Babble

Help! I'm already having trouble with nursing, because I haven't been able to produce enough milk to satisfy my (big) baby, so I'm already supplementing. He's 3 months, and seems to be teething, but he is giving me FITS the last day or so because he won't finish nursing - he gets the easy stuff and then fidgets and throws his weight around, he goes on and off the nipple - anything but finishes. I'm desperate to keep him on, because the longer I can keep him on, the more milk I might produce. 

To keep it short, any way to teach this kid manners and keep him feeding? Or am I just doomed to loose my milk and go full-on bottle? The idea just kills me.

(I respect the right of anyone else to bottle feed - that's not meant as a negative, just that it's not what I want - sorry if I offended anyone.)

I don't think your post has been disrespectful in any way. That said - things to try?

Do you have a breast pump? You could pump after he finishes his fussy feeding in that the additional emptying of the breasts could stimulate more production. If he is only feeding for very short periods of time and your breasts aren't emptying then you do run the risk of drying up or making less milk.

Try "Mother's milk Tea" it assists in milk production. I use it daily 2-3 times to increase my milk supply. Along with this you could add a nice bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. (The oatmeal is lactogenic) Some women drink a beer in the evening to increase milk production (barley in the beer is lactogenic) Leafy greens can also help in this instance. My neighbor also recommended to me to eat a big steak for dinner with lots of veggies as it used to increase milk production when she was nursing twins.

If he isn't draining them, then you need to find a way to assist in that job (pump) so that your body is triggered to begin increasing the milk production.

 Good Luck!

I didn't have the same problem you have but my problem was pretty darn close to it. My daughter would not latch on until she was almost a month old. I called the hospital for a lactation consultant to help me. That very same day someone did call me and helped me out. I got a free breast-pump because I was having problems. The best advice I can give you is to call a lactation consultant and they will be able to help you out. My daughter is now 8 months old and I stopped nursing her about 2 weeks ago. Just remember to try and stay calm because your son can sense that. Best of luck.

There is a medicine your doctor can call you in to help increase your milk. It is called reglan. It is a reflux medicine given to a lot of babies. I have had to use it twice. The first time my doctor put me on the wrong birth controll pills and it was decreasing my milk. I went from pumping about 3 to 4 ounces to 1 to 2 ounces, after taking those pills for 2-3 weeks. I called the doctor's nures and they put me on the mini pill for breastfeeding. The second time i took it was when my daughter was 9 months old. I could not pump enough to keep my freezer stocked for her while I worked.

My daughter only nursed for 10 minutes at a time every 1 1/2 to 2 hours for the first 6 months. She is now 12 months old and nurses every 2-4 hours for 5-15 minutes.

A book that really helped me was The Nursing Mother's Companion 20th Anniversary editionby kathleen Huggins. And talking to the lacation professional at the health department.

Try not to supplement with formula, get a pump and use it before she wakes up from a nap. I can pump until i can't get any more milk out and still feed her right after and have plenty of milk for her to drink.

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Ok first , know that this is totally normal & also relax , if your stressing your baby is going to sense it also , there is a solution for worrying about not enough milk try what worked for me . Mother's milk tea drink 2 cups at night and you'll see a increase in your milk  trust me !  I'm going on 19 mo of Breastfeeding and never once had the bottle , my lil guy started teething at 3 mo old as well it's painful it hard for him to latch on if he's in pain  check w doct what to use  but I used teething tablets there homepathic  and work still  @ 19 mo old but always ask your Doct before you use anything  on your baby  Good luck! breathe .... and hang in there

p.s you can get the mother's milk tea at a health food store it's  $ 6.00 & Ralphs store   has it too in the tea section

My first question is ar eyou suplementing with formula or expressed breastmilk.   I you are serious about wanting to continue breastfeeding- do not give your baby formula.  

Ipersonally don't believe in any medicince natural or prescription- unless the is no other options left.  There are a few things you cna do including Drink more fluid- the more fluids you have in your body the more milk can be produced. Second, express (by hand or with a pump) "extra" milk when you son is done feeding.  Give him the expressed milk in his bottle.   Something else that can help increase production is massaging the breast.

  With my children I found that if I stopped feeding to burp or switch breasts they took that as a sing feeding was over.  I Quickly learned to nurse on one side per feeding (the next feeding would get the other side.)  I found  baby nursed better & longer when I don't try to switch sides.  Your body quickly adjusts to this as production is based on supply & demand.

-mom or 5 bf babies.

If you are able to do this, try to pump one breast while baby nurses on the other.  The let down process allows you to get some milk for storage as well as stimulate more milk production.  Also find other times to pump, when baby is taking a longer than usual nap, an hour before baby wakes up, or after a short feeding.  Another important thing is to make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids and eating a balanced diet.  Nutrition is very important for milk production.

I hope this is helpful.

Medela Mom Maven (Hilda)