what foods help increase milk supply other than oats

[kittenbaby]

any tips ?

[ruddynorah]

but a lot of that i would call 1 feed but with short rests, not lots of feeds iyswim. you've broken it down a lot. i wouldn't have had time to re fasten my bra in the gaos between your feeds. why are you recording it so much? no wonder it's stressing you out.

[moondog]

Kitten..

STOP WORRYING MY LOVE

[Peachy]

Kitten

Ds2 and ds3 took weeks tor ecover their birth weights, Paed says was perfectly OK- some abbies just do this, esp. if slim builds are common in the family (not me sadly but Dh)

I agree that a lot of the feeds are broken single feeds rather than separate. My best advice (and I do have some training in this, although am no counsellor) would be to call ABM and ask for their counselor to come and observe a feed,w hcih they will usually do.

[Anonymama]

hello
just wanted to offer some encouragement really. Sounds like you have managed very well with some really crapola advice from your HV! Or should that say, despite her advice.

From experience, BF-ing is one of the most demanding parts of new motherhood, but it does get easier. My DS also lost way over the expected 10% of his birthweight, but over a few weeks he started making it up. As long as you baby is producing half a dozen wet nappies, is active and alert (as a small baby can be), and is gaining some weight (nevermind the 6oz per week thing - some babies gain weight more slowly), then what's the problem?

You'll be feeling knackered, which is par for the course, so make sure you get to bed as early as poss (doesn't look like that's a goer at the moment, but your babe won't always be feeding so intensively), and take things as easy as you can. Forget housework, let it all stack up and accept any offers of help that you can. If you can afford to get your shopping on-line, do so. Eat well, drink plenty, and accept that for the next month or two you will need to park your ass on the sofa and have the baby attached to your boob for most of the day (and night!)

It does get easier, and in a couple of months you will actually find it all a breeze and relatively enjoyable.

Good luck.
PS Good website for any breastfeeding query is www.kellymom.com, also use the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers or LaLeche League for advice (they have websites).
PPS I had a very supportive partner and my mum helping out in the first month. When I got mastitis (several times), my mum would jump on the bus and come over with hot flannels to massage the lumps out (!) If you have a partner, close relative or a friend to give you practical and emotional support in these early days, lean on them heavily. It isn't as easy - initially - as it sounds in your antenatal breastfeeding "lesson" (where they show you how to hold a doll like a rugby ball and get you to memorise "nose to nipple".) But sounds like you are doing well so far

[rainbow83]

your health visitor is causing detriment to the health of the nations babies & needs to be locked up.

[choolie]

Kitten, don't forget the weight charts in the books are for FF babies growth, not BF, the BF charts look different. My HV says the charts in there should be the BF ones, that would be more appropriate. She also constantly tells me not to worry if there hasn't been much weight gain one week, she says it's best not to weigh BF babies too frequently, once a fortnight ample, as their weight gain isn't consistent each week.

Sounds like you're doing great! - You must be exhausted with that feeding schedule though, takes me back to my early days! is she definitely taking milk in at each feed, or is she just sucking for comfort sometimes? I felt like I constantly had my boobs out in the early days till I realised DS is quite a sucky baby and was just after comfort sometimes and not really drinking.

A friend of mine told me to up my intake of full-fat stuff - e.g. go for full-fat milk, yogurt, real butter etc. I don't know if it's true, but can't harm. She also told me to make sure I had plenty of healthy snacks mid-afternoon, early eve, when typically milk supply might be lower, to help increase it. Again, don't know how much is in this. And I've read that make sure you get plenty of protein in each meal, as this can help settle babies more.

am starting to think my HV is actually not as bad as I'd thought!

[kittenbaby]

well i guess what worries me about the weight gaain was that the hv said if dd doesnt gain at least 4-5 oz a week "we will have to review this breast feeding"
in otherwords she was trying to say id be advised to stop
no practical help offred at all
she just wants my dd on formula for some reason
th chart in my red book is for bf babies thats what it says
but also what i dont get about this hv at weeks 3 she was still tllingto use formula top ups and saying dd must gain at least 4-5 oz a week then a week later she was tlling me to leave her on hr own upstairs to cry for 2 and a half hours !
talk about one extreme to the other
have anyon you been told your dc must gain x amount a week
im lucky really i didnt see her till day 13 because by then id had time to read up on things about bf
i really dont seem to have much milk though when i was prgnant didnt have a tiny at speck of milk at all
i never leak milk at all
all day i havent had b pads in to see if i even leak a tiny drop but no nothing
ive tried other tips like warm baths and warm flannels and they do sem to help so thats why i was looking for any tips possible
dh is supportive but family not so

[kittenbaby]

oh forgot to add dd is sucking 90% of th time

[andonandonandonandon]

Kitty my son also took just over 4 weeks to regain his birthweight and has been dropping down the charts ever since, quite often only gaining 2-3oz a week, 4.5oz is his record! My hvs have tried to persuade me to offer top up formula feeds and harassed me on a regular basis about how much i eat/drink/rest. (I am normally pesha btw and have posted afew times asking for advice about his weight gain and will probably continue to do so!)

