L.

As everyone else said fenugreek is wonderful. Also there is a couple different things that your doctor can prescribe. One I took was reglan it worked great but unfortunately we didn’t try it until my son was hooked on the bottle. A mistake I made was pumping to much. I was either pumping or nursing . I ended up with busted blood vessels in my breast. The blood passed to my son along with the milk so he ended up vomiting blood very scary. Only pump as often as you nurse.

Hi!
The more you nurse the more milk you will produce. Continue drinking liquids as you are nursing and keep hydrated during the day. Take the bottle away and nurse her more and you will start making more milk. The more you nurse the more milk is produced. I know it may seem like you are constantly nursing her but after the milk comes in better you can cut back a little. Hope this helps.

Hi K.,

Two things that helped me - REST as much as possible, and let your baby use you as sucking comfort as much as possible. If you can lie on your side and let baby breastfeed/suck and sleep at the same time, that might be a big help. The more baby is on the nipple, the more milk your breasts will learn to make.

I had major problems with the RATE my milk arrived (not the supply overall). For the first 5 weeks, my baby would feed 6-7 hours straight at a minimum every afternoon, because she was hungry and my breasts only delivered milk a drop at a time. It was intensely difficult to do this, but we made it.

I did not pump successfully at all, but didn't want to waste good milk into a bottle she wouldn't take anyway. Also, a previous poster already mentioned that a pump is not a good indicator of how much you can supply.

I have breastfed my baby exclusively until about 6 months, and she's still on about 95% breastmilk at 8 months. It's far superior to any formula and we've not needed vitamin supplements. I'm so glad to hear you are working toward all breastmilk again for your little one. Best of luck!

When I was in the hospital, after my son was born, the nurse told me that if I wasn't producing enough milk, to eat more protein, and make sure that I drink a lot of water.

Nurse as much as possible! Also, you can eat oatmeal and drink Mother's Milk tea (available at the health food store). If you are full and the baby is sleeping, pump. THere is also a Le Leche League meeting at the Land O Lake's Community Center once a month; a great group of mamas to talk to and get advice/support. Don't give up!

Breastfeeding works by supply and demand...in order to make more milk, you HAVE to nurse your baby more. Don't be afraid to offer her the breast every hour or so. You can also find Nursing Mother's supplements/teas that contain Fenugreek. This is an herbal suuplement that really does boost milk supply.

Make sure you're spending as much time as possible with your baby, too! The skin to skin contact increases the levels of the hormone prolactin (the milk maker) in your body.

In order to wean your baby from formula you will have to nurse her all the time!

OH- you might also want to look into Supplemental Nursing Systems (Medela makes a great one)...It's a device that you wear while breastfeeding so that your baby gets formula while at the breast. It would be a nice transition to get her off bottles so that she always depends on you for food!

Good luck and don't give up!

I dont know where Dora got her information, but as I'm sure you already know, breast milk is THE BEST and most complete food for your baby. Your baby will get EVERYTHING she needs through BM, which is much more nutricious than formula.

I had a rough time with my supply at the beginning and during every growth spurt, but I nursed my twins exclusively until they were 6 months old and am still BFing them now with only 1 fruit/veg snack a day. What worked for me... rest, LOTS AND LOTS of fluids, Traditional Medicinals Mother's Milk tea, nursing often and pumping.

Keep up the great job. I know it can be rough, but you are doing what is absolutely best for your baby!!! Keep up the GREAT job!!!!!