Another baby question, but this time about BFing...

[Dianne-TX]

I am thinking ahead to when this baby is born and thinking about breastfeeding. My son was born small, in NICU for 2 weeks and was just never a great nurser, although I nursed him for 3 months. My dd was strong and healthy and a pro nurser, but my milk didn't come in for 5 days. With both, though, my milk started going down at 3-4 months, even with my pro nurser dd. I pumped as well. Is there anything I can do to increase my breastmilk? I nursed on schedule and emptied out (at least with my dd) and then pumped, but I never got a large amount of milk. My sister nursed and then still got 8 oz. out of each breast! I've heard of Mother's Milk tea. Is there anything else to help me?

[asta]

Don't nurse on schedule. Nurse on demand. And for comfort.

 

 

a

[Dawn in OH]

I've never had to do anything special, I've always produced plenty of milk, but one thing that I did is rather than have a schedule I nursed on demand.

Edited December 11, 2009 by Dawn in OH
baby brain

[Heidi]

Make sure you take care of yourself. Eat and drink A LOT. Relax. Pumping always makes my milk supply go down, so I don't do it anymore. A pump just can't get the milk out like a baby does. Nurse on demand. HTH!

[Lovedtodeath]

This site has a ton of resources including a forum with lactation consultants and nursing moms who can answer questions.

 

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/bf-links-concerns.html

 

There are some questions here including "should baby be on a schedule?", "Is baby getting enough milk?" "Why is baby nursing all of the time?"

 

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/index.html

 

Some people can get away with being on a schedule, or even nursing infrequently, and keeping their supply and others can't. 3-5 months is a typical time period for those who follow schedules to start losing their supply. At 3 and 4 months is a time that your milk supply should be increasing. If babies are fed on demand then they will naturally nurse much more often in order to increase your supply.

[Caitilin]

Don't nurse on schedule. Nurse on demand. And for comfort.

a

:iagree:

 

Also, why were you pumping after each feeding? Babies are much more effective at emptying you than even the best pump--let baby nurse as much and as often as s/he desires, particularly during those first months.

 

I have experienced a real drop in supply, but not until after a year, when the babies really started to be interested in solid foods, even though I continued to nurse on demand. 3-4 months just seems to early. Also, how did you know you had a decreased supply? Was baby always hungry? If she wasn't getting the hindmilk because you were pumping, she wouldn't be getting the higher calorie "good stuff," so she'd always be hungry.

[Dianne-TX]

I'm seeing a recurring trend. :) Nurse on demand. Could that possibly be all.the.time? Or, what if I have a sleepy baby? My ds was a sleepy nurser and I had to keep him awake the whole time. My dd nursed continuously when she was feeding, but would sleep in between her feeding the whole time and I would have to wake her up for her next feeding. She never cried hungry until she was older. I guess I need to go to that other site for lactation questions, huh?

[Lovedtodeath]

Also, how did you know you had a decreased supply? Was baby always hungry?

Good point. Babies will naturally nurse more during growth spurts or times of building up mom's supply. It doesn't mean anything is wrong. It could also be that your supply is regulating itself at that point, but before that your breasts are engorged most of the time, so your breasts may appear "empty", but in reality nothing is wrong.

[Lovedtodeath]

I'm seeing a recurring trend. :) Nurse on demand. Could that possibly be all.the.time? Or, what if I have a sleepy baby? My ds was a sleepy nurser and I had to keep him awake the whole time. My dd nursed continuously when she was feeding, but would sleep in between her feeding the whole time and I would have to wake her up for her next feeding. She never cried hungry until she was older. I guess I need to go to that other site for lactation questions, huh?

Those links have information on sleepy babies as well. :)

[Dianne-TX]

:iagree:

 

Also, why were you pumping after each feeding? Babies are much more effective at emptying you than even the best pump--let baby nurse as much and as often as s/he desires, particularly during those first months.

