Starving baby!!? Not getting any milk!?

Question

I pumped earlier as per my lactation consultants instructuins. I did not empty either breast. I only got about 2.5 or 3 ounces total. i pumped right after my baby nursed. he took about an hour and a half nap. i've been nursing him for about an hour now and he seems very frustrated and he's sucking differently. i don't think ther is any milk in my b*****s! i don't know what to do. the lc said that they are never empty because they just continue to produce milk as you go but i'm afraid my baby isn't getting anything? has anyone else had this happen? i dont know what to do?

Answer 1

Never go by pumping.  The suckling action of your baby is different to what pumping will do, thus you will get less from pumping.  Don't pump after every feeding unless you are trying to build a back up supply right now.  Drink lots of water and massage your b*****s before baby starts to eat to try and stimulate let down.  As long as your baby is having enough wet diapers through the day, he'll be okay.  As weird as it sounds, emotional stimulus has been known to help with let down, crying actually helps to stimulate let down, yours and your infants.  Try these websites

http://www.llli.org/

http://www.kellymom.com/

Answer 2

I think I told you this before...

My sister feared her baby (a month early) wasn't getting anything.... getting a master's degree is easier than breast feeding and no one tells you that.

Don't give up.

My sister NEVER got a full 3 oz in the ... first 1-2 months. Her baby is alive and healthy and in the ninety-five percentile. Turned 1 a week ago and has completely caught up with kids a month older than him.

The colostrum will suffice. ANYTHING you are producing is enough. God knows you and your baby and if he has to nurse a full hour, you will both survive.

He may just suck at sucking and has a hard time at latching and suckling.

RELAX. This is as hard as it gets. Don't give up because of frustration.. just keep going.

Best of luck and love!

Answer 3

First of all, hang in there.  I'm not sure what brought you to seek help from a lactation consultant, but I'm so glad to hear you are working with one.  They are amazing women, aren't they?

Pumping output is not a reliable indicator of how much milk you are making.  Some women are just not good pumpers, period.  Don't let the pump discourage you, or lead you to believe that you don't have enough milk.

It sounds like you're a bit stressed out about this?  Maybe your milk is letting down slower than usual, causing frustration for your baby.  Try to relax, momma.  At around 3 months, my baby had extremely fussy nursing sessions.  I never did figure out the cause, but they did pass.

If you want better results with the pump, there are several things you could try:  Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle will increase your supply significantly, in just a few days. Talk to your lactation consultant about taking them.  Try pumping first thing in the morning.  Try it in the tub, or after a warm shower/bath.  Try tandem pumping- pumping one side while baby nurses on the other, or pumping both b*****s at once.  This is supposed to "trick" your b***s into thinking you're feeding twins, thus producing more milk.

Lastly, have you tried breast compression to get more milk to your baby?  I had great results with it.  It's a method of squeezing/massaging more milk into your babies' mouth while nursing.  Ask your LC about it, or look it up on kellymom.com.  h**l, I'll look it up for you:

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/15breast_...

Best of luck.  I wish I knew more about your situation.  I worked with a LC a few months ago, and picked up a lot of neat tricks.  Feel free to e-mail me if you continue to feel frustrated.  Love your avatar, by the way!

Answer 4

Don't worry if your baby has plenty of wet nappies (ie. 6 - 8 per day). If there are plenty of wet nappies then you can rest assured that he is getting enough milk. Newborns like to suckle for comfort as well as for milk so he may just want to feed to feel safe and secure with you. Also, it's not unusual to only get a small amount of milk by expressing. b*****s respond differently to a pump compared to a baby. The amount of milk you got out of the pump is not an indicator of how much milk you are producing especially if you have just fed your baby. So in summary, let the wet nappies indicate to you how much milk your baby is getting. If you don't have many wet nappies at all and the urine is quite yellow, then it may indicate the baby isn't getting enough. If unsure, contact your Lactation Consultant again for a more precise explanation. Good luck and congratulations on the birth of your baby.

Answer 5

"Is my baby getting enough milk?"

http://kellymom.com/newman/04enough_milk...

What you can pump has nothing to do with how much you have or can make; why pump? Is your LC a certified lactation consultant or just a nurse?

Answer 6

So, why not feed him the 2.5 or 3oz of milk that you pumped? Have you just started breastfeeding (is the milk supply established)?  Generally, you do not need to pump for first couple of weeks and most lactation consultant discourage you from doing that - it is important to get the latching and milk supply established during this time.

As for now, not much to do. Keep drinking milk / eating. The milk will replenish itself as the baby tries to feed.

Answer 7

YOu only got the small amount because your baby is drinking the rest. IF you continue to pump after each feed it should stimulate milk production within a few days. If you worried about your flow then perhaps try taking fenugreek tablets. I have been through this recently and found the fenugreek did help. If your son is putting on weight then you don' thave a problem with supply. The feeling of a  baby suckling on a "dry" breast is a terrible one, however in doing that it should send a message to your b*****s to make more milk. Increasing production can take up to a week and you need to be dedicated to it. some women see results in only a day or so.

Answer 8

I do not get much milk when pump either, baby can get milk out different.  Try to relax and dont be so paranoid (like we mothers tend to do )  How old is the baby ? and remember it may be hard to get milk after nursing as the baby would of drank most of it !  

Answer 9

When i first started breastfeeding when my son was younger, i would pump for EVER and only get about the same amount. I kept trying and finally got to the point where I had too much milk and it would choke my son cuz it came out too fast lol. Just don't give up, keep putting him to the breast when he's hungry even if it hasn't been that long, he will be fine. Pump as much as you can in between feedings, this will stimulate the milk to let down. Taking a hot shower and massaging your b*****s will also help. Cut out all caffeine, this dries you up. If you have any concerns call your lactaction consultant, they never want you to give up on breastfeeding and they won't give up on you.

Answer 10

i had exactly the same problem with my first, no supply only expressed 20-30 mls after each feed from both b*****s.  i felt very pressured from the hospital and materal health nurses.  my son would be screaming after each feed , this lasted 2 months.  in the end i began bottle feeding - son happy, sleeped betted, and i was happy.  I only lasted 2 days breast feeding my second now who is 4 months.  Despite the advice u are given sometimes it isn't always right.  if your b*****s arent prodcing what can u do nothins sometimesListen to what your needs are, if u dont have enough supply it isnt your fault, look into bottle feeding.