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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

DS 8 days old and milk still not come in

43 replies

Mozismyhero · 30/11/2010 23:21

Help. I am at my wits end. Had C-sec last Monday and had probelms with feeding since.

Milk still not come in. When I express, I produce pitiful amounts (max 10 mls) and DS is never satisfied. As of yesterday, I am on domperidone to increase supply, DS is feeding constantly and am expressing as much as I can but this is not much as I am feeding all the time.

We are topping up DS with formula as he is so hungry. This breaks my heart but nothing else to do. Today he had about 200 mls.

Feel so down about all this. On verge of tears all the time and just feel like giving up and moving over to formula. Really wanted to BF and love doing it though but don't know how much longer I can do this. DH so supportive and encouraging me to give it time as he knows I will rwegret giving up but...

Anyone out there had similar experiences and kept going with success? Any advice? Thank you.

OP posts:

MumNWLondon · 30/11/2010 23:25

I think you need RL help to check his latch etc. I can see why you are offering formula but if he takes 200ml of formula then he'll BF less...

Expressing is not a good indication of supply (what sort of pump are you using?)

organiccarrotcake · 30/11/2010 23:27

Don't take what you can express as any indication of supply - it means nothing. He's obviously getting milk from you if you're only topping up 200 mls. Does your MW say the latch/feeding is ok? Give it a week before making any decisions. CS can really affect your milk and you may find it all comes right in a few days - as long as your baby is doing what he should be doing, otherwise the messages to make more milk won't be there.

organiccarrotcake · 30/11/2010 23:28

X post.

duchesse · 30/11/2010 23:31

Ah, I'm sure you know that expressing never gets as much out as the baby can if he's feeding properly. When he's feeding, can you hear him swallowing regularly (little gulps)?

When you say your milk has not come in, do you mean that have not yet had that rock hard boobs like melons feeling? Is he having enough wet and dirty nappies when on your milk alone?

Babies are usually feeding pretty constantly at this stage as they build your supply up from nothing/a little to whatever they need. So full on feeding would be exactly what you'd expect and not a sign that he's not getting enough. It will take a month to 6 weeks to build up and regularise your supply and by extension to stop the very very frequent feeding. After that he should find pretty much exactly the amount he needs in there every time. As he grows he"ll feed for a bit longer to build up your supply etc etc...

Hang in there. This early stage feels like for ever but I promise it's not.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 01/12/2010 07:52

Moz, how are you getting on now?

Just wanted to say that I never got that engorgement that many Mums speak of but still produced milk. Also, I was never able to express with DC1. Expressing and engorgement are no indication of how much milk you are producing as the baby will be much more efficient at getting milk than you are. Also, your breasts will have milk even if they feel empty to you.

Have a look at Kellymom, is my baby getting enough milk and low supply. The low supply page starts off with useful information to see if your supply really is low.

It is very easy to think that you don't have enough milk when in fact you do. Wet and dirty nappies are sometimes the only reliable indicator.

Like the other posters have said, are you getting some RL help? Is there a bfing counsellor close to you? What does you MW say? Is there a local Bfing support group you could go to or have you called one of the bfing support lines?

JiltedJohnsJulie · 01/12/2010 07:55

Oh and Moz, like other posters have said feeding constantly is also no indication of hunger. Some LO just want to be close to Mummy, afterall he's been with you for 9 months and now he's out in this cold weather. Wouldn't you want to snuggle?

Keep going you sound like you are doing a really good job.

tiktok · 01/12/2010 08:55

Moz - real life help essential. Absolutely true that expressing gives no meaningful indication of production. Constant feeding is normal in a young baby.

It's not possible to tell from your post if you have an issue with supply or your baby has an issue with intake - so Real Life help is essential. You can speak to midwife or call any of the bf helplines.

pud1 · 01/12/2010 09:18

i had this problem but only for 5 days. ihad an excellant midwife and she showed me a little trick. get baby to latch on as normal and hold a bottle in your free hand. drip milk down your breast so it runs towards you nipple. milk will run into babys mouth but he will still be feeding from you at the same time. this ensures that he is getting some milk but is still stimulating the breast to improve/ start breast milk flow.

Original poster

Mozismyhero · 01/12/2010 11:14

Hi all,

thanks for your replies. Latch was a problem but we've really worked on that and it is now much better.

Getting wet nappies and first dirty one since Sunday today (hurray!). The thing that makes me think I have low supply is that he is never satisfied. He is either asleep or so, so hungry. When we bottle feed him (yesterday 100mls given at the end of the day after a whole day's BF) he seems content, full, opens his eyes and will be held/put in his moses baskett without screaming and rooting for food. Surely this means he is hungry?

Will try La Leche I think. Have had help from mw who seems to think that it is just a matter of time and I just need to keep going.

