Expert: ruth kraft - 12/17/2011

Question
QUESTION: hi, my baby boy is now 11 week old, when he was born i was adamant i wanted to breast feed but he wouldn't latch on, all of the midwives that came to see me and help couldn't get him to latch on either. he stared to get really bad jaundice at 2weeks were he wasn't feeding so had to top him up with sma formula. i brought a breast pump and started expressing and feeding him the breast milk through the bottlewitch he enjoyed. it was hard to express a much as i would have liked as expressing is so time consuming so eventually the supply weakened. im only 20 and felt very pressured and forced to keep perusing with the breast and kept being told by my partner i didn't try hared enough by 5weeks my baby was bottle fed, now i wasn't to start breast feeding again now my confidence as a mother has grown. is it to late? how can i get my supply back now that its gone. (tried nipple shield but not any milk) thanks x

ANSWER: You can check out the website asklenore.com and that can give yo detailed instructions on how to increase your supply. It can be done with some effort for sure.

When you are breastfeeding you want to do what is best for you and your baby. Regardless of what anyone else says. Choose what feels best to YOU to do and then it wont be so much work. If yo feel like you are being forced, yo will resist and your body will not relax to make the milk.

I hope that was helpful. Good luck  :)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thamk u for your previouse reply, i had a look on the website u suggested and it was a help but it only seemed to speak about increasing the supply wiyh medication, is there not a ntural way? also i just started my first period 17/12/11 i know that when your breastfeeding u dont get a period so does that mean i ca longer breast feed?x

Answer
The most natural way is getting the baby to latch and nurse as much as possible. Second to that, pumping every hour for as long as you can until your milk gets to where it needs to be, ( 2 or 3 hours at night ) You can increase your fiber, take fenugreek and mothers milk tea with blessed thistle herbs. that can be helpful. Just because you got your period does not mean you cannot breastfeed. It just means your milk got lower and lower to balance hormones. But you can still bring it back.