Small baby, low supply, advice wanted

• 07-13-2009 11:50 PM

  Dirty_Jo Joined on 10-13-2008 Utah Posts 1,465

  Small baby, low supply, advice wanted Reply Contact My daughter was born at 6lbs 14oz. By 2 weeks she was 6lbs 4oz. At 4 weeks she was 6lbs 10oz. Needless to say the doc was concerned, so we started pumping to see how much she was getting, and supplementing (ugh) with formula till she was satisfied. 6 days later she was up to 7lbs 4oz. Ever since then, I've been BFing, then pumping and feeding the remainder, then offering formula if she still seems hungry. But formula makes her gassy and I really want to breast feed exclusively. But my supply is still low. I pump/feed every 2 hours (except sleeping, then its every 4 hours), but I only get 2-4 ounces when I pump when I'm full (before she eats) and she usually wants 3-5 ounces. On top of that, I'm going to be going back to work part time next month and DH is gonna have to feed her and the plan was to have pumped and stored up milk for her while I'm gone, but I can't even meet her needs let alone have extra to store! Besides pumping/feeding every 2 hours (and eating and drinking enough, cause I eat really well, really healthy and drink lots of water and juice and stuff), what can I do to make more milk so I can exclusively breastfeed and make enough so I can pump and save for when I'm at work?

• 07-14-2009 3:58 AM

  In reply to

  ms_naaz Joined on 07-07-2009 Posts 1	Re: Small baby, low supply, advice wanted Reply Contact i do not know your exact diet but grannys say dat having red lentils (masoor dal) is very effective for milk production.. also dry fruits i've heard..

• 07-14-2009 6:20 AM

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  Shannon1983 Joined on 05-23-2004 NY Posts 1,077

  Re: Small baby, low supply, advice wanted Reply Contact Pumping is not an indicator of how much she is getting. Babies always get more than the pump does. I know I had no supply issues but I've never got more than 2 to 4 ounces out with the pump either. The best way to find out is to weigh her on an empty stomach and then weigh her right after feeding. I did this when my son was around 2 months old and he was 5 oz. heavier after eating. I have exclusively breastfed two small babies that never had any formula, they were satisfied but their daddy and I are only 5'4". They won't be big. I nursed my third baby till he was 22 months and am still nursing my fourth. Supplementing with formula will hurt your supply, too. I know it seems like she is still hungry, but as long as you're feeding her she will not starve. You need to nurse her as often as she demands it, let her continue at least 5-10 minutes after you seem dry, and your supply will catch up. They also have a huge desire to suck on things. If she seems hungry after nursing, offer her a pacifier. Trust me, she will not take it if she is hungry so you will know then that she is really still hungry. My son screams at me when I give him a pacifier when he wants to continue eating (he's 6 1/2 months, has always done this). There is a prescription to increase milk (Reglan), and there is fenugreek, blessed thistle, mother's milk tea, oatmeal, beer....Doctors can make it so hard to breastfeed. A lot of them are not educated on it and can give bad advice or make you feel like you have to give formula. This is usually not the case.

• 07-14-2009 1:27 PM

  In reply to

  Dirty_Jo Joined on 10-13-2008 Utah Posts 1,465

  Re: Small baby, low supply, advice wanted Reply Contact I always let her nurse whenever she will take the breast and keep her there till she refuses to latch. She usually will just root open mouthed, and flail her arms and cry when she isn't getting enough from me, that's when I pump to see if I can get more for her and give it to her in a bottle. and usually she'll scream after that for more and until I give her more formula. After the formula she'll quiet and relax. I -know- she wasn't getting enough from exclusive breastfeeding because she was always crying and was not gaining weight back, but as soon as we started supplementing, she became contented, never cries except when hungry and is gaining weight. I will try to get her to nurse more often and will talk to my midwife about the herbs. Thanks for the advice!

• 07-14-2009 5:02 PM

  In reply to

  Keeger Joined on 05-06-2008 BC Canada Posts 1,016

  Re: Small baby, low supply, advice wanted Reply Contact I agree with Shannon. dr's are not a good source of bfing info at all. To increase your supply baby need to actively suck at the breast, if baby sucks for nutrition (bottle) or comfort (soother) somewhere else you are not telling your body it needs to make more to satisfy baby. Kelly mom has info about supply and how to increase it: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/index.html So does La Leche League: http://www.llli.org/FAQ/increase.html Also, have you talked with a lactations consultant or your local La Leche League leader (they provide great help and info for free)? There are many reasons your baby didn't gain weight that don't require you to supplement with formula, for example you may have had too much foremilk and your baby filled her tummy on that and it has less calories than hindmilk.

• 07-22-2009 7:22 PM

  In reply to

  bobskat2003 Joined on 10-10-2005 CA Posts 20	Re: Small baby, low supply, advice wanted Reply Contact Fenugreek is supposed to work really well, and pumping for 10-20 after every feeding (at least whenever you can) should get your supply up... Drink lots of water!