Breastfeeding problems...?

SxcLady · 10-11-2007, 10:11 AM

Has anyone here had trouble breast feeding their child/children??

I am... She will only feed off the right one... so i express the left and my milk flow islows down ... before i was just expressing because she wouldnt even latch on. so ive gone back to doing that and guess what ... my milk flow isnt changing back. How can I increase the flow? Does anyone know? Im kinda stuck. I know I know .... i should consult a lactation person but i ust want to know if anyone else has had this type of problem and what they had to do.

I bought formula and I dont produce enough milk so I give her formula feeds at night and breastmilk during the day ... what to do???

And yes im expressing at the right times there is barely anything coming out though.

Help me please.

Thanks,
Love SL.

Beec · 10-11-2007, 10:39 AM

I'm never going to breast feed, but I did recently have a discussion with a relative who is or has been. She has a similar problem with her second baby, now almost 5 months. He does not seem to have the patience to breast feed. He simply does not want to work at it. And she is running dry. She did mention that she might seek something out at a health food store, but what I do not know. I don't think you are that unusual.

SxcLady · 10-11-2007, 10:40 AM

see my daughter is only 5weeks though ... I just dont get it.

rose2summer · 10-11-2007, 10:49 AM

To increase the breast flow, feed more often, try as much as you can, so it feels very natural.

There is a hormone, prolactin that is involved in milk production, and oxytocin, another hormone, causes release of milk from the breast.

In order to have a better flow and not "dry out", you need to feed on demand, and very often so that your posterior pituitary, a part of your brain, will release more oxytocin, to give you that let-down response, aka breast milk release.

Hugs, Rose

SxcLady · 10-11-2007, 10:55 AM

i feel the let down but then i will express and i will get 40mls

When I felt the let down before id express and id get like 110mls

I still express for that extra 10mins on each side even after the milk stops coming out like the nurse at the hospital told me too and its still not getting any better???

Edit: oh and im expressing 4hourly

i_am_me · 10-11-2007, 11:31 AM

You could try pumping, also! Well, here's a website that might help you.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I hope it helped at least a little!

ME

P.S. Your baby is very very cute.

confused&troubled77 · 10-11-2007, 12:06 PM

Some women have low breastmilk production naturally. Are you drinking enough? If you are not hydrated then you will not produce enough. Also is she isn't latching on correctly then you may not be making milk anyway. Make sure that her mouth is open totally and had a lot of the nipple (areola the brown part of the nipple) in her mouth. This can be tough and babies are not good at this in the beginning either, they have to learn how to do it as well as you do. If she isn't latching on and you are having trouble expressing then I would go to the pump because you are only gonna make milk based on her feeding or your pumping, supply and demand kind of system. I would also increase the time between the feedings to every 2 hours, breast babies feed usually every 2-3 hours for the first month or more so only feeding every 4 hours could be an issue as well. Also she could have what is called nipple confusion, since you are supplementing with formula I am guessing you are doing it with a bottle, the nipple on a bottle is totally different than that of your own nipple so she may be struggling with the difference and when she gets the mommy nipple she has to work a bit harder to get the milk where as with the bottle nipple it just basically pours in there and she has to put forth minimal effort.

It is tough take it from someone that has done this 3 times before. It is natural but it has to be learned by both you and your baby, BUT it is great for you and your baby! I loved it, the convience was great but the immunity that it gives your baby is awesome as well! It takes some getting used to but it is great once you and your baby get the hang of it. Have you tried to call your OB doc or the labor and delivery unit where you delivered, sometimes they can do a consult for you and see if they have any suggestions for you, also they can refer you to a lactation consultant as well. I would try that before I gave up on it! Hang in there!

SxcLady · 10-12-2007, 10:10 AM

I am using the pump but also hand expressing ... i seem to get more out hand expressing then pumping then hand expressing again straight after.

confused&troubled77...

