Increasing supply

Moomin-mama · Feb 22, 2011 3:39PM

Hi there, i have been having real nightmares with my milk supply, i had just managed to get it up to scratch when LO decided that she didnt want to feed properly for 2 days and now it has all gone downhill again.

I have been expressing after feeds and doing breast compressions on advice of HV, she also recommended that i switch feed, but i think that was the route of my later problems as she now gets really confused as to which boob she should be on and when.

Is there an easier way to get my supply back up, i feel like feeding is a real faff at the moment, and at 16 weeks i feel like BF shouldmt be a problem any more, but how wrong i was!

Moomin-mama · Feb 21, 2011 4:48PM

28 views and no-one can help?

xJellytotsx · Feb 21, 2011 5:35PM

oats? believe it or not they help. Feed, feed, feed, and feed some more. Fenugreek. If it hasn't increased in a few days go to your doc or hv and ask for (demand) domperidone, is antisickness drug with side effect of boosting your supply. If switch feeding isn't working then stop it, you know what's best for both of you. If pumping is stressing you out then stop it, stress won't help your supply.

can I ask why you think you don't have enough? I found that if I ran a bit low, lo would wake in the night for a few nights and that would boost my supply so he was in charge of it, and as you get more used to feeding your boobs stop feeling engorged, and stop leaking so badly and even your let down begins to stop. xx

mrsmermaid · Feb 22, 2011 11:35AM

Moomin-mama have things settled down again? I didn't really understand what you were asking from your post above but usually your body will produce the right amount of milk for your baby. The only time it might not is if you supplement with formula as well. Why don't you think you have enough milk? I would say that if you can express straight after a feed then you do have enough because a baby can get the milk better than the breast pump so if the baby was really hungry and "emptied" the breast you wouldn't produce any by pumping.

I looked back at your previous post about how frequently your LO was feeding and sucking hands etc and it all sounds very much like my little girl. She would spend 90% of her day with my nipple in her mouth if she could and will often fall asleep whilst feeding and then if i remove her from the breast she will cry. She sucks her hands and fingers all the time too but i'm convinced it isnt hunger. She just likes to suck and likes to be cuddled. Could this be the case with your little one?

I hope you're ok. Sorry if i've misunderstood anything. x

Moomin-mama · Feb 22, 2011 2:16PM

mrs mermaid, when i express after a feed i am doing it to help stimulate supply, i never get anything out though! The reason i think my supply is low is because she crys when she finishes both boobs and roots around for more, she has also gone from sleeping for 8 hours straight to waking for a feed every 3, saw my hv today and she has had a mammoth groth spurt 3cm and 1 lb 1oz in 20 days! I just havent been able to keep up with her. My supply is also very sensitive to how i am emotionally, which has been not good the last few weeks.

I know when my supply is bad because LO stopped gaining weight last month when she was acting in the same way.

I will try the oats, but hv has told me to get domperidone and has said that LO is very hungry and that if she was ff she would probably be on hungry baby milk.

I wish i could supplement with formula but we have been trying to get her to take a bottle for 6 weeks now and she just wont have it.

Sadly things have not settled down yet, so will keep on going until i get to the docs.

xJellytotsx · Feb 22, 2011 3:17PM

Ask your hv what would have happened to her before hungry baby milk was invented! Sorry! At 16 weeks it may be getting to the point where milk isn't satisfying her hunger (milk is nutritionally adequate is 6 months but doesn't necessarily fill up baby) I early weaned but obviously that is a v personal decision. If I was you I would offer her breast often during the day, even every 2 hours for a couple of days, and that may help not only boost your supply but also help her sleep at night. I know its easy to say but try not to stress about weight, she's obviously getting enough if she's growing well, I don't get my lo weighed because i couldn't take the stress, he is a little thing, and always has been and the obsession with weight did me no good, and made me doubt my ability to feed him. Anyway the domperidone will make a huge difference, hope you get it soon x

Moomin-mama · Feb 22, 2011 3:30PM

Hi Jellytots, i am already offering the breast as often as possible sometimes more often that 2 hours! I actually started to wean her last week, but it's hit and miss whether she will take the baby rice, sometimes she grabs my hand to shove the spoon in her mouth and other times she clamps right shut - i am persevering though.

mrsmermaid · Feb 22, 2011 3:39PM

Ok i understand why you are worried but you are obviously producing a lot of milk otherwise she couldn't have grown so quickly lately so you are doing really well. It sounds like you've had a really rough time but you'll be so proud of yourself when you look back on this and see that you have managed to BF for all this time.

I am not too worried about weight gain of my little one as the graphs are just averages and i think you can tell much better just at looking at them. If your baby is really hungry and crying a lot though, then maybe jellytots has a point and you might try solids a little early?

Good luck with whatever you decide to do from here on. Don't forget how well you've done. x

Increasing supply

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