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breastfeed, feeling drained, especially at night

  1. #9
    erina320's Avatar
    erina320 is offline Registered User
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    I would also like to add that your milk changes throughout the day. It is very common for there to be less milk in the evening/night, but the fat content of your "evening milk" is higher providing baby with less over all fluid, but more filling meal.

    Another way to increase milk supplies is drop the formula feeding all-together and nurse on demand. Baby will nurse more frequently and you'll feel "drained" but it will cue your body to produce more milk to meet babies needs.


  2. #10
    Lali07 is offline Registered User
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    Hi Jamiexchan, the great thing about breastfeeding is that problems are not always permanent, and with the right help, most breastfeeding problems can be resolved. If it is your goal to breastfeed, then get in touch as soon as possible with someone who can support you through getting breastfeeding back on track. Your baby won't starve! Sarah Hung at http://www.lotuslactation.com/ is very experienced.. Good luck and enjoy your precious new baby :)


  3. #11
    Lali07 is offline Registered User
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    PS. I second what Erina says. The more you drain your breasts the more you're telling them to produce more milk. Nurse nurse nurse as often as you can (now is not the time to be timing and scheduling) and once your supply is back on track you at least have choices..


  4. #12
    meimeid is offline Registered User
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    Your baby doesn't need to drink the same amount every feed, aa long it is enough for a day one feed can be more than another. The number of nappies and your bubs weight should tell you if it's ok or not.


  5. #13
    thanka2 is offline Registered User
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    How old is your baby? That's the first question I'm wondering about.

    If you want to increase your milk supply you're going to have to cut out the formula feeds. Breastfeeding isn't at all like formula feeding--you don't measure the milk by volume. Breastmilk CONTENT is what matters--not necessarily volume.

    Is your baby gaining weight? Is your baby having 5-6 wet diapers/day? If so, your baby is getting enough from breastfeeding and isn't starving. What have you done to increase your milk supply.? The first step is cutting out formula completely out because if you feed with formula it tells your body to produce less milk and then you get into a cycle. So, if you are trying to keep with breastfeeding and especially if your baby is small, feeding formula is actually causing your breastmilk supply to go down.

    genkimom gave a lot of good suggestions above on how to increase breastmilk supply. It takes time and effort. Breastfeeding can feel tiring and in the beginning can be a lot of work but it's worth it. You said you saw a lactation consultant? Where? Was it at the public hospital or the mother/child health clinic? If so, I would contact La Leche League and get a second opinion--the public hospital and local doctors are well known for giving poor breastfeeding advice to new mothers. Just because you can't get milk out with a pump doesn't mean your milk supply is low necessarily. Pumping breastmilk is really a lot different than feeding the baby directly. You will never get as much pumping as you do when your baby feeds directly. Pumping is not always an accurate way to measure breastmilk supply.

    Here are some questions:
    If you truly have low breastmilk supply, have you gone on domeridone? Have you taken fenugreek and fennel? Have you started eating a diet high in lactogenic foods (oatmeal, spinach). Are you on a good nutritional supplement that contains plenty of balanced calcium that your body can absorb (this was my problem when I had serious milk supply issues)? Are you getting enough calories in your diet (you need at least 500 more calories than usual daily)? Are you getting rest? Are you drinking enough water? Are you taking any medications or supplements that have a negative effect on milk supply (such as cold medicine)? Does your baby have a proper latch? Is your baby feeding frequently? Have you tried hand expressing--many women can get much more milk with hand expression than with a pump?

    I think contacting La Leche League is a good place to start if you really want to keep breastfeeding. It is not easy and it takes a lot of work at first. You just need some encouragement and practical help from people who know what they're doing.

    “Many women have described their experiences of childbirth as being associated with a
    spiritual uplifting, the power of which they have never previously been aware …
    To such a woman childbirth is a monument of joy within her memory.
    She turns to it in thought to seek again an ecstasy which passed too soon.”

    ~ Grantly Dick-Read (Childbirth Without Fear)

    Mother of Two
    JMW, boy, born November 29, 2007, 9:43 pm, USA
    MJW, girl, born March 17, 2011, 4:14 pm, HK

  6. #14
    evgreen is offline Registered User
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    I feed more frequently in the late afternoon/early evening and from both breasts (cluster feeding). It's normal to have less volume during those hours. More frequent feedings = more milk.


  7. #15
    catan is offline Registered User
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    Why do you think you don't have enough milk?


  8. #16
    Gracey is offline Registered User
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    Don't give up on the pump. In the beginning, I thought it wasn't working either. But after a few times, it got better.
    Also, how long do you keep the pump on? Sometimes, the first 5 minutes, it looks like nothing is coming out. Then I get a "let down" and more milk comes out.
    But the more you supplement with formula, the less stimulation your breasts will get, and the less milk they will produce.
    But if you really try to 100% BF, and maybe do a little extra pumping, it will only take a few days for your breasts to produce more milk.
    I hear local moms all the time complaining about having not enough milk. But then it turns out that they just aren't feeding / pumping enough. There's no big secret about diet, supplements, etc -- it really is just a matter of time and effort.
    Don't give up now. Breastmilk is way better for your baby than formula. It's the only way to give immunity to your child.
    Mine has been BF for 5 months now and has not had a single cold, flu, allergy or anything, even though it's winter.


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