Low supply

[nicole1233]

I tend to feed baby and baby will say latch on both breasts a total of 45 mins and after that will still cry that she is hungry and will have at least 2 ounces of formula. I do pump about 5 times a day and only get 2 ounces. Thoughts please m convinced I totally have very low supply :(

Congratulation and well done on the feeding. How old is your baby? Are they putting on weight? What is your motivation for pumping?

Switch sides very often, like every 5 minutes. Block feeding (staying on one breast) reduces supply.

Keep kneading the beast towards the nipple while feeding. You'll feel a firmness when it's full, and a softness when it empties out. As soon as it empties, swap sides. Each feed might be 3x on each side. This is the no1 way to increase supply.

Baby is 7 weeks, the motivation to pump is I don't know how much she gets when she feeds as she seems very hungry even after a 45 min feed and will have two ounces formula after :(

How old is baby? How does the latch look and feel?

I have never felt my breasts firm. They always seem soft and I don't leak either :(

I have been told the latch is not the best and bay is 7 weeks today

Congratulations on your baby and well done for doing so well. As long as baby is gaining weight, that's the most important value, not what you express.

As you know pumping is different to feeding the baby directly and without the hormones the baby helps create, you may not be able to pump as much. I wouldn't judge your supply by what you express. If you want to increase the amount you express for any reason, try expressing from one side while you feed baby from the other. Not overly comfy, but effective!

Ok a few things then.

Who told you latch wasn’t great and what help did they offer to improve it? Is there a breastfeeding cafe or other support near you? Ask the health visitor/midwives to signpost you.

7-8 weeks is a big growth spurt time and it’s really common for them to want to feed a lot, it doesn’t indicate a low supply. Wanting to feed feed feed is normal for this age. But if the latch is poor they may not be transferring milk effectively. Poor milk transference due to a bad latch is a much more common issue than genuine low supply. Very long feeds and a poor latch could indicate a tongue tie too (though not always) how does baby’s tongue look?

What you can pump is no indication of your supply. Our bodies react very differently to our real babies over a pump, some of us just don’t get much pumping. Leaking or not doesn’t tell you anything either. I’ve never leaked over 2 EBF babies. Also most babies will take formula in a bottle if they’re tipped back and it’s poured into their mouths whether they’re hungry or not, it’s a reflex.

You need to find the proper breastfeeding support. It will be there, ask around. Or if you can afford a proper IBCLC lactation consultant they would be a huge help. But genuine low supply is probably quite low down on the list of what the issue could be. You will get there I promise, just need to find the right support.

Not firm like bulging. Just firmer and softer, comparatively. If you can't feel the difference before and after a feed, you're maybe not kneading hard enough with your hand. You should feel little pockets of firmness inside the flesh. Massage them forward as you feed, on the side that's latched on. When they have gone soft, swap sides.

And I agree with pp, leaking or not is irrelevant to supply, and pumping yield is irrelevant to supply.

Is your baby having plenty of wet/dirty nappies and putting on weight?

Cluster feeding is common, I remember a day where DD was on the boob for like 8 hrs straight.

If you're worried about low supply and want to maintain/increase, keep putting baby on the breast.

If you feel there are issues you can talk to HV or lactation consultant.