How do I get more milk?

[cat811]

M seems to totally empty both sides when he feeds, and I'm worried he may not be getting enough, as he doesn't always seem totally satisfied. I've tried feeding every 2.5 hours, and also expressing before, or after a feed, to stimulate more milk, but my supply odoesn't seem to be increasing. If anything, M seems to be emptying a breast in less time (often after 10 mins or so) when it was more like 25 a week ago. He definitely alwasy wants the second side, so its not that he's being more efficient at sucking now. Any suggestions?

cat, if you think your baby wants more milk after two breasts, simply give him a third and a fourth You won't be 'empty'. It is very normal for babies to take what they need in a shorter time as they grow, and to want to swap sides sooner - but he can continue to swap as long as he wants.

Your best guide to whether he is getting enough is, is he growing??

If a young baby, he will be weeing and pooing quite a lot, too.

How old is he?

You can't empty breasts. To increase supply don't watch the clock but offer a feed everytime M wakes up, mutters, wriggles, stretches etc. and switch back to breast 1 after M slows on breast 2 until M is completely bored, disinterested or falls asleep!

Good luck!

now after 9 months of bf I have lost 4 stone, I am seriously underweight. eat loads of avocados to keep your own nutrition levels up.

How many callories have you been eating per day? You need over 2,500 apparently. How old is your child? Sounds like a growth spurt. Also does this happen in the evenings more than in the early morning, when your body is less effective at making milk? How does you child seem?

And eat cakes as well as avacados.

There is an additional problem in that he has started behaving differently when feeding - he's 6 weeks old, and was doing ok up til about a week and a half ago. He now sucks well for first 5 mins or so (and have checked with counsellors, hv etc that he;'s latched on, sucking right etc, good position) but will then come off, and try to go straight back on, suck once, then come off again. He'll do this for a while, then get upset as he is obviosuly hungry. This can go on for 20 mins or so, with him sometimes sucking well for a few mins every now and then. When I eventually swap him (when I don''t think there's anything left, after squeezing - he also seems much more distressed at this poijnt, and doesnt seem to get anything anymore, where as before he gets milk in the random sucks he does), he's usually fine on second side for 5 mins or so, then it starts again. (brief history if helps - started on formula in hospital as low blood sugars and in SCBU for first 8 hrs, but we managed to get off and totally onto breastfeeding once out of hospital, but then he wasn;t gaining weight so they made us put him onto 2 night formulas, which he had been taking fine along with breastfeeding the rest of the time, until 10 days ago)
So the swapping back and forth is a good idea, but I think he'd just get more and more upset as he doesn't get much by that point anyway. It's more the fact that in 10 days, the time it takes before I have to swap him cos there seems to be nothing left is getting shorter, so it worries me that I;m drying up or something.
Nappies fine - once on formula a few weeks ago, gained 5oz one week, then 7oz, last week was only 2.5 - not being weighed til Fri so don't know, think weight gain is fine. He';s healthy and happy otherwise.
Any help anyone?!

the coming off might be because he is sucking fast and taking a bit of air down so try winding him in between.

empty feeling is because your supply has settled down and is making the amount you need according to his demands

cat, sorry, not understanding this very well! Is he having two formula feeds instead of breastfeeding at night?

(Oh, and squeezing is not the way to check it's time to switch sides...just switch him as soon as he starts to fuss, and switch back and forth).

Tiktok, yes, and I express while he has them. have been told to keep them util weight has been steadily going up for a number of weeks. will try swapping as soon as he fusses-hadn't thought of that-thanks! any other thoughts gratfully accepted too!

Thanks for explanation, cat. What happens to the milk you have expressed?

We've been giving it to him in a third bottle early morning (basically, when he wasn't gaining, I was really worried that I wasnt givng him enough, and this way, at least we knew that at some point in the day he was definitely getting a good amount of breast milk) He gets 150ml, but it takes me all day between feeds, and during the 2 noght feeds, to prodice this.

cat Your life sounds very tough!

In absence of tiktok and/or as well. please call a bf helpline. It appears that you have not been given very good advice from your hcps.

Not gaining weight is a sign to look for explanations NOT introduce formula. Formula introduction is an easy (and currently culturally acceptable) way for hcp to get you off their books. they should really have been assessing your lo for health and then supporting you with bfing.

What they have done is actually undermine your bf (which is very very common so don't feel bad), however, it isn't too late to get back to bfing if you want to. Your life sounds awful if I'm honest. Newborn early days are extremely tough without all that faffing with bottles, expressing numerous times a day etc.

I suspect that much of your faffing is either unneccessary, or can become so with a little support. Please call one of the helplines.

Starlight x

Completely agree with StarlightExpress - how can you possibly build up your supply naturally when you're expressing instead of feeding! Supply comes by the baby suckling - the more they need the more you produce. Expressing really is for the settled, experienced mum and babe who need to cover the odd social absence or days at work etc. and is ever so difficult to do at first - I really feel for you having been told to do this! A BF counsellor from the NCT or La Leche League may be able to give you more sensible advice. Establishing a comfortable breast-feeding routine will make life so much nicer for both of you; introducing formula seems crazy! Hope you get the advice and support to help you get settled with this, and don't worry, you CAN do it! xx

Thank you-will try la leche, as NCT wasnt v helpful. I was really against introducing formula, but the midwife basically said if I didnt and he didnt regain his birth weight (altho he'd been 9lb2, so harly tiny!) they would have to do loads of tests in hospital - this is despite her being sure from looking at him that there was nothing wrong! As he'd had loads of tests (including lumbar puncture for meningitis) at birth, we wanted to avoid him havign to go through that again as much as poss, so agreed to formula. Really wish we hadnt now

cat Do give them a call. Please don't have any regrets about any hard decisions you had to make under medical advice. Why would you challenge it, especially at such a vulnerable time?

You'll get there and it absolutely isn't too late. Adoptive parents can bf their children, and so, in exceptional circumstances can men, so a woman who has given birth recently, is actually producing milk and has a baby that has practised getting it has a fine chance!

Good luck!