Breastfeeding - When does ample milk supply come in??

S

shyen

Member
I just gave birth about 2 months ago. Currently doing total breastfeeding since Week 6, combination of both latch & pump... I don't have ample milk supply such that I can store in the freezer, like many of my friends... at most I only have 2 bottles of 150ml. Would like to ask when does the ample milk supply come in?? Am worried as I may need to go back to work very soon..

Appreciate your advice, thanks!!
 


hi shyen, if u've been exclusively breastfeeding, ur milk supply would have been regulated by now, according to what ur baby drinks.

e best way to up ur supply is by direct latching. that said, if u r going back to work soon, e best time to pump, to build up ur ebm supply, is between 1am-6am, or like, every other time that ur bb is not drinking.

perhaps ur friends all gradually built up their supply? i.e. they pump everyday for a no. of weeks liao?

if u think u really need/want to increase ur supply, some mommies take fenugreek, drink malunggay tea, organic mother's milk tea, sacred tea etc... but i think results depend on individual...

oh ya. dont stress also. if i stress, i will get very little when i pump

hope that helps!
 
What i did last time was to feed bb on 1 side n pump on the other side. So u can slowly build up ur supply. At nite i did the same thing, in the morning one side will b very engorged but can pump alot of milk
 
Hi pink Popsicles

Thks for ur reply.. Actually I try to latch as far as possible then pump after latching.. Bb is still not able to suck well so after latching sometimes will cry for more milk, so the milk i pump out is for him to drink after latching. Which is also not a lot cos after latching the amount pumped out is only like 50ml. So it'll eat into my accumulated supply n before long its finished.. Tat's y I never have a lot of pumped milk for storing.

Am also taking fenugreek but strangely I dun feel engorged unless I haven nursed for abt 4 hrs or more.. Does this mean I don't have much milk??
 
Hi Lavinia

Thks for your reply.. How to pump while latching since bb is lying across? U using football hold position??

Pump a lot meaning like how much?? Think the max I can pump is onli 130ml per session in total.. But tat's like after a duration of 4 to 5 hrs ... Normal onli 100ml
 
Hi,

What i meant is feed bb first using 1 breast. Afterwards, u pump frm the other. I cant remember how much i cld pump coz my boy is 3 plus but i know that ur supply wil increase with ur bb's intake. So juz pump n freeze whatever u can. I didnt hv excess supply of milk but i pumped religiously 2 mths,b4 i went back to work n pumped twice at work to keep up supply.
 
hi shyen, would u consider seeking e help of a lactation consultant to help u on baby's latching? cos sometimes improper latching can cause bb to not drink efficiently. or last time i asked my nursing friends to check my bb's latching cos i tot he not drinking properly as he always wanted to latch every hour. if ur bb cries, u try latching on again? breastfeeding is really hard work but when u see bb grow cos of ur milk, it will b worthwhile
happy.gif
jia you!
 
i think ur body regulated ur milk supply ba? thats y u wont feel engorged unless 4 hrs or more? im like that too. last time quite often my breasts feel full, now my bb 6 mths le, if he latches on all day i wont feel full often. if im at work & never pump then i will b engorged.

agree with lovelylavi, u just need to pump religiously to stock up on ebm supply. sometimes i super sian of pumping but just do it at whatever time i can. & i tell myself if output not much also never mind la dont stress. cos now also my output seems to b lesser than initial times.
 
Hi lovelylavi,

Ic... So means u don't latch using both breasts, juz 1 n pump from the other? N tat'll finish the latching process??
 
Hi pink Popsicles,

Actually I think he can latch properly cos during each feeding session I can hear him swallowing the milk at times. Then sometimes cannot hear, so i think he's mayb abit lazy or sleepy haha? There're few times he drinks so efficiently that the milk came out from his nose, scary! I can understand the agony of him crying for milk every hr cos sometimes he's like tat.. Ya, I was quite Sian of pumping initially cos the output so little... At least now it's increased n also I'm feeling abit stressed tat I muz have sufficient before I go back to work else I may lose total breastfeeding anytime.. Think the washing n sterilisation each time is v sian..
 