 

I have experienced a real drop in supply, but not until after a year, when the babies really started to be interested in solid foods, even though I continued to nurse on demand. 3-4 months just seems to early. Also, how did you know you had a decreased supply? Was baby always hungry? If she wasn't getting the hindmilk because you were pumping, she wouldn't be getting the higher calorie "good stuff," so she'd always be hungry.

 

I was pumping to increase my supply and have BM on hand for bottles. Ha! I see now that wasn't necessarily helping me. My son was fussier than my dd, but he hardly ever emptied me I don't think. He wasn't good at latching on either. It just wasn't a good experience for either of us. His beginning of life in NICU and being sick wasn't easy on me and the difficulties didn't help the nursing I'm sure, even though I tried. I guess when the baby is fussy, just nurse for comfort? What if they get too full and spit up? I feel like a new mommy all over again!

[Carrie12345]

Like the labor thread, the best solution is surrender.

 

My first was exclusively formula fed, but I did "try" nursing my dds and "failed". The truth is, I depended on schedules and weigh-ins and tried my hardest to keep nursing from taking over my life. They wound up completely on formula at about 2 and 3 months.

 

With ds#2, I allowed nursing to become a major part of my life. It didn't take over like I thought, because I was no longer stressing over schedules and weigh-ins! While I was never able to become any sort of decent pumper (some women just *aren't), I was able to keep ds exclusively breast fed to 10 months, and partially for another 2 months. The entire year was a million times easier than any of those few short months with my daughters!

[JeneralMom]

I had some supply issues with my first, so did a ton of research when #2 was on the way. Here are some things that I found useful for me (some things people swear by will not work for you, and somethings that don't work for other will work for you. Just keep trying).

 

- nurse on demand

- it is vital to nurse at least once during the night (I'm not sure why, but a lactation consultant told me this and DS#2 always woke up at least once per night, whereas DS#1 slept through the night from about 8 weeks)

- oatmeal

- dark beer if baby can tolerate alcohol. DS#2 and DD#2 have no problem with it, but DD#1 couldn't stand any alcohol in my system

-and, this is an excellent product - http://www.motherlove.com/product_more_milk_special.php

[Lovedtodeath]

What if they get too full and spit up?

That is only likely to happen if you have a fast letdown or oversupply problem. Continuing to let baby nurse after your breast appears empty is the best way to get enough into them because the higher calorie, higher fat milk is saved for last. It is also the way to build supply. If they do not get the higher fat hindmilk then that can cause digestive problems! I encourage you to peruse the kellymom site.

 

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/index.html "How does milk production work?"

 

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/index.html Normal breastfeeding, including cluster nursing, growth spurts, etc.

[milovany]

I'm seeing a recurring trend. :) Nurse on demand.

 

Well, I'll be one to say that I was into a (loose) schedule and still always had enough milk; I nursed seven babies. My "schedule" was approximately every three hours. I'd nurse the baby fully when it woke up, it would be awake for awhile, then it would nap. I'd repeat this over and over throughout the day -- and nursing tended to be every three hours.

 

Sometimes the baby would sleep longer and I'd nurse when it woke up, but not going more than 4 hours or so during the day. Sometimes it would wake up before the three hours and I would nurse it then -- I was more into the nurse-when-baby-wakes thing than the three-hour thing because this helped the baby to learn to go to sleep on it's own rather than needing to nurse to go to sleep. But once the baby reaches several months old it's also nice to know that there are 3 hours between feedings.

 

Of course, *early* on -- the first week or two -- you do want to nurse a ton to get started. But I even remember it being about every three hours then at times. I've never been a "nurse on demand" (in the fullest sense) mamma. Just sharing my experience since it seems to be a little bit different.

[Lovedtodeath]

 

Well, I'll be one to say that I was into a (loose) schedule and still always had enough milk; I nursed seven babies.

It is possible to have enough milk on a schedule. The OP is asking for help because she doesn't have enough. ;) One big way to get milk supply back up if it is really dwindling and breastfeeding is extremely important to you is to sleep with baby, nursing very frequently throughout the night. Usually 3 nights of this will make the difference.

