Low milk

My daughter will be 4 weeks old tomorrow.  I haven't had an adequate milk supply since she was born.  I tried waiting it out and nursing frequently and pumping to try to increase supply.  It didn't work.  She was 7lb 8oz at birth and 6lb 15oz at her drs appt Friday.  He insisted that we start supplememnting formua in order to get her to put on weight.  So he told me to nurse from one side, then offer a bottle.  I have been doing this, and then pumping.  When I pump I only get about 3/4 oz at most (this is from both breasts combined).  I am getting reallly frustrated.  I really wanted to breast feed since I know that this is best for baby, but it seems that I may not be able to.  Does anyone have any suggestions.  I am using the Medela pump in style double electric breast pump.  Please help!!

[sdo527]

First, hang in there. You are trying so hard and any milk you give to your daughter is great. Second, see a certified Lactation Consultant ASAP if you haven't already. In my experience they have been so helpful and saved my BF relationship with dd 4 years ago. Also, there are things you can do to try and increase your milk supply. Oatmeal works wonders in some cases. Try 2 big bowls a day (one in the am and one before bed works for me). Sesame also helps, and there is mother's milk tea as well as an herbal supplement (fernagunk sp?). There is also a medication (reglan?) to try as well. Make sure you are hydrated also. The LC can help with latch issues which also play a role.

As for pumping, do you get a let-down? If not, that may be an issue. I'm not sure if there is a manual setting, but I have to put it on the fast speed for about 30-90sec to get my milk to let down and then I reduce it to the slowest speed for 10 minutes. You can increase the speed again to get another let-down.

At first I would only get 1/2 ounce after pumping both sides (after feeding) but by 6wks I was getting 2-3 and then by 2m 4-5 and now at 7m I'm getting more.

And know that with the formula your supply will also go down. Is there any way you can feed with an SNS system? That would allow baby to suckle while getting the formula. Is the baby still waking a bunch at night to feed? That really helps with supply too.

I hope you are able to figure things out soon, again, hang in there.

[Ashlee8603]

If you are on birth control that can lower your milk supply.  I had problems with that.

[tahariel]

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, particularly water, throughout the day, just like we are suppose to drink while pregnant. Being dehydrated can affect your supply. And drinking something warm, such as hot cocoa or tea before and/or during a pumping session can often times encourage let down and relaxation.

I agree that an appointment with a certified lactation consultant should be of great help to you as well. Pediatricians (unless they have breastfed themselves) don't always have adequate breastfeeding knowledge and the lactation consultant should be able to help you determine the best ways to increase your milk supply and provide your baby with breastmilk without supplementation.  Hang in there and best wishes!

[Diane1003]

I had an appt with a lactation consultant and they mentioned an herbal supplement that might help with supply: fenugreek. It's worth looking into.

[mlb1234]

Even now when I pump it takes a good 5 minutes before I have a let down.  I used to get less than 1 ounce too but it will gradually increase with time and more nursing.  sdo527 has great suggestions.  Try to be patient.  Keep working at it -  you are doing great!  
Do try the supplemental system - we did this with my daughter for the first week after she was born.  Basically we filled a syringe with formula, attached a small tube to it (from the dr.) then I would nurse the dd and my dh would help me by slipping the tube into the side of dd's mouth and he would slowly eject the formula into her mouth.  There is a medela system that uses gravity and does not need an additional person to help though.  I have to say though that it did seem to make her "lazier" about nursing but it was only temporary until we stopped the supplementing.  It seemed like she just wanted to lay there with her mouth open while we squirted formula into it - silly girl!!! lol!  Good luck!

[loismwallace]

Fenugreek is a GREAT product! I just started using it in the last 24 hrs and already have a 2 oz increase in my milk production. It only cost me $8.95 for 100 pills taken 2-4 times daily. I bought it at a local herb store. However, it is advised that you check with your Dr before taking it. It is NOT recommended for women that have blood disorders. Always check with your Dr before taking anything for that matter when BF. Also, my Dr said if I don't have an increase in 2 weeks to call him back and he would prescribe me a med that I believe is spelled Reglan.