Not producing enough breast milk... Is it ok to feed a month old cereal???

Ashey - posted on 08/05/2009

oh yeah and try using mustela nursing comfort balm I love it.

Ashey - posted on 08/05/2009

My ped says you know they are getting enough by the number of wet and poop diapers, and some babies will keep eatting as long as you let them. My daughter would not let me put her down it seemed like. My ped also said not to do the cereal that early, but talk to your doctor. And see if your community had a nursing consultant they offer alot of information. I have also found if you need more milk to eat more. It sounds funny but it has worked for me at times. But I think you should just consult your ped on his next well baby visit or make a special appointment. hope things get worked out

Carlyn - posted on 08/05/2009

Your child's feeding schedule is normal! If you are worried, however, I would check out a LLL meeting. They can help you make sure that the child's latch is good, which will help with nipple soreness and make feeding take a little less time. You can also use a very accurate scale to measure your child before feeding, then again after feeding. This can help you see how much milk the little one is getting. Your pump should not be cracking your nipples either. You might need to try a different flange size, or modify the suction you are using. LLL or a lactation consultant can help with that too. In the mean time, I would use olive oil (or EVOO as Rachel Ray would say) to lube your nipples when you pump. It is safe to have small amount end up in your milk, and safe for baby to ingest. Good luck and let us know what happens!

Rebekka - posted on 08/05/2009

PS If you do decide to use formula, you can continue to try and breastfeed, take the supplements etc and slowly get into a routine that suits you. However, babies often reject the breast after the bottle because the bottle is just so much easier...

Rebekka - posted on 08/05/2009

Every 2hrs at this stage is quite normal till at least 3 months or more if the baby is big. I really feel for you - had the same situation. try a lanolin pure ointment (oily not "creamy") if you dont have a history of sensitivity to lanolin - it speads up the healing process. also get a nipple sheild for breastfeeding - like a wide "hat" for your nipple made of silicone - be sure to wash it well after every use and rinse with boiling water to leave no soap residue - these things are AMAZING. My last baby had my nipples bleeding for weeks and this solved the problem. also make sure you have the baby finish one breast completely before moving to the next - even if this leaves you lopsided! It helps the supply tremendously and gives the other nipple a longer gap to heal. Sleep with nipples exposed and if you can, lay topless in the sun for about 10 mins each day - feels wonderful and heals the cracks - but not Midday sun! Set your pump on its lowest setting and drink more liquids. TRY NOT TO STRESS as this makes your milk go away. If all else fails, get your Dr to give you Sulperide - it brings on the milk like nothin else - but try not to stay on it for longer than a month or two. Like Tamara said, no solids till 6 months - google it and see for yourself (but take no notice of the formula and cereal manufacturers sites - they would have you start too early .... $ )

Melissa - posted on 08/05/2009

8 ounces every 4 hours while also nursing directly is a huge amount! Cereal is absolutely not recommended for a child younger than 6 months. I think that his current eating behavior is totally normal. Remember that his tummy is only about the size of a walnut and BM about 1.5 hours to digest, so eating every 1.5 - 2 hours would be normal at that age.

Barbara - posted on 08/05/2009

No, do not feed him cereal. Do not supliment with formula. The only way you can produce milk is when the baby is sucking out the milk. If the baby is hungry, breastfeed. It will seem constant for a bit, but believe me your baby IS getting what he needs. Also, it is best to not supliment because it will not give your mommy milk a chance to increase. Be patient.



Note: Only supliment if the baby's weight is decreasing and the doctor confirms that you need to.



Right now, sometimes it could be every two hours that your breast feeding THAT IS NORMAL . Just go along with it.

