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Breastfeeding/breastfeeding after low milk supply

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Expert: - 3/2/2008


Question
Hi,
I am pregnant with my second baby. With my first daughter I had a planned c-section due to a medical complication. I tried breastfeeding her (in all I tried for 3 months), but my milk never came in fully. At my max, I made 8 ounces total in 1 day. I worked closely with a lactation consultant and my OB-GYN. I tried various things to increase my supply- frequent nursing and pumping with a hospital grade breastpump, multiple herbal remedies, and even several rounds of reglan. This was probably the most frustrating and disappointing experience in my life. It turned out that I had a nasty yeast infection right after delivery due to the antibiotics from the c-section. Can this affect milk production?
I was wondering if there is any way to know if I should expect for this to happen again with my second baby. I am planning to attempt to breastfeed again. Is there anything I can do to increase the chance of my milk coming in fully before the baby is born?
I appreciate any information you have!
Thanks,
Katie

Answer
Dear Katie,

First, congratulations for all your efforts in breastfeeding your first child. And be reassured that whatever you did give her was rich in antibodies, and she is the better for it! I'm sorry to hear what a hard experience this was for you.

There's really no way of knowing what will happen this time. Every pregnancy is unique, every childbirth is unique, and every breastfeeding experience is unique. If the main problem with breastfeeding the first time was the yeast infection you had, you should definitely talk to your obstetrician ahead of time and find out what can be done to prevent this happening again. I know that sometimes doctors can prescribe a medication to be given along with antibiotics to forestall a yeast infection, but I don't know what the latest procedures are with regard to this.

There's really nothing you can do ahead of time to ensure a good milk supply other than taking good care of yourself -- eating well, getting enough rest (hard with a little one to take care of!), and otherwise taking care of yourself.

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

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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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