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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

No milk in breasts, baby not happy

47 replies

mamamea · 20/07/2007 18:21

My baby was born 6:15am on Wednesday. Everything was ok the first night, but last night and today she seems to be quite angry because she does not seem to be getting any milk from my breasts, and so she wants to feed constantly, but is not getting anything. On Thursday she seemed to be happy to be fed and then fed later, but because of lack of milk, she is not happy and crying a lot.

Her lips are quite dry.

Does anybody have any suggestions?

OP posts:
DangerousBeans · 20/07/2007 18:23

Congratulations on the arrival of your new daughter!
Bumping as I'm no expert on this subject.
My DSs fed almost constantly for the first few weeks.

FirenzeandZooey · 20/07/2007 18:24

Mamamea here is some information about colostrum which is what your breasts will be producing currently. Are you at home with her? Is a midwife seeing you?

BecauseImTheFatLady · 20/07/2007 18:26

It does take a couple of days for your milk to come in I believe - and suckling as she is can only encourage this. Just keep doing what you're doing and all should be OK.

What does your midwife say? If she's visiting every day can she reassure you?

If you're worried about her dehydrating, why not try giving her a bottle with some water?

Hope it sorts itself out soon.

muppethasakitten · 20/07/2007 18:29

bumping for you... sounds like all 3 of mine were - your milk will come in soon and the more you let her suckle the quicker it should come....

sure someone with more expertise will be along soon

lailasmum · 20/07/2007 18:29

I think this is fairly normal. It can take a few days for your milk to come in properly cos the stuff you have at first is different to the main milk I think, though ask your midwife next time you see them. I remember feeling a bit dry and then all of a sudden there was gallons of the stuff pouring out at its own will. I expect it will kick in in the next few hours or day or so.

tiktok · 20/07/2007 18:32

mamaea - check this out with the midwife. What you are experiencing sounds normal, though. Feeding constantly is good. If she cries, put her back on.

DangerousBeans · 20/07/2007 18:34
bobsmum · 20/07/2007 18:35

Mamamea sounds like your milk is coming in and your daughter knows it!

My dd did this while I was still in the hospital - a whole night no stop - I couldn't out her down without her yelling.

The m/w told me that dd was indeed getting impatient (well the newborn equivalent of) and I should feed as often as possible to encourage the milk to come in.

By day 4 it was in with a vengeance and dd was coming off all drunken and very satisfied.

It can take a while - feeding constantly at first is what makes the breasts work.

She'll be getting colostrum for now which will be great stuff at this point.

Well done and congratulations

MegBusset · 20/07/2007 18:47

What bobsmum says. My DS fed constantly on the 3rd/4th day, cried all the time and never seemed satisfied. I was really worried that he wasn't getting enough milk. Within a couple of days my boobs had expanded about four cup sizes and he was getting more than enough

Pannacotta · 21/07/2007 22:26

Both my DSs fed loads the first few days and both were pretty upset at the lack of milk, until my milk came in after 3 days or so at which point they settled down.
The more you let your baby feed in the first days the quicker your milk comes in.

Original poster
mamamea · 22/07/2007 09:36

Well milk is here now, but unfortunately baby is not happy. On Friday night because she was upset we went out to Tesco to buy bottles and formula, which stopped her crying, but she now gets angry on the breast, even though there is finally milk now. Breast pump is working to express milk, but baby doesn't like the breast, possibly because nipple is not that pronounced.

OP posts:
tiktok · 22/07/2007 09:57

mamea - please, please talk with someone about this, someone who will listen and outline what might be happening to help you make a decision based on good info. This might be a midwife and/or a breastfeeding counsellor.

There are many reasons why your baby may be 'angry' at the breast - sometimes changing your technique of putting her on may make a real difference. Has there been any incidence where there has been a bit of a struggle or fight to get her on the breast? This can put some sensitive babies off - they end up fighting on the breast or turning away or sometimes, 'switching off' and falling asleep. If that's the case, then going back to basics, letting the baby find her own way to the breast, can really help. Try co-bathing, or the breast crawl, or lots of relaxed skin to skin, letting her come to the breast on her own terms. All these concepts (breast crawl, co-bathing, skin to skin) are explained in previous threads and you can find them by searching on these boards.