He also fed constantly and although abit self conscious at first I soon became expert at walking around tescos, castles, high streets etc whilst feeding him in the sling, otherwise I would have been housebound!! He is now 15 weeks and the feeding is settling down, I regularly get 2 hours, occasionaly 3, between daytime feeds and he feeds more quickly now, its made such a difference. You have my full sympathies it is so draining and frustrating but it really has gone so quickly and is so worth it. I love the way he falls asleep feeding with his arm draped around my breast, so content and peaceful

Your hvs comments are unacceptable and I would definitely complain. You've done amazingly well to carry on and get this far. And as hard as it is you have to try not to worry so much, the main thing is that she is happy and alert. Can you change hv or change surgeries if necessary?

[moondog]

Kitten we have already established that your HV doesn't know her arse from her elbow.She is talking shit and is a disgrace to her profession.

Re the leaking.In 3 1/2 years of breastfeeding I leaked one drop of milk. Seriously.Have never used a breastbad in my life.

There isn't anything to worry about but if a chat with a breastfeeding counsellor (someone who has had proper training in this fiels as opposed to your HV who probably had an hour's lecture in 1981) then I suggest you phone one of the breastfeeding organisations' helplines for a chat.

I am a member of Association for Breastfeeding Mothers

0870 401 7711

Don't let this woman's ignorance sabotage your brilliant work.

I will link you to ABM website too.Have a look at it,will give you a real confidence boost.

[Habbibu]

Can you see another HV? She sounds really really rubbish. Try talking to your GP for another opinion. How is your little one otherwise?

[choolie]

Are you able to ask for a new HV? - I don't know if this is possible or not (anybody on here changed HV??)

Lots of skin-to-skin with baby helps too, so cuddle up in your bed with lots of home comfort and easy food around.

If she tells you the weight gain isn't enough, tell her that you're going to book an apt with your GP to check why baby isn't gaining enough weight, as there are plenty of wet nappies per day, soft spot is ok etc. - actually you prob have your 6 wk check with your GP round about now, so you can discuss the weight gain with your GP and see what they say?

good luck.

[moondog]

ABM

[Peachy]

'well i guess what worries me about the weight gaain was that the hv said if dd doesnt gain at least 4-5 oz a week "we will have to review this breast feeding" '

gawd I wish she could go on a baby friendy traning course- what effing business is it of hers to review the BF? Sorry she ahs amde me really 9angry]. It is not her business, at all. If there is an issue she shoudlr efer to a Paed 9which she wont, bbecause there isnt). To be exact, she is an evil little bully and needs to be completely retrained or removed from having contaxt with Mums (or indeed anybody).

[Peachy]

I changed HV after mine asked me ig I loved ds3 after I said I didnt mind if he was deaf)

Didnt take much but there were two at the surgery

[orangehead]

homeopathy really helped with my milk supply. Also NCT breastfeeding counsellors are brilliant they are really worth ringing

[moondog]

I wouldn't trust the GP either.Generally they know fuck all about breastfeeding.
If you need reasurance,your best bet is a breastfeeding counsellor and you will find those via ABM La Leche league and National Childbirth Trust.
Tiktok is a breastfeeding counsello.

[terramum]

(((Hugs) kittenbaby your HV sounds monstrous & like she has really knocked your confidence . Please ignore everything she has said as it it is very plain she knows squat about Bfing. I think it would be really useful for you to talk through all the things you have mentioned here with a BFC....please call one of the Bfing helplines (ABM, LLL, NCT or BfN). They are all manned by volunteer mums who have all bf & had extensive training to help & support bfing mums, unlike you HV who at best would have had a few hours basic Bfing training, if any at all . It may that there is isn't any problem at all...but it will always be better for you to be confident that things are going well & a good BFC will be able to help with that.

In the meantime I would really recommend you stop recording the feeds...it will do nothing to help you & only serves to make you feel worse not to mention all the time is must take. You're exhausted from all the work you are doing...and then recording it to remind you just how much work you are doing...which makes you feel worse....not a nice cycle to be in . I speak from experience here & I know it's hard to get out of the habit...I still have my "book" from when DS was little ...but once I stopped writing it down it made feeding a more relaxing affair - I wasn't looking at the clock every time he started or finished a feed & wasn't timing how long he was on for, which sides he took etc....I just fed him when he wanted to....it meant it didn't seem so often. He was alert & producing lots of wet & dirty nappies, growing well & that's all that mattered. Put your book somewhere very out of reach or give it to your DH to hide . There are much easier & less stressful ways of seeing how your LO is doing like nappies...How many is your LO doing every day and what are they like?

