Home Forums Breastfeeding Breastfeeding milk supply lowering

Hi!
my baby girl is 5 weeks and since last few days my milk is coming less & less,
I'm eating oatmeal to boost the supply but nothing's working.
It started when I gave the hospital pump away as it was costing us LOTS.
I got another pump but havn't nused it yet!

does anyone have any suggestions how to bosot my milk supply
I want to breastfeed my baby for as long as possible.

ALso she's been sleeping a LOT as in hours & hours & gets up only for her feeds & diaper change.Nothing works to get her up.
IS that a problem?Could it be heat? I keepn the temp cool enough so that she doesnt get too hot or too cold.
Should I consult the doctor?

Thanks in advance for ur help.
D

Desperate, you have to pump after feeds. It will help tremendously with your feeds. especially if she is sleeping a long time between feeds. You should be nursing AT LEAST every three hours, more if she will. Pump after every feed and in between if it has been longer than 3 hours. What did you do to induce and are you supplementing her with formula? Are youtaking Domperidone and any herbs. Sorry I can't remember your history, is she adopted or did you give birth?

The sleeping could be a growth spurt. I always noticed with my babies that they would go through spells when they would sleep and sleep and sleep...and then seemingly overnight, they had outgrown their diapers or their tiny little sleepers. Plus, she's still a newborn and they do sleep alot (like 20+ hours a day). If it concerns you, though, you should call your pediatrician's nurse...that's what they're there for!

Lovinmykids is right, she is still a newborn and all they do is eat, sleep, and poop. I should have asked before why you think your supply is getting less and less?

Dear Desperate,

Congratulations on your new arrival!!!

Is breastfeeding painfull? Do your nipples look pinched when they exit your baby's mouth? It could be that your baby may not be adequately latched to your breast. It's not clear to me why you were pumping unless you've had difficulty getting your little one to breastfeeding efficiently.

Although it's true that babies undergo a growth spurt at around this time, (usually at 4 days, 12 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months) and that mothers often mistake a growth spurt for a sudden drop in milk supply but a six week old should not be this sleepy. This is an indication that she may not be getting enough to eat.

When was her last weight check? Is she back to birth weight and beyond? Is she peeing and pooping with good heavy, wet, diapers? A heavy, wet diaper is one that has at least 2 tablespoons of liquid. Check by pouring 2 tablespoons of water into an empty diaper and compare this to one of your baby's wet diapers. She should be pooping several times per day.

My best piece of advice would be to contact a board certified lactation consultant PRONTO. You can find one here: www.iblce.org Just click on the "about IBLCE" button and then click on either the US or International Registry depending on where you are located.

The best "pump" is a baby if your baby is properly latched. A properly latched baby drains your breasts which will cause them to make more milk. The more frequently your breasts are drained, the more milk your breasts will make. The reason for this is a tiny whey protein that sits in the milk and basically tells your breasts that they are full. You need to get that whey protein the heck outta there and the only way to do that is to drain your breasts.

In the meantime, before you can see the LC, go to this page on our site and read about latching on http://www.asklenore.info/breastfeeding/latching_diagrams.html
You can also view these video clips on latching your baby http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_video.html

Please keep me posted on this one honey. Email me privately if you need to at lenore@asklenore.info If you email your phone number to me I'll be happy to call you to discuss this further and answer any questions you may have.

Fondly,