I dont have a le down anymore...havnt for a while....

Jessyka - posted on 10/17/2010

i have never felt a letdown and my breasts don't leak, either. the only indication that your baby is getting enough is the amount of wet/dirty diapers she has, but since you are supplementing, this really isn't a good indication unfortunately.

it's been more than a week -- how has it been going? any better?

Aicha - posted on 10/05/2010

sorry to hear you are having trouble with nursing please call la leche league or visit their website for breastfeeding help http://www.llli.org/ also call your local wic ( women infant and children )office they will help you with breastfeeding issues

Veronica - posted on 10/05/2010

Thank you so much I am going to try all that.....I am never going to give up so long as i can squeeze out a drop.....I have tried stimulating a let down but I dont think I am getting any at all....Can I have a let down and the milk not leak from my breast?? becuase they dont leak anymore.....I do stress about it because its all I ever wante to do with my baby and now I feel like I am letteting her down :(

Jessyka - posted on 10/04/2010

i know how frustrating this can be! good for you for trying to continue!

first of all, definitely offer the breast first before giving the bottle. it sounds like you're already doing that -- that's great. you can offer one breast, when she fusses switch her, and then switch her back. or you can try hand expressing some before offering. that might help to stimulate a let down.

just because you are having trouble pumping doesn't mean you don't have a letdown, though. some women just have a harder time pumping than others.

some pumping tips -- make sure you are in a safe, comfortable, stress-free environment with someone else watching your baby. drink a lot of water right before pumping. keep your baby's picture or an article of her clothing with you -- this can help stimulate a let down.

try power pumping. in one hour, you pump 10 minutes, take a 10 minute rest, pump the next 10 minutes, etc. this simulates a growth spurt and can help boost supply. unfortunately a baby's suckling is the best thing to stimulate the supply, but if she won't stay latched on, you have to try the next best thing.

to keep baby latched on, you could try an SNS (supplemental nursing system). it is a little hose that will feed baby formula (or expressed BM) while she is latched. if you use this, though, watch out that she is remaining latched -- some babies are so smart they figure out that they don't have to be latched on to get the food and they take the lazy way out.

when you take the fenugreek, make sure you take enough -- you want to be able to smell it on yourself/in your sweat. you can also take blessed thistle in conjunction with the fenugreek. i ate a lot of oatmeal (the cooking kind, not the instant kind) and drank mother's milk tea when i had a hard time pumping at work.

good luck!