[milovany]

It is possible to have enough milk on a schedule. The OP is asking for help because she doesn't have enough. ;) One big way to get milk supply back up if it is really dwindling and breastfeeding is extremely important to you is to sleep with baby, nursing very frequently throughout the night. Usually 3 nights of this will make the difference.

 

Yes! Sorry, I realize that and am sorry I didn't make that clearer. To increase a milk supply it's important to nurse a lot.

 

(I think I had a knee-jerk reaction to the "nurse on demand" thing as if that's the only/best way to nurse, or as if not doing so always causes the problem.)

 

:tongue_smilie:

[Lovedtodeath]

 

(I think I had a knee-jerk reaction to the "nurse on demand" thing as if that's the only/best way to nurse, or as if not doing so always causes the problem.)

Yes, that is what I assumed. :)

[Dianne-TX]

That is only likely to happen if you have a fast letdown or oversupply problem. Continuing to let baby nurse after your breast appears empty is the best way to get enough into them because the higher calorie, higher fat milk is saved for last. It is also the way to build supply. If they do not get the higher fat hindmilk then that can cause digestive problems! I encourage you to peruse the kellymom site.

 

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/index.html "How does milk production work?"

 

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/index.html Normal breastfeeding, including cluster nursing, growth spurts, etc.

 

Thank you for this site. I will look at it in depth.

[joannqn]

Like everyone else said...

 

Nurse on demand, day and night. Sleeping with the baby will ensure you are noticing baby stirring in the night and will help you nurse more often and be less tired from night time nursings. (You may even fall asleep while nursing if you get the hang of nursing lying down tummy to tummy.) Avoid bottles like the plague. Giving a nursing baby a bottle has a high risk of reducing supply because the baby learns to suck inefficiently. Bottles don't require as strong of a suck. Likewise, avoid pacifiers like the plague too. The more time baby spends sucking on a pacifier, the less time baby will be stimulating your supply. It's ok for baby to pacify at the breast; they know how to pacify without overeating.

 

Avoid an epidural if you can. Epidural medicines have been found in baby's system up to 6 weeks later and can make baby sleepy. I've had a sleepy baby from this; they can be very hard to wake for nursing. I'm not saying that all baby's react this way, but some do. If baby is sleepy, wake baby to nurse every 3 hours. Don't let baby go longer than that in the first couple of months. If baby if falling asleep at the breast too quickly (say less than 10 minutes), undress, tickle, jiggle baby to get him nursing again. Sometimes, with very sleep babies, it is necessary to switch breasts every 3-5 minutes and go back and forth several times until they are full.

 

Babies will not overeat, get to full, and spit up from that. Excessive spitting up will be caused by oversupply and strong let down (which can be dealt with if it happens). Spitting up can also be caused by reflux and food allergies (food you are eating) which can also be dealt with if it happens. My youngest has both of the latter issues.

 

Really...it boils down to just nurse on demand or demand that they nurse and don't worry about problems unless they come up.

[Colleen in NS]

I nursed on a schedule and always had enough milk. I nursed each child for about 13 months. For me, the key for building supply was to nurse, emptying both sides as much as possible, every 2-3 hours in the first few weeks. Then I went to about every 3 hours, and much later in the year, to every 4 hours during the daytime (by then, baby was sleeping 8-10 hours a night and eating solid food). I'd feed the baby, keep him/her awake for awhile, put him/her down for a nap, wake again and repeat. During growth spurts I would just decrease the time between nursings for a few days, to increase my supply.

 

I did try pumping between feedings to get extra milk for bottles, but it wasn't productive. I finally realized I had to "save" that milk inside me for the next nursing time. It ended up just being easier to nurse every 2-3 hours in the beginning than try to pump extra for bottles.

Edited December 9, 2009 by Colleen in NS

[Mrs Mungo]

Don't nurse on schedule. Nurse on demand. And for comfort.

 

 

a

 

:iagree: The more stimulation your breasts receive, the more milk you will make. Women who nurse on schedules often (not always but often) have trouble producing enough milk in my experience.

