Not producing enough breast milk

[lgmum2b]

My now 3 week old lost 12% of her birth weight in the first three days whilst I was in hospital following c section and as result of my milk not coming in until day 4 had to be given formula.
b
Breastfeeding got off to an okay start but I am simply not producing enough milk per feed that she needs.
id like to aim to have her exclusively on breast milk but inspite of drinking lots of fennel tea and taking fenugreek tablets my supply cannot meet her demand which is currently about 100ml per feed.
I can express that amount but only about twice a day.
i start with a breast feed give her both breasts which takes about an hour - she'll only sleep for about 40 mins before waking hungry again and in this time my boobs haven't refilled so I need to follow it with 100ml of formula.

i cant keep up the feeding regime of every hour as it means no sleep and think this was initially responsible for my supply dropping.

Seeing the gp on Monday but meanwhile if anyone has any suggestios id be grateful to hear
Lou
x

Igmum, hope you will phone a breastfeeding helpline. This is a pretty standard question, and you will get lots of help and support.

The only way breastmilk increases is by increasing the frequency with which it is effectively removed. Formula interferes with this, as it fills the baby up and lengthens the gaps between feeds. Fennel tea and fenugreek tabs are irrelevant, honestly, if the baby is not doing this.

100 mls of formula after a breastfeed is a massive amount - you don't say how often this is, but I'm assuming a few times?

This will undermine your breastfeeding hugely, sorry.

You don't need to wait until your breasts have refilled. Just feed your baby. Frequent feeding boosts your supply. This does not mean you will be feeding hourly - though it will be, in the short term, very often, and sometimes there may be short gaps between feeds....that's a good thing as it boosts supply.

You need to discuss a plan with the breastfeeding counsellor/hv/midwife about reducing the top ups of formula to leave 'room' for your baby to breastfeed. This reduction will happen gradually, but systematically.

Hope you get the help you need.

Hi I'm not a BF expert but I'm sure one will be along soon.

Congratulations on your baby by the way!

Has a BF advisor checked your latch? if the baby is sucking effectively the way to increase your supply is to feed a LOT. There is a growth spurt at around 3 weeks I think. I've been BF over 3 months and my supply is now fully established but every time my baby has a growth spurt I feel like I can't keep up with him and he feeds pretty constantly for a few days before my body catches up. That is normal and not a sign of poor supply. Unless you've got medical conditions or have had breast surgery your body will almost certainly be able to make enough. I know sometimes boobs seem empty but they are never really empty and the baby will be able to get more even after an hour.

My advice would be relax on sofa/in bed, feed as much as you can bear and during the week go to a BF support group and someone should be able to advise on gradually decreasing the top ups.

good luck

oops xposted with tik tok, she's the expert so listen to her not me!

Yep, tiktok has the answer. Good luck and congratulations on your baby.

Oh darling you need to talk to somebody trained to help.

As tiktok says it works on supply and demand. Your breasts are never 'empty' and you don't need to wait for them to fill. They make milk as you feed.

If you want to ebf you need to reduce the formula feeds slowly and with guidance from somebody who is trained.

The best way to ensure your baby gets what they need is to allow unfettered acces to the breast. At times this may be hourly but that is how your baby tells your body to make more. If you allow this to happen, your supply will adjust. You need support and confidence.

The kellymom website is also excellent.

igmum2b, I'm sorry you are anxious and have had a tricky start.

What no one tells you in advance about BF-ing is how often new babies feed. They feed, and feed, and feed, and it is exhausting, but it doesn't mean anything is wrong with them. The reverse, in fact.

At 3 weeks, my DS was glued to me, and tbh, during the day, I might get one break of about 2 hours, but otherwise he was feeding on and off constantly. On the boob for an hour, 40 mins off, 10 mins on, 20 mins off, back on for an hour...

I found in the end it was best to stop thinking about 'feeds' as timed events, with a beginning, middle and end, which would leave the baby full until their next 'feed.' That's more of a formula feeding mentality - it's not how most BF babies work.

If you genuinely want to to keep BF-ing, I'd say go with the flow, let your baby feed as much and as often as they want, and yes, it is SO tiring at this stage. And the nights are a killer (again, not much about that in all the pro-BF-ing pamphlets the MW gave me...)

If you can get to 6 weeks, it gets easier. After that, easier still.

When it feels as if your breasts are empty, they still produce milk (I remember wondering about this). What it does mean is that your DD will probably need to feed for longer to get the amount of milk she wants. It's only really a couple of times a day you find yourself feeding a baby with very 'full' boobs - the rest of the time, they're making it as your baby is feeding.

And like everyone says, this is how a baby orders up the amount they want, espcially during growth spurts (which are all over the 1st 6 weeks...). So yes, you do feel like your breasts aren't full, and if your DD is feeding very often or for long periods, you wonder if it's because she isn't getting enough. I think that's a very normal experience, but so many BF-ing mums think there's something wrong because of it.

I hope you can get some good advice - GPs vary so much IME in what they know about BF-ing. A BF support group might be helpful - your MW should know if there is one near you.

Good luck.