well im not doing aswell as i thought :( :(

[Huddsgirl]

well over the last two weeks baby has been feeding alot (breast feeding) avery half hour to an hour. So i would latch her on and it seemed like she would have a good feed. Anyway tonight i thought it would be interesting to see how much milk i could express off (cause we are of on hols soon so wanted others to help feed) turns out i only have 3 ozs and thats between both boobs
so now wonder she was feeding so often. She was a big baby too (9lb 14oz at birth) so im obviously not supplying enough. I just dont no what went wrong i have been eating plenty and drinking loads but obviously i wasnt meant to breast feed. i went all through that pain and upset to harden my nipples up for nothing ............(welling up)
so i might aswell just except the fact and turn to formula
anyone else had same experience, is there some hope that i might get more milk in




feeling very down and defeated.............there is me blowing my trumpet to everyone and i havnt got a milk supply to even begin to brag about

 

[drea b]

not being able to express alot doesn't mean your supply is bad. There's alot of breastfeeders on here who successfully breastfeed and cannot express much (or at all)

don't let it get you down hun

 

[charlie84]

Ok hun what you may be able to express is no indication as to how much milk you are making. Some women can express off loads of milk and some women cant express a drop, but that doesnt mean that baby cant get any milk. Babies are built to remove the milk from the breast so will get what they need from feeding directly from you.

Your baby being at the breast constantly means that she is upping your production of milk to meet her needs, possibly a little growth spurt.

The best way to know if baby is getting enough milk is that they are having plenty of wet nappies each day and that they are happy and alert. Keep an eye on weight gain and remember boobie babies can be slow to gain.

Remember you are doing great, keep eating healthily and keep fluids up and you will be fine. I found oats to be a great milk booster

 

[Becky]

drea is right - how much you can express is not an indication of milk supply, I know women who have had loads of milk but weren't able to express.

 

[beanie]

If I expressed now I wouldn't be able to get an ounce out - and yet I manage to feed my 11 month old every 2 hours - and she is growing fast. Expressing is no indication of how much milk you have, a baby is far more adept at getting milk out. She is probably feeding often as she is going through a growth spurt. Cally has always been a frequent feeder. Her size isn't an issue either, it is a myth it is harder to breastfeed bigger babies.

Please don't think you have no milk as it sounds as if you are doing a great job. Stick with it and you will find the feeds start to space out again soon.

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

Don't judge how much milk you've got by how much you can express, its not an indication of how much your baby is getting.

Your little girl will be much better (well an expert) at getting the milk she needs and it sounds like she is doing well. 6 weeks is about right for a growth spurt too so feeding every half hour also doesn't mean she isn't getting enough. Sometimes when I expressed I would get 1oz off, other times I could get 6oz+ off.

As long as she is gaining weight (and don't forget it won't follow the feeding charts in your red book as these are meant for formula fed babies) and has regular wet nappies, you'll be doing fine.

 

[heles7]

You have done bloody brilliantly so don't be down hearted; there is absolutely no reason for you to stop breastfeeding unless you want to.

Baby is the most efficient at getting your milk and what you can express simply doesn't translate into what your baby is getting. It's quite normal for babies to feed frequently in the early days. Little and often is good and not necessarily any indication of a problem with your supply - James was the same and we have carried on breastfeeding up until now and he was also a 9lber.

So long as the little one is gaining weight and having frequent wet and dirty nappies you are doing fine. Generally speaking, professional advice is not to introduce a bottle or dummy until breastfeeding is well established as it can cause nipple confusion.

Where are you going on your hols and who's going to be there that can help you out? Perhaps you could think about taking sole responsibility for the feeding duties and get the others to help you out with everything else? Have you thought about doing some co-sleeping which can be a massive help when you are feeling tired through those night feeds.

Whatever you choose to do, I would say the best thing you can do is give the breastfeeding a fair chance and don't jump to any conclusions about your supply too quickly. Even if you find you have a low supply, through baby not gaining weight, there are measures you can take to increase it and plenty of us gals here that can talk you through all that.

 

[Huddsgirl]

Thanks girls for your replies ....kept welling up reading them, how daft am i.
Well i just wanted OH and friends to feed her whilst on holiday cause obviously i would like to spend some time with my other lil one as we are going to disneyland . I LOVE breastfeeding though so would be absolutly gutted if i had to give it up.
I am also getting really stressed about breast feeding cause lil one has really bad trapped wind, you can hear it bubbling around in her tummy (farts) and she is crying with pain when its trapped in for so long. and of course cause i dont bottle feed i can only use infacol and gripe water.and today she has only 1 dirty nappy and she didnt have any dirty nappies yesterday .......is that normal.
Also i do co sleep and find that a god send but once again that too is every hour almost.

 

[charlie84]

You certainly aint daft hun, i had so many questions when i was a newb to breastfeeding. I think it came quite a shock when i realised that it aint as simple as just popping baby on You will be a pro before you know it

When it comes to dirty nappies boobie babies can go as regularly as several times a day to not going for a week or so. Dont worry its all normal
Have you tried slinging baby which can be handy for feeding on the go and attending to other children, this may be a thing to consider for your hols.

 

[Huddsgirl]

Yes somebody mentioned a sling to me so maybe ill give that ago. better do some research what else can i eat or drink to increase supply......just incase (and i dont like oats )

 

[NickyB]

Don't worry about nappies, Lucy hasn't had a poo today either, normally she's a regular as clockwork doing one a day, normally afternoon.

Fenugreek from the health shop can boost your supply, as can oats as you said, and make sure you're getting plenty of fluids. Finally, someone mentioned 'mother's helper tea' the other day to help.

And I'm also a lousy expresser, but the LO has been growing well on what I've been making so I must have some in them!