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I only have 1 baby so I have not experienced this but one thing that seems to doom some b___stfeeding relationships is putting your baby on a feeding schedule. Newborns often want to nurse constantly .. not always for hunger but for other reasons.. sucking is soothing, they like being near mom etc... if you feed on demand you should be all set. It might seem like your baby is always hungry but in reality he might just want to nurse (not out of hunger) my dd (6 months eats often.. everry 1.5-2 hours during the day and if she is teething or scared or anything is different she wants to nurse.. she is a comfort nurser... its normal.. especially in infants. If your baby shows signs of wanting to nurse put him to b___st. In the early weeks your body needs this almost constant nursing to build a milk supply. As baby gets older they nurse quicker and spend less time at the b___st. I would never feed formula on top of b___stfeeding unless you had weight gaining issues etc.. if a baby has a proper latch is rare that a mom can't produce enough milk for him unless she is under stress etc.

Thats strange the nurses fed the baby formula if you wanted to b___stfeed. At that time their stomach is itty bitty, like a marble and colostrum is all they need, if you were leaking that tells you that you had milk (colostrum). If your little one seemed hungry it may be because the baby needed to nurse for comfort or may have been cold (nursing, they feel warm and comforted.) I wish you luck on the next one, you could get ahold of a La Leche member and they could help you in the first day or so of nursing, just to make sure everything is going right. My little one is 6 1/2 months and I still have to pump at night to be able to get more than a drop, she is exclusively bf and healthy and eats every 2-3 hours. Good luck.

I agree with the other 2 mamas...I think the nurses were wrong to give your lo a bottle. Newborns don't need a huge amount of milk, they need the colostrum that their mommies make...Put in your baby plan for the hospital that you don't want any bottles given to your lo and no pacifiers. My lo would nurse very often at the hospital and the weeks after...that's how your milk supply gets built up!

They actually didnt give him a bottle. Part of the reason they probably did this was I had a c-section after a very long labor and was unable to feed at first. But they fed him from a syringe. And I dont think it has anything to do with any sort of schedule. Like I said when I went to pump nothing would come out and mean nothing. My mother said she had the same thing. I was just wondering if there was any kind of medical term for this or if others experianced it. I dont feel like I failed or anything, I read all the b___stfeeding books and I had a lactation specialist with me telling me I was doing it right. I understand that baby doesnt need a lot of milk, but believe me when I say he was not getting enough from me.

Do not give formula supplements at all in the begining. The more the baby is nursing the more milk you will produce. Some woman don't respond well to a pump especially at first so I would not judge your milk supply based on pump output. Why do you think your baby was not getting enough? Did he have poor weight gain and not enough wet and poopy diapers? I just feel that most of us mamas feel like our little ones are not getting enough when in fact they are. I had several moments that I worried about my milk supply. When you nursed your baby did you feel a let down? I always let down when my dd nurses but often when I pump my milk does not let down. I have sat in my living room pumping for 1/2 hour with no milk because my milk did not let down so at that point I just stop pumping. Good luck!!!

Hello Kristina I can imagine the anxiety. First and foremost b___stfeeding is difficult in the beginning. I was so worried that I was not producing enough, the lactation nurse called me a "tiger mom" I was so unsure of myself. Once my dd turned 6 wks old, I started to pump about 30 min after the morning feeding (you produce more in the morning). I only pumped an ounce although I knew I was producing a lot more. The let down is what got me. I did this to build a supply for my dd because I had to be back to work when she was 9 wks old and had plenty for her while I was gone. It takes a lot of dedication, persistance and everything else in the beginning, but once you get it down pat, I believe it is much easier than bottle feeding.... My dd never had formula not because I didn't want her to, but because I was able to do it. Good luck to you.

I am not able to get milk from pumping either, but I have a 18 pound 4 month old who only has ever been fed with b___stmilk and I leak like crazy over night and while he is nursing. I would not judge your milk supply based on pumping. I agree with the other moms. In the beginning your milk is not going to seem like enough for your baby- but just keep at it and unless your babies doctor is concerned- keep on going. Oh, and your baby is going to want your brest a LOT at first. Totally normal. And, I totally disagree with people that think that you need to give formula to "fill their baby up at night" your b___stmilk is filling enought. Your baby is not going to be on any schedule at first and there are some things that you can do to get them towards sleeping, but really in the first few weeks- its the babies schedule that rules and if you really want to b___stfeed- just let him/her do it as often as they want and I am sure your body will do fine!! It's a little tough at first (I tell this to everybody- I am on my third child and still is true- the first weeks are the toughest), but if you get over that hurdle you will find b___stfeeding so easy and bonding (and if you are not someone that does that's ok too! )I hope you have an excellent delivery and recovery and God Bless :-)

