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Breastfeeding/supplementing, no let down and low supply

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Expert: - 5/8/2006


Question
I'm a first-time mom. My three week old DS and I had some minor problems with latching on at the start of breastfeeding.  I persevered with on demand feeding but my milk supply did not come in until about a week after the birth.  I have yet to experience any let down and i have a very low milk supply.  This was evident in that my son was always fretful even after a feed and his rapid weight loss.  I was getting so anxious about not meeting his needs and starving him that my husband and I decided to supplement each feed with 60 ml of formula.  This is fed to him through finger feeding with a tube.

At the moment, I still feed on demand but because of the formula, he nurses between 2 to 3 hourly. He latches on well and nurses on the breast for about 20 mins each side. I am also pumping (alternating 5 minutes each side for about 20 mins) after each day feed and getting only about 10 ml each time.

I have tried massaging, taking 2x1000mg fenugreek three times a day and am eating well but my milk supply is still not enough to fulfil my DS's needs. Every day, I think about trying not to give him the formula supplement after the breastfeeding session but after nursing for about 40 mins and still showing signs of hunger, I don't have the heart to.  

Any suggestions?

Answer
Dear Adelyn,

First, congratulations for wanting to give your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him, and for making such considerable efforts on his behalf. Since your milk supply is so low you are wise to give him formula as well so that he will not become dehydrated -- and to do this by finger-feeding to prevent nipple confusion.

I have two suggestions for you:

* One is to try using a nursing supplementer, which delivers milk from a bottle while at the same time allowing a baby to suckle, thereby stimulating the breasts to produce milk. I describe the supplementer in my book (see below). You can also get information about it from Medela, Inc. Tel: 800-835-5968.

* Find a lactation consultant, who can watch you nurse, analyze your situation, and may be able to diagnose the problem. You can find one in your area by contacting the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) at: www.ilca.org or by phone at 919-861-5577.

Good luck!

Sally

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.  

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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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