Trouble with Breastfeeding

Don't worry about pumping right now. Just focus on breastfeeding for the first month or so. Your milk supply will adjust to what your baby needs. It's a common misconseption that you need to pump right away. Just give your body time to adjust.

I would concentrate more on nursing your son than pumping right now. He needs to learn how to latch on and the skin to skin contact is good for both him and your milk supply. I have two sons who both nursed. My eight month old is still nursing. Both of them would eat small amounts every hour and a half to two hours for the first month or two. It's normal for breastfed babies to eat smaller amounts more often and have more bms. Most of all, don't give up! Your baby is getting so much from your milk and it's great for you too!

H., I am a lactation consultant. What concerns me is that he latches "at times" and is frustrated. It seems your supply is indeed down. You do need to feed him, so great job following your mom instinct and giving him some bottles. My goal would be back to "breast" feedings. I strongly encourage you to call the hospital where you delivered and see if they have a LC who can see you or a bfdg support group. You need hands on latch check, weight evaluation and through supply evaluation. You may need to continue with pumping and bottles for the short term, but you need high quality advice to get there! Hang in there!

C. RN, IBCLC

Actually nursing your baby always gets better flow of milk than any breast pump out there no matter how good they are. Are you allowing enough time to relax, enjoy and nurse your baby? Drink lots of water and eat healthy foods, get lots of sleep and consult a LLL woman to see if he is latching on correctly.

H.,

i know it can be frustrating in the beginning with the pump...it just takes your body time to realize how much milk you need to make. our son wouldn't breastfeed at all, so i have pumped exclusively for the last 4 months. i was pumping every 2-3 hrs, drinking lots and LOTS of water, and it still took about a month before i began making about 4 oz a breast per time. keep taking your prenat vitamin while nursing, if you were on one, and limit your caffeine. just try and stay at it, even pumping in the middle of the night (if you're not too exhausted!) once your body gets the message, you'll have plenty...hang in there!

Not sure how much research you've done on breast feeding, but it has always been my experience that a baby will continue to "eat" whatever you give them through any nipple. They have a natural sucking reflex and lack the knowledge of when to stop swallowing. Just because he is taking a certain amount, does not necessarily mean that he NEEDS that amount. I remember pumping for the first time when my oldest was about two months old, (and had successfully been nursing until that point and beyond) I too, only got about 2 1/2 oz total, but my daughter seemed completely satisfied to get that amount. My point is don't give up. Call the hospital where you delivered and they can hook you up with the lactation consaultant. Most of the time they will even come to your house to help.

I could never get more than an ounce when i pumped, but i exclusively breastfed both my kids and they thrived and got plenty of milk. so i think it's just that it's hard for milk to let down when there's not a real baby sucking... after a month or two your milk will regulate and then you can worry about pumping.

Hello H., I too had trouble breastfeeding at first. One side more than the other. At my son's first check-up he was under weight and my Dr told me I needed to suppliment. Well, I am pretty determined, and this made me want to try harder. He is now four monthes old and a huge porker! I work a couple days a week, and even at this point my left breast only gives me a couple ounces when I pump, and I work at a hospital and use the industrial strength pump. I know the baby gets more when he nurses though. I agree with the advice to concentrate on strictly nursing right now. You both need time and practice to get comfortable, and the more he nurses, the more you will make! I know how hard and frustrating this time can be, but your milk is the best thing for him! Please contact an LC, or join a local LLL! Good luck and be proud of yourself for sticking this out!

I had a similar experience after my DD was born. It took 2 weeks for my milk to come in completely. This is what worked for me, but I realize that not all babies will switch between formula and breast milk, so it might not work. I nursed DD until she became frustrated, and then I gave her an ounce of formula from bottle with a wide-mouthed nipple. I used Dr. Brown's bottles. At two weeks, I realized that my milk was in and she was just being a little lazy because she was used to the routine with the bottle, so I took away the bottle option and just nursed a little more frequently until she was used to nursing only. It worked very well. I also have a friend who used a supplementary nursing device, or something like that. She basically put formula into this device that hooked around her neck. A small tube ran down from her neck to her breast so when the baby nursed, she got both breast milk and formula at the same time until her milk was in fully. Her baby nursed successfully for a year, and my DD actually ended up nursing quite successfully for 20 months!

H.
I like you have never been able to pump alot of breast milk. I ended up stopping the pumping with my first and just breast feed. My second I would take a very hot shower and would get about 6 ounces after that. I would feed him 2 feedings a day with formula and then i would pump. I did that about 3 days and then I pumped enough for me to freeze and still breast feed at the same time. good luck and just try to relax, that plays such a big part of it.
K.

