question 6 week old breastfeeding

Shelley - posted on 10/12/2009

Hey hun... I had the same issue when I first started to nurse my little boy... he is now 7mths and I am still at it lol!
He used to guzzle like that for a couple of reasons... one was so that I did produce more milk (the more they feed, the more you get used to producing) and my breasts felt very heavy and sore but after a couple of days like this, everything felt normal again. The second one is that he will be going through a growth spurt and needs more milk in order to grow and also so he can move around more.
In a round about way... everything is normal, rough and tough on you, but a fantastic sign that everything is well with your son.
There was loads of times, where I thought, this is too much and I wanted to give up and start bottle feeding, and i used to get very emotionally low cos i was so tired from the constant feeding, but i am glad i pushed my way through it as I have a really good feeding routine now, and i enjoy the connection it gives me to my son.
Good luck hun, and just relax... everything will flow naturally x

Samantha - posted on 10/12/2009

Oh, also drink lots and lots of water or juice. This also boosts your supply!

Samantha - posted on 10/12/2009

My daughter is now 4 months old and I had a problem with keeping up too. My situation is a bit different because Chloe was in the NICU for the first 3 months of life and is now on a strict feeding schedule. I am allowed 3 direct feedings a day then I have to fortify the rest with Neutramigen (a formula for babys with an allergy to cows milk) I pump every 2 hours and every 4 hours at night. Pumping after each feeding for 20-30 min and especially first thing in the morning. This pumping schedule has helped my body produce more milk and now I actually have milk left after she is done eating, as before I didn't. I know pumping and giving a bottle is not the same as direct feeding, but it did help with my supply. I wish you the best of luck. DON"T GIVE UP!!

Amber - posted on 10/12/2009

A little trick I used to do was at night I would only feed my baby from one breast & then in the morning you had a full breast to pump from & save. Hopefully this helps you. Good Luck!!!

Christina - posted on 10/12/2009

My sons were the same expecially when they went through growth spurts which seemed to happen nearly every 2 weeks. Just keep expressing so that when he gets his next spurt you will have a good supply. When my sons woke I feed them first thing then slept and then i was lucky enough to express 9oz after that and then if we were going any where i had that handy and they were also given a feed so that that werent hungry when out so sometimes the bottle of expressed milk would have done for a top up at night or even my older son. I found that it was easier to express in the morning.
Drink lots of water to.

Titania - posted on 10/09/2009

Quoting Brandy:

He is cluster feeding. That is what they do when they are preparing you to produce more milk. The more they suck, the more you start to produce. It just means that they are about to be ready to eat more at a time so just let him do his thing and you have enough don't worry.

this answer was right on time for me!!!!

Filipa - posted on 10/09/2009

hi, by eating heazelnuts it gives you more milk, with me it gave a lot of result...

Krista - posted on 10/09/2009

Is your baby getting any other stimulation? Like walking around and being in a sling on your body? I don't think it's normal for two month old babies to eat every 20-30 minutes and I'm wondering if he has something else going on and you are reading him as hungry? Like wet diaper? Or gas? Or cuddling? Or boredom? There are some good homeopathic medicines that help with digestion if that is what's going on with him. Also how do you know how much he is eating and your producing? I agree that producing milk every twenty minutes isn't adequate for you to reproduce 4 to 5 oz. But remember the sensitivity in the nipples greatly diminishes around 8 weeks, so it will get better. Remember to extra milk on nipple and let it dry there after they feed and be sure they fully latch on. This will help nipple health.

Tiffany - posted on 10/09/2009

Try taking fenugreek. My lactation consultant had me take it twice a day. It's an over the counter vitamin that is supposed to help in milk production.

Lura - posted on 10/08/2009

When I was nursing my second son, I ran short of milk, too. Dr. told me to drink tea and/or beer to boost my milk production. The beer does the best job, but if you don't like beer, I found out it's the yeast in the brew that does the trick, so I went to the health food store and purchased yeast tabs you can take orally.

Gillian - posted on 10/08/2009

water is must, but I followed a 6 day plan in the Contented baby book by Gina Ford and it definitely worked. Good luck

Brittany - posted on 10/08/2009

this sounds terrible but my lactation consultant told me to drink a beer or to try these herbs fenugreek blessed thistle or oatmel for breakfast or goats rue let me know if any of these work

Cecile - posted on 10/08/2009

Get in toch with your doctor and ask them to call you in "Domperidone". It's a compound medication that helps to increase your milk supply. It's pretty expensive but well worth it! ~Good Luck

Doreen - posted on 10/08/2009

This perfectly normal behaviour. Every 6-8 weeks while breastfeeding it will seem like your baby is always at the breast. This is perfectly normal as he is trying to increase your milk supply to meet his increased demands (it is only natural that as he grows he needs more to meet his increased needs). It can be hard on you but it will get better. Do not be tempted to supplement feed as this will counteract what your baby is trying to do. I breastfed 3 babies successfuly for 13 months with 2 of them and for 6 months with the 3rd. I am also a neonatal intensive care nurse and often have queries from our mums in relation to this.

