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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Not enough milk

38 replies

Breizhette · 18/08/2008 15:28

I posted here a few weeks ago. I have a 24 days old DS and not enough milk. I have been taking motilium for a week now and am being monitored by a BF consultant. We have had to supplement as he was not putting any weight on and was constantly hungry. I am not bottle feeding him but using a tube and still offering the breast at least 12 times a day!
This breaks my heart as I didn't manage to BF DD exclusively either. I mixed fed until she was 13 months.
The BF consultant thinks it might be something to do with my fertility problems.
So I don't really have a question, just wanted to vent my frustration. I know I am lucky to have 2 healthy children but I so wanted to BF exclusively. My family doesn't really understand why it makes me sad. I feel like I couldn't conceive them naturally, I didn't give birth naturally (C-sections) and now I can't feed them naturally!!

OP posts:
mamachat · 18/08/2008 23:27

Hi

I had problems when I first had my dd, I was not producing enough milk as was weak after the birth so had to top up with formular too.

Now dd is 13months and I am trying to wean her off the breast as she is a boobaholic...

In the early days I had to drink lots and lots of milk which I hate so mixed with babana flavoured milkshake powder so it tasted better...

Also made loads of angel delight made with full fat milk.

Another reason I was not producing enough milk was because my Iron levels were low so maybe you could get those checked, and I did express alot as soon as I had the energy.

My dd was probably on the breast 20 times a day or more at the start.

Good luck hope it gets better, but don't give yourself a hard time as mixed feeding will still have more benifits than formula alone...

StarlightMcKenzie · 18/08/2008 23:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MadBadandDangeroustoKnow · 18/08/2008 23:40

I had supply problems too and at one point my dd was not gaining weight. My HV remarked that this often seemed to be a problem for older (40 in my case) mothers and I still wonder whether my fertility problems were also implicated. In the end we mixed-fed but didn't stop BFing until she was 18 months old.

Breizhette - don't lose heart. However it turns out for you, you're clearly doing your utmost for your baby.

mamachat · 18/08/2008 23:50

Sorry starlightmckenzie 0 just going by things I have been told by other people which I belive to be tru, maybe I am no expert like you but I know drinking alot of milk did seem to help me........

tiktok · 18/08/2008 23:54

Backgammon - using formula is sometimes essential when breastfeeding is not working for whatever reason....the baby has to be fed More than that, a baby who is not getting the calories needed may not suck often enough or well enough to stimulate a good supply (often these babies are quite sleepy, to conserve energy)...and this is where the careful and temp use of a supplement (mother's own ebm, or donated milk, or formula, ideally in that order of preference) comes in. Return to full bf is often very successful, and the main challenge is often the mum's own confidence, to be honest.

Backgammon - what happened in the early days? Was my guess right?

tiktok · 18/08/2008 23:57

mamachat - drinking milk may have helped you with energy and helped your recovery, so of course it's ok to drink it, banana flavoured or not

But it's not needed to make milk - cows don't eat much but grass and they make milk!

Iron levels, if they are very low indeed, do seem to affect milk production in some women.

It's great you overcame your shaky start and went on to have a good experience.

mamachat · 18/08/2008 23:58

Thanks tiktok...

Tryharder · 19/08/2008 00:52

I mixed fed DS1 and he breastfed at least 2 - 3 times a day until he was 14 months. I am currently mixed feeding DS2 (bf but gets 2 bottles formula a day). Like others on this thread, I felt dreadful for not bf exclusively and I know there are mums on here that would not consider any ff as an option at all. But, for those of us that struggle with bf I just want to say that there's no shame in mixed feeding and those of us that do so shouldnt feel guilty or ashamed for doing so particularly if we have we have done everything possible to make bf successful. I think we have to remember that there are plenty of mums out there who give up bf straight away or who ff from Day one and their babies turn out OK! So much of my early time with my babies has been spent crying and worrying about bf and that time can never be reclaimed. I would advise, do what you can do and if you are able to bf exclusively then great but if you are not, then that's OK too. Just dont ruin your time with your baby by worrying about it. Sorry to ramble...

Backgammon · 19/08/2008 10:40

Thanks Tiktok - after topping up with formula in hospital she gained 50 grams in about 18 hours so the plan is to continue topping up until she is back up to birth weight and then hopefully try to return to exclusive breastfeeding. The first 2 days were awful tbh, I couldn't get the latch right and colostrum just did not seem to satisfy her at all. Breastfeeding has been improving since we saw a counsellor on about day 3 and she feeds now for about 30-45 mins at a time about every 2 hours. In the early days though I was told in hospital that she was feeding well when she clearly wasn't as she had no wet nappies and seemed constantly ravenous. Hopefully we will get things back on track - thanks for all your advice.

Thryharder - what a lovely post

Original poster
Breizhette · 19/08/2008 12:12

Backgammon, do you top up with a bottle or with a supplementer feeding system?

OP posts:
MotherElk · 19/08/2008 12:34

hi there i just wanted to say well done everyone for such a supportive thread i hope things are improving a little for you Breizhette...
I don't have much wisdom to pass on but I would say

  • don't start counting mls/fl oz when you express - some days i get lots during expressing and others i get, like nothing..and there's nothing more disheartening than getting on that I'm Failing At This mindset, I still do it and I've been BFing for 6 months
  • and someone said something to me which made much of my formula guilt fade.. Every Breastfeed is a Bonus. Slightly kitsch but it's true - just like Tryharder says!
Anyway well done you are doing brilliantly. Oh and eat lots of cake, my NCT friend gave up cake for a few days and her supply went down a bit...I didn't need to hear that twice before reaching for another slice!!!! yummmm x
Backgammon · 19/08/2008 12:43

Breizhette - I didn't want her feeding from a bottle in hospital and asked if we could use a cup but they said they wouldn't let us go home unless shed fed from a bottle

She was fine with the bottle in the end though, hasn't affected her latch so we're continuing with the closer to nature bottles now.

Original poster
Breizhette · 21/08/2008 09:24

DS was weighed yesterday and he's putting on 40g a day which is in the norm, and that's with about 80% brest milk and 20% formula, so that's not too bad, although I would still like to go back to 100% BF.

I am alternating between the supplementer and the bottle as sometimes I really can't make the tube work and DS is just too hungry.

Backgammon, how are you getting on?
Motherelk, I love this about the bonus mantra, I think mixed feeders need support. And I shall follow the cake diet :-)

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