Low Milk Supply

There are several things that can be done to increase milk supply. First of all, it’s important to know that newborns WILL feed frequently (sometimes as often as every hour, sometimes even sooner.) In the early weeks, newborns are helping you to establish your milk supply. It is important not to be tempted to supplement during this time. Once you start supplementing, it only will decrease your milk supply. Breast milk is all the law of supply and demand. If you are leaving milk in your breasts, your body says, "Hey, baby doesn't need all this milk, we'll cut back on production." If your breasts are being completely emptied frequently, the body says "YIKES! I better snap to it and make more milk!" Therefore if you supplement, your body naturally cuts back on your production.

It is not only common, but also expected for newborns to loose 5-7% of their weight in the first few days of life. Bfing resources say that even a 10% weight loss is sometimes considered normal, but you should at that point get some evaluation from a pediatrician and a lactation consultant (LC). The truth is, if your dc is producing the expected amount of wet and poopy diapers, dc is most likely getting enough milk. See link for more info: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enough-milk.html.

Here are some things that you can do to help increase supply/weight gain :

• Check your latch. An ineffective latch is a common cause of low supply/low weight gain. An LC or a Le Leche League (LLL) leader would be able to tell you if you have a good latch. Many LLL leaders will come right to your house to help you free of charge. A good LC can also make the word of difference. Here is a link to find a local LLL leader http://www.lalecheleague.org/WebIndex.html. Also, check out the thread entitled "Excellent Videos on latching that you can watch on your computer!" http://www.parents.com/community/boards/th...234548&tstart=0 The video labeled "Compression," I found to be very helpful. I can't stress enough how important latch is- the videos are EXTREMELY helpful. They may take a while to download, but are well worth it.
• PUMP FREQUENTLY AND OFTEN. As I said previously, production is all the law of supply and demand. It is IMPERATIVE to empty your breasts as completely as possibly and often (there will likely always be a little milk left in your breast). If your dc has weight loss issues, you should nurse AT LEAST every two hours. Follow each nursing session immediately by pumping 15 - 20 minutes, (if your body isn't used to pumping, you may need to work up to that amount of time). Then try and pump and additional 2-4 times a day. In the beginning, it's likely that you won't pump much more than a few drops. That's fine. Just keep pumping, the stimulation will eventually send the signal to your brain to start making more milk. A hospital grade rental is you're best bet, second a GOOD quality double electric, followed by a cheap electric or manual. Research shows however that the cheap models and even quality manuals don't empty the breast nearly as effectively as higher quality electric pumps. Some insurance will pay for all of or part of the cost of a pump if it is medically necessary- so check and see if your insurance may pay for one. Also, check to see if you qualify for WIC- they often get you access to a hospital grade pump free of charge. You can also rent hospital grade pumps. However, keep in mind THAT WHAT YOU PUMP IS IN NO WAY AN INDICATOR of how much milk you are producing. Babies are EXTREMELY more efficient at extracting milk from the breast than any pump. If you are only able to pump small amounts, this is normal. NOTE TO EXCLUSIVE PUMPERS: you will need to be more diligent in your pumping regimen to increase your supply.
• Take a nursing vacation. Basically stay in bed with your baby and rest for a few days. Eat, sleep, nurse frequently, and REST. Over exhaustion and stress will decrease your supply.
• Always offer both breasts and fully empty at least one breast. Be sure to empty at least one of your breasts while nursing. Then offer the other breast (don't worry if dc doesn't take it though, but always offer it.) By emptying one breast, dc would have gotten the more caloric hindmilk. Using the compression technique from the video, will also help dc get more hindmilk.
• Eat well, drink well. It's important that you are getting the appropriate amount of calories and drinking water while nursing. Drink a glass of water while you nurse or sip at Mother's Milk tea. Also, according to www.kellymom.com you don't need to force liquids though - drinking EXTRA water does not increase supply. But you do need to get a good amount of water in (a good estimate is 6-8 glasses a day).
• "Switch Nurse" - this just means to switch sides through out the feeding IF you have a dc that falls asleep frequently, switches to comfort suckling rather than actively nursing, or if dc loses interest.
• Herbal remedies. You can purchase Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, and Mother's Milk tea at nutrition stores (like GNC). Fenugreek will make your sweat and urine have a maple syrup odor (and actually that is an indicator that you have the right dosage.) Dosage varies from woman to woman. I personally took 3 pills of fenugreek 3 times a day and 2 pills of milk thistle 2 times a day and drank about 4 large cups of tea a day. Results are generally seen within 24-72 hours. HOWEVER, if you aren't emptying your breasts frequently and often, the medicine and tea really won't make a difference. As I said previously, if you are leaving milk in your breasts, your body will not be triggered to produce more. Here are a couple links you can view for reference: http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html and http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal-rem_j.html .
• Special foods to eat/avoid. Many women notice a difference in their production if they eat oatmeal regularly. Asian cultures suggest to eat seawood to boost supply. Peppermint can DECREASE supply. For more info on foods and herbs that affect breast milk supply, get the book Mother Foods by Hilary Jacobson. http://www.mother-food.com/home.shtml
• Consider Co-Sleeping. Co-sleeping means sleeping in close proximity to your child. It can be done by sharing a bed, a sidecar arrangement, having a bassinet by your bed, any many other ways. See link for more info: http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/familybed.html
• Medications. There are prescription drugs available, like Reglan. However, they are not without side effects. You will want to research these medications and decide if it is right for you.
• Consider Effect of Current Medications. Birth control pills and antihistamines can lower supply. Consider what medications you are currently taking that may affect your supply.
• Surround Yourself With A Good Support System. It's important to get rest and to reduce your stress level (which is difficult enough with a newborn!) You need to be sure you have as much help as possible.

Finally, if you must supplement, I would highly recommend using a Supplemental Nursing System (SNS). SNS are designed to stimulate mother’s milk supply by providing the baby with motivation needed to suck well. It also will help you avoid nipple confusion. Babies frequently will reject the breast after having been introduced to a bottle too soon and too often. Using the SNS to supplement avoids that problem. The link above also gives you a link to how to use the SNS effectively. If you choose to give your baby a bottle, do not be deceived into thinking that because your child sucked down X ounces that they wasn't getting enough from nursing. Babies will suck on a bottle and drink more from a bottle than they necessarily need. They get the milk so quickly that their bodies don't register they are full (just like they say adults will not register they are full for 1/2 hour after eating.)