Edited December 9, 2009 by Mrs Mungo

[Mrs Mungo]

I was pumping to increase my supply and have BM on hand for bottles. Ha! I see now that wasn't necessarily helping me. My son was fussier than my dd, but he hardly ever emptied me I don't think. He wasn't good at latching on either.

 

A good lactation consultant (make sure she is certified by the IBCLC, not just a nurse with an extra class) can help train a latch.

 

It just wasn't a good experience for either of us. His beginning of life in NICU and being sick wasn't easy on me and the difficulties didn't help the nursing I'm sure, even though I tried.

 

It's never easy having a baby in the nicu. No mom plans on that, it's emotional turmoil. Even experienced breastfeeding moms don't always make it through that. It sounds like you're beating yourself up a bit. Don't. Let that go. :grouphug:

 

I guess when the baby is fussy, just nurse for comfort?

 

Sometimes.

 

What if they get too full and spit up?

 

What if they do? I had overactive letdown with my eldest. She'd go "gulpgulpgulpgulp" and then spit up, we'd do it again. Once I wasn't so full then she'd nurse normally. Once my supply and letdown calmed down a little it was fine.

 

I feel like a new mommy all over again!

 

Each baby is so different, you are!

[asta]

I'm seeing a recurring trend. :) Nurse on demand. Could that possibly be all.the.time? Or, what if I have a sleepy baby? My ds was a sleepy nurser and I had to keep him awake the whole time. My dd nursed continuously when she was feeding, but would sleep in between her feeding the whole time and I would have to wake her up for her next feeding. She never cried hungry until she was older. I guess I need to go to that other site for lactation questions, huh?

 

DS nursed every 2 hours for 45 minutes at a time. So that made it, what? An hour and fifteen minutes from the end of one nursing to the beginning of another?

 

Yeah, they can nurse all of the time. But they can end up healthy as horses that way, too! :001_smile:

 

 

a

[hornblower]

For many women the troubles will start in the early weeks. Establishing an abudnant supply in the first few weeks is critical; some researchers believe than in those weeks we're programming the breasts - telling them how many babies we're feeding. In many cases, if the breasts are not being stimulated enough (through appropriate nipple stimulation and full draining) in the early pp period, the woman will struggle with her supply later on. That's why we put moms of premies & ICU babies on strict pumping schedules; teach breast & nipple massage; many LC's will also recommend herbs; & in some cases, with the consult of the dr., will go straight to domperidone to boost supply right at the outset.

 

It is relatively easy to down-regulate a supply later on. It is usually very difficult to increase the supply months down the line.

 

And yes, the only time I ever use the word schedule is with pumping moms with babies in ICU, or with sleepy/slow growing/premie babies. Otherwise, feed on demand - for comfort & nutrition.

 

best wishes,

[dirty ethel rackham]

I highly recommend getting Jack Newman's book The Ultimate Book of Breastfeeding Answers and taking it with you to the hospital. I love the Kellymom site - it is very comprehensive, but unless you are able to look things up on the internet at the hospital, having a book can be helpful.

 

When I taught Bradley Method classes, I gave this book to my students. Although I love LLL's The Womanly Art, I felt Jack Newman's book was seen as more authoritative in hospital settings. Many breastfeeding problems originate in ill-devised hospital policies. Also, his website also has some videos on positioning and latch than can help alleviate supply problems.

[petepie2]

I've nursed three children and I did basically the same thing with all of them. I nursed them on a 2.5 to 3 hour schedule during the day. Of course, if they were hungry or fussy I would nurse them whether it was on my schedule or not. I always made sure they got a nap between feedings. My daughter was a sleepy baby and rarely demanded to be fed. I would always have to wake her up. She slept through the night very early, so I made sure to feed her frequently during the day, whether she asked to be fed or not. I've never had a problem with low milk supply, although I did have an oversupply of milk with my second child from the beginning and had to go to one-sided nursing. With my third child, I just did one-sided nursing from the start and never had a problem. All of mine nursed for 13-15 months. They all gained weight; however, my daughter gained slowly because she would constantly fall asleep while nursing. Things improved for her after I had her tongue clipped and she was able to nurse more efficiently.

