breastfeeding help?!?!? (long...sorry)

[T'smom]

Ok- I just found out yesterday that my 2 week old LOST 4 ounces between 1 and 2 weeks. I had thought everything was fine- she seemed happy, slept a LOT, was having wet/poopy diapers. So this is what the lacatation consultant at the doc office told me to do-

Wake her up every 2-3 hours, nurse both sides, pump, give her pumped milk- lather, rinse, repeat every 3 hours. She told me NOT to let her sleep more than 3 hours.

 

We've mostly been doing that for 24 hours now. But it is really, really hard to wake her up when it's time. I jostle her, change her diaper, take a cool diaper wipe and rub her arms and legs, tickle her feet, kiss her toes, etc. It hardly works- but she will latch on. But because she is so sleepy, she doesn't nurse very enthusiastically, which means that she's not emptying it and it takes forever. After we do that, I give her the milk that I pumped after the last feeding in a bottle- she finds that fairly novel and will wake up at that point. Then I have to pump and I can't hold her at the same time. She's usually happy and content, but when she's not- it's very upsetting to me to let her cry while I'm pumping (probably 10-15 minutes- doing both sides at the same time) This whole process takes about an hour. She's awake for a little while, then goes back to sleep and I have to wake her after she's only been asleep for 1 1/2 hours. So, she's really, really sleepy and the whole process starts over.

 

Before the appointment yesterday morning, she was sleeping 4-5 hours and then being awake and nursing almost constantly for about 2 hours. I was trying to "feed on demand" instead of on a schedule. The lac. cons. said that I wasn't getting emptied and so they weren't refilling quickly enough so there wasn't really enough milk.

 

So- my questions- how do I wake her up more fully? How can I get her to empty it (and eliminate the need for pumping)? I've heard of fenugreek and mother's milk tea- where can I buy that? Any other ways to increase the milk supply? Also- there is a 'crack' on one side that is not healing and I'm really, really sore on both sides....any advice there?

 

Thanks....I'm off to start the feeding process again.....wish me luck!

[OH_Homeschooler]

Oh gosh, I don't have any advice but I have a lot of empathy! We went through that with my first and ended up giving up on nursing at 10 days. There was weight loss, it was bad. It was too much stress on both of us! But I hope you can figure out something that works for you.

[hornblower]

I'm just going offline but quickly wanted to say google dr. Jack Newman breast compressions. You'll be able to keep her interested on the breast with doing compressions

[TKDmom]

Well, I am not a lactation consultant. But could you try nursing when she wakes up naturally, then pumping after you nurse (or nurse on one side while pumping on the other), so that everything empties out? Then when she is immediately hungry again, you could give her a bottle.

 

I am not a fan of waking up sleepy babies. IME, it just doesn't work. I never understood why they told me to try to wake a baby up, when the sleepy baby would only nurse for 5 seconds and drop back off to sleep.

[Kidlit]

Although I have nursed two successfully until 11 mos. and 15 mos. respectively and am currently exclusively nursing my 2 month old, I'm no expert. There are LLL ladies on these boards, though, so maybe they'll chime in.

 

I just wanted to offer :grouphug:.

[Moxie]

Have you tried sleeping with baby latched on? That way baby will nurse all night in her sleep. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

I wanted to add, my dear friend had to hold ice on her baby's foot to get her to stay awake to eat. She felt terrible doing it but her baby gained weight and she was able to keep nursing.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Moxie

[flobee76]

First of all, take a DEEP BREATH! :grouphug:

 

Take a look at Kelly Mom. I have it bookmarked. It has all the info. you need on breastfeeding, trials, concerns, etc.

 

TMI: what color are your baby's poops? Are they mustardy in color? Or, are they green? If they are mustardy, then your baby is more than likely emptying your breasts as that is an indication of the baby getting the hindmilk (with all the fat). If your baby's poops are green, then only the foremilk is being consumed.

 

If you are concerned with weightgain and the baby not getting hindmilk, you could always express some foremilk, then let the baby latch on and get all the good fatty milk.

 

Do you feel like you are not producing enough milk? One thing to remember that with MOST (not all) moms, their milk is on "supply and demand". There is enough milk as it's demanded of. If you need to increase your milk, you can get those "mother milk teas" online or in health food stores like Whole Foods.

 

Oatmeal, lots of water, brewer's yeast, are all good for milk supply

 

Take a look at your own diet. Is it full of GOOD fats that come from:

grass-fed milk and butter

olive oil

unrefined coconut oil

avocados

nuts

etc.

