What Can I do to get baby to Nurse More

Allison - posted on 05/28/2009

You can also nurse baby in a sling, wrap, or mei tai, so you can be on-the-go with your boys :-) Check out http://www.wearyourbaby.com/ for pics and videos on how to nurse in a variety of carriers. The Tummy 2 Tummy video is also helpful.

Stephanie - posted on 05/28/2009

Thanks for the help ladies. Our boys are almost out of school, so I will have more time to devote to strictly nursing verses being on the road in the afternoons. I planned on getting a pump, so I will stick with that and just freeze the milk for later.



I did nurse my little on constantly the first few days, but that caused a few arguments since thats all I did; I figured it was best to keep the peace and give the baby formula.

Rebecca - posted on 05/27/2009

To increase your supply I agree with the other ladies, ditch the bottles. Too many breast feeding moms for whatever reason tend to rely to much on formula and bottles then their own breasts and it is quite sad. If you had just nursed (even if for 3hrs in a row) at the beginning your milk supply would have increased in about a day or two and then he would have been more satisfied. Babies tend to get lazy once they have been fed from bottles because it is alot easier for them to get milk from a bottle then it is from the breast. They also dont have to latch on as well either so that makes it more difficult to get them to latch properly again to the breast. But with your baby only being 7 weeks old, you should with time, be able to get him interested in nursing again. It is just going to take time and determination from you.



One thing you can do is to take Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle (available at any health or vitamin store) -This will help to increase your supply.

Pumping after he nurses will help to empty your breast and increase your supply as well. If he nurses for 10 mins pump for 15-20 mins after he feeds.

Try to stricktly nurse him as often as you can, even snuggling skin to skin will help to stimulate your milk and may get him interested in nursing.

When he is latched on massage your breast to squeeze some milk in his mouth to get him to want to suckle.

I would try not to give any more bottles or soothers until your supply is back to normal and he is feeding well on the breast, otherwise he might just revert back to where you were in the beginning.

Laura - posted on 05/27/2009

Pumping provides some stimulation to help increase milk production. I noticed the first time I didn't pump at bedtime after about a week of pumping, I woke up in a puddle because I was so full, :)

Stephanie - posted on 05/27/2009

Thanks for the help ladies. I will stick with it.



I have 2 boys and a step-son, so 3boys. My first baby loved to nurse while we took a bath, I might try that with this little guy; he has been fighting me so far this morning, I forgot how hard it is to let him cry.



Quick followup question - Will pumping help at all?? I plan on getting a pump so when I am not around he can have a bottle from daddy or whoever is watching him, but it will be breast milk [I plan on taking a 3day class and will be gone for 5 or 6hrs those days]. I have bottles that have nipples that are made to be more like what your nipple looks like while nursing.

Emma - posted on 05/27/2009

absolutely agree with the previous posters, ditch the bottles and the formula. get some skin to skin (slings are fab for this) nurse nurse nurse drink water, and your supply will increase.

Jessica - posted on 05/27/2009

I totally agree with the other two posts. Store the bottles for later, it will be a frustrating transition, but will only last 3 days max I bet, food is food.He will get back to the breast if it is the only option!

Keep it going, you're doing great. Wow, three kids and still committed to the breast, good for you!

Minnie - posted on 05/26/2009

Yes, stop the bottles, and ditch the formula. Supplementing with formula just sends you down the road to reduction in your supply. It keeps baby full longer because it is hard to digest, thus causing your baby to not nurse as frequently, and your breasts not receiving the stimulation to maintain supply. Bottles also add to the problem, causing nipple confusion, where baby prefers the instant satisfaction of the milk flow to the work he has to do at your breast to trigger a let down.

Lay in bed with your baby, and nurse skin to skin. Get rid of the bottles and don't fall back on them. Your baby will come around, but you need to work at it. Wear your baby next to your breasts in a sling, against your skin if you can around the house.



The very frequent nursing sessions that your son had just a few days after the birth was not an indication that you were not satisyfing his needs. Whatever the doctors and nurses told you, probably that he would need to eat every two to three hours, is completely unrealistic. Human milk digests in half an hour, and the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for maintaining an adequate milk supply is dependent on very frequent feedings, much much more often than every two hours. Nursing is demand and supply. The more frequent your baby nurses, the more stimulation your breasts get, and then they will increase production to meet his needs. Supplementing destroys that perfect cycle.



Breastfeeding rarely rarely rarely will fail if left to its natural course. It is a perfect system. Only about 2-3% of all mothers truly cannot or should not breastfeed.

Lorilynne - posted on 05/26/2009

Well, the best advice I have is to stop supplementing. Just offer the breast every single time he is hungry and the more he nurses, the more your supply will increase. It will be a rough couple of days with him wanting to nurse pretty much constantly but once your supply bumps back up then he will start to go longer between feedings. He's only 7 weeks old so he's going to need and want to eat a lot. Feed on demand whenever he is hungry and for however long he wants to eat. When one side is empty, burp him and then offer the other side. Drink plenty of water and make sure there is nothing going on to distract him while he is eating.