 

In the hospital with my 3rd child, I started pumping right away after each feeding before my milk ever came in. Any colostrum I got, I tried to feed to him through a syringe. My milk came in before I left the hospital and my son was already gaining weight.

 

Pumping is a way to increase your milk supply, especially if you have a baby that is a bad nurser. However, you have to be able to relax during pumping. Tension inhibits milk let-down. Of course, a baby is always better than a pump. But some babies--like sleepy babies--don't always cooperate with more frequent nursing. Also, as others have said, it's important to rest and drink plenty of fluids.

[Homemaker]

I acutally just weaned my 3rd child yesterday. I nursed all of mine for 13+ months and I always fed them on a schedule and didn't have an issue with my milk, ever. I followed the book Babywise, my doctor and some friends recommended it to me, and I recommend it to others as well. I had some friends that nursed on demand and some that followed babywise, and in all honesty my friends who had supply issues and/or sleep issues where the on-demand ones (I am not saying that is true of ALL on-demand feeders), but all my friends who really followed babywise were able to nurse as long as they wanted and never had supply issues.

[LittleIzumi]

BabyWise is generally not recommended for low supply as it usually decreases supply.

AAP on BabyWise: http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/14/4/21

Dr Sears's published letter to the AAP about BabyWise: http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/issue_pdf/edboard_pdf/14/7.pdf

 

It may work for some but I would NOT recommend those techniques to anyone who is already struggling with supply.

 

 

I also BFed a NICU baby and nursing on demand helped a LOT. She was pretty much attached to my chest, actually :lol: but she was so tiny and needed all the nutrition she could get! She's as healthy as a horse now.

[Nakia]

You've received great advice! I want to recommend another book that was an awesome resource for me when I was pregnant and breastfeeding. The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears. It is a great book!

[Caribbean Queen]

My sister nursed and then still got 8 oz. out of each breast!

 

Pumps don't work as well as babies. The picture in my avitar is my daughter at 10 or 11 months old. She has never had a drop of formula and you see the size of her -large. Clearly, I had no supply problem, yet I would be lucky to get half an ounce at pumping both breasts - and I had a good, expensive pump. Thankfully, I didn't really need to pump milk.

 

Look at how much the baby pees and how s/he gains weight. That is how you know the baby is getting enough to eat.

 

Also, if you understand that milk works in a 'supply and demand' kind of way, you can avoid a lot of problems. If your baby sucks your body knows to make milk. If you let people formula feed your baby, your body will think, "No need to go through all the trouble of making milk since the baby isn't drinking it." Your milk supply will go down in that case.

 

Since pumps don't work for you, you are pretty much tied to the baby because if you leave the baby for several hours, and the baby drinks formula, your cups will runneth over - possibly giving you clogged milk ducts or some other problem. Then you'll get a low milk supply. Then you'll be afraid you don't have enough milk so you'll give more and more formula. A couple bottles of formula could slippery slope into weaning.

[Dianne-TX]

Thanks, ladies. You all are encouraging me so much and giving me so much info. to look through and get prepared. In April/May 2010, it will have been 7 years since we've had a baby around here and I feel so much more ready to be a better mom than I was the first time around. I appreciate all your wisdom and knowledge. I'll probably be asking for more of it! :)

[The Governess]

I also had what I assumed at the time was supply issues, but looking back I think that my body made *just* the right amount of milk for dd. There were times where it seemed like she was always hungry, i.e. wanting to nurse every hour or hour and a half it seemed. Trying to pump and getting *nothing* out made it seem like I didn't have enough milk for her. After talking to a friend's mom who was a lactation consultant, I discovered that the best thing to do at those times is to just take the day off (or a few days, however long it takes) and rest on the couch and let baby nurse as much as he/she wants. I've heard it referred to as having a "nurse-in." :001_smile: It stimulates your body to increase its milk production, and gives you some nice snuggle time with your little one too.

