Trouble in the Beginning??

Angela - posted on 01/19/2010

I think you really need to just breath. Your body is an amazing thing and as some of the other girls posted...its amazing to pump 1 oz within the first few days after having your baby... You have to trust in the fact that the more you nurse the more milk your body produces... If you get yourself all worried before your baby is born you will stress yourself out too much and that won't be good for you or your new baby! I had to pump and finger feed my daughter for the first two weeks after she was born and I will admit it was hard but after a week of her latching with a nipple shield she finally figured it out. She is now 3 1/2 months old and feeds like a trooper! Be patient and remember that we are always here for support. I would definitely recommend LLL fore sure! They were amazing. I don't know what I would have done without their additional support! Good luck and remember to stay positive... you can do it! :)

Jessica - posted on 01/19/2010

My friend told me that with pumping you got to drink water while pumping. It kinda like trick your body that it needs to produce more. It does takes a day or two for your milk supply to increase. I took had hard time with my first one and stop after 3 months. Not sure if I just realized what to do or baby was easier to feed. My second done a great job on latching on and she is now 3 months and plan to breastfeed for while longer.

Brandy - posted on 01/19/2010

The first few weeks are the hardest girl! Just stick with it! I agree, the LLL is one of the best resources out there. They'll come to your house and help you any time you need it. After about 2 months is when breastfeeding really started to get "easy" for me. And the more you nurse, the more milk your body produces. I think the first 2 weeks Evelyn was attached to my boob about 20/7! lol

Emily - posted on 01/19/2010

1) Get hooked up with a lactation consultant from the beginning.



2) Find a LLL group in your area and start attending meetings! You will get so much helpful advice from the moms. After the baby is born, you can call on the leaders for advice for free!



3) Don't let your pump fool you. First of all, babies' tummies are sooo tiny when they are born. I'm surprised you even pumped an ounce. Second of all, the amount you pump is NO indication of how much milk your baby is getting! A pump mimicks baby sucking, but it cannot replace it. Babies can get out waayy more milk than a pump.



4) Trust in your body. It knows what to do! Nurse your baby frequently, and get help ASAP with any latch issues. I would avoid pumping altogether for at least a few weeks.. it will only mess with your head.

Audrey - posted on 01/19/2010

To pump an ounce in the beginning is actually really really good. I was getting drops out the first few times I pumped. I think the key is in your post.



"I cried and cried like ababy and gave up. I DO NOT want to give up this time"



Really, the truth is, don't give up. It can take up to 5-6 days for your milk to come in and even when it does, you'll be lucky to pump half an ounce at best.The reason is that baby's tummy is so small that it can't hold much more than that. As baby's belly increases in size,so too does your output but this takes time (up to two weeks for the big increases). Keep your baby on the boob as much as possible to stimulate supply. Make sure you eat and drink A LOT. Trust in your body that is can do what it was made to do and know that a pump is never a good indicator of milk supply.