Giving formula at this stage is a high-risk strategy to breastfeeding - sorry. Your baby does of course need to be fed, but fixing the breastfeeding is what I sense from your posts you want to do....formula will undermine this.

I hope you get good help today.

Ulysees · 22/07/2007 10:01

DS1 was like this but he had colic for weeks on end. I fed him for a year though as he calmed down after a week or so?
Get as much professional help as you can, I asked lots. Have you tried lying on the bed relaxing with baby next to you then just let baby root. You'd be amazed how they soon get the idea. You just close your eyes, take slow breaths and relax and see what happens.
Oh I loved breastfeeding, getting all broody now. You're going to be fine hun, you have all mumsnet support. I didn't have a computer in those dark days and it was a real struggle. Ask midwife or HV though.

Pannacotta · 22/07/2007 11:32

Are your breasts a bit engorged/hard? This can make it hard for the baby to latch on. I had this problem with DS2 when my milk first came in and found had expressing a little before a feed helped make it easier for him to latch on and feed.

Original poster
mamamea · 22/07/2007 12:32

breasts are very firm and painful, which is making it harder, plus wounded nipples (which aren't very pronounced). Same thing happened when my son was born by c-section, no breastfeeding for several days in hospital, and refused to breast feed when we got home, would only drink bottles.

Because of the pain and baby's refusal I think this is going to turn out the same way, even if she starts out placid she just ends up angry.

OP posts:
tiktok · 22/07/2007 12:46

mamea - where's the midwife in all this? You need to see someone who knows what's what...

Original poster
mamamea · 22/07/2007 15:36

midwife came on thursday, it's now the weekend, she's coming again tomorrow.

OP posts:
Pannacotta · 22/07/2007 15:42

You can call and ask for help ASAP, sounds like you really do need it. They should come to you immediately if you are having trouble feeding, its important, you dont want your DD to become dehydrated.

StarryStarryNight · 22/07/2007 16:04

Mammamea,
Have you tried laying down in your bed, on your side, baby on the side, so you can both lay down and feed? I found this a very easy way. If your breasts are hard they may be very full by now making it even more difficult for baby to latch on. try stroke your breasts with gentle movements towards the nipple to encourage the flow, and keep your baby by your side as you do so, letting baby taste some drop of milk may encourage a good latch further, and try gently push as much breast as possible into babys mouth while you try latch him on, as he should have more than just nipple in his mouth, size of nipple shouldn't matter too much I think.

tiktok · 22/07/2007 16:31

mamamea, you can call the midwife to ask her to come at any time between routine visits. No visits between Thursday and Monday is too long a gap when feeding is causing you problems

StarryStarryNight · 22/07/2007 16:48

Have you thought about calling an NCT breastfeeding councillor? The number is HERE

You will get an answer phone first where you get a number of options, but if you "tick" to say you are in distress you get to talk to somebody right away. (at least that is how it was when I needed help and phoned them, they were pretty good)

I breastfed both my two boys till they were over a year, and did have problems to start with. You are doing very well.

lailasmum · 22/07/2007 19:58

I had the same engorged problem, why not try expressing a tiny bit with your pump just so they aren't so hard and then have a go. I had a lot of problems but persevered and things work out in the end. I had a few problems initially that I think were down to being too knackered to think straight so expressed and bottle fed the expressed milk and put my daughter to the breast too. I was in excruciating pain but it did get better. And over a period of time switched back to about 80% breast feeding and the rest of the time bottle feeding expressed milk.

But definitely get help as this is something you can do something about.

Original poster
mamamea · 23/07/2007 00:29

we will see how it goes tomorrow, but it's going to be very difficult to get baby to go from being able to drink a couple of ounces in a short time from a bottle to go to a breast, as she is already quite determined about it.

Why do the bottles let the milk out so quickly?

OP posts:
beanbearer · 23/07/2007 00:57

Keep believing you can do this: your body's made for it! Babies can get a bit lazy about working for their milk at the breast after glugging it down from a bottle, which is why its good to spend lots of time cuddled up together, preferably 'skin to skin', letting her smell the milk and temptation will overcome her, especially if you express some off and leave the drops there to entice her!
Try kellymom website for ideas about ways to cope with her fussing at the breast.

beanbearer · 23/07/2007 01:30

Just found this thread which has a couple of great examples of people getting their milk going despite major difficulties.
Best of luck with it!