Hester:ANY breastfeeding info gratefully accepted here! With my first, it was a disaster, I literally had virtually nothing and by the time she was 3 days old she had lost 25% of her birthweight and the doctors put her on formula just to keep her alive! I remember trying to pump (I had a manual pump) and got 2 dribbles over 20 mins. I did keep part bf her for 6 weeks, but I don't think she really got anything - she was always starving for a bottle. I have bought an electric pump for this time, and am frantically reading anything I can about how to get a milk supply going. So any suggestions appreciated.
It's normal to take that long for your milk to come in! Mine took that long. And my poor baby was so dehydrated. I should have supplemented but was afraid of nipple confusion. It's ok for your baby to lose weight. They will gain it back. But the most most most IMPORTANT thing for Establishing your Breast milk production is to NURSE nearly non stop in the beginning. You will feel like a cow. A topless Cow. A cow with a very large leech on it's boob.
But the baby's sucking will accomplish two things: (1) It will supply the baby with the precious Colostrum ,which coats it's intestines and clean out the meconium, and they say it's all the food a baby needs for the first 2-3 Days.(I'm not completely convinced about that!) (2) And a baby's mouth is far far better than any pump could ever be and producing and drawing out the milk. It will stimulate the milk to come in. Oatmeal helped me a TON! I mean a TON!!!! Eat Oatmeal for breakfast, Sprinkle it on yogurt, Eat Oatmeal cookies for snacks, Here's a recipe: http://community.parentingweekly.com/Baby/forums/t/2054962.aspx
Beer is supposed to help too. But dont get more than a buzz. And there is Mothers milk tea and other herbals to help with production and supply. Make sure you are getting 8-10 cups of water a day. Overloading will actually hinder your milk, but you need to stay very hydrated. BREAST FEEDING WILL MAKE YOU THIRSTY SO HAVE WATER AT HAND DURING YOUR SESSIONS. But I can not emphasize the importance of Constant nursing. Let everything else go for at least a week and just nurse!
If on Day 3-4 you are still not making milk yet. It's ok to give the baby 2 oz of formula. You dont want the baby to get too full and not try the Breast anymore. Do it AFTER a nursing session. Use a SLOW FLOW Nipple, Such as Playtex, to avoid Nipple preference. When Baby is Done, Put it back on the boob. I would suggest doing that no more than twice a day. Formula is easy. For you and for the baby. That can convince you to just give up. But if it's important to you to Breast Feed DONT rely on Formula, just look at it as what you want it to be, a SUPPLEMENT, Like a vitamin or Energy Drink.
Your Milk WILL Come in! And your baby will not die in the meantime. What did they do before there was formula?? It was either Mama's Milk or dripping Goats Milk in the baby's mouth. And when it comes to Breast Feeding and Formula You dont have to choose one over the other. You can supplement with Formula while Breast Feeding. And Vise Versa.