Maggie - posted on 10/07/2009

drink plenty of water. Do not give baby water (it throws their sodium levels out of whack and can be very dangerous) or cereal (baby tummies can't digest it, it's too complex). If you need to suppliment with formula you can. Keep feeding and pumping. As long as baby is gaining weight then you're both fine. He's probably just going through a growth spurt and the cluster feedings will stop in a week or so. Pumping won't decrease your supply. I pumped the first 3 months after my son was born and was crazy engorged the whole time. He never actually ate from the breast during that time because he couldn't latch (COULDN'T not WOULDN'T to those with smart comments). Keep pumping and feeding - milk works on supply and demand. The more you demand the more you will make.

Bottom Line: Just make sure you get enough water, keep feeding and pumping! If you still feel he's not getting enough then suppliment with formula, which is easier to digest and better for baby than cereals!!!

Ruthie - posted on 10/07/2009

babies tend to grow around 6 weeks. Whenever they are growing or having a growth spurt, they will require more milk. His wanting to nurse more is his way to increase your supply. Be careful about pumping too much as this could actually decrease your supply. If he is only nursing off one side, you can pump the other side. Staying well hydrated can help too. It will get better!

Jessica - posted on 10/07/2009

i had the same problem and i introduced farex to my daughter at 8wks i asked my mum and my aunty when they introduced solids and they all said 6wks ... some babies need that little bit extra... back in the day they encouraged it the guidelines and recommandedations are always changing and going up and down



THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE YOU IS YOUR HIS MUM AND IF YOU FEEL HE NEEDS MORE THEN JUST BREASTMILK THEN THERE IS NO HARM IN TRYING IT ... PEOPLE WILL GIVE YOU ADVICE AND JUMP UP AND DOWN ABOUT WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG ... BUT THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY ABOUT BEING A MUM THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT STYLES TO BEING A PARENT



i was also having saw breasts and i now have 5 meals aday in the morning i'll have a bowl of mesuli with mixed fruits and nuts then i'll have a snack of of some sort around 10-11 then lunch then a snack about 2 then dinner around 6... everyone says there more water u drink the more milk u produce (this didnt work for me) i felt bloated all the time and sick from drinking so much water i manage to have 6-8 standard cups of water



i also found becasue my daughter was constantly feeding and felt like she was draining me and my breast felt sore but now that my daughter is 6months my breast are always full and i still get a pain every now and then if i am feeding her on one side becuase ur boobs can apparently feed twins at one time the way the health nurses explained it to me its like ur breasts have a brain when ur breastfeeding and if u feed on one side as ur baby is drinking its draining the build up of milk and the other side is thinking why is this not happening for me i get a burning like sensation from time to time... i found i sometimes have to express from one side if it gets to bad or i swap her over



i also found that when she was asleep i would go and have a hot shower and hand express and massge my breasts in circular motions and dragging ur thumbs from ur chest to where ur boobs start (if that makes since) then go down towarsd ur nipple this unblocks and blocked milks spots and gives u instant relive and helps produce milk



LIKE I SAID UR HIS MUM AND HE ONLY HAS ONE MUM THE HEALTH NURSES WILL ADVICE U AGAINST INTRODUCING SOLIDS AT 6WKS BUT IF U FEEL HE NEEDS MORE THEN JUST MILK THEN ONLY U WILL KNOW UR HIS MUM JUST GO WITH UR GUT IF IT FEELS RIGHT THEN JUST GO WITH IT... I ASKED OLDER PEOPLE IN MY LIFE AND THEY SAID I TURNED OUT OK



SOMETIMES PEOPLE LISTEN TO EVERYTHING PEOPLE SAY AND READ BOOKS AND RESEARCH EVERY LITTLE THING BUT IF WE LISTENED TO EVERYTHIING AND DID EVERYTHING WE MIGHT AS WELL NOT GIVE OUR CHILDREN EVERYTHING BECAUSE EVERYTHING WOULD BE BAD FOR THEM AND U CANT NOT GIVE THEM ANYTHING ... ONLY U WILL KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR UR SON NO-ONE CAN TELL U WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG EVERYBODY CAN GIVE ADVISE AND U CAN TALK IT OR LEAVE IT ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE COMMENTED ON UR QUESTION AND GIVEN U GREAT ADVISE ... SOME HAVE STARTED MINI DEBATES BUT THAT JUST PROOF OF THE DIFFERENT ADVICES OUT THERE LOL... U DO WHAT U WANT WITH UR SON



