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Expert: - 2/25/2008


Question
Hello!
I have a 3 and a half month old daughter. a few weeks ago she would latch on to feed, then just after the letdown came she would start to scream, and then refuse to nurse more. As a result she stopped gaining weight (she was a slow gainer from birth) and the doctor has told her to top her up with formula after 8 minutes of feeding on each side. Becuase she was refusing to take 8 minutes each side, I have now switched to pumping to ensure she gets my milk , and she has alternate breastmilk/formula milk from a bottle.
She breastfeeds absolutly fine at night! (which i don't understand!) and also if shes had a feed recently, she'll breastfeed fine as well.(just not when shes hungry!)
my question is, is there a way to reintroduce her to the breast again during the day?
and also if i was to pump exclusively to give her all feeds, how can i increase my supply?
thank you very much for your time!
Suzi

Answer
Dear Suzi,

First, congratulations for giving your daughter the best start in life by breastfeeding her!

Your daughter's behavior is puzzling -- I assume that she does not seem to be gassy or have a problem with reflux. With something like this, you often just have to try different things and come up with a solution by trial and error.

Here are some thoughts I have: Maybe when your letdown comes, it comes too fast and she can't keep up with the copious amounts of milk. You might try expressing or pumping just a little bit before putting her to the breast. Since she nurses well from a bottle, maybe you can try giving her an ounce or two by bottle before putting her to breast so she's not so frantically hungry when she latches on. Another way to get her to nurse during the day is to bring her to the breast when she is half-asleep, either just before or just after a nap.

As far as pumping to get a maximum supply goes, you just have to do it frequently with a hospital-quality electric pump. But even the best pump in the world is not as effective as a vigorously nursing baby. So I would keep trying to get your baby to nurse before giving up and just pumping. Have you consulted a lactation consultant? To find one in your area, go to www.ilca.org. Or a La Leche League leader? To find one of these, go to www.lalecheleague.org.

Good luck!

Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with Laura M. Marks, M.D.  

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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