Danica - posted on 08/05/2009

Breast milk is thinner than formula so babies tend to want to feed again within a couple of hours, but if you don't think your baby is getting enough than it is okay to top him up with formula. Yes breast is best but a baby needs to eat - when I had my son I didn't think he was getting enough breast milk and insisted on formula. All the nurses at the hospital told me he was getting enough breast milk and he wouldn't suck for so long if he wasn't, when we weighed him to take him home he had lost 12% of his birth weight (it's only normal for them to lose 10%) so we had to stay longer in hospital. If he is gaining weight then you are probably giving him enough. My son is 10 weeks and he drinks 150ml (about 5 oz) every 4 - 5 hours but every baby is different. For your nipples try purlan, I had the same thing blisters on my nipples so took a break from breast feeding and just expressed for a week gave the a chance to heal now it doesn't hurt to breastfeed or express.

Geneva - posted on 08/04/2009

don't pay much attention to how much you are pumping - it is probably no where near what your child is actually getting when they nurse. Just pump when your baby would eat for at least 15 min per side or until your milk flow slows considerably while you are at work, & try & dial down the intensity of the pump - it doesn't need to be on full force to be effective (even if you get a little more faster when it's up). Frequency is the biggest thing you can do to increase milk supply, not duration. (but I've heard good things about some of the supplements or a dark beer) As for the cereal, I wouldn't give that to a one month old unless doctor says it's ok. Most kids aren't cleared to have cereal until 4 months. My niece just tried it & had all kinds of gi problems from it.

Elizabeth - posted on 08/04/2009

Fenugreek works for me, and keep in mind the more you breastfeed the more milk you will make!

Elizabeth - posted on 08/04/2009

Fenugreek works for me, and keep in mind the more you breastfeed the more milk you will make!

Lisa - posted on 08/03/2009

NO!!! cereal until they can support their head! At one month, they are going through a growth spurt and tend to eat, all the time! (almost) Every hour to 3 is very common. The more you nurse, the better because as baby needs more, you will produce more. Supply & demand! Try fenugreek though. If you have extra milk, which you should if you are pumping 8 oz. at a time. then store for later use! It's good for 4 months in the freezer!

Kathy - posted on 08/03/2009

Wow. Pumping 8 ounces is alot. My first child (he is now 12), ate like that and he never seemed satisfied. My pediatrician at that time put him on rice cereal. This helped. Talked to your pediatrician about it.

Tonya - posted on 08/03/2009

oh another thing, baby's have growth spurts at 2 wks, 4 wks, around 2-3 months then again at about 6 months. They will eat like they are starving, but like was said in earlier posts, they aren't they are telling your body to produce more. if your baby doesn't like the taste of the cream you are using, you can try washing it off before nursing as well. I used the olive oil on the advice of a lactation consultant and had great success with it. its a lil messy but it really replenishs the oils. Also try not washing your breast with soap. I know it sounds gross but soaps dry out the breast when nursing. water and soap are going to run down over them when you take a shower so you are getting clean! :)

Tonya - posted on 08/03/2009

this is completely normal!! don't stress over it. most newborns eat every 2-3 hrs and some may nurse as long as hr. They are known as lazy nursers. Breastmilk is very easily digested and it doesn't stay with them as long as formula.

for the pumping, try using extra virgin olive oil. just put some in a small bottle with a lid. rub the oil around your nipple and ariolo and on the breastpump shield. this will decrease the friction on your breast and the olive oil won't interfere and change the taste of your milk. you can also try rubbing breastmilk around your nipples and letting them air dry. when your at home take off that Bra and let em breathe!! :) the friction of your t-shirt fabric will toughen them up too. also taking the bra off will allow the milk ducts room and they will be able to produce better. I'm the mom of 4 soon to be 5, I've nursed all of them some longer than others due to circumstances. hang in there mamma, You can nurse and nurse successfully. remember baby's like mamma's have to be taught. your gonna be stressed and tired and wanna quit but you are giving your baby the best start in life.

Oh another thing that might help the soreness is to use washable nursing pads. I used the disposable with my first and always felt like they were sore and itchy, with my 2nd child I got some washable ones, They are wonderful, They breathe better and have a better airflow, and they are really absorbant. if you need extra absorbtion just double them up. Best of luck!!

