Okay, so after yesterday’s freak out for my dramatic drop in milk supply, I was really looking forward to going to the pediatrician and the lactation consultant this morning for some answers. If you remember, Brody lost an ounce and was down to 7lbs 20z on Friday, which really made me nervous, especially with the supply worries I was having. They weighed him today, and he was up to 7lbs 9oz! That’s only one ounce under his birth weight, which puts him right on track for two weeks old. I was SO relieved!! I felt like he was starving to death all weekend, eating constantly and my boobs felt so empty, I didn’t think he was taking in anything at all, but apparently I was wrong since gained seven ounces in three days. Also, his bilirubin level is still right about the same, so we are able to send back the biliblanket, thank goodness! Our doctor is not worried about the level, he thinks the breast milk is making the jaundice linger a little longer, which is not unheard of in breast-fed babies. Hopefully it will be back down by three weeks old.
My trip to the lactation consultant really helped, too. She weighed Brody when we got there, confirming his new weight of 7lbs 9 ounces. I fed him on both sides, then she weighed him again, showing a gain of 2.5 ounces. This is the perfect amount of milk for him right now, so she was very pleased. I guess I am making just enough for him, right now, with nothing to spare. I told her I was pumping after each feeding, and she said that was perfect and that I should see in an increase in two days of the pumping, so hopefully tomorrow things will be a bit more full!
She blames the jaundice for the sudden drop in supply that I had- jaundiced babies are sleepier, and therefore sleepier at the breast, as well. He didn’t seem to be able to stay awake, so he wasn’t stimulating my milk production quite enough to keep it at that same level. Now that his bilirubin levels have dropped, he is much more alert when eating, though I still have to tickle him and mess with him to keep him awake some of the time, but Knox was the same way.
I’m planning on taking some of your advice and making some lactation cookies, too. I’ve been eating oatmeal each day, and I did feel more full this morning than I have the past few days, I’m sure that’s a combo of all of the things I’ve been trying. Hopefully things will continue to improve!
And just because…
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
You’re doing great, Mama, it is all so stressful in the beginning! Here’s to Milky wishes for you and baby B.
I was going to ask you also if you are planning to cloth diaper Brody as well. Have you started yet? I noticed in your last post you talked about how many wet diapers he was having and I think that’s hard to say in cloth so I figured you hadn’t started yet. Anyway, just curious!
We do plan to cloth diaper, but our one-size diapers are still way too big on him right now! It’ll be a few weeks before we start.
Oh my goodness! Knox looks like a giant next to Brody!! What a great picture!
Glad to hear you’re making enough milk for him and that he’s gaining weight! I missed your earlier post, but you might want to check out this list I made of the different foods that can promote breast milk supply:
http://momeinstein.com/blog/breastfeeding/foods-to-increase-breastmilk-supply/
Good luck!
Oh yay! Great news!
I think the absolute hardest part about BFing is the constant nagging feeling that your child isn’t getting enough and they are going to starve. I think I was obsessed with that until C was like 6 months old even though he was huge and always in the 90+ percentile for weight! He was obviously growing but it was so hard to watch all my friends make bottles and talk about how many ounces their kids drank for every feeding and be totally in the dark as to how much C was taking in. The kid weighs over 30 pounds now at almost two…why was I so worried?? hahahahaha
I hope the milk is coming in as I type.
I don’t have any great advice, it sounds like you are already doing what I would do. When I started eating oatmeal, my supply definitely went up.
Glad things are getting better and hope they continue to improve! Maybe you’ve already tried this but one thing that helped me with pumping and increasing milk supply was the mother’s milk tea. It contains a combo of fennel and a few other herbs. You can find it at Whole Foods or any health food type store and some grocery stores. I noticed a difference right away!!!!
Good luck!
I also had milk supply problems in the beginning, but I think a lot of it was in my head. I started to worry he wasn’t getting enough, then I would think I had oversupply. It was craziness. But I drank tons of water, took fenugreek and oatmeal like an insane person. I had to stop after 3.5 months due to my little guys allergies to cows milk and soy which really killed my supply. I am glad the LC helped you so much and I hope you can continue to breast feed for as long as you want!
I’m de-lurking! Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy! I have a girl who is a few weeks younger than Knox and a boy a few weeks older than Brody. WIth my first, I had major supply issues (it took her four weeks to reach her birth weight) and had to pump several times a day after feedings like you are doing. I also took Motherlove More Milk Plus tablets a couple times a day for 6 months (I nursed her the entire first year). I swear by the more milk plus and even took it later when Piper and I both got the stomach virus at the same time and she refused to nurse and I was dehydrated. You can buy it at Whole Foods or order online. The other issue I had with supply that I didn’t even realize until I got pregnant again was that my thyroid levels got majorly screwed up after my first pregnancy. This can have a dramatic effect on milk supply. If you’re experiencing any symptoms of hypothyroidism, get your levels checked. I know all too well how stressful this can be, and I pray you get it worked out quickly.
Hey Jessica,
Just a quick question for you. You said your milk didn´t come in until day 3 or 4. does that mean you didn´t nurse Brody until day 3 or 4? Just curious because at my hospital they were trying to feed my baby with formula like 2 hours after I gave birth because my milk hadn´t come in!
Christina, no, I nursed him from minutes after his birth. Just because your milk hasn’t come in, there is no reason that the hospital should try to make you supplement with formula after only two hours! Until your milk comes in, all the baby needs is your colostrum- that’s the thin yellowish liquid that comes out before your milk arrives. A newborn’s stomach is the size of a marble at birth, so that little bit of liquid is all they need and is packed full of antibodies and other good things the baby needs. You should continue to nurse them every two or three hours until it comes in, that will actually help it come in faster. So, Brody got my colostrum until the milk came in. No one’s milk comes in immediately after birth, and the hospital definitely knows that!