OP posts:

Original poster

Mozismyhero · 01/12/2010 11:36

Also, his weight gain is not great. When in hospital, he lost 10% in 3 days and they wouldn't let us out until he'd put some back on (via formula). In 3 days we've been home, he's only gained 10grams, mw not too concerned but said she would've liked more.

just feel like I'm letting him down.

OP posts:

MamaChris · 01/12/2010 12:51

moz, I can't comment on weight gain, but my dts both did nothing except sleep and feed for weeks. dt2 still has the odd day like that now at 8 weeks. so please don't let that behaviour worry you, sounds normal :)

porcamiseria · 01/12/2010 13:08

hang on in there, I had a 5 day wait. the problem is they have to work hard to get colustrum, so are never seeming happy! keep feeding as the more they suck, the milk will come thru. hang on in there and dont feel bad about the formula, needs must and all that! we dripped formula onto my nipples, that way he got food but kept the sucking/boob thing going

JiltedJohnsJulie · 01/12/2010 16:34

Moz you are not letting him down. Feeding and sleeping all the time is what newborns do.

Keep going and keep posting, you sound like a brilliant Mum

QuickLookBusy · 01/12/2010 16:48

I had the same problem after a cs. My milk didnt ever come in and DD wasnt latching properly. Unfortunately I didnt get much help. I was in hospital for 10 days and staff were useless. I felt terrible but ended up giving up BF at 3 weeks.

We found out when she was 1 that she was tongue tied-such a simple thing, that no one thought to check at the time.
It made me really angry for a long time so do please get RL help from someone who is an expert in BFing.

I was able to BF DD2 very easily and did so for 16 monthe

duchesse · 01/12/2010 17:13

Gosh, I thought it was removal of the placenta that triggered milk production. I can honestly say there was no difference whatsoever for me between my three vaginal births and my CS in terms of milk production. If anything I had more for the CS birth than for the previous birth due to resting more.

Original poster

Mozismyhero · 04/12/2010 10:56

Day 12 now and milk still not come in. If anything, it seems to be getting less. Am now ff after each breast feed on advice on breast feeding consultant as DS still losing weight. Problem is, this is probably not helping my supply and I think DS is getting lazy at the breast; no real swallowing going on but this might just be because there's nothing there for him to swallow in volume. When I now express, I'm getting less than 5 mls from both breasts in 20+ mins.

Really losing confidence and don't know how much longer we'll be able to go on doing this. DS is also sleeping a lot and we're having to wake him for feeds - yesterday he was going 4-5 hours. Worried this is because he is losing energy.

Just don't know what to do for the best.

OP posts:

MoonUnitAlpha · 04/12/2010 11:53

Does the breastfeeding counsellor know why your milk hasn't come in? Has he been checked for a tongue tie?

tellnoone · 04/12/2010 12:07

I think 4-5 hours is too long between breastfeeds, yes wake him for feeds, maybe every 2-3 hours for BF.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 04/12/2010 16:29

Agree with tell, if you are worrie about your LO's weight you really should be feeding every 3 hours, but I'd be doing it every 2.

Also, like Moon says, does the bfing consultant know why your milk hasn't come in?

Original poster

Mozismyhero · 04/12/2010 17:32

Not tongue tied.

Milk not come in as I lost a lot of blood during C section and emotional trauma of that.

4-5 hours between breast (45 mins - 1 hour) followed by 50-90 mls formula. Still, know this is too long.

NCT consultant (over the phone) suggested a babymoon - in bed, lots of skin to skin and feeding and as little FF as possible so that's what we're doing now. 3 hours in and he's screaming for food. Not looking good so far.

OP posts:

crikeybadger · 04/12/2010 17:48

Moz- sorry you're having a hard time.

Would a SNS help? - see here for an example.

It means your baby feeds at the breast ( thus stimulating demand) but also gets some extra (either formula, expressed, or donated bm) through the tube that goes in to the side of his mouth.

Hope things get better for you all soon.

crikeybadger · 04/12/2010 17:51

oh and try and keep up the expressing to maintain your supply- I think 8 times in 24 hours is the recommended amount.

MoonUnitAlpha · 04/12/2010 18:12

Is he getting any milk from you at all?

Original poster

Mozismyhero · 04/12/2010 18:27

When I hand express, a small amount comes out so think he is getting some - don't know how much but think not much.

He has been feeding for about 3 1/2 hours with a small doze in bewteen and is screaming for more. Gets very frantic at breast, fusses etc. DH has taken him downstairs for 5 mins to give me a break.

When he is at the breast, he is really trying to get some milk, breaks my heart. Really, really want to make this work.

OP posts:

Original poster

Mozismyhero · 04/12/2010 18:28

Also, so far no chance to express as he has been feeding.

OP posts:

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