Mummies, another interesting read: Here's an extract from the Baby Whisperer on how to increase your milk supply and snacking problems.
The key is to stimulate the sinuses in your breast, either by pump or latching your baby:
No pump method:
If you don't want to pump, put your baby on your breast every 2 hours for a few days, and that will get your milk flowing. By latching on, the baby stimulates the sinuses, which sends a signal to the brain to produce milk. Your baby will then be able to go 2.5-3 hours between feeds, because he's getting the proper amount to eat. If feeds don't automatically extend within the next 4 days, make sure he's not becoming a snacker.
Pumping Method:
Pump straight after feeding or wait for an hour after the baby is fed and then pump. If your baby is feeding every 2 hours, it might seem strange to pump afterward, but by pumping you will empty the reservoir completely. At the next feed your baby's suckling will then signal your body to produce more milk, rather than his drinking from the reservoir left over from a prior feed.
Either way, after 3 days, your milk supply should increase.
If you're worried about your supply or you're not sure if your baby is snacking, do a yield to find out how much you're producing. Once a day, 15 minutes before a feed, pump your breasts and see how much you get. Lets say its 2 ounces - you can figure that your baby would have gotten about 3 ounces (physical sucking is more efficient than any pump). Then, give her the EBM in a bottle. If you haven't introduced a bottle yet, use a cup or syringe. You could also put your baby on your breast first and let him empty the rest, and then give him whatever milk you pumped out.
Make sure you get enough sleep and eat well. Too little sleep can deplete your supply or even reduce the caloric value of breastmilk. You have to double your intake of liquid: drink 16 glasses of water everyday. You shouldn't be on a diet when you're breastfeeding. You need to eat an extra 500 calories when you're breastfeeding - 50% from carbs, and 25-30% each from fats and protein.
Supplement with formula if you have to while you are trying to increase your milk supply.
IMPT NOTE: SOME MUMS WHO PUMP LIKE TO STOCKPILE THEIR BREASTMILK "JUST IN CASE". DO NOTE THAT AS YOUR BABY GROWS AND CHANGES, THE CONTENT OF YOUR BREASTMILK CHANGES TOO. LAST MONTH'S BREASTMILK MAY NOT BE SUITED FOR THIS MONTH'S BABY.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE LENGTH OF YOUR FEEDS. Be wary if feeds regularly take less than 10 or 15 mins. If the baby goes 3-4 hours in between feeds, then its not a problem and it could be that your baby is just an efficient eater. But if your baby doesn't last more than 2 hours between feeds, you may have a serious problem. Do a yield to rule out that its not a supply problem. It could also be that the baby isn't latched on properly if your nipples are sore or if you're getting engorged, it could be a blocked duct, in which case I would recommend for you to see a lactation consultant. But here's what I see alot of breastfeeding mothers go wrong in the first 6 weeks: They don't leave the baby on long enough to get a full feed (hind milk is not reached) or the baby falls asleep on the breast after 10 mins. With a very young baby, you can get into serious problems if this pattern is allowed to persist. The baby doesn't gain enough weight, and his longest naps are 45 minutes or so, and the mother can't get the baby on a structured routine. When a baby only takes in the foremilk and doesn't get the fatty hind milk (which starts flowing around 15 minutes into a feed), the fore milk isn't enough to sustain him. Utilize all wake up techniques to get the baby up to feed more - change his diapers, put him in an upright position while feeding, talk to him for a few minutes, do cicular motions with his legs and arms while layed down, etc. The baby should be awake within 15 mins, by which time the oxytocin in the foremilk would have made its way through his system.
IS YOUR BABY A SNACKER??
Babies can develop a kind of eating pattern in which they never have a good solid meal but just take in little bits at a time. It usually starts in the first 6 weeks but can continue for months as the baby gets into the habit of snacking. If your baby is 6.5 pounds or more but doesn't last more than 2-3 hours between feeds, or he never takes more than a few ounces of bottle or 10 minutes of breast at each feed, he's a snacker.
What to do?
If breast-feeding, check for a proper latch on and do a yield just to rule out those problems. And make sure that you feed from only one side at a time, make sure he gets enough from one breast first so that he gets to the richer hind milk. If your baby starts crying after 2 hours, use a pacifier to hold him off - just 10 minutes the first day, 15 mins the second day, so he lasts abit longer between feeds. By doing this, you'll also increase your milk supply. If its impossible to hold him off, just give him a smaller snack - less time on the breast, or an ounce less of the bottle - and then he'll make that up at the next feed. It may take 3 or 4 days, but if you're consistent, he will feed more efficiently....especially if you catch it in the first 6 weeks.