Hi shyen,I started with breastmilk and substituted with formula initially too.total breast feeding only in third month.i agree with pink Popsicles that it could be a latch on problem or baby does not know how to suck properly.give your baby some time.once he master the act,you will find that he can have his fill and then u will be able to produce more too.it is really a demand and supply theory.he drinks more and u pump more,the supply will be more.i started with very low volumes too and it can be demoralizing but just persevere!
 
To increase milk supply, I latch and pump at the same time. Initially takes abit of practice as baby is lying across, so your bottle have to be positioned slanted.

But after a while, you will find a way that is comfortable for you. When baby suckle, there will be let down, you will realise that you can pump very fast. Your body will be "tricked" into thinking that you are feeding twins/requires more milk, so the production also goes up. I do this once a day (twice if I really need more milk to stock).

Dont worry about baby going hungry, its a natural demand and supply thing. If you baby is hungry and kept wanting to nurse, your body will auto produce more milk. Hope that helps
happy.gif
 
Hi ngph, it's encouraging to hear from u, so i guess it's never too late for milk supply to come in as long as we persevere.. Thanks!
 
Hi smallsweetz,

So u do it for both breasts or juz 1 per session? Since Bb only latches on 1 breast it's enuf to fill his stomach? I'll try this method n hopefully it'll increase fast.. Thks .
 
Hi mommies, I jus gave birth on 22 aug. did total breast feeding. But discovered baby has breastmilk jaundice & was advices to stop breast feeding for awhile. While not breast feeding, I pumped milk but got inflammation, swollen breast (on one side) & fever. Then can't seem to pump out milk from e swollen breast. I used hot towel to massage then hand express but only very little come out. Tmr will see PD again to check on bb's jaundice. If level drop, I want to breast feed again but I m afraid my milk supply has dried up & can't satisfy bb. Any advice what I can do? Ngph, your post is indeed encouraging. Makes me believe I can breast feed my bb again even after a break. But pls tell me how to do it. Thank u all!
 
Hi ticwig,

I had mastitis before and sounds like you are developing one. Probably need to see a doctor for the inflammation, otherwise it may lead to pus and then the milk cannot be fed to baby. If cannot pump out milk, try and engage a jamu lady. They are gd are it and that's how I managed to clear my blockages. Once cleared, then breastfeed exclusively by latching, pump only to relieve any engorgement pressure, but don't pump till empty. This will give the signal that there is enough milk and there won't be over-production. With exclusive breastfeeding, baby will regulate your supply.

I know you probably feeling very anxious and worried. I was like that too and when I had mastitis the 2nd time, I almost gave up. Luckily, I didn't and my baby is still on exclusive breast milk now at 5.5 months. Just give it your best, ok?
 
Hi Cjymom,
Thanks for sharing & e encouragement. Can PM me e jamu lady's contact & how much she charge? My baby's jaundice is much better & PD say I can resume breast feeding. I breasted her twice today but was not enough so I had to supplement with FM. Only taking fenugreek now to improve supply. Will try e jamu lady if her charges not too high. Spent a lot on her jaundice treatment already
sad.gif
 