GOODLUCK AND ALL THE BEST :)

Santina - posted on 10/07/2009

My dad is a into nutrients and he gave me an all natral tea its called Organic Mothers Milk by Traditional Medicinals. it helps me n my daughter is only 3 weeks and she drinks more than 4 ounces n i dnt even pump out that much until i drank the tea

Donna - posted on 10/07/2009

I tried to breast feed my last son and I didn't have good milk. Are you sure you're milk is good? He was feeding every hour on the hour, we did this for 10 days and finally his doctor recommended I use formula. I know you may not want to hear that right now but it could be a possibility, hopefully not and your baby will get the benefit of your breast milk. Maybe you should talk to the babies doctor to make sure. What works for one may not always work for you. Ask the professional that knows your baby and you.

Kathleen - posted on 10/07/2009

All my kids breastfed for different periods of time. My first I had to start giving formula because he wasn't getting enough. My fourth started starving to death went from 9.9 to 7.2 in three weeks, I had to start her on formula. So all kids are different. It is impossible to produce enough if your body will not.

Melissa - posted on 10/07/2009

My 6 week old is probably about 12lbs or more! He gained 4 lbs in his first month and he wants to eat all the time. Some days he eats for an hour at a time every 2 hours, Other days he eats for only 5 minutes but wants to eat again 15 minutes later. I guess he just needs a little break. Anyway, my point is my son of the same age is huge and wants to eat eat eat. He wants to eat more often and more milk then I have read a baby of his age is supposed to. When we do give him a bottle of expressed milk he will drink 5-6 oz or more.

Brandy - posted on 10/07/2009

He is cluster feeding. That is what they do when they are preparing you to produce more milk. The more they suck, the more you start to produce. It just means that they are about to be ready to eat more at a time so just let him do his thing and you have enough don't worry.

Xiomara - posted on 10/07/2009

I think u need to eat more carbohidrates and drink lots of water, and try to find out what the alergie that ur brother had was about and tell the pediatrician ur conecern and she/he can recommend you an appropriate formula for ur baby.. Good luck dear..!

Verndeana - posted on 10/07/2009

I would try eating more bark green veggies and drink drink drink as much as you can my daughrer was the same way and I soon found out that she really just wanted to suck It was hard because she would not take any type of passafier and I would feel like she was sucking the life out of me. they do sale in health food stores a tea that is supost to work and my sister really loved it but she was like a cow lol always had milk ....................hope you to find a happy result Verndeana Branson

Holly - posted on 10/07/2009

Jennifer is right. I had to take fenugreek and it worked. The doctors put me on Yaz and it is the worst birth control for breastfeeding mothers. It dried up my milk and pumped my little girl full of estrogen. She was a sick girl. Anyway that helped me build my milk supply back up. Good luck, and enjoy that face when you look down on it. They grow up so fast.

Jennifer - posted on 10/07/2009

you can take fenugreek it's an over the counter herbal supplement. I have heard it helps a lot of people but it will make you smell like maple syrup. It also helps to make sure you are getting enough water. Your body will have an easier time making milk if it's hydrated, and stress can reduce your milk supply too. Good luck

Jasmine - posted on 10/07/2009

The only thing proven to help is to let him nurse as often as he wants to. When I'm home from work I let my son nurse on demand & for as long as he wants. Sometimes he sleeps with it in his mouth & does a flutter light suckle. I've felt let down 2 & 3 times when I let him hold it while he sleeps. I struggle with my milk supply because I've returned to work 8 hrs a day. I pump 2-3 x @ work & return home to give him lunch @ noon. I've used More Milk Plus capsules. And it helps some. I have difficulty with disciplining myself to take it regularly. I have found that eating oatmeal daily helps. Eat as much of it as you can stand. I add raisins, craisins, & finely chopped apples, to make it more exciting. I also found a recipe for lactation cookies on Epicurious.com I've combined that recipe with one from friend, for Monster cookies. It may be my imagination, but when I eat 4-6 cookies a day, I seem to have more milk. These cookies have a bunch of oatmeal in them too. Feel free to email me: jcataldo@myepl.org - I'd be happy to send you these recipes. I have found when I'm over tired &/or don't drink enough fluids, I have less milk. Keep your chin up. Keep trying. Even if you have to supplement, some of mama's milk is WAY better than none.

