My Baby Isn't Getting Enough Milk! - My answer to this common question.

Well, Tomorrow my little Oaklie turns 6 months old. Not only does that mean I have somehow managed to keep another living thing alive for that 6 months, which is a pretty worthy accomplishment if you ask me, it also means that my baby has been exclusively breastfed for 6 whole months!

So, for this big milestone, I am going to do a post about the most common question I get about breastfeeding. The education surrounding this subject seems to be sketchy at best, so I am going to do my best to share my knowledge with all of you! Sit back and enjoy the ride!

One more thing before we get started...

Breastfeeding is HARD.

Let me be the first to stress this point.  If you're planning on taking on this commitment, please know that it is not a cakewalk, but it IS worth it.

I spent the first 3 months of my baby's life with her attached to my boob. Not just every 2 hours, not every 45 minutes, like ALL day. 24 hours straight, 7 days a week. I spent those 3 months in bed, with my baby latched on the whole time. That is just how it is, and baby wanting to be at the breast 24 hours a day does NOT mean that you have a supply issue. Weather baby spends 24 hours attached to you, or just eats every few hours it's NORMAL, and it DOES get easier. Those first few months are HARD.

"My baby isn't getting enough milk!" 

Okay, this is something I hear on a daily basis, as either a current problem, or a reason that someone quit. I hear this most from newer mothers who's babies are still in the first few months of life. Scientists estimate that a mere 5% of mothers REALLY suffer from low supply, so what's the deal then? Why does every woman think they suffered low supply? The answer is really just lack of education. When our mothers were feeding most of us, infant formula was a new and exciting concept. It was not widely known that breastfeeding was better for our babies, and many thought that the formula was even better for babies than mother's milk! Because of this, many of our own mothers cannot give us the support we need to continue to breastfeed, and many doctors are just as undereducated.

This thought often pops into a new mother's head when she has just nursed her baby, it's been a good 40 minutes so they unlatch the baby. Mere moments later, the baby is crying again. After a diaper change, making sure baby is comfortable, lots of checking and double checking, baby is still crying! At this point momma wonders, 'Can my baby still be hungry? He just ate for an hour, how is this possible?' Now at this point, mom may put the baby back to the breast, when baby settles again at the breast Mom's fear is confirmed by the fact that the baby is now happily eating again. Maybe instead of immediately nursing the baby, she gives a good friend or her mother a call. Her mother tells her to give her a bottle, because 'You're not making enough' or 'you're not enough for baby.' This also confirms this fear, and it's not our parents' fault, thats just what they know. I am a firm believer that when you know better, you do better, so I am here to help you do better. Baby wanting the breast all the time is NORMAL. You will feel like it's all you do. Cherish it, because they will never need you the same way again, and you will miss it.

Now, if you ended up giving your baby formula when they came off the breast still wanting more, you may actually have a supply issue. Generally though, it's your own fault. I'm not trying to be harsh, but it's true. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand process. If a bottle is meeting the demand, then the breast will reduce production to make sure you're not making too much. The body is not good for storing milk, so it will not make more then baby needs. By giving a bottle, you are tricking your body into thinking that baby needs less milk. I usually recommend a breastfeeding weekend when this has happened. You lay in bed with baby all weekend, and challenge yourself to keep baby latched on as much as possible. This usually will fix the problem, and restore supply.

There is one more question I see quite often, that's somewhat related to low supply. It goes something like this... "When I pump I only get 2 ounces, I know my baby needs more than that. My supply must be drying up."   This question has a 2 part answer. One, NO pump is as efficient as a baby. Baby can, and does get a great deal more milk from the breast then a pump can. Two, babies drink differently from a bottle, and typically eat more then they would from the breast. That can make it appear that your baby needs more then you can supply. Most of the time this is not the case. It's also another reason that it's hard to rely exclusively on the pump to maintain supply.

Now in the event you really are suffering from a supply issue, there are numerous things you can do. Mother's Milk Tea, Fenugreek, Lactation cookies, and medications are just a few of those. Please be sure to speak with your doctor about taking any kind of supplement before starting. If you have any more questions about this, feel free to leave a comment or drop me an e-mail.

Sweet Dreams!