Having trouble

[camomof5]

My DD just does not seem to get enough, so I started pumping and putting cereal in the milk, she finally seems satisfied, I really really really want to BF for a whole year if not beyond but here are a few things I am worried about.

I dont seem to produce enough milk for her. If I do not feed her cereal during the day she nurses sometimes 10 times a day. Is this normal? She is always cranky and always crying could it be I am not producing enough for her?

She is 3 months old and is 17 pounds solid, she is not fat at all. She has always been a big girl.

What can I do to produce more milk? I feed on demand and am pumping once a day to try to build up a stash.

I get painful everyday, it gets unbareable sometimes, what can I be doing wrong?

Thanks ladies

[hellyaellen]

if shes is 17lbs. and nursing 10 times a day, you are doing great

nursing often is totally normal. and some babies are just fussy babies and all babies go through fussy stages (see link)

http://members.tripod.com/meadowlark...isdom/id1.html

i would maybe suggest cutting the pumping and nurse at that time instead. your milk supply will adjust to your babys needs but pumping if you don't have to sometimes interferes with that

if nursing is painful you may need to readjust her latch

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/a-when_latching.html

Espescially if you have broken skin Lansinoh lanolin may help too. I used it all the time when ds was a wee babe.

There are also several kinds of Mother's Milk Tea availible to increase supply if you do need to do that.

I would see a lactation consultant for in person advice.

hth

[pyzia]

Have you tried taking fenugreek and blessed thistle to increase milk production??

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

She may be going thru a growth spurt and that means she needs to nurse more so that you make more milk. The more she nurses the more milk you will make so keep up with nursing on demand. At 3 months old most babies will still be nursing anywere from every 2-3 hours around the clock tho some dont that much. Even if she nurses every hour that is normal as well. Around 6months old she will probably slow down on her nursing some.

Could her fussiness be a allergy to something like dairy? Do you notice her more fussy after you eat or drink something in particular? I would keep up with what I eat and see if that is the case. If is seems to be then cut that food out and see how she does.

Could you being painfull be from the pump? is it set to high or not sucking effectively?


She is 3 months old and weighs 17pds obviously you are making plenty of milk most babies are 6months before they weight that much. It is wonderful how bfed babies are so chuncky like that early on.

If you add cereal to their milk they will go longer without eating again because the tummy cannot break down the cereal well. That gives them the feeling of being full but they are not getting the nutrition they would if it was just breast milk. I wouldnt give a 3 month old cereal at all especially a bfed baby.

[mamaSun loveMore]

heya!

Sorry to barge in on Samantha's Q. I have one too, and this seemed like the right place to post.

My Q:

My son is 11 mo. old and we are still happily . I'd like to go for at least another 2 yrs., if he doens't choose to wean himself before then. I have a supportive family (my own DM nursed me til my 3rd birthday), and do not have any issues with nursing publicly. But here's the problem:
Several months ago, my son rejected my right breast. Now my 'girls' are way lop-sided. Whatever the issue was for him (at first I was nervous about his hearing, thinking that maybe he preferred to have his left ear facing out b/c he couldn't hear as well with his right one) it seems to have passed. While nursing now he often pulls off of my left side and sucks briefly on the right. It still gets some milk, but very little, so he then quickly goes back the the full left side.
Has anyone else ever experienced this? Have you recovered? If so, how? I have a pump, but have not used it, since DS and I have been on a sort of schedule together. I nurse him in the am, at lunch time and then when I get home in the evenings and all through the night.
I will do whatever it takes to nurse him for as long as we are both happy doing so, but for selfish/vain reasons, I would really like to balance out my chest. I'd rather not spend the next few years with one ripe melon and one shriveld prune, if at all possible.

[DBZ]

Sounds like you are making plenty of milk. Look at your baby. I bet she looks happy and healthy. Babies nurse a lot. Ten times a day sounds perfectly normal. I'd stop the cereal though. It isn't good for her to be eating solids at such a young age. Wait until she shows signs of readiness like reaching for your food and sitting up, etc.


Piper, sometimes my dd favors one breast and I become lopsided too. When she does that I tend to be a little pushy with the smaller boob so I can look more balanced. What I do is offer the smaller one first

[alegna]

To the OP- get rid of the cereal! NOTHING but breastmilk for 6 months. 10 times a day isn't much at all. Just keep nursing (offer more often.)

-Angela

[CherryBomb]

Have you had her checked for reflux? It sounds like you're making more than enough milk, but the fact that fussing stopped after being given cereal makes me wonder if she might have reflux (not terribly common in breastfed babies, but it does happen). I'd also get ahold of your local LLL!

I would stop with the cereal though, it's not good for such a young baby (or even older babies, it's highly processed and pretty much devoid of any absorbable nutrition). Her gut is still open right now, solids can open her up to allergies. here's some info on open gut- http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/so...ay-solids.html

10 nursings a day for a 3 month old is absolutely normal. The fussing doesn't necessarily mean she's hungry. She's likely going through a growth spurt right now, they're notoriously fussy at that time! She needs to nurse on demand to keep your supply up to what she needs.

Nursing should NOT be painful, especially at three months. Have you had her latch checked? I really encourage you to go to your local LLL and talk to a leader, they'll be able to help you tremendously with this and make sure she's latching properly. Here's some info on latch- http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/bas...resources.html

Good luck mama!

Also, how is her diaper output? Diapers are the most effective way to ensure baby is getting enough milk. Being that she's 17 pounds it certainly sounds like she's getting plenty! My 18 month old only weighs 21 pounds! She should have 4-5 very wet diapers a day. One suggestion to get an idea of what that should feel like is to take a clean diaper and pour 4-6 tablespoons of water into it.

[camomof5]

Thanks mamas she is having about 6 or 7 dirty diapers a day.

[XanaduMama]

If by "dirty" you mean poopy, then obviously the cereal is not agreeing with her little tummy. Yikes. It's way too early for solids--I agree that it's probably a growth spurt and that your supply will adjust if you just keep nursing. Drink plenty of water and eat oatmeal, too!

[CherryBomb]

But make sure it's "real" oatmeal and not "quick" oatmeal!

[camomof5]

Dirty meaning wet or poopy

[Mama Meesh]

stop the cereal!

Your baby is too young to start solids. And, your baby should want to nurse, what may feel like "all the time" - 10 times a day (or more!) sounds about right. If she's stuffed full of cereal, she will nurse less, your supply might suffer, and this may lead to a downward spiral where you're battling a dwindling supply with a hungry baby.

Hang in there! Just nurse and nurse and nurse! Your body will provide and your dd wants and needs that milk! If she's growing, she may be on you to nurse even more than the 10 times a day. Just go with her demand and the "all the time" nursing will eventually taper off.


Meesh

[camomof5]

Thanks

[Equuskia]

You should also avoid putting anything other than milk in a bottle, because it can confuse a baby's fullness cue, and lead to obesity later on.

http://www.drgreene.com/21_861.html
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/f...erealfaqs.html