If you do not know there are actually breastfeeding support groups and they are wonderful!!! I personally go to one at community north and have since my son was born 5 months ago.. There are lactation consultants on hand to help with latching and any questions you might have!! I love it.. it is also a great time to ahng out with other moms like yourself trying to be it all and breastfeed! Please feel free to contact me about coming it is totally free and is on wednesday nights( they also have a tuesday morning one i think but i have never been to that one) If you dont feel like that is something you want to do that is okay too..keep up the great hard work you are doing great! (cheryl P is my lactation consultant at Community North take her advice!*smile*)

you are going to get a ton of advice on this one. i just want to say that we gave up on breastfeeding because we had to give him a bottle to help him gain more weight. please, don't worry about pumping!!!! just sit relax and let your little one eat. he/she will get the milk flowing better than the pump. i regret our decision so much. call your lactation consultant, or call la leche league to get someone to come spend the day with you and show you how to get him/her to latch properly and get things moving along.
good luck!

Don't give up!! Your baby is only a few days old. You should not be pumping and trying to store milk at this point. You are confusing your body because the milk production adjusts to your child's needs. Nurse only for a while before worrying about stockpiling. If your child is going through a "growth spurt", it will take a day or two for your milk to catch up, but be patient. Mixing with formula can backfire on you bigtime. Your childs "frustration" could be caused by the formula.
Try to nurse on demand. If you are unsure he is latching on properly, talk to a professional. My daughter was "tongue-tied" and I didn't know it. The little flap under her tongue was too tight or short and although I thought she was latching on ok, she wasn't able to stimulate my milk production or get the milk ok. A simple procedure at my ENT (snip, snip) solved that problem and it was smooth sailing from there. Just nurse and relax. Drink plenty of fluids. Look under Sean's tongue and see if that might be your problem. Its more common than you think. Worry about "stocking up" on milk at least 4 or 5 weeks out.

Good luck. I would love to hear how its going.

hi,
I had alot of trouble breast feeding. when my son was a week old they almost had to put him into the hospital for dehydration. I went to a lactation councelor and she was such a god send. I cried most way through the first appointment because that is when she told me it was getting serious. I got one of the hospital pumps then and they are a lot better than store bought pumps, but they still do not do better than your child. There are lots of things that can effect your milk flow. You need to make sure you are getting plenty of fluids, which was hard for me to do because I just don't drink much anyways. You sleep can effect you flow, if you aren't getting very much rest you need to try that. I would definately recommend going to see a counselor and maybe a support group. This is a time to enjoy with your baby, so relax, find a support group and enjoy this time because you will never get it back. If you have to supplement then do that, but don't get really stressed about it.
Good luck

I feel your pain, and it is VERY frustrating to want to do what's best for your baby, and have such difficulty doing it. I had the same problem with my first born, and unfortunately gave up after 2 weeks, then my second born, I gave up after 2 months. However, my third was born 2 months premature, and it was vital to be able to breastfeed him. I spoke with the nurses, and they told me i needed to drink plenty of fluids and eat healthy foods, and wether the baby is hungry or not, you pump or nurse every three hours. This is what helped for me. I ate healthy and drank plenty, and kept my pumping and feeding on the 3 hour routine, even throughout the night(as hard and tiring as that was). I finally stopped breastfeeding him at 7 months, and he had breastmilk to last him for atleast another month after that. I hope this will help you out a bit.

Try pineapple or oatmeal or both. Both of these naturally increase milk supply, some times you body just takes a little bit longer to adjust to the trauma of having a baby. Don't give up, all him to latch as often as possible and pump in between even if you don't get that much. Also if you are having to do this watch out of sore nipples and cracks, and consider a breast shield.

I hope this helps you.

Hi H. - breastfeeding can definitely be frustrating. There are so many factors that visiting with a professional is definitely the first step. Good for you for being determined but not at the expense of being frustrated. You might be having a problem "letting down" and if you are frustrated this might be happening? If you aren't letting down then it is harder for them to get the milk and you both are frustrated. Next time you nurse, if you don't already try going into a seperate room that is quiet or soft music playing - whatever makes you relax and try that. Make sure he has a good latch and see if that makes a difference. You should be able to feel your "let down". Either way I would encourage you to see a consultant and/or visit a La Leche League...I went to a group with my first and it was wonderful and very encouraging. Just relax and everything will be just fine and enjoy your little one.