Im using premmie teats so she still has to work for it. If i cant get the premmie ones i buy the ones with no holes and you make the holes yourself. I make them really tiny so she really has to suck. There is no confusion though and she latches on perfectly. im expressing/pumping every 4hours... she feeds every 4hours-ish during the day and only feeds once during the night (she sleeps for 7.5hours ... has a feed and change and goes straight back to sleep for 5.5hours)

another thing with the nipple confusion ... she had it in the beginning because the special care unit put her on bottles before i even had a say in it. I was so angry with them. They fed her before i even got to hold her. And my partner wasnt even allowed to feed her. They put me down as unfit to go downstairs to see her ... because it was c-section. And before that, when i got to the maternity unit... they didnt even know where she was. I was asking and they were telling me ... "we dont know. She is supposed to be here" ... the only reason they found out where she was... my partner came up to see if i had come out of the recovery unit yet!!! I finally saw her after like 6hours. Anyway back to the nipple confusion... when i started breastfeeding her when i got her... she was confused and wouldnt latch on but now she is excellent she will take either my right breast or the bottle but as soon as i try her on the left she just screams and wont take it. Ive tried squirting some into her mouth and everything but i dont know what to do.

Anyway im more worried about the milk supply.

i_am_me...

thanks am checking out the site now.

yokohama_mama · 10-12-2007, 10:34 AM

I've heard that supplementing with formula can reduce your milk production. Your breasts produce according to what your baby eats, so if you drop a feeding and use formula instead, your breasts will stop producing the milk that would have been consumed at that feeding.

Here's a link about milk supply:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

SxcLady · 10-12-2007, 11:22 AM

yokohama_mama ... yes but i still expressed.

10-11-2007, 10:11 AM	#1
SxcLady Offline Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Australia Gender: Female Age: 22 Posts: 473	Breastfeeding problems...? Has anyone here had trouble breast feeding their child/children?? I am... She will only feed off the right one... so i express the left and my milk flow islows down ... before i was just expressing because she wouldnt even latch on. so ive gone back to doing that and guess what ... my milk flow isnt changing back. How can I increase the flow? Does anyone know? Im kinda stuck. I know I know .... i should consult a lactation person but i ust want to know if anyone else has had this type of problem and what they had to do. I bought formula and I dont produce enough milk so I give her formula feeds at night and breastmilk during the day ... what to do??? And yes im expressing at the right times there is barely anything coming out though. Help me please. Thanks, Love SL. __________________ ~°My Little Angel°~ ~°Georgia Ashley born 5th September 2007°~ ~°Weight: 2855gms ~ Length:49cms ~ H/C:32cms°~

10-11-2007, 10:39 AM	#2
Beec Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: New York Posts: 7,556	I'm never going to breast feed, but I did recently have a discussion with a relative who is or has been. She has a similar problem with her second baby, now almost 5 months. He does not seem to have the patience to breast feed. He simply does not want to work at it. And she is running dry. She did mention that she might seek something out at a health food store, but what I do not know. I don't think you are that unusual. __________________ "Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained." C.S. Lewis--Answers to Questions on Christianity

10-11-2007, 10:40 AM	#3
SxcLady Offline Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Australia Gender: Female Age: 22 Posts: 473	see my daughter is only 5weeks though ... I just dont get it. __________________ ~°My Little Angel°~ ~°Georgia Ashley born 5th September 2007°~ ~°Weight: 2855gms ~ Length:49cms ~ H/C:32cms°~

10-11-2007, 10:49 AM	#4
rose2summer Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Gender: Female Posts: 2,389	To increase the breast flow, feed more often, try as much as you can, so it feels very natural. There is a hormone, prolactin that is involved in milk production, and oxytocin, another hormone, causes release of milk from the breast. In order to have a better flow and not "dry out", you need to feed on demand, and very often so that your posterior pituitary, a part of your brain, will release more oxytocin, to give you that let-down response, aka breast milk release. Hugs, Rose __________________ If life is fulfilled we go away with empty hands. ~Chinese Proverb~ With every failure, there's a chance for success. With every failure, there's a chance to learn. ~Rose~

10-11-2007, 10:55 AM	#5
SxcLady Offline Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Australia Gender: Female Age: 22 Posts: 473	i feel the let down but then i will express and i will get 40mls When I felt the let down before id express and id get like 110mls I still express for that extra 10mins on each side even after the milk stops coming out like the nurse at the hospital told me too and its still not getting any better??? Edit: oh and im expressing 4hourly __________________ ~°My Little Angel°~ ~°Georgia Ashley born 5th September 2007°~ ~°Weight: 2855gms ~ Length:49cms ~ H/C:32cms°~

10-11-2007, 11:31 AM	#6
i_am_me Offline Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: USA Gender: Female Posts: 242	You could try pumping, also! Well, here's a website that might help you. [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] I hope it helped at least a little! ME P.S. Your baby is very very cute.