 

After a while of doing this she was always ready to get back to her normal "schedule". I nursed her until she was 13 months despite the fact that I never had an over-abundance of milk, and she put on the pounds just fine. :D

 

Another habit I got into was bringing a glass of water with me every time I sat down to nurse to make sure I was staying hydrated.

 

I hope you have a great experience nursing your new little one!

[ekarl2]

Make sure you take care of yourself. Eat and drink A LOT. Relax. Pumping always makes my milk supply go down, so I don't do it anymore. A pump just can't get the milk out like a baby does. Nurse on demand. HTH!

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree:

[Susan in TN]

I've found that drinking a glass of water every time I nurse makes a HUGE difference in milk production and letdown. When I feel like baby is not getting enough, or letdown is weak, I always find that I've not been drinking much water.

 

Keep a tall glass of water at the ready - keep it where you nurse most often and try to drink at least 8oz. every time you nurse, even at night.

[Amber in AUS]

I have not read through all the replies but one thing i did when my milk dropped off because my kiddos all slept through the night very early on was take Fenugreek tablets. That boosted my milk supply heaps.

[Rosie_0801]

Make sure you take care of yourself. Eat and drink A LOT.

 

:iagree: It only two meals of pb on toast for my milk quality to drop. I've never had a problem with amount though and I've never pumped. I think pumping would scare my poor boobies into drying up! Really, if you are eating properly, drinking and feeding your bub whenever he/she feels like it, you should be fine. I can still produce enough to keep my 11 month old fed if there's nothing suitable for him to eat. (Dh is unemployed at the moment so this tends to happen at the end of the fortnight.) Mind you, my beastie boy still feeds a trillion times during the night so I couldn't go dry if I wanted to.

 

I also had what I assumed at the time was supply issues, but looking back I think that my body made *just* the right amount of milk for dd. There were times where it seemed like she was always hungry, i.e. wanting to nurse every hour or hour and a half it seemed. Trying to pump and getting *nothing* out made it seem like I didn't have enough milk for her.

That too. Sometimes they are just like that and want to feed ever hour or for two hours straight. It doesn't mean there is anything wrong with your supply, or if there is, the bub will soon fix that. Leave it to the boobie engineer ;)

 

Rosie

[Lovedtodeath]

 

I can still produce enough to keep my 11 month old fed if there's nothing suitable for him to eat.

:iagree:I had supply issues early on but my DD didn't eat hardly any food until she was 18 months old. It was all me, and she was a good size.

[Caribbean Queen]

It doesn't mean there is anything wrong with your supply, or if there is, the bub will soon fix that. Leave it to the boobie engineer ;)

 

Rosie

 

Har! Boobie engineer! :lol:

[Ellie]

La Leche League is your friend. If there is a group in your community, you might consider going to the meetings.

 

The secret to breastfeeding: Only breastfeed. No pumping. No schedules. Don't worry about emptying anything...just nurse until baby is satisfied (LLL used to recommend 10 minutes on one side, as long as baby wants on the other, switch with the next feeding). Drink a gallon of liquid a day (doesn't need to be milk), and be sure you eat enough. No solids before 6 months, 8 months is better.

 

A breastpump is not a good way to know how much milk you have. When baby nurses you should feel the "let down" reflex (long scientific explanation); you don't usually get that with a pump (because of the long scientific explanation), and it's the let-down that actually releases the milk, not the baby's sucking--or the breastpump's sucking, as it were. If baby has lots of wet diapers every day and is gaining weight, you have enough milk.

[Slartibartfast]

I acutally just weaned my 3rd child yesterday. I nursed all of mine for 13+ months and I always fed them on a schedule and didn't have an issue with my milk, ever. I followed the book Babywise, my doctor and some friends recommended it to me, and I recommend it to others as well. I had some friends that nursed on demand and some that followed babywise, and in all honesty my friends who had supply issues and/or sleep issues where the on-demand ones (I am not saying that is true of ALL on-demand feeders), but all my friends who really followed babywise were able to nurse as long as they wanted and never had supply issues.

