how can i produce higher calorie milk?

Angela - posted on 04/10/2011

I agree that pumped milk is not a reliable indicator and the LC may be way off, but cream content can vary in breastmilk. Also, studies have shown that if the mom eats hydrogenated/trans fats it lowers the amount of cream in her milk, so if you're not already watching for it on food labels I would start making a point of avoiding hydrogenated oils. If you really need to add something I would use virgin coconut oil not formula. Coconut oil is mostly lauric acid-which is the same kind of good fat found in human milk. It really may not be necessary though. My daughter was only 15 lb. at 9mo. but by 2yrs. she was 50th percentile and she's very healthy. The suggestion of avocado is also excellent.

Lise - posted on 04/10/2011

You don't really want to pump longer than 20 minutes; it can damage your breast tissue.

I agree with everyone who said there's no such thing as low calorie milk. Get a new LC!

Dora - posted on 04/10/2011

You really can't go by the milk that is pumped. When a baby breast feeds directly from your breast they will get the foremilk and hindmilk. If your baby is growing as they should then your milk has more than enough calories. My on was always in the 25th percentile for weight but that wasn't because I wasn't producing enough calories in my milk it was because of the way he was growing month after month. Also when I first started pumping I only pumped for approx. 15 minutes at a time and my milk did look watery. I increased the time to 20-25 minutes and that is when I started pumping out my hindmilk. Just keep in mind pumps do not works as good as a baby's sucking.

Celeste - posted on 04/10/2011

Ditto Kathy, there isn't "low calorie breastmilk". I'd run fast from this LC!!

Estela - posted on 04/09/2011

Thank u all for ur advise. It has been really helpful to me. And i will definitely use ur suggestions. His poops r rarely green at all. They r yellow but really watery. I think my LC was not a good one. If i told u guys all the other things she would tell me. U would say she was crazy.

When I pump i pump for 30 to 45 to sometimes 1 hour. It all depends if milk keeps coming out. sometimes i just lose track and pump and pump. So I know that i showed my LC an empty breast. I also heard her telling another mom the same thing. that she had low calorie milk. anyways thank very much.

Liz - posted on 04/09/2011

17lbs at 8 months seems like a normal weight to me. Exclusively breastfed babies have a different growth pattern than formula-fed babies. Unfortunately, a lot of peds don't understand this and still use old growth charts from the 1970s which were created using data from formula-fed babies. Your son could also just grow up to be a smaller person than his brothers. Here's more info, including growth charts for breastfed boys (your son falls well within the norm pattern):



http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/gro...



I'm really surprised, to be honest, that a LC would judge your milk based on pumped milk. Pumping is not the same as a baby suckling.



Are there any other signs that there's something wrong with your baby's growth, other than his (normal) weight? Does he have BRIGHT GREEN poops? Is he fussy? True foremilk/hindmilk imbalance is very, very rare.



I second all the advice given here. If there's no other reason for the formula, stop giving it.

Kathy - posted on 04/08/2011

Estela, I think you might have got your information a bit mixed up. There is no such thing as :”low calorie breastmilk." ALL breast milk is thin and watery-looking compared to cow's milk.
As other mums have said, make sure you let your little boy feed for as long as he likes to get all the milk. A woman's breast really only makes one type of milk, and it's what's normally called "hindmilk," nutrient and fat rich milk - there is no sharp distinction between foremilk and hindmilk - it is a gradual change from the moment of the let-down (and there are several per feed, although most mothers only notice the first.)
Because the composition of the milk changes as the feeding progresses and because every baby varies in the amount of time it takes him to receive his fill of hindmilk, it’s important to allow your baby to feed for an unlimited amount of time on the first side.
AS other mums have also said, perhaps you can give him some solids after his breast feed, instead of formula.

Carolyn - posted on 04/08/2011

when you showed her the pumped milk did you make sure to empty your breast completely, getting the hindemilk too ? thats the thing with pumping, it can be difficult to completely empty the breast and signal hindemilk. Many people also stop pumping to early, and dont get to the next let down.

You need to remember your son is not the same baby as your other children, 17lbs at 8 months sounds reasonable to me. Is he more active at this stage than your other children?

As Amanda said, keep the baby on one breast as long as possible per feed, if you can still easily squeeze milk out, return the baby to that side, if baby still wants to nurse and you cant easily squeeze milk out and he is irritated with that side, then switch.

if he is on any solids, instead of giving formula, give some avacado, it is the only fruit/veg higher in fat and calories than breastmilk and formula. You can nurse nurse nurse till baby wont nurse anymore in that session, then give an oz of mashed avacado. this way you can keep your supply up with nursing instead of pumping, save time by not having to prepare/wash pumps and bottles, and tank baby up with some extra fat.

Amanda - posted on 04/08/2011

Try giving only one breast at each feeding. The longer feeding time should stimulate more hindmilk.

Estela - posted on 04/08/2011

My LC had told me cuz i showed her my pumped milk. She said wow this is mostly foremilk. There is barely a little hindmilk. So i really didnt believe her. I was like how can all my milk be foremilk thats crazy. But now i believe thats true.
Well my baby weighs 17 lb. I noticed that he wasnt gaining like all my other kids. He is 8 mon now i hv 4 more boys at home all breast feed no problems by this time all of them weight in the 20lb. this baby is 17 lb and has gained like a couple of ounce in 2 months. so now i give him pumped milk and a little formula inside the milk advised by my ped. Hate to do that but i hv to do whats best for my baby. I still breast feed at night cuz he really likes the breast better than that nasty bottle. I was hopeing there was something i can drink or do to make more fatty milk. My LC dont help me much either. So trying to figure out on my own. Thanks for ur replies

Lori - posted on 04/08/2011

I have to agree to the question of how do you know. If your milk was tested... was it just a little bit? Foremilk and Hindmilk are different compositions, and both equally important to the baby.

But... assuming you are right and for some medical reason you do have trouble with your milk there is a great book called MOTHER FOOD. It's by Hilary Jacobson. It is a full 300 pages on "food and herbs that promote milk production and a mother's health: With special sections on colic, allergy, depression, weightloss, and low milk supply"

I haven't read the whole thing, or even most of it yet, but it was recommended by my IBCLC. Not because of any specific problems, but she just brought it to the monthly meeting and was talking about how great it is, and how many good suggestions there are in it.

Liz - posted on 04/08/2011

How would you know your breastmilk is "low calorie"?