11 days old - very low supply - pumping and supplementing. Help!

[Fulhouse]

I think I'm doing everything but maybe there is some advice here that I can use. I've breastfed 3 babies before. Huge boobs, lots of supply. But this time the milk did not come in. She was 3 weeks early and I had a ghastly c section that you don't want to hear about -- traumatic and painful and they put me to sleep at the end. So I missed her birth.

Then only a teeny bit of colostrum was present for her first days, and she had learned a great latch and had a great suck. For 2.5 days she was patient and kept sucking but getting nothing. Then she started to lessen the # of sucks with each latch and start crying, then screaming, with each attempt. Then she was screaming all the time. We got to take her home but had to immediately start giving formula and our precious daughter was happy for the first time in her short life.

So I have been pumping round the clock, even now renting a hospital grade pump, still only getting about a tablespoon from each breast from a pumping session. Which of course I feed her, but she is now eating tons of formula and growing and staying content.

When I try her on the real breast she doesn't really latch and she eventually cries. I don't keep her on there long enough to do the screaming they allowed her to do in the hospital. She was very insulted by that and developed an aversion.

I have a great lactation consultant to visit, but she hooked me up with all those shields and supplemental tubes and stuff that are too hard to do at home by myself with a baby who doesn't want the breast and a sleep deprived mama.

I wanted so badly to breastfeed. Is there any hope? What happened to my supply? I can't stand that she is eating formula. Any help or advice or anything?

[star8kitten]

My own story sounds a lot like yours.  I had twins nine weeks ago (baby A naturally, baby B dreaded C-sec) and my milk never fully came in and I can't pin point why.  After two weeks of nursing, the boys were not gaining enough and I had to stop nursing and start pumping and supplementing with formula.  I was devastated, I had nursed my first two boys and fully intended to nurse these twins. 

Fast forward two months and we are nursing again and I only have to supplement a couple bottles per day.  You can turn it around, I would stop trying to nurse and just focus on pumping every two hours and feed your baby the milk you pump and some formula.  I would also seriously consider taking Domperidone.  It helped me get from pumping .5 ounce (supply was that low) to three ounces in a month.  Without the stress on latching and wondering how much the baby is getting I could relax and focus on making milk. 

It was so hard to listen to my midwife and LC tell me to stop nursing, I really did not believe we would ever get back to it but they latched back on after they started growing and settled down a bit.  I hated puumping but I ended up only having to do it for a relativly short time.  Good luck!

[Fulhouse]

Wow, thanks so much for your message of hope! Some people were telling me that only the baby could increase the supply but she kind of "hates" the breasts for being so empty. Bless you for saying the pump can also increase supply and we can later get her back on the breast.

My lc said domperidone can have side effects of anxiety and depression. Did you have that?

[star8kitten]

No problem, I too struggled with the decision to stop nursing but my babies figured out the boobs were not making milk and it is not good for them to get that idea seared into their brains.  Drastic times call for drastic measures and severly low supply is an emergency.  My midwife explained that the babies dont need to learn that boobs are dry and won't give milk.  They get stressed out and will just scream.  two weeks into pumping I tried to start nursing again and it was not time yet.  They screamed and I got really sad and figured I would just ahve to be a pumper but then I tried again with some encouragment from my mom who would not let me give up.  So it took a month but they did not forget how to nurse and they were so happy when the milk was there. 

Your LC is really misinformed.  Domperidone is very safe with very minor side effect (headache, ab pain) and really safe for the babies.  Reglan is the drug that causes depression.  Go check out Kellymom.com web site and search domperidone and it will give you the current facts for it.  I would get it as fast as you can and start Feenugreek as well.   

There is hope, I could not see it but I had faith in God and my midwife advice.  good luck!!

[Fulhouse]

Wow, ok, Feeling very encouraged. I can't thank you enough. I agree that trying to suck on an empty breast is too discouraging for her.

One pump yesterday evening I got 1.5 oz (out of both). Not since then, but it did make me hopeful the supply is growing.

I am going to start a new thread to ask about what formula we should be using as the last worst.

[Megan73]

There is absolutely hope. Hang in there!
I know it's awkward and frustrating but I'd encourage you to try domperidone and get out the supplementer (probably a Medela SNS) that your LC gave you to keep your babe at the breast while you build your supply. If you need to supplement at the breast long term, I'd suggest the Lact-Aid system.
I know it's heartbreaking to have to use formula but by supplementing at the breast you head off nursing strikes and get all the nurturing and other benefits of breastfeeding - which is as so many wise women have said is about more than just the milk.

[star8kitten]

If you can supplement at the breast I would try that so your baby might relearn quicker.  I honeslty decided not to use one of those system because my twins latch was not great and well, there are two of them.  I would need four hands to keep everybody where they should be. 

Hang in there, I almost gave up so many times.  It was so hard to give my boys that first bottle of formula but I had to keep telling myself that the most important thing is that they get fed and start gaining weight. I ended up just using Enfamil (well costco's version) and they tolerated it well. 

Your supply can turn around quickly.  You only need two ounces to four ounces per feeding right?  I had to make double that so it took me longer but it sounds like you are getting there!  I also went and read about women who exclusivly pump, they have some great tips and encouragment to offer also.  I am still trying to up my supply and I still have to supplement but knowing that the majority of the babies milk comes from me is comforting and we saved our nursing relationship.  It is so much more than food to them and for me. 

[Fulhouse]

While you all give me encouragement to keep doing this, I still have sadness at times because I have never gotten more than an ounce and a half at one pumping session - probably 20 mins double on the symphony pump. Hospital grade.. Trying to write on my iPad while pumping.

DH not home that much and not available at night so there are lots of times baby just won't let me put her down to pump.. Very frustrating. She will not take the breast itself. I don't want to give up. I wanted to b feed her at least two years.

Not giving up yet. She is still getting as much b milk as I can pump out.. I don't like thinking about what's in the formula but at least she digests it well. Sigh. Depressed about it.

[tincia]

Just wanted to give u a little more hope..i suffer from low supply issues also, but with the help of domperidone and pumping, i have been able to go from less than an ounce per pump to about 3 (every 3 hours). I had to pump every two hours along with the domperidone to get it to where it is (not through the night though) i tried to put him on the boob every day at least once though in hopes he wouldn't completely forget how to latch. If u can use the feeding tube even once a day or every few days when your partner or a family member is around to help u. Another good trick is to feed your baby then after burping, just as u would then offer the second breast, try to offer her to breastfeed..if it doesn't happen, at least your baby isn't starving and u can just stop and try again later..it may also work if your baby is getting sleepy and just wants to suck and therefor wont be turned off by the lack of milk..then u are stimulating the breast while also recreating your breastfeeding relationship