**What you eat is passed through the milk, including all those good, yummy fats! :)

 

Unless there continues to be major weight-loss in your baby after you make some changes, I wouldn't be concerned about waking, but that my opinion, and I am certainly NOT a medical profession... just a mom who has been breastfeeding forever. ;)

 

Hope you find a solution!

[FO4UR]

The soreness makes me wonder if she's latching on well. If it's possible at all to have a lactation consultant come over and SEE her latch, do it!!! (or an experienced bf-ing mom would do)

 

 

I agree with waking baby every 2-3 hours to eat, at a minimum. I agree with demand feeding, but only if baby is demanding enough feedings. kwim.

[thowell]

The soreness makes me wonder if she's latching on well. If it's possible at all to have a lactation consultant come over and SEE her latch, do it!!! (or an experienced bf-ing mom would do)

 

 

:iagree: This was my first thought. It is normal to be sore but after 2 weeks this should be decreasing. Correct placement in latching on is very important. Is the baby taking in the whole areola? I also agree with expressing some of the foremilk to get to the hindmilk. Most woman's breast will make as much milk as is used. I think I would try the other changes in diet and such before I continued to wake the baby. Good luck!

[ktgrok]

Was the lactation consultant board certified? An IBLC ? If not, go find one. Also, was she weighed on the same scale as before? They can vary quite a bit.

 

That said, I think better than feeding her a bottle, which could start up nipple confusion and bottle preference you need to feed at the breast. You can use breast compression to speed the flow, or you can use a supplementer if need be, like Lact-Aid or an SNS. I agree you need to feed more often. Also, how long do you keep her on the first breast before switching? To gain weight she needs to finish the first breast before going to the other side, to get hind milk. However, if you have low supply then switching back and forth will actually help build supply, and might keep her awake more....which to do depends on the circumstances. But if she is that sleepy my thought would be to pump until you get a let down, then latch her on, so that the milk is already there when she starts to suck. That way she doesn't fall asleep before getting the milk. Do you see/hear her swallowing when she nurses? Then, if she starts getting sleepy switch sides before she is all the way asleep. Rinse, repeat :) If she is swallowing at the breast steadily I'd be hesitant to give her the bottle of milk. That will make her drink less at the breast. And the pumping will not work as well as nursing to get your supply up.

 

You said she was having wet and poopy diapers..how many wet and how many poopy? How much poop? How often does she want to nurse? How long does she want to sleep?

[Giraffe]

First of all, take a DEEP BREATH! :grouphug:

 

Oatmeal, lots of water, brewer's yeast, are all good for milk supply

 

 

Oatmeal was like magic for me and my supply. Anytime I felt it might be waning, I had a bowl of oatmeal. Abracadabra - Milk!!

 

I don't like waking sleeping babies either, but sometimes it needs to be done.

 

Good luck!!

[ktgrok]

Here is info on breast compression:

Breast compression is not necessary if everything is going well. When all is going well, the mother should allow the baby to "finish" feeding on

the first side and, if the baby wants more, should offer the other side. How do you know the baby is finished? When he no longer drinks at the

breast (open - pause - close type of suck).

 

It may be useful to know that:

 

1. A baby who is well latched on gets milk more easily than one who is not. A baby who is poorly latched on can get milk only when the flow of milk is rapid. Thus, many mothers and babies do well with breastfeeding in spite of a poor latch, because most mothers produce an abundance of milk.

 

2. In the first 3-6 weeks of life, babies fall asleep at the breast when the flow of milk is slow, not necessarily when they have had enough to eat. After this age, they may start to pull away at the breast when the flow of milk slows down.

 

3. Unfortunately many babies are latching on poorly. If the mother's supply is abundant the baby often does well as far as weight gain is concerned, but the mother may pay a price - sore nipples, a "colicky" baby, a baby who is constantly on the breast (but feeding only a small part of the time).

 

Breast compression continues the flow of milk once the baby starts falling asleep at the breast and results in the baby:

 

1. Getting more milk.

 

2. Getting more milk that is high in fat.

 

Breast Compression: How to do it

 

1. Hold the baby with one arm.

 

2. Hold the breast with the other, thumb on one side of the breast, your other fingers on the other, fairly far back from the nipple.

