Need help for my mom with breastfeeding! ?

Question

Hi everyone my mom had her baby yesterday in the morning she has been breastfeeding my new little sister since then and now she can't make enough for the baby. She doesn't WANT to feed the baby with a bottle but the baby is hungry and starts to cry. She has had two children before me and my other sis she had no problem with my sister with me i finished it all and still had to drink from a bottle to be full but any help on making more so they baby can drink from here i looked this question up but i couldn't find a good one.

Answer 1

If she just had the baby yesterday, she is still feeding the baby with a "pre-milk" colustrum.  It's a nutrient rich substance produced by the breast in preparation for milk.  Her milk will come in about three days after birth.  Young babies cry!  If she starts with formula, there will not be the demand for milk and she may not ever produce enough.

Breastmilk is special because it always meets the demand - more demand, more feedings, more supply available for the baby.  The first couple of days will be rough until her milk comes in, after that she'll be ok.

You're a great daughter for caring so much for your mom and new sis!  I'm sure that you're already helping out - and I know that she appreciates it more than she'll ever be able to tell you.  Pick up around the house, help with burping the baby, change diapers, the whole nine yards.

Answer 2

Ok dont feed the baby a bottle as then your mom wont get the stimuation she needs to produce enough milk, I am sure the baby is fine and it take about 3-4 days for the real milk to come in, so dont worry she is doing great. Congrats on the new baby. Try drinking mothers tea, heard it helps.

Answer 3

How old are you?!  Is this a legit question?  If so, it takes a few days for the milk to come in.  The baby may be crying for many other reasons.  She may not be latching on properly and may not be getting the colostrum out effectively.  She could be tongue tied.  You mom can see help from La Leche League www.lll.org or www.kellymom.com or see if there are any lactation consultants at the local hospital.

Answer 4

If your Mom only had the baby yesterday, chances are her milk has not even come in yet, so what she does have (colostrum) is exactly what the baby needs right now.

Her milk will arrive in a day or so, meanwhile, she should breast-feed the baby often as that helps establish a good milk supply.

Make sure your mother is drinking plenty of liquid as this will make sure that she makes enough milk for the baby.

Tell your mother that the baby might be crying for another reason, other than hunger.  Babies like to be swaddled - wrapped up snugly in a blanket, so if your little sister is fussy you could try that.

Good Luck and Bless you for helping your Mother like this

Answer 5

The more often she breastfeeds the more milk she'll make. Make sure she drinks lots of water and gets rest when she can. If she can hang in there and stick to breastfeeding only her milk supply will increase. Supplementing with formula can actually decrease her milk and make breastfeeding increasingly more difficult. My best advice is to get your mom help from a lactation consultant. As long as baby is gaining enough weight and has enough wet diapers she's getting enough milk. It takes a few days for her milk to get established and if she just hangs in there everything should kick in soon.

Answer 6

Hi there.  I can assure you that if your mom just had her baby yesterday morning, her milk hasn't come in yet, and she is producing colostrum for the baby instead.  It doesn't seem like much, but it is all the baby needs in the first days in the first days of life.  Colostrum is full of nutrients and antibodies; it is the perfect food for your new sibling, and there is no reason for you or your mother to worry.

Newborn babies nurse a lot; in fact, they nurse almost constantly.  Your mom's milk works on a "supply and demand" basis- the more the baby nurses, the more milk she will produce.  Round-the-clock feeding is crucial in helping to build up her supply.  Once her milk does come in, baby will still continue to nurse often.  This is important in regulating the supply to meet the baby's needs, and building immunities.

There is also "comfort nursing".  It is quite likely that in addition to feeding, the baby is also nursing because it is the one thing that makes her feel safe and comfortable right now.  Baby is drawn to the closeness, the warmth, the voice, and the smell of your mother.  Babies are born with a strong desire to suckle, also, so nursing brings them great satisfaction.  Again, comfort nursing is important in establishing your mom's milk supply, so it will be abundant when her milk does come in.

Bottle-feeding the baby will actually HURT her milk supply, and could ruin her breastfeeding experience entirely.  This is because a baby who is full on formula will not want to nurse, and if baby does not nurse, the b*****s will not produce as much milk.  Then, when baby does nurse, there won't be lots of milk to satisfy, so mom feeds another bottle, and the whole process repeats until suddenly, mom is not producing any milk at all.  That is how the "supply and demand" thing works- if baby is not demanding the milk, the b*****s will stop supplying it.  It is very important to avoid formula, if she wants to succeed at breastfeeding her newborn.

It may take a few days or more for her milk to come in.  The best thing she can do, for now, is not to worry, and continue to nurse the baby as often as baby wants to nurse.  This might mean she is nursing the baby all the time, but it will pass.  

I applaud you for asking this question and wanting to help your mom.  If you're up to it, help her get comfy, and help care for your siblings so that she can nurse the new baby.  Your mom will be very tired and thirsty for the next few weeks, so make sure she has plenty of snacks, water, and juices.

Here is a really great website with TONS of breastfeeding info and support resources:

http://kellymom.com/

Check it out, and when your mom is in doubt, refer to this website.

I promise, she is doing just fine.  Baby is supposed to be nursing a lot, and her milk is not supposed to be in your mom's b*****s yet.  That's the way nature meant for it to work, and as you can see, the human race is thriving because of the simple wonders of breastfeeding.

Best of luck, and congratulations on your new baby- brother?  sister?  You never did say if it was a boy or girl.  Take care of yourself, and your mom.  Have a great night!