Hello mummies
Happened to stumble on this thread. Just wanna share my experience and hope mummies who feel they do not hv enuf bm will be encouraged...
When i first started to express after discharge fr the hospital, i was literally pumping air and only few drops came out. not even 10 or 20ml. So little that the confinement nanny said if the milk was stored it would eventually evaporate!!
Despite having so little milk in the first few days, I was determined not to give up and cont to express. In the first 4 weeks I only latched bb abt 2-3 times a day as I was too tired and still hurting from the wound. (At that time, I do not know how to nurse lying down). Also, bb takes about 2 hrs to feed each time (she was suckling and also maybe not enuf milk coming out and slow flow)...
Now my bb is 10 wks old and I have managed to, thankfully, establish a good supply for her. She is now TBF. (thankfully she doesnt drink alot)
I find that altho the supplements may help, the key is to press on and express (if not latching bb) every 3 hrs when u wan to inc milk supply. It is important to express on time if you wan to increase milk supply. Now, i latch bb on every time she wants to drink now (every 3 hrly) and pump out the remaining milk after she is done with her feed. I find that this way, the milk supply increases.
For mummies who are unable to TBF, please dun feel guilty. Sometimes it is the bb who refuse the breast or are just not so good at latching on and from my personal experience, absence of latching will reduce milk ss. If so, then we are left with no choice but to supplement with FM, but it is imp to feed a formula which is hypoallergenic so as to reduce possibilities of allergies.
Cheers