 

3. Watch for the baby's drinking, though there is no need to be obsessive about catching every suck. The baby gets substantial amounts of milk when he is drinking with an open - pause - close type of suck. (open - pause - close is one suck, the pause is not a pause between sucks).

 

4. When the baby is nibbling or no longer drinking with the open - pause - close type of suck, compress the breast. Not so hard that it hurts and try not to change the shape of the areola (the part of the breast near the baby's mouth). With the compression, the baby should start drinking again with the open - pause - close type of suck.

 

5. Keep the pressure up until the baby no longer drinks even with the compression, then release the pressure. Often the baby will stop sucking altogether when the pressure is released, but will start again shortly as milk starts to flow again. If the baby does not stop sucking with the release of pressure, wait a short time before compressing again.

 

6. The reason to release the pressure is to allow your hand to rest, and to allow milk to start flowing to the baby again. The baby, if he stops sucking when you release the pressure, will start again when he starts to taste milk.

 

7. When the baby starts sucking again, he may drink (open - pause - close). If not, compress again as above.

 

8. Continue on the first side until the baby does not drink even with the compression. You should allow the baby to stay on the side for a short time longer, as you may occasionally get another letdown reflex and the baby will start drinking again, on his own. If the baby no longer drinks, however, allow him to come off or take him off the breast.

 

9. If the baby wants more, offer the other side and repeat the process.

 

10. You may wish, unless you have sore nipples, to switch sides back and forth in this way several times.

 

11. Work on improving the baby's latch.

[tearose]

Does she prefer drinking from the bottle? I had to pump and feed pumped milk to my DS after he breastfed, but I was told to avoid bottles, if possible, because the milk comes out of the bottle so easily, compared to the breast. My LC suggested using a cup or a syringe, and my DH ended up feeding DS with a syringe.

[Sahamamama]

Not an expert here by any means, but my cousin had this situation with her son. She thought he was doing fine, sleeping "well," and so on... but he was actually weak from not eating enough, so he didn't nurse well, which made him even weaker, and so on... vicious cycle.

 

The key for her was exactly what you were told to do: Wake up the baby, nurse her, then pump, then play with her, then let her sleep. Repeat. Over time, as she gains more nourishment, she will stay awake longer and be easier to get into a routine. Plus, at some point, you should be able to stretch out the feedings and/or eliminate that killer one in the middle of the night! For me, 11 pm was always harder than 2 am for some reason. :tongue_smilie: I remember those days....

[Sara R]

Also look up "foremilk/hindmilk inbalance." Sometimes if you switch breasts before the baby finishes the first one, they don't get the hindmilk from the first breast. Then they switch to the 2nd breast and just get foremilk there. So they never get the fatty hindmilk.

 

If this is the problem, the solution is to keep the baby on the first breast until satisfied. But be sure to diagnose the problem correctly before acting.

 

Do you feel like the baby isn't getting anything? Or do you seem to have plenty of milk? If you do seem to have milk, it could be foremilk/hindmilk inbalance.

[Chocolate Lover]

Yes, the soreness at this age is a concern. It should only be expected for a few days, under five. I toughed it out for 4 1/2 months until I finally was evaluated by a lactation consultant. She came to the house and determined that DS had tongue tie. If it had been detected and treated in the first few days or weeks it may have changed how he nursed and my pain would have been relieved. It wasn't until 6 months that it was clipped, and he never changed his nursing movements. I was in pain the whole four years I nursed him. What ever you do, get evaluated by the best lactation consultant you can find.

[fairfarmhand]

you are taking me back to those horrible horrible first weeks of my last ds's life......ugh. He had lost weight, poor latches, poor nursing.....it was awful and my milk nearly dried up before we figured out what was going on.

 

I ended up pumping and feeding for 6-8 weeks because he was so weak he couldn't properly nurse and I needed to see exactly what he was getting. He was 8 WEEKS OLD before he ever learned to nurse/latch correctly. And that took so much work to convince him to nurse because the bottle was so much easier for him.

 

The soreness, I completely get. Being very fair-skinned, I would stay sore while nursing for at least 3-4 weeks after childbirth. Check with a lactation consultant to make sure his latches are good, however.

 

Nurse the baby at least 15 minutes on each side before switching so you can ensure that she's getting the good hind milk with so much more fat in it.

 

Waking is hard. I'd do it every three hours, from the ending of one feeding to the beginning of the next, and possibly pump after she's eaten, especially on the side that she nursed last.