10-11-2007, 12:06 PM	#7
confused&troubled77 Offline Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: USA Gender: Female Age: 32 Posts: 76	Some women have low breastmilk production naturally. Are you drinking enough? If you are not hydrated then you will not produce enough. Also is she isn't latching on correctly then you may not be making milk anyway. Make sure that her mouth is open totally and had a lot of the nipple (areola the brown part of the nipple) in her mouth. This can be tough and babies are not good at this in the beginning either, they have to learn how to do it as well as you do. If she isn't latching on and you are having trouble expressing then I would go to the pump because you are only gonna make milk based on her feeding or your pumping, supply and demand kind of system. I would also increase the time between the feedings to every 2 hours, breast babies feed usually every 2-3 hours for the first month or more so only feeding every 4 hours could be an issue as well. Also she could have what is called nipple confusion, since you are supplementing with formula I am guessing you are doing it with a bottle, the nipple on a bottle is totally different than that of your own nipple so she may be struggling with the difference and when she gets the mommy nipple she has to work a bit harder to get the milk where as with the bottle nipple it just basically pours in there and she has to put forth minimal effort. It is tough take it from someone that has done this 3 times before. It is natural but it has to be learned by both you and your baby, BUT it is great for you and your baby! I loved it, the convience was great but the immunity that it gives your baby is awesome as well! It takes some getting used to but it is great once you and your baby get the hang of it. Have you tried to call your OB doc or the labor and delivery unit where you delivered, sometimes they can do a consult for you and see if they have any suggestions for you, also they can refer you to a lactation consultant as well. I would try that before I gave up on it! Hang in there!

10-12-2007, 10:10 AM	#8
SxcLady Offline Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Australia Gender: Female Age: 22 Posts: 473	I am using the pump but also hand expressing ... i seem to get more out hand expressing then pumping then hand expressing again straight after. confused&troubled77... Im using premmie teats so she still has to work for it. If i cant get the premmie ones i buy the ones with no holes and you make the holes yourself. I make them really tiny so she really has to suck. There is no confusion though and she latches on perfectly. im expressing/pumping every 4hours... she feeds every 4hours-ish during the day and only feeds once during the night (she sleeps for 7.5hours ... has a feed and change and goes straight back to sleep for 5.5hours) another thing with the nipple confusion ... she had it in the beginning because the special care unit put her on bottles before i even had a say in it. I was so angry with them. They fed her before i even got to hold her. And my partner wasnt even allowed to feed her. They put me down as unfit to go downstairs to see her ... because it was c-section. And before that, when i got to the maternity unit... they didnt even know where she was. I was asking and they were telling me ... "we dont know. She is supposed to be here" ... the only reason they found out where she was... my partner came up to see if i had come out of the recovery unit yet!!! I finally saw her after like 6hours. Anyway back to the nipple confusion... when i started breastfeeding her when i got her... she was confused and wouldnt latch on but now she is excellent she will take either my right breast or the bottle but as soon as i try her on the left she just screams and wont take it. Ive tried squirting some into her mouth and everything but i dont know what to do. Anyway im more worried about the milk supply. i_am_me... thanks am checking out the site now. __________________ ~°My Little Angel°~ ~°Georgia Ashley born 5th September 2007°~ ~°Weight: 2855gms ~ Length:49cms ~ H/C:32cms°~

10-12-2007, 10:34 AM	#9
yokohama_mama Offline Bronze Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 202	I've heard that supplementing with formula can reduce your milk production. Your breasts produce according to what your baby eats, so if you drop a feeding and use formula instead, your breasts will stop producing the milk that would have been consumed at that feeding. Here's a link about milk supply: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

10-12-2007, 11:22 AM	#10
SxcLady Offline Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Australia Gender: Female Age: 22 Posts: 473	yokohama_mama ... yes but i still expressed. __________________ ~°My Little Angel°~ ~°Georgia Ashley born 5th September 2007°~ ~°Weight: 2855gms ~ Length:49cms ~ H/C:32cms°~