 

 

 

 

Gary Ezzo has no background or expertise in child development, psychology, breastfeeding, or pediatric medicine, and holds neither an associate's nor a bachelor's degree from any college; his master of arts degree in Christian ministry was granted through a program that awarded credit for life experience in lieu of an undergraduate degree. Anne Marie Ezzo worked only briefly as an R.N. decades ago.

Breastfeeding on a parent-determined schedule (including a "flexible routine" as it is called in Babywise) may reduce a mother's milk supply and contradicts the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which has stated, "The best feeding schedules are the ones babies design themselves. Scheduled feedings designed by parents may put babies at risk for poor weight gain and dehydration."

Although it is presented as authoritative, the breastfeeding information presented in Babywise is inaccurate and substandard (compare with the AAP Breastfeeding recommendations from the 2005 AAP Policy Statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk).

http://www.ezzo.info/ Edited December 10, 2009 by Sis

[Slartibartfast]

Dianne, I am sorry. :grouphug:

 

I also had a baby in the NICU and it was so difficult and I was an experienced nurser. I don't think I can recommend enough just taking time to lay around in bed and nurse the baby.

 

It can really help get your baby some of the luvin he might need and have the boobies close at hand so he can nurse a little more gluttonously.

 

You might try some of the Mother's Milk Tea or eat more oatmeal. :)

[dirty ethel rackham]

 

A breastpump is not a good way to know how much milk you have. When baby nurses you should feel the "let down" reflex (long scientific explanation); you don't usually get that with a pump (because of the long scientific explanation), and it's the let-down that actually releases the milk, not the baby's sucking--or the breastpump's sucking, as it were. If baby has lots of wet diapers every day and is gaining weight, you have enough milk.

 

Just a clarification - not all women feel a let-down. It doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Also, many women feel a let-down only in the early weeks/months of nursing. Just because the let-down feeling goes away doesn't mean there is a problem with supply. Listening for the baby's swallows is a better indication that the baby is getting milk. Most babies make a slight gulping sound as they swallow.

[kmacnchs]

"nurse on demand" is about as vague as "nurse with a schedule" - what does that mean? It sounds like you woke your babies up to feed them so you could keep a schedule or so you could keep your milk supply up.

 

I agree with the no pumping and that your baby may have been going through a growth spurt...if it was a little later than 4 mo, I would say maybe they were ready for solids but that is early...I would ask my ped, ob, or a lactation consultant - did you stop nursing when your supply seemed to go down?

 

I vaguely remember my ds not seeming to be satisfied at some point and I just kept burping and nursing until he seemed done -even when he didn't seem "satisfied" (and believe me, I was confused and frustrated like you), he still slept until the next feeding (I schedule too) so I just drank more water and tried to relax more to up my milk supply...then (just for the flip side), I had mastitis on Thanksgiving (with everyone coming to my house) b/c my son didn't feel like eating for part of a day...He had such a growth spurt (around 6 mo) that my milk supply shot up and then just before turning 8 mo, he slowed down but my milk didn't...it's just what happens sometimes...good luck and congratulations :)

[kmacnchs]

Well, I'll be one to say that I was into a (loose) schedule and still always had enough milk; I nursed seven babies. My "schedule" was approximately every three hours. I'd nurse the baby fully when it woke up, it would be awake for awhile, then it would nap. I'd repeat this over and over throughout the day -- and nursing tended to be every three hours.

 

Sometimes the baby would sleep longer and I'd nurse when it woke up, but not going more than 4 hours or so during the day. Sometimes it would wake up before the three hours and I would nurse it then -- I was more into the nurse-when-baby-wakes thing than the three-hour thing because this helped the baby to learn to go to sleep on it's own rather than needing to nurse to go to sleep. But once the baby reaches several months old it's also nice to know that there are 3 hours between feedings.

 

Of course, *early* on -- the first week or two -- you do want to nurse a ton to get started. But I even remember it being about every three hours then at times. I've never been a "nurse on demand" (in the fullest sense) mamma. Just sharing my experience since it seems to be a little bit different.

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:just wanted to say :) ditto :)