 

The biggie for me was getting a hospital grade (medela) breast pump. I had no idea that I could pump so quickly and efficiently before I got it. My little handheld model was not doing the job at all. If I hadn't gotten my medela, I know my milk would have dried up.

 

Fenugreek can be found at herbal stores...GNC etc. And honey, that stuff MAKES MILK. You must drink plenty of water though.

[indigomama]

I am not an expert but I will share my personal experience advice. Sorry, if this gets kinda long:001_smile:

When DS#1 was born due to major hemorrhaging my milk did not fully come in for 5 weeks!

I too saw a lactation consultant (however she was horrible!!!and very unprofessional). I had to wake DS every 2 hours to feed, which wasn't much, then pump and feed through a feeder, then if he was still hungry supplement with formula. I tried mother's milk, and fenugreek. Nothing worked. I finally tried Domperidone (twice) and it worked. My milk came in enough that he wasn't struggling to nurse and he started gaining weight.

 

In hindsight I would not wait so long again. My son got lazy at nursing and would take a very lonnnnggggg time to nurse and he also got used to eating every. two. hours....until he was 17months old!!

So, I guess my advice would be do everything to increase your supply (look into the domperidone, it really worked when nothing else did) now, so your baby doesn't form bad habits.

For the sore ni**les lanolin works great and make sure you let them air dry, it might seem weird but I also got a nasty case of mastitis.

I think it's wonderful that you're doing so much to continue the breastfeeding, I got so many discouraging comments from older family members. Hope you get lots of rest and see improvements in your LO very soon!

[fairfarmhand]

I forgot to add that the best thing for healing my soreness was BREAST MILK!

After feeding I'd express a bit, rub it in and let them air dry. That stuff is amazing!

[Mama_Rana]

T'sMom, any chance you have thrush [did you or babe receive any antibiotics before/during/after birth]? I had the pain and cracked nipples of thrush, but my son's never showed any signs of it.

 

ok, disclaimer first, I am not an IBCLC, but I have been there with my first son, and had the pain still with my second. DS1 lost weight his first month, I had to pump, supplement with formula and pumped milk, take fenugreek and that Rx that is no longer FDA approved in the states [i lucked out and got it before it became hard to get, but I always forget the name of it]. And my son was not content EVER to play while I pumped so that was always a stressful time. And I didn't have any support from DH who just wanted to give him bottles which I didn't want to do. I persevered, and by 3 months I had him back on breast milk exclusively.

 

* I second the rec to make sure you see an IBCLC; some peds have nurses doing lactation consulting, but with minimal training. I'm not trying to be derogatory, I think it's great they're making the effort. But when a problem comes up, it's time to get out the "big guns" so to speak. Some insurances will cover lactation consultations. Have them weigh babe before and after a feeding to see whether she's getting milk and how much. Have them check her latch, and check your nipples for thrush. Get some good ointment for that crack.

 

* Waking the babe is hard. Especially if they aren't getting enough nourishment. As someone else said, it's a vicious cycle. [and I was also on pain meds for my c/s the first week or so, which made him really drowsy] I was told to sit baby up and lie him back down repeatedly--like you might do to a baby doll to get her eyes to open and close, massage her jaw hinge, tickle under her chin, brush your nipple across her cheek.

 

* Try doing 2 hours cycles during the day, and 3ish at night to make it easier on you. Also if you get a SNS, you can give the milk from the last pumping at the same time as you nurse which will save you time. And getting that extra milk might be "novel" enough to wake her up more.

 

* Did the LC rent you a hospital grade pump? For increasing your supply they are imperative.

 

* Oatmeal, beer, fenugreek [i've seen it at the grocery store in the herbal supplement section], check out Kelly's site and search for increasing milk supply for more tips there

 

* breast compressions, breast compressions, breast compressions, can't repeat this enough. Remember though, breasts never "empty", but you do want them to get to the hindmilk on at least one side. That's dinner. Focus on getting a good feeding on one side, nursing til she's done, and THEN offering the second side. "Finish the first side first"

 

I wish you all the luck in the world. It IS possible to do, but it can be hard. Eventually it gets easier, and it's so worth it.

:grouphug:

[mommylawyer]

Of course, everyone has an opinion,so I'll throw in mine. I demand feed and don't put my babies on a schedule either. That said, for the first 3 to 4 weeks, I do feed baby every 2 hours. It's exhausting, but do your best. Your baby will probably fall asleep during feedings. Just try to keep her on for 20 minutes. I always found that setting a timer helped me a lot - and, in all honesty, there were times when I would fall asleep, too.