This link from kellymom should help: www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enough-milk.html.

With the weight gain issue, I would ignore the birth weight completely as it can sometimes confuse matters (birth weight can be affected by all kinds of things & it can sometimes take a while before the baby settles to what it should be on iyswim)...if you go from the lowest weight recorded, according to my calculations, your LO has gained well every week - 6oz, 6oz, 5oz, & 4oz this week which are perfectly respectable gains imo if all other things are well.....I say if because you are obviously worried about the frequency of the feeds & that needs addressing for your own piece of mind more than anything else . I used the calculator on the kellymom site to work out the weekly gains btw -www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/index.html

Looking at your feeding info...I am wondering what you class as a "feed"? One side? Both sides? Are you letting your LO come off the breast herself? How is her latch? Do you have any pain when she feeds? Sorry to bombard you with questions ....It may be that she isn't getting a good latch & it may need a bit of a tweak to get her removing milk from the breast a little more efficiently (& so she might not need to feed so often) & a BFC will be able to help you with that (or rule it out if it isn't an issue). What I would say is IMO anything with a gap of 10 or so minutes is just one big long feed....if you look at your typical day that way you have about 15 or so feeds. Newborns need to feed between 8 & 12+ times in 24 hours so looking at it that way it doesn't look so bad? The first weeks are so exhausting & babies do feed very often...but it does get better eventually....

These link from kellymom might help you as well: www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing.html
www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/frequent-nursing.html

[skatergirl]

Drink lots and lots of water, eat lots of food you enjoy and sack your Health Visitor!

[andonandonandonandon]

Sorry took ages to write that and x posted!

I also never leak, well when he suddenly slept 7 hours after never going more than 4 I did but normally no - I'm on my 3rd child and still not managed to get through even one box of breast pads! I never had my milk 'come in', just a gradual increase and again my breasts only ever feel full if he goes for an unusually long time between feeds.

I have to admit I am still slightly concerned about his weight gain but im still exclusively bfing and refusing to give him formula and he's a very active, happy, rolly baby. I did agree to see my gp to get my hv off my back about the formula and gp has referred him without checking anything herself as he's dropped but I really think its just a precaution. Your dd sounds fine, 4.5 oz is plenty BUT if your hv continues to hassle you and you dont feel you can change hvs may be worth seeing your gp so you can tell your hv you are doing something about it just not the formula that she wants? And might put your mind at rest.
But from what you've said I really dont think its necessary just something to bear in mind if you're still worrying and still getting pressure from hv

And this has taken me ages again as a friend rang so apologies for any x posts again!

[kittenbaby]

well this hv is the on thats based at my surgery the only on thats in walking distance from my house so it would be a bit difficult changing surgeries or going somewhere else
im having my 6 week check up next week at 7 weeks because i want to see a certain gp the one i like best because im prob gonna have to be examined after having repair opoeration for fourth degree tears
i think ill aski him if he thinks dd is gaining nough and tell him what hv has been saying
on the charts dd started out on btween 50th and 75th line and now is between 9th and 25th
thanks so much for your help and time

[orangehead]

My hv also advised me to take baby 2 bed and rest all day and do nothing, it worked wonders I also came more aware my milk was flow when I was tired. But obviously not that easy to rest

[phdlife]

kittenbaby, don't worry about not being able to see supply - it doesn't mean anything.

I tore my hair out, not being able to SEE milk; I never leaked, never felt a let-down, couldn't express more than a teeny drop no matter how I tried. (pity my poor, squeezed boobies!) But ds thrived and so will your dd.

(Eventually - when he was around 12 weeks, I think - I started to get the occasional leak. But I have to be massively engorged and sweating like a piglet for that to happen. Some of us just don't leak! And I STILL can't express!!)

[terramum]

Helpline numbers:

La Leche League (LLLGB) 0845 120 2918 (open 24 hours)
National Childbirth Trust (NCT) 0870 444 8708 (open 8am to 10pm every day)
Breastfeeding Network (BfN) 0870 900 8787 (open 9.30am to 9.30pm every day)
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ABM) 08444 122 949 (open 9.30am to 10.30pm every day)

[lailasmum]

You can change health visitors fairly easily, if there are several at your surgery, just ask to be changed to another one. I am about to do this too as my health visitor knows about as much about children as my cat. If there are not more than one health visitor at your surgery then it may involve a change of doctors surgery/health centre. But definitely worth it to find someone with some advice worth listening to. I only realised mine was so bad when I went with a friend to a massage class run by her HV who was lovely and actually helpful with varied and relevant suggestions and not just regurgitating thing without any thought. Its worth asking locally amongst mums.