could use some advice please!

[mummytokeelie]

Okay so I had my son on thursday and have already had to resort to giving him bottles! which brings me to tears my supply can't seem to keep up with his appetite hes just screams and no amount of swapping from one breast to another was helping, anyway my question is have any of you got any advice on how to boost my supply or to help my milk come through I have decided to start a feed with breast the top up with a bottle and to try and express between feeds! But any other advice/ suggestions will be appreciated! Never had this trouble with my daughter! xx

 

[laodicean]

The only way to boost your supply is to stop giving him a bottle, I'm afraid. The early days are horrible - not for all babies, as demonstrated by your first, but your son is a variant of normal. The baby causes your boobs to up supply by constantly nursing on them. He's going to do the job better than pumping or supplementation will.

I didn't have too bad a time of it - my LO was on the boob for around 6 hours a day total in the beginning. To contrast, my friend had her LO off the boob for around 6 hours a day. She's just got a hungry monkey!

Just keep telling yourself that this is only temporary - and stop giving him bottles! Good luck!

ETA: if you do want to try supplementation, fenugreek and blessed thistle are good, also google for a recipe for lactation cookies. There's a good one here, but be warned they're not great for your waist line! https://www.bellybelly.com.au/breas...y-increase-breastmilk-lactation-cookie-recipe

 

[MommyJogger]

I agree with dropping the bottles asap. I assume "Thursday" is two days ago. I'm sorry if this is all common sense to you since you bf your first, but just in case:
In the first couple of days, you don't make 'milk'. You make something called colostrum and you make it in very small amounts because that's what a baby's needs are this early: very small amounts very frequently. Occasionally you'll get a baby that only eats every 2-3h from birth, but that's rather rare. In the first several weeks/months, having the baby on the breast frequently, without supplementation, is absolutely crucial to successful breastfeeding. So if bf is something you want to do with this baby, the bottles have got to go. It's very, very normal for a newborn to want to be on the boob constantly.
My advice would be to drop the bottles and count his wet and dirty diapers. He should have 1 soaking diaper on day 1 and increase to 5-6 by the end of the first week and have 3-4 dirties/day by day four (though after a week(?) some babies have many fewer dirty diapers). How are your nipples/how is his latch?

 

[mummytokeelie]

The problem is he feeds every 3-4 hours which means he takes a lot at once which I atm with just colostrum can't seem to fill him! I know normally I wouldn't even consider giving a bottle bit he just screams as hes so hungry! My stronger feeding side is a bit cracked but nothing major I have been trying to breast feed him first then top him up, and express in between to try and boost myself such a horrible decision as I didn't want to use bottles but hoping to be be able to cut them out once my proper milk.comes in! Xx

 

[ChimChims]

Same advice here. Using bottles will only stop your supply, or damage it pretty much permanently. (I have a friend dealing with that right now.) His frequent suckling is meant to bring that supply in, and it really will. You should see milk come in around day 3, definitely by day 5. It can be rough, but getting a lactation consultant or someone from the La Leche League to advise you through the process should help.

 

[ChimChims]

Are you certain that hunger is why he is screaming? Does he stop for sure, once he is full? If it could be something else causing it, a doctor should be able to help figure out what.

 

[MommyJogger]

Sorry if you've said already, but I didn't see it in your posts: does he just outright reuse to suckle if you put him to the breast every hour? (Or even every 30 minutes if he doesn't eat very long!) I would caution that feeds 3-4 hours apart at this age are also too far apart to support building a good supply. Is he not eating because he's very sleepy in the day? If so, I would wake him at least every 2 hours to eat until he surpasses his birth weight. There are several ways to get a newborn alert enough to eat: change the diaper beforehand, take his clothes off to chill him awake, rub his back or cheek, play with his hands and feet, etc.

Eta: and formula will only exacerbate how long he goes between feeds, sleepiness, and refusal of the breast. He will get used to milk dribbling out of the nipple without work, so the breast will frustrate him. How many oz and how often are you supplementing? Is he popping off the boob and screaming? How do you decide when he's done at the breast before supplementing?