Tips to increase supply??

[Shazzzzz]

Hey, so im just looking for tips to help increase my supply 🤷🏽‍♀️

Im currently just expressing using the medela freestyle double pump. I think im doing ok but i can only get 3-5oz pumping every 3 hours. This is fine for now as DS is on 5oz bottles but im worried i wont meet the demand when he eventually wants 6,7,8oz

I pump once in the night and usually get around 9oz and i have been taking fenugreek for 4 days but havent noticed a difference yet.

Also when i pump eventually nothing comes out but i can still hand express quite a lot, has anyone else had this issue? I thought a pump would empty my breasts 🙁

@Shazzzzz I’m so pleased for you.

@Brenna24 im hoping to eventually wean him off also, im just glad we had a good BF session for now😂

Breastfed babies feed little and often. 5oz is a great yield. Breast pumps come with small bottles because a breast milk feed is small.

I made the mistake with getting her up over volume by trying to pump the recommended amount of formula, but formula and breast milk are different things.

It sounds like you have a great supply and your technique is good. Have you looked at paced bottle feeding! Pacing the feed makes it harder for your baby to get milk out of the bottle and therefore they are less likely to get frustrated when on the breast as they have to work to get the milk.

Your supply is great. You're making milk and feeding your baby. This will really be beneficial when encouraging your baby to the breast. You may like to offer him a small amount of expressed milk at the beginning of a feed to take the edge off his hunger and then transfer him to the breast when he's calmer to encourage him to associate the breast with satisfaction and fullness.

@dannydyerismydad i will try giving him some expressed first thats a good idea - Thank you.

I have just breast fed him on and off for 45 mins or so and he is asleep now, he seems to cry for a couple of mins after he breastfeeds and then falls asleep so i dont know if hes full or not its so confusing 🙈

Last night he did the same cried so i tried to give him some expressed milk incase he wasnt full but he didnt take it 🤷🏽‍♀️

I wish we knew how much they was taking

Hi Shaz. Has he been weighed? I’ve requested an appointment at my local clinic for mine due to the issues we had with tongue tie etc.

@peachypetite Yeah he was weighed 8 days ago and was 10lb 10oz. He was quite big born, 9lb 6 a week early so hes like a little milk monster.

Im looking at buying some scales off amazon to keep checking on his weight with trying to introduce more breastfeeding i will know if hes getting enough or not. my HV is coming in 2 weeks also

The only thing that helped me was REST!

Hi OP,
(Trainee breastfeeding counsellor here).
I would urge you to get some support with this too. Have you called the National Breastfeeding helpline? 0300 100 0212

It sounds like you have a few different things going on which could do with some support.

Re nipple shields - they can be great but just bear in mind it can be harder for a baby to extract milk through them, so a long session of feeding might not necessarily mean they are getting lots of milk. What you are looking for is swallowing. You can also hear them drinking.

In terms of getting baby latched this is a great video which shows how to get a nice deep latch: globalhealthmedia.org/portfolio-items/attaching-your-baby-at-the-breast/

You can try skin-to-skin, not waiting until he is super hungry as that can make it all the more stressful.

Gentle breast massage before feeding or pumping can also help to get milk flowing and then while you are feeding or pumping you can gently squeeze or massage your breasts which will help with milk flow. This is called breast compressions.

At the moment you need to protect your supply while you encourage yourself baby to latch and of course ensure that he is fed enough.

Breasts work on supply and demand so the more often and more thoroughly milk is removed, the quicker and the more milk produced. You need to be feeding / pumping (from both breasts) at least 8-12 times per 24 hour period.

It would definitely be worth getting expert help with that. If I were you I would probably see a lactation consultant - you can find your nearest fully qualified IBCLC here. They should also help you identify if a tongue tie is the issue. lcgb.org/find-an-ibclc/

This is a great article about what to do if baby isn’t latching: www.cordeliauys.co.uk/what-to-do-if-your-newborn-isnt-latching

@Peasbewithyou Thank you for your advice!

Ive have just breastfed with the shield at first and then without, it was quite successful, he pulled off quite a few times but wasnt stressing.

When he did pull off my milk was literally squirting out my nipple so jm wondering if its too fast for him and thats why we are struggling?

Hi OP,

I think you definitely need a bit more support thank you will get online. Do try the IBCLC and also call the helpline or find a breastfeeding counsellor (trained with ABM, BFN, NCT, LLL).

It’s really hard to say exactly what’s going on but it might be worth trying some other positions.

Laid back nursing / biological nursing position can be great for latch and also for helping the baby to regulate if you have a fast let down.

Have a look at this article as it describes it quite nicely!

www.laleche.org.uk/positioning-attachment/

@Peasbewithyou thank you.

I have been power pumping these past few days whenever i can to try and help. It has worked and ive been getting 8oz every 2-3 hours since last night! However i believe i now may have mastitis 😫 cant bloody win ha!

Anyone got any tips to help with this now?

Hi OP,

I really think you could do with some trained support. Would you be happy to call the National Breastfeeding Helpline? It’s just like calling a local number which is usually included in minutes on a mobile: 0300 100 0212

@Peasbewithyou i have contacted them, they are really hel

@Peasbewithyou they are really helpful. Im just looking for other peoples experiences

Ah ok great!

Re mastitis the main thing is to keep milk flowing - so feeding / pumping frequently and making sure the breast is drained. Start on the affected breast if you can. Plus rest if you can, keep up fluid intake etc. Warm compress / hot shower just before feeding or pumping along with gentle massage can help move things along if there is a blocked duct (which is usually the cause) with a cold compress in between feeds to reduce inflammation - the inflammation makes it worse because it makes it harder for milk to travel through the ducts. Painkillers like ibuprofen if suitable for you may also be helpful. Personally, I find this article a great summary of what is going on and what to do: breastfeeding.support/mastitis-symptoms-and-treatment/