 

As for the soreness, do 2 things every time you put the baby on a breast: (1) make sure baby's mouth is open wide as you are putting her on (I actually say, "Open wide!" and (2) make sure you are belly to belly (unless doing the football hold) and nose to breast. Also use Lanolin on your nipples. A little tenderness is normal until you "toughen up" some, but pain and/or bleeding is not.

 

Use the kellymom.com another poster listed.

 

Most of all, good luck!

[Ellie]

:grouphug:

 

Not letting her go longer than 3 hours is a good idea.

 

Is she jaundiced?

 

Are you sleeping with her?

 

Have you tried taking a bath with her? Sometimes the bath wakes the baby up a little, and then you go to bed with her and nurse.

 

No pacifier, no bouncey seat, only you.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Is the baby jaundiced? Jaundiced babies tend to be sleepy babies.

 

I would nix the feeding from a bottle and get a lact-aid or SNS. The baby is learning that she doesn't need to work to empty the breast since the bottle requires no work to get food. You can feed her your pumped milk at the same time she is nursing.

 

I second the Jack Newman website, especially the breast compressions. I have personally seen sleepy babies get more milk with this technique (noticeable audible swallowings and weight gain within a few days.)

 

I would also keep the baby with me and sleep with the baby to give more access to the breast. I would say feeding every two hours and not going more than three. For you, OP, sleep when the baby sleeps if you can. Get help with your other kids so you can get at least 1 nap a day. Is there a friend, family member or a neighbor who can entertain your children while you lay down with the baby?

[Dobela]

Was the lactation consultant board certified? An IBLC ? If not, go find one. Also, was she weighed on the same scale as before? They can vary quite a bit.

 

 

 

Make sure the baby is weighed on the same scale every visit. Once I was told my dd had lost several ounces but the nurse then asked which room I was seen in the week before. When we went across the hall to the other scale (the one used the week before) my dd showed a weight gain. From then on we always made sure she was weighed on the exact same scale each visit.

[ktgrok]

oh yes, what someone else said, NO PACIFIERS!!!!! Seriously, throw them away. For a baby that isn't gaining they need ALL their sucking to come at the breast. They aren't using you for a human pacifier, they are using the pacifieer as a plastic breast.

[Lightly Salted]

Are they absolutely, positively weighing her on the SAME scale under the SAME conditions each time (ie, empty diaper or no diaper, no clothes consistently?) Otherwise, weight comparisons are meaningless. If they are, definitely check the Kellymom site and this thread for advice on upping baby's weight gain. :hug:

[northcoast]

I had a somewhat similar experience to Chocolate Lover with a child being tongue tied. My 2nd would nurse for 2 hrs and not be satisfied. I had a great lactation consultant at the hospital that recognized my DD wasn't latching and sucking properly. I did not recognize it. I was so sore. It turns out she needed her tongue clipped in order to get on the breast properly and to suck properly. Once that was done, the nursing time was normal, baby was happy after feeding. I encourage you to SEEK out another lactation consultant or get your baby evaluated by someone. Nursing for 2 hrs is not normal. You've also gotten much good advice here. Lanolin is great to help heal the soreness.

 

HTH! Congrats on the birth of your baby!

 

northcoast

[Rosie_0801]

I am not a fan of waking up sleepy babies. IME, it just doesn't work. I never understood why they told me to try to wake a baby up, when the sleepy baby would only nurse for 5 seconds and drop back off to sleep.

 

:iagree: And they do their growing while they are asleep. Interrupting a person doing some growing to make them grow seems uncomfortable and stressful to me! Maybe bub needs to get in a bit more serious sleeping, then will be ready to eat. One of mine always went off his food when he was growing. It recovered...

 

Rosie

[Mama_Rana]

Also, google "kangaroo care", and if you have the help, move you and baby into your bed, and don't leave except to pee. Nurse, sleep skin to skin with her latched on if possible, pump every 3 hours but mostly just nurse nurse nurse.

 

<3

[T'smom]

Thank you everyone for all of the advice- I don't have much time to type, but I can read while nursing- so that's much easier to do!

 

I am taking all of this advice to heart- while eating oatmeal!Please don't think that because I haven't written again I'm not really interested in advice, because I really, really am. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some of those supplements tomorrow.