Krystle - posted on 10/07/2009

Your body will adjust to how much the baby needs sometimes it just takes a few days. I know exactly what your going through, sometimes eating more calories and drinking more fluids definitely will help with the milk production. And I know what you mean about the formula my son was a hungry baby too, and found out at 3 weeks he was allergic to dairy. ( I could eat it dairy and nurse him, he's 2 now and is still severly allergic.) I started supplementing him with a little rice cereal mixed with breast milk at 2 months and helped alot! Good luck!

Giverny - posted on 10/07/2009

try eatin mur n tryin to get as much rest as posable it helps the milk my baby is a big eater too he was 9lbs15oz at birth n eats like a trooper n now weighs 19lbs at 16weeks

Jasmyne - posted on 10/07/2009

Have you tried Milk Maid Tea by earth mama angel baby? I found that this really helped me keep my milk production up. My son did the six week growth spurt too. It will pass.

Cedar - posted on 10/07/2009

its totally natural for a baby to want that much milk. if he wants it he needs it. there is a tea that helps produce breast milk. you can get it at Whole foods. Works great.

Jessica - posted on 10/06/2009

The hospital gave me 1 set for free & that was all I needed, thankfully. Medela also makes a nipple cover that you wear when your not nursing to keep things from rubbing on your nipples. It's a plastic thing that has some air holes in it. If your nipples are cracked or blistered, putting some lanolin on & wearing those under your bra will help you heal more quickly...at least if did for me...I got mine from the lactation consultant at the hospital

Jane - posted on 10/06/2009

"soothies" rock! they're expensive but they're worth it!

Jessica - posted on 10/06/2009

Just keep pumping...I was advised to pump after every feeding...I know it can hurt, but just use lanolin on your nipples. There are also these things called "soothies" that you keep in your fridge that you can put on your nipples, they help A LOT!!! After using those you need to wash your nipples off before nursing.
Keep pushing fluids too! Water, juice, etc
Good Luck!!!

Jane - posted on 10/06/2009

you need to be sure that you're eating. more than when you were pregnant to help keep your body producing milk. our 2 yr was a constant eater, it drove me mad and i never bothered to pump, i never had the time. talk to your pediatrician, they "cluster feed" at some point (just for security), i don't remember when it is but is very trying. consider giving him a pacifier and holding him close during those times when you know he's fed but he's fussy.

this will pass and you'll find the joy again in nursing.

Tana - posted on 10/06/2009

after reading all the suggestions I have to be the cautious one and tell you that everything you eat and drink passes to your milk so You want to stay away from energy drinks because the ingredients although okay for you may harm your baby and never give cereal at a young age I had a freind whose son had to have surgery because cereal blocked his intestines as a baby. Be cautious with any advice you recieve and Just remember to relax and enjoy the time you have because it goes by so fast and spending frustrated over the small stuff sure seems silly when ya look back. good luck and breathe smile and enjoy that baby

Tana - posted on 10/06/2009

You can try Mommas milk tea from Bulkherbstore.org I found it helped me tons

Carol - posted on 10/06/2009

Congratulations! Don't give up, Mom. The best is yet to come.

Just make sure YOU are eating & drinking enough...

It's the best gift a mother can give. Relax & enjoy the bonding.

Venessa - posted on 10/06/2009

Its Pain but just keep latching him on, your body will figure it out. Keep Up the good Work!

Ali - posted on 10/06/2009

Hey Mallory. I had the same problem every night with Denan till he was about 4 months old. I would sit on the couch feeding from 5pm-9pm. I think the best thing I was told was you ALWAYS have enough milk to feed your baby and also it generally takes 20 minutes for your breasts to refill. So you can swap side to side every 20 minutes. You are doing SO well to have come this far. Breastfeeding can be so difficult. Denan was 6 months last week and breastfeeding has been the most awesome experience, now that it is established andmy body is conditioned. I am not sure where you live, but I am in Australia and we have a chocolate energy drink called Milo here. I found that drinking that at about 4pm each day helped me get through the night. I don't know if it made my milk better from all the carbs or it just gave me more energy in general but it certainly made life a little easier. Good luck and you are doing well to have made it this far.

Robin - posted on 10/06/2009

Drs have medicine that is supposed to help you produce more! maybe ask your dr

LINDA - posted on 10/06/2009

i also breastfeed, it is very hard....n my baby was born almost 10pounds...

i wud say stick with it hun, as breast is best!! and he is only 6weeks old, so as he grow's he will want less, some baby's are just hunger then others....stick with the pump, and keep going althought its hard, ull b glad in the end...

good luck linda kelly

Jodi - posted on 10/06/2009

Quoting Brandi:

My baby would not latch b/c the NICU had bottle fed her before i could go and feed her b/c i was having complications after delivery.  we tried for days to get her to latch and she would not.  So i expressed milk to give her the breast milk she needed. 