Hi ticwig, glad to know that your baby's jaundice is getting better. My baby also had jaundice and had to be re-admitted to hospital for 2 days before we can bring him back again. i agree that the expense spent on jaundice is really great! not forgetting the anxiety that we parents had. don't worry about not having enough milk. like what i said, i had to wait for 3 months before i could do exclusive breastfeeding!i guess every mum is different. i did take fenugreek too but i am not sure if that's really helpful. my gynae advices me to drink more warm water in between feeds/pumps to increase the milk supply and i did that. i have an inactive blog which i penned down some thoughts on breastfeeding and changing to formula milk and could PM you the address if you keen to read. is your engorgement better already? I suffered from engorgement a few times too, mostly due to blocked milk ducts. i didn't see a doctor cos not sure if i can just see a family doctor or need to go back to gynae. what i did was i use hot towel to massage and guess what, i used my baby to solve my problem! i used a method i read on the web, i got down on all fours (literally) on the bed and use gravity and my baby to resolve my blocked ducts problem. it's a hilarious sight but it solves the pain. this worked most of the time except for once when i had to suffer the engorement for 2 days before i could squeeze out the milk and lightened the load.those were the days...i also faced problem when i tried to introduce formula milk again after he was over 12months. my problem now is stopping the night feeding completely since he is turning 2 soon!
 
Hi ngph, yes pls PM me your blog add! Thanks for sharing your story. I may try your method of getting on all four to clear e blockage!
 
hi ngph, omg i actually went on all fours too when i had blocked milk ducts a few mths back! so weird but ok la worked a bit. hee.

hi ticwig, for now im drinking malunggay tea & eating oatmeal everyday to help increase my supply. since i started working, somehow i find i wont get much milk when i pump at work (also bcos of stress, rushing etc) but since i started e tea & oatmeal, it kinda increased. when i took fenugreek i ddnt see as much results as this. maybe u can try?
 
hi shyen, babies r smart, they will feed as long as they're hungry, even if it means drinking from 1 breast only. if u'd like, u can offer e other breast when bb's done with e first breast, & subsequenty pump e other side, if thats what u mean?
 
Hi mummies,
I was very sad to see my supply drop, initially I still can feel my breast was full, now no. baby 3 wks old and I have to top up with formula sine day 3, now even I pump out every 3hrs,I only can get 20-30ml. My baby is sleepy type, he always fall sleep after few min suck, although I keep wake him up during latching, but he will fall sleep again, latching time are short , 10-15 min , some times less than 10 min, now he start reject nipple due to no milk flow, I take fenugreek as well, but seems not really work.
Can mummies advise me wat can I do.

Hi ngph, can share more how u able to overcome and fully bf by 3rd month

Thanks
 
hi twxmm, during the first few days after my baby was born, he was like yours too. very sleepy...when i was at the parent crafting session on breastfeeding in the hospital, every baby was wide awake and sucking but mine just continued to sleep regardless of how i tickle his neck. the nurse/consultant told me let him sleep and try again later. haha...when i just started, my baby can latch on for as long as 30mins falling asleep in the process but in 1 hour's time, he will be hungry again. so yes, i was very stressed at that time because he might not be getting enough milk from direct latch-on.so i had to use formula to supplement and like you when i pump, i also only get 20-30ml each pump.miserably little. but u know what, i encouraged myself by thinking...ok, 20-30ml each pump, if i pump 4 times, i get 120ml a day! :p.

you may want to check if you getting the right breastshield size too. do you suspect that your breast may not be empty after each pump? i used the medela freestyle and had to change my breastshield because they started peeling off (mummies - don't sterilise your breast shield!!). i was suspecting that there are milk which was not pumped out and i changed to a bigger breastshield. and i was right! i am able to pump out more milk after the change. see attached link from medela on choosing the right breast shield.
http://www.medela.com/IW/en/breastfeeding/good-to-know/right-size-of-breastshield.html
does it resonate? hope this will solve the problem for you too!
at the moment, just continue to shift the nipple into your baby's mouth. they will take it especially when they are hungry!
 
