Forum : Mums

Even if you attempt to pump half an hour after a feed til you feel the milk reflex or that funny tingling like its going to come, you only get a few oz out but then your body will gradually start to produce more thinking its baby getting greedier. It can sometimes take a bit of time and persevere, but it should work. Be careful not to stimulate too much as you will feel uncomfortable quite quickly. I had to use this method of expressing after a difficult delivery and being unwell after a blood transfusion. I still offered formula to top up but he was fully established breastfeeding in no time. Good luck :)

Hi, its so hard isn't it, my supply went at 4 months but I wasn't eating and drinking enough - so firstly make sure that you are eating and drinking plenty - even if it means leaving the baby to cry for a couple of mins while you get a snack, its so important to take care of yourself or you won't be able to feed your baby. Try to have 3 meals plus snacks inbetween.
Keep putting the baby to the boob as often as you can, even if he's not taking much - so if you are feeding every 3.5 hours for example then try putting him to the boob every 3 hours instead, and I know how difficult it is but the best way to increase supply is to express immediately after a feed for a couple of mins, so as soon as he's finished on the boob keep expressing from that boob so your body thinks that he is really hungry and will produce more milk to compensate.
I had the same problem being on my own for 13 hours a day as my husband works shifts so physically just didn't have the time to express properly, so if you have a friend or relative or even a neighbour who could come round and help out by giving the baby the bottle while you are expressing.
Fenugreek supplements are supposed to help increase breast milk supply and there are tablets your doctor can prescribe if you are really struggling - domperidone - but they are usually reluctant to prescribe these for some reason and I don't know why.
Finally, please ring la leche league for advice, they are all breastfeeding mums and will be able to offer you brilliant advice and support.

http://www.laleche.org.uk/

Unfortunately the more bottles you give the less milk you will produce so its very hard, but do give them a call I'm sure they will be able to help you.
All the best and congratulations on your little man! :-))xx

i dont have any advice but my daughter (my 2nd baby) is 11 days old and we have had terrible trouble breastfeeding so i have been expressing and topping her up with formula. it is a difficult situation. my eldest daughter is nearly 4 yrs old and i already feel bad enough that i am spending so much time on the baby without having to sit and pump for ages on end. i am also on antibiotics at the moment and they have made my milk taste funny so i am basically pumping and then throwing it down the sink as my baby wont take my milk. i am already losing my milk and am at the moment considering whether to pump like crazy or just let it go. you have done so well to get this far so if you do have to stop breastfeeding then dont feel bad about it - i've spent a couple of days beating myself up about the same thing so i am a fine one to talk! i lost my milk with my first baby too as she got ill and was sent back to hospital at only 2 days old so i was so looking forward to being able to breastfeed this baby, but again, it just hasnt happened.
take buffy's advice and ring la leche. good luck. x

Hi, if you want to carry on breast feeding the best thing to do is stop topping up on formula. You may find that the baby then feeds almost constantly from you for a couple of days and is a bit grumpy but it should restore your milk supply. I had a similar problem with my first as I was rushed back into hospital on a few occassions (in an ambulance - how embarrassing!!) and on a few occassions couldn't feed my little one for over 24 hours at a time. I was advised by the breast feeding specialists at the hospital not to top up with formula but to carry on just offering the breast until my milk supply returned to compensate. It did within a couple of days. Expressing will not return your supply in the same way (better than nothing though) as it is a different action to that of a suckling baby. Also lots of women struggle to express even when there supply is good. I got a really good supply in the end with my first and carried on feeding her until she was 14 months. Even though my boobs used to leak and squirt and allsorts, I could sit and express for 45 minutes and only get an ouce or two!! Hope everything goes well for you.

Thank you all for the advice. I think i'll try feeding him from the breast more often. The problem now, is the fact he gives up feeding from me very quickly. he's been really grumpy for the last 3 days and crying for no reason. Even when he has a full tummy. I'm getting so frustrated because he needs to breast feed to increase my milk supply, but he just gives up after about 5 mins.

The lack of sleep isnt helping, as I feel so spaced out, I can barely string a sentence together. My partner works from 3am and gets home around 3pm. So he's extremely tired but has been very good, helping with night feeds. Atm, I'm falling asleep feeding him during the night. We have our 8 week check this Monday so I might ask for advice then too. I just feel so guilty really, as if I've failed

as i said, i am in a similar situation and i know how easy it is to feel guilty, but really you havent failed. he has had breastmilk and that has given him a great start! i only fed my first baby for 3 weeks and i only managed a few days with little freya (12 days old). i think we put so much pressure on ourselves and sometimes breastfeeding doesnt work out for one reason or another, it is too easy to blame yourself when it isnt your fault. my freya (baby no 2) was not great on the breast, andit took 5 days for me to get any milk and the poor little thing was starving. it was a horrible stressful situation for both of us. i had to give her formula and things are so much better. yes, i feel bad, but right now she has just had her bedtime bottle and she has a full tummy and where her milk comes from doesnt bother her - she just wants to be fed!