Any top tips for increasing supply and speeding up let down?

[sazzermol]

Let down i have no idea about, supply issue I've got fennel tea, fenugreek, papaya, we're feeding whenever he wants, expressing as much as I can in between and breast compressing during both......
He's 3weeks and I really want to turn this around before I resort to formula. We gave him one ff this afternoon but don't really want to go down that route.

What is happening that means you feel you haven't got enough milk or that you aren't letting down?

Is baby doing 6+ wet nappies (8 cloth nappies) and 2 soft poos a day? Weight gain ok? No pain or soreness when feeding?

He was 10lb 15 at birth and has yet to regain that, weighed 10lb at last weigh on Monday. He has plenty of wet nappy but poos (explosively) only 1-2 week (which I have been told by HV can be normal in BF babies) Slight pain for 20-30secs upon latch as niplples v raw from previous bad latch and him pulling off due to frustration at lack of/slow flow.

Have you tried warm cloth on your boobs or feeding in a warm bath? That used to get my milk going

Lots of skin to skin between feeds.

sazzermol, hard to say what's going on here....

Need more info about his weight.

How much did he lose and what have been his interim weights?

What indications do you have from your baby about his feeding - is he happy on the breast/does he fight it; does he show contentment at some/any/all/no feeds....that sort of thing.

The poos you describe are unusual in a bf baby of this age.

He lost 7% at day 4 then a little more at day 10- he was 9 12. He then gained 4oz and was 10lb at last weigh on Monday. Next weigh is Tuesday.
Midwifed at breast feeding clinic have diagnosed low supply and looked at latch which has improved (but still not perfect Im sure)
He's happy when he's gulping it down but the rest of the time he is very fractious and can squirm and pull off before latching back on rapidly. He definitely shows contentment at some feeds but not all - when I feel there hasn't been enough time to 'refill' my breasts

sazzermol, thanks for the extra info.

I would say the jury is still out.

Babies should definitely not lose weight after about day 4-5 - the further loss at day 10 should have provoked some action and it probably did, from what you say. The main action is ensuring frequent, effective feeding from both breasts at least, every time, and it's still not clear what's happening there....can you increase the no. of direct feeds?

Waiting for your breasts to refill is the opposite of what you need to do - this decreases supply. In the very short term, it may seem as if you have more milk (and in the short term, you do, at that moment) but in the medium and longer term, you make less.

Could be difficulty in getting a good, effective position, for some reason - but you say they have looked at that?

Can you increase the feeds and increase the number of 'sides' at each feed (switch nursing)?

It could be that all is well, but your description of him being fractious a lot of the time, and the slow weight gain, and the lack of poo, are not good signs.