Twxmm
Your story sounds a lot like mine. My bb used to fall asleep soon after latching, then would wake up crying hungry less than an hour later, re-latch and sleep again soon after. The cycle just played out like that, esp at night. Drove me up the wall. Then, was advised by nurse - called them up for advice cos I was getting desperate - not to keep bb too warm When feeding ( cos easier to induce sleep), try to feed with bb a little upright rather than lying down. If they sleep, change diaper to wake them up etc.
Another impt factor to get better milk output is to be able to achieve let-down while feeding/ pumping. In the early days, I discovered the trick was not to worry about or even think about BF. Watch tv, read something entertaining eg magazine or surf net while pumping or latching. It helped me and u can try.
I too partial BF in the first month but had enough milk to total BF b4 my confinement ended. My bb is now 5 months old and still being total BF.
Some pple I know swear by fish with green papaya soup. I took nursing mother's milk (several brands available) just b4 I returned to work and i noticed it helped to increase supply significantly. Some alternatives u can consider too.
Just hang in there! This sleepiness whilst feeding will improve as your bb becomes older. It will get better!
 
Twxmm
Your story sounds a lot like mine. My bb used to fall asleep soon after latching, then would wake up crying hungry less than an hour later, re-latch and sleep again soon after. The cycle just played out like that, esp at night. Drove me up the wall. Then, was advised by nurse - called them up for advice cos I was getting desperate - not to keep bb too warm When feeding ( cos easier to induce sleep), try to feed with bb a little upright rather than lying down. If they sleep, change diaper to wake them up etc.
Another impt factor to get better milk output is to be able to achieve let-down while feeding/ pumping. In the early days, I discovered the trick was not to worry about or even think about BF. Watch tv, read something entertaining eg magazine or surf net while pumping or latching. It helped me and u can try.
I too partial BF in the first month but had enough milk to total BF b4 my confinement ended. My bb is now 5 months old and still being total BF.
Some pple I know swear by fish with green papaya soup. I took nursing mother's milk (several brands available) just b4 I returned to work and i noticed it helped to increase supply significantly. Some alternatives u can consider too.
Just hang in there! This sleepiness whilst feeding will improve as your bb becomes older. It will get better!
 
Hi, just to share my story here as well.

When i gave birth to my son, I managed to latch on fully for 3 weeks. then I had an episode of blocked ducts. It was so bad that I also went on fours and met my hubby milked me to clear the duct! I even engaged a lactation consultant to come to my place to prick the blister on my nipple and helped to massage. I also put cold cabbage on my breast to relief the engorgement. But i think I over did the cabbage thingy and my supply went down to zero! My son was screaming as he could not get any milk from my breasts. So, I supplemented with FM. meantime, I pump every 1 and half hour - 2 hour to stimulate milk supply. Also took a supplement from Motherlove. It was pure perseverance and one day 9-12 pumps that made my supply went up within i think a week or so. After that, as my son was used to bottle feed, I did exclusive pumping for 1 yr before I decided to stop as I wish to have another child. I had over supply of milk and threw away almost 40litres of bm. wasted. So, it is not impossible to build supply when it went down to zero. Just need to be more determined!

Now, I just gave birth. Baby is 5 days old today but she has been in the hospital for jaundice for 3 nights already. My son had breastmilk jaundice so, for my daughter now, I supplement with fm to help clear the jaundice faster. Usually if you bf for your first child, milk comes in faster for the second child as the network is already thr in the breasts. My milk came in on the 3rd day. So now, my baby is on 3 hourly feed and I bf her 4 feeds of bm thru latch and 4 feeds of fm by the nurse. Hopefully her jaundice comes down and I can bring her home today!

Oh yes, I realise milk volume will be higher if you have a good rest before you pump /latch. Also, if you really want to increase your supply, try not to give up the midnight pump. Apparently, the hormones are at the peak from 3am-5am. so if you pump/latch during this time, your supply will maintain or increase. I realise when i stopped my midnight pump, my yield went down quite significantly.
 
Thanks ssp and rachelle, due to I fully take care of baby, sometimes not able to pump on time, will try to latch and pump and hope supply will increase.
 
Hi ngph,
Thanks for sharing....I do take bigger size breastshield, I think I stress too much,, will try to relax....
 
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