Breastmilk is breastmilk it does not matter if it straight form breast or bottle.  As long as she is getting the nutrients she needs to grow.  She is 6 weeks old and weighs 11 lbs.

I had a similar issue Brandi.  My daughter was born underweight and her sucking reflex was weak.  Unfortunately breastfeeding tired her so much that she needed to be tube fed.  We finally got her to take a bottle, and to latch, but breastfeeding exhausted her so much I couldn't do it every feed.  Bottle feeding makes them lazy, it is much less work for them to drink from a bottle, so they tend to not go back to the breast after that.  And to be perfectly honest, the weight my daughter was, I couldn't afford to have her too upset with her feeds because otherwise she wouldn't gain.

In the end, around 3 months, I swapped to formula because it became too difficult to keep up with the expressing (I also have 3 other children, and we have a business to run).  But if you can keep up with expressing the breastmilk, that's fantastic :)  It sounds like you will just need to pump more frequently for a while to get the supply up, and take on some of the other suggestions.  Good luck!!

Katie - posted on 10/06/2009

My mom started feeding me rice cereal at one month old and i have no problems. you could also try feeding enfamil A.R. which has rice startch in it. it's similar to the rice cereal that you give.

Lindy - posted on 10/06/2009

Be sure to let him nurse as often as you pump so tell your body you really need it. Also drink plenty of water, eat right, oatmeal helps with milk production. And you baby may not need to nurse just to satisfy his sucking at 7 weeks you should be able to offer a pacifier it shouldn’t interfere with nursing to help or help him find his fingers. Babies have to suck sometimes.

Jessica - posted on 10/06/2009

Hi Mallory,
Kylie Hinchy is RIGHT ON!!!
Follow her advise!!! :-)

Brandi - posted on 10/06/2009

Quoting Jodi:

Quoting Lisa:

Ditch the bottles and get baby on your breast.

Healthy mammals do NOT just not produce enough milk. If baby has a good latch and you're nursing him whenever he wants it you'll produce enough.

What you can pump is no indication of your supply. Your baby wants comfort as well- he gets that from you. Sure, he'll down the five ounces when you stick the rubber nipple in his mouth, any baby will do that.

NURSE YOUR BABY AT YOUR BREAST.

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detfreq.ht...

Actually, Lisa, there are regularly reasons that people (1) can't actually breastfeed other than expressing and (2) can't produce enough milk.  We all know that the amount pumped doesn't indicate supply, but please have some respect for those that choose to give breastmilk but have their personal reasons for being unable to always breastfeed.

My baby would not latch b/c the NICU had bottle fed her before i could go and feed her b/c i was having complications after delivery.  we tried for days to get her to latch and she would not.  So i expressed milk to give her the breast milk she needed. 

Breastmilk is breastmilk it does not matter if it straight form breast or bottle.  As long as she is getting the nutrients she needs to grow.  She is 6 weeks old and weighs 11 lbs.

Elisha - posted on 10/06/2009

I totally agree, keep the baby at your breast only because it can take a little longer to get the hind milk which fills him up (no water, it's not good for a young baby there is more chance of illness, intestinal upsets). Expressing just makes your breasts sore. Sit him up for a while on your lap (without patting his back) and see if he just needs a burp. Babies can be confused at first about whether they are hungry, tired, need too past wind etc... The response is always the same, sucking is comforting no matter what the aile. Overfeeding can also cause stomach pain, so try a few things first before you put him back on the breast. Don't put time limitations on breastfed babies, supply and demand is the best. Unless you are working ditch the bottles and the pump, relax and enjoy the experience of breastfeeding. GEES, all of these gadgets available just confuse everyone, sure enough it's great if your bub can't suck eg.prem. But if you want to breastfeed just do it and do it for as long as you can. Before all these ridiculous pumps where invented woman did what? They just feed and nature did the rest, your baby will build your supply the best thing you can do is ask for help to do household chores so you can relax with your baby.



:) hope this helps

Sarah - posted on 10/06/2009

Ive had heaps of issues with breast feeding and found that drinking more water,and expressing does help-also go to the health food shop,blessed thistle worked for me also milk-flow,its a homoeopathic remedy its worked well too. But my biggist bit of advise is to relax ,the more stressed you are the less milk you produce. Hope its a help

Brenna - posted on 10/05/2009

Oatmeal,Fenugreek and lots of fluid does the trick.