 

She's having 5-6 noticably wet diapers a day and 8-9 poopy diapers. Her poop is very yellow.

 

After she nurses, I'm getting anywhere between 1-2 ounces of milk pumped. Does anyone know how many ounces she should be getting per feeding? Obviously, there's no way to know exactly how much she's getting before I pump- she does swallow, especially at first. And she seems very satisfied after getting the pumped milk.

 

We have a weight check tomorrow morning.

 

Thanks- I'll be checking back soon!

[LibraryLover]

Look at the whole baby, not just a number on a perhaps imperfect scale.

 

Does the babe seem alert? What do her diapers look like? Does she wet frequently? What color are her milky poops?

 

If she is a sleepy baby who is losing weight, you'll need to get some help for any other children so you can spend the next few days with her on your breast. If you have no help, I would make resting and quiet time a priority. :D Keep the babe near and offer the breast as often as you can. Consider sharing bed space at night so you can nurse easily.

 

The first few weeks are the most challening. It's all down hill (feeding-wise, at least, after that. :)

[TKDmom]

We have a weight check tomorrow morning.

 

Thanks- I'll be checking back soon!

 

Let us know how that weight check goes!

[T'smom]

Update- From Tues. morning to Thurs morning she gained almost 4 oz!!!! Yay!

 

Hopefully, I'll be able to see a lactation consultant tomorrow. She's doing well with getting the milk I pump after nursing- but seeing as that process takes an hour, I've got to get her able to get enough at once- without the pump. I just let her nurse for an hour and she still wasn't satisfied until I gave her an ounce of pumped milk.

 

I guess we'll see how this goes!

[scrappyhappymama]

Update- From Tues. morning to Thurs morning she gained almost 4 oz!!!! Yay!

 

Hopefully' date=' I'll be able to see a lactation consultant tomorrow. She's doing well with getting the milk I pump after nursing- but seeing as that process takes an hour, I've got to get her able to get enough at once- without the pump. I just let her nurse for an hour and she still wasn't satisfied until I gave her an ounce of pumped milk.

 

I guess we'll see how this goes![/quote']

 

Good work mama! Glad she's gaining again!

 

On the pumped milk, since she's such a wee little thing yet, I'd highly recommend syringe feeding her instead of the bottle. She's likely showing so much enthusiasm for the bottle because it is easier and requires less sucking on her part. It makes for a vicious cycle though- the more she drinks from the bottle, the less vigorously she will nurse at the breast. The more you can keep her at the breast- maybe even stage a lie in for the next few days for a nursing marathon- the more you will produce and the quicker she'll be back to exclusively nursing.

 

:grouphug: Those early weeks can be tough! Hang in there.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Can you cup feed instead of the bottle? Like Aimee said, she will prefer the bottle because she doesn't need to work as hard. I am surprised the LC didn't recommend a LactAid or an SNS or even cup feeding. I know the mantra is "feed the baby", but there are methods that do not cause bottle preference.

[ThelmaLou]

If the pain doesn't subside, I second the suggestion that you might have a yeast problem on your breasts. Also, if the pain is not merely external, and if you have internal shooting pains in your breasts after nursing, the yeast infection might be in your milk ducts. Dr. Jack Newman has Candida (yeast) protocol handouts on his website. I dealt with this while nursing 3 of my 5 babies.

 

Secondly, regarding milk supply, do try all of the natural suggestions mentioned here, but if nothing works after a good old college try, consider the prescription medication Domperidone. It's a stomach med, but it's also a galactagogue (milk increaser). My mom is a lactation consultant, and after struggling through 4 babies and low milk supply, she said she'd never seen anyone do everything right like I did and still have so much trouble with milk. Plenty of water, healthy foods, good fats, lots of sleep, fenugreek, mother's milk tea, oats, hops, beer, the list goes on. With my 5th baby, Domperidone had just become available in the states in compounded form. I ended up nursing my last baby for 16 months with enough milk to feed a third world country. Seriously. It was that huge of a difference. I'd do it all over again, too. Reglan is an Rx that's been used by some moms in the past, but it doesn't have very good success. If all else fails, try Domperidone.

[northcoast]

Let us know how it goes with the lactation consultant. Hopefully some light will be shed on your issues and you can be nursing soon having a satisfied baby without pumping and everything else. I'm glad to hear there has been weight gain.:grouphug:

 

northcoast

[Lolly]

a