What can I do to help bring in my milk supply???

Question

I had my daughter 2 1/2 weeks ago, and I still want to breastfeed. I tried breastfeeding her since she was born but she lost over a pound before we figured out that she wasn't getting near enough from me. I started taking Reglan about a week ago to help bring my supply up but still nothing so far. I really want to breastfeed my baby. Yesterday when I pumped I only got about 13 ml. out of both of my b*****s combined! I just don't know what to do...please help.

Answer 1

i would try a nice hot bath then you will be flowing

Answer 2

One of the best things you can do it just to keep offering the breast. The more you offer it, the more you will produce. Your body will recognize when your baby feeds that she wants milk, and it will comply. That means offer it whenever she wants for as long as she wants. Be patient! I have low supply too but I replenish quickly, and my son's doctor told me that even if I need to do more frequent feedings, it's all fine as long as baby is gaining weight. So keep at it. You CAN breastfeed! And congrats for trying so hard!  

Answer 3

I forgot the cream or oil that some people use, but they get a certain cream and massage the breast with it the night before they sleep or breast feed again. It's suppose to help and keep the milk flowing a lot. If you don't have anything like that just massage your b*****s daily, that should help.

Answer 4

Nursing is the best thing you can do to bring up your supply.  A pump is nowhere near as efficient as a baby, and many people even with adequate supply don't respond well to a pump.

Things that can help increase supply:

Fenugreek

Mother's Milk Tea/Tincture

Oatmeal (the old-fashioned kind - you can even bake it into cookies)

Adequate water, but not TOO much (too much can actually lower supply - drink to sate thirst, but, you don't necessarily have to drink gallons)

Adequate caloric intake

Let baby nurse as often and as long as she want.  Throw out any idea of schedules.  Offer at LEAST every hour in these early days.  If baby is sleeping long stretches at night, wake baby and yourself up at LEAST every 3 hours, and be sure to pump after middle of the night feedings, when your supply should be highest.

Pumping after nursing

Co-sleeping with baby - this allows baby to nurse throughout the night and also use your b*****s as pacifiers which will also help with your supply

No other sucking source - no pacifiers, no bottles, etc.  Let baby use your b*****s for that.

Contact a IBCLC (lactation consultant) who can help you determine if there may be other issues (tongue tie, inadequate glandular tissue, poor latch, inefficient suck, etc.)  http://www.ilca.org/falc.html

Also be aware that it is fairly common for babies to lose up to 10% of their birthweight in the first few days, especially if there were interventions (IVs) that could have caused an "artificially inflated" birthweight, due to retained fluid.

Is baby peeing and pooping enough?  Does she have signs of dehydration?  Is she generally happy?  Is she gaining roughly 4-7 oz/week - measure from her lowest weight, not her birthweight. (please make sure you use the same scale each time, as there can be wide variation)?  MANY babies this age will be nursing almost constantly, as they are attempting to establish supply.  Also, three weeks is a prime time for a growth spurt, so even a formerly "satisfied" baby could be seeming to nurse around the clock.

You didn't say if you were supplementing yet.  If you absolutely have to, I would nurse first, and then use an SNS or something similar to supplement (it's basically tubing that tapes to your b*****s so baby is still suckling and helping to stimulate supply).  You can use your pumped milk for this, or, if necessary, formula

Good luck!

Answer 5

I was told eating oatmeal would help bring milk in.  It worked for me!

Answer 6

keep nursing......you can contact your hospital, they usually have lactation consultants who can help out.  I was able to nurse my daughter exclusively, but never able to get more than 1 oz out of both b*****s combined when i pumped.   Keep working at it!