When will my milk increase!?!?

[Kelx44]

My baby is 2 weeks old now and I'm pumping. I only pump between 2-3 ounces everytime for the past weeks and its not increasing. I have too give him formula too top him up. I was told by many nurses it will increase but it's not. Frustrated!!!

 

[JessPape]

Your milk is fine.. The average nursing mom can ONLY pump .5-2oz of milk a day once their milk regulates. Are you breastfeeding or just pumping?

 

[bdb84]

Are you pumping immediately following giving a bottle of formula? If not, you are telling your body that you do not need to make milk at that time, for that specific feeding.

Also, a baby is MUCH more efficient at getting milk out than a pump is. Just because you're not getting much out does not mean baby isn't while he is eating. However, since he has to actually work to get the milk out, while nursing, he may get frustrated if he's used to bottles since he's used to how quickly/easily the milk flows from it. (this is assuming he nurses. I'm not sure if you exclusively pump or not)

 

[Srrme]

You need to pump every 3 hours around the clock (preferably once or more at night too) to increase your milk supply if you're exclusively pumping. I would try cluster pumping.

 

[Kelx44]

I pump every 3 hours allll day and night. I only pump because it was terribly hard for him to latch. He wasn't getting any milk so I pumped and bottle fed and it made a world of a difference. I was just hoping I would make a heck of alot more.

 

[Angel21]

Have you tried a nipple shield to get him on the breast? He will stimulate your supply by suckling

 

[Kelx44]

Yes I tried a nipple shield.... It worked for a couple days then he just fussed every time... Couldn't get him too feed enough he cried and cried...bottle feeding works ten time better

 

[Elmo5]

There is your problem, if they know they can get it easier they will opt for the easy option.

Pumping is really hard (much much harder than feeding from the tap) so you must be committed

 

[Lyonsjas45]

Did you try fenugreek? My supply started to drop once I started pumping instead of breast feeding. Fenugreek definitely helped out. I think getting fresh seeds works the best and you have to make sure you're completely emptying your breast every 3-2hrs while taking it.

 

[Lyonsjas45]

You also have to make sure you are eating enough and drinking enough water. I found out the hard way breastfeeding uses A LOT calories.

 

[Rachel_C]

Have you met with any lactation specialists or BF support workers? It would be so much easier for you if you could get him back to the breast. You could perhaps try an SNS to give him the immediate satisfaction while still being at the breast.

 

[bdb84]

Mama, have you had your little man checked for a tongue or lip tie? Those are big indicators for painful/ineffective latches.

 

[TCK_Runner]

I wasn't able to pump a LOT until closer to the one month mark. I think I hit a record high around 6 weeks... according to everything I've read the height is usually around the 6-8 week mark, so that makes sense to me! In any case, since around the same time my baby's mouth has grown large enough so the latch is no longer a problem. Now I only pump 3x per day (once in the mid-morning, once in the late afternoon, and once before bed) and I get 7-10 ounces each time I pump. I feed her from the breast half the time and from a bottle the other half -- this is perfect for me as I've been able to start a nice freezer collection for when I start weaning her off the boob and am working again.

I've written about it before, but what worked for me was increasing my milk/dairy intake and getting rid of products that cause milk production to drop (as a vegetarian this meant cutting out soy products mostly, but also no peppermint and reducing the amount of things that would cause dehydration). I drink A LOT of water --- 1.5-2 liters, including while I'm pumping in the morning and at night. I also have tea made for breastfeeding that contains anis and fennel. Since I am not a big eater, I try to get my calories and milk-producing products all at once, i.e. cheese lasagna, salad (vitamins!), half liter of water, and an ice cream bar for dessert.

 

[sun]

Have you met with any lactation specialists or BF support workers? It would be so much easier for you if you could get him back to the breast. You could perhaps try an SNS to give him the immediate satisfaction while still being at the breast.

I second this! I used a SNS and cupfed my son (BM) until we could work him 100% on the breast. Bottle feeding also works against BF because they don't have to work to get the milk out, which is why we did a little cupfeeding and worked with the SNS. If they aren't used to doing much to get the milk, then they will fuss way more on the breast. I would definitely see a LC - does he have a lip or tongue tie that is interfering? And about pumping - I have been BF for a total of 4.5 years and I can still only pump 2oz max from one of my breasts (the other one pumps better), but the baby can get loads from it.

 

[TCK_Runner]

I forgot to mention that I pump for 20 minutes every time I pump.