Melissa - posted on 08/03/2009

The best thing for cracked or sore nipples is to cover the nipple in breastmilk and let it dry before putting you bra back on. breastmilk has both a healing property and anti bacterial property that it awesome for nipples. do it at the end of every feed or pump and make sure it dry's completely. tamara is right on about the growth spurt. just keep feeding. there are no rules how often you feed a breastfed baby. demand feeding is the key and don't bother looking at the clock.

Justi - posted on 08/02/2009

All of the above are probably right, but if you were looking into increasing your milk supply, there is a natural supplement called Fenugreek at Vitamin stores that you can use that I was told to use by my OBGYN. I had surgery 3 weeks after I had my daughter but I wanted to keep nursing her. I tried to pump but I was in the hospital for 8 days and pumping just wasn't the same and I wasn't eating enough to get the milk. I came home and nothing was working. I started the Fenugreek and within 3 days I had a lot more milk! It takes longer for some moms and it depends on how much milk you would need, but it might help! Good luck. I hope things are going better.

Lauren - posted on 08/02/2009

Always bring these issues to urs or the baby's Doc bc they should give u the best and recommended advice, everyones different. I can tell u that it is ok in general bc my 2.5yr old nephew was premie w/stomach issues n GERD & doc cleared him to have the cereal in the bottle w/ formula (he wouldnt latch). On the other hand, you might think he's not getting enough of ur milk just bc hes eating often and long periods of time, but mine did the same thing for the 1st 2mos, i refused to use formula or anything else, but then again, doctor didnt recommend cereal, not until 4mos old to start spoon feeding. 2nd part-if ur nipples are cracking from pumping they must be dry, make sure you leave your milk all around them before throwing the pads back on. I know you're in a hurry at work but you gotta let them air dry before covering. Ur not cracking from him only bc hes slobbering on them but the pump isnt doing it, its bc ur skin is dry, so leave milk on them before covering and try to wait till they air dry before covering. =)

Tammy - posted on 08/02/2009

Keep in mind how small their little tummies are too, like I believe about the size of a walnut at 1 month. So eating every two hours (for example, 1:00 pm and then again at 3:00 pm) is perfectly normal - they can't hold that much food, so they are hungry again soon.



I don't know what cream the hospital gave you... but is it possible to put it on AFTER you feed him, or after you pump? That might help if the baby objects to the taste.

Aimee - posted on 08/02/2009

Yeah, what Tamara said. When babies go through growth spurts it seems like they are eating non-stop. They are trying to stimulate your body to make more milk, and they are not starving. As long as he has enough diapers and seems ok (besides being a ravenous little milk monster he he he) he is fine. You don't want to give a baby that young anything besides breastmilk or formula. You especially do not want to give your baby cereal in their bottle unless directed by a doctor to help with some sort of medical condition like reflux, it can be harmful.



Also, if you can, try really hard not to supplement with formula. Your baby needs to be going to you for all of his feeds and tell your body to make more milk, if not your supply may be hurt because of it and it can cause problems. It is frustrating this early on but it doesn't last for TOO long, it's just something to get through. Once you do, it gets easier. Growth spurts are hard but it gets easier and easier over time. Best advice, nurse nurse nurse and drink lots of fluids! Try to take it easy too, having a one month old is hard work! Good luck mommy!

Tamara - posted on 08/02/2009

Oh sweetie, this is normal! He's only a month old. There's a growth spurt right now so he needs every bit of breastmilk that he's getting. Do you have a sling? I would absolutely get one if you don't that way you could go about your business and still have him w/you to nurse.





He does NOT need cereal of any kind. He is far and away too young. You need to wait until he is at least 6 MONTHS old before introducing a solid of any kind.



ETA: You're not having a supply problem. He's just really hungry 'cause he's growing. :)