I am currently 13 weeks 2 days pregnant with our second child and really nervous about not being able to b___stfeed this baby as with my first. However, after reading a book on b___stfeeding and reading these posts I believe that I may be able to do it. My daughter was very small, only 6lbs 8oz and never latched on right. The lactation specialist said it was because she was so small. I tried for 5 weeks and was so sore and chapped. I was in toe curling, crying pain everytime she would try to feed. It was the most horrible thing I have ever experienced and there was no end in sight. It was worse than labor in that respect. I have hypothyroidism and am small b___sted ( A cup before pregnancy ) I have read that sometimes smaller b___sted women are at an advantage, but for me I was just so sore and frustrated that when the lactation specialist told me that it wasn't working and not to feel bad for switching to formula exclusively, I did it. Now I am wishing that I would have had someone with a more proactive approach to support me. Here is an example of a typical feeding for me. I would put her to the b___st and she would try to latch, but most of the time could onlly get the nipple. I would break the latch and try again only to have her not be able to. She was so small and her mouth was tiny. It hurt so badly. The other thing I noticed was that there were only 3-4 holes in each nipple that the milk was coming out of... is that the norm? Anyway, she would get so upset because she wasn't getting anything that I would pump while my hubby gave her a bottle. From pumping I would only get maybe an ounce if I was lucky. Is that normal. I had a friend who was b___st feeding at the same time that was getting several ounces every time she pumped, so I really thought there was something wrong. My OB put me on Reglan and the herbal supplement Fenugreek and they did nothing for me. I even didi as the old wives tale suggested and drank 6oz of beer, which I had to choke down. I hate beer. Anyway, at the time I really felt like I had tried everything, however now I have a lot of guilt about not sticking it out, and some anger toward the lactation nurses. I read in, "Everything You Need To Know About Breastfeeding" that in the beginning you will only produce as much as the baby needs. They gave the example of one ounce for every feeding for every month of age. I think that is what i was getting, but without the proper latch,and with SO MUCH PAIN! I would really apprecialte any and all input and advice from you ladies. I really want to b___stfeed very badly when this baby is born. It was very hard for me to come to term with not being able to with my daughter. Please help me.

kristina -- congrats on baby #2. I hope this labor/delivery is a lot easier than the first one. are you having a scheduled c-section? i think that will help. talk to a lactation consultant NOW before you're in the hospital. ask them what you can do to help get ready this time. A couple pieces of advice: Nurse as much as you possibly can at the beginning. I know it'll feel like you're doing it constantly (and you will be) but that'll help your milk come in... sometimes it takes longer for women who have c-sections (the hormones aren't acting the same as women who go into labor). Tell the nurses that it's VERY important for you to try b___stfeeding, and see if they can't wait to give formula to your baby. And I'd avoid pumping at the beginning. You will only be discouraged by how little comes out -- but that's all your baby needs, a very small amount. I pumped for about 10 months (I work a full-time job) and I never EVER got as much pumping as I did when I was b___stfeeding. I wish you the best of luck. If you have other questions this is a great place for them. ~spam

could someone please respond to my post, please.

bump

mjvdec01, I really think you should post your question on the llli.org forum there are several pros on there as well as moderators who can help you. I would not go back to the same lactation consultant you went to before. I can not believe she told you to switch to formula that so not like a lactation consultant. The lactation consultants at my hospital would not do that. Again, please post on the mother to mother forum on llli.org they are very helpful.

Geez. From what I understand (and I have experienced so I think it's true) sometimes it can take a c-section mom longer to have her milk come in. We had our boy on Monday and my milk did not really "come in" until Friday - then my b___bs went rock hard and we sure had to work our little guy to get it all out....(I pumped too - to drain the b___sts)....don't give up kristina! Maybe your milk had just not come in.

Lily10, thank you so much for the information. I went to the website and got the location for my area. I will definitely be going. I think I will call and ask when they recommend moms to be to attend. I have to make this work this time. Again, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reply.

Hi mjvdec01 - also dig around the Jack Newman site. He has a WHOLE AREA dedicated towards "finding the right kind of help". re: lactation consultants - doola's - you know supporters of b___st feeding...you need a CHAMPION - someone who will help you and see you through the rough spots. You should not be in pain everytime your little boo latches...goodness that's no good! I get so mad when I hear stories like yours......argh. Keep up the positive vibes - you are doing great already!

mjvdec01 - Hey My dd was 6lb 10oz and I've never had much luck with those darn pumps, any kind. I had very sensitive nipples for almost three months. I never bleed, but it hurt very bad quite a few times. As like you she was small. My nipples changed more than my b___sts during and after pregnancy. My areola and nipple is a lot bigger. So I think that was my problem, she could really only get the nipple in the beginning. I think as you've probably done your research now, but you'll be able to do it for longer this time. Mine is almost 8 months and we're still going. Good luck!