I feel like I am not producing enough milk for my baby...advice?

So I’m a month into breast feeding, it’s seeming like I’m not making enough, my baby is always mad and hungry again even after just putting him down. Do I keep trying? I wasn’t ready for my journey to end but I also would rather just see him happy and fed. And advice would be appreciated.

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Breast feeding isnt always easy and especially establishing a goodsupply, things id try or have been advised to to try are, have you checked if he’s tongue tied? I struggled to feed one of mine after successfully feeding my others and it turned put to be that. You can also try eating a protein rich diet as thar helps milk production also drink lots! and your health visitor should be able to help with putting you in touch with a lactation specialist.
Also feed him from both sides each feed if necessary, I was advised against mixed feeding as the less you feed the less milk you produce.

Its hard to advise you to power on or to stop because i do r know you x
At the end of the day though if he’s not feeding and you both are miserable and you’re happy to.stop then don’t beat yourself up youve given.him an amazing start and should be proud of yourself, be kind and give yourself permission to but if you’re happy to keep.trying then.take the advice and give it a bit longer then.go for it you can.do.it xxxx

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The most important aspect is making sure your baby is fed and gaining. I’ve had 4 kids and was never able to produce enough even when I tried all the supplements.

If you have a pump , I was having to pump like every two hours on top of his feeding to convince my body he needed more.

Increase your water intake and make sure you are eating nutrient rich calories. It take a big engine to make milk!
Then, when baby nurses, put on both sides, and keep nursing until baby is content. Cluster feedings are normal! The more you nurse, with a good latch, the more milk your body will make!

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A suggestion… drink more water!! :sweat_drops::heart:

Get him weighed if he’s putting on a decent amount of weight then your milk should be good

Sometimes it takes longer for milk to come in, sometimes the body can’t produce the amount the baby needs. Start trying different formulas and pumping and see what happens.

Worry less, is my advice then you don’t deplete the goodness of you milk. Enjoy the time with your bub & bub will injoy.

Make sure you’re getting enough calories and hydrating. If you’re pumping try power pumping

Fed is best! You already know the answer mama.

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My babies were all super grumpy when breastfed. I fully breast fed my first two. With my third I chose formula because he wasn’t gaining and I was losing weight. My third baby who’s on formula is the happiest baby I’ve had. I wish I would have changed my first two instead of being guilt tripped by doctors and everyone and there momma. Fed is best :blue_heart:

This is totally normal. 4-6 weeks for your milk to get regulated, cluster feeding is also normal whether it be growth spurt, finally getting energy to really nurse good ect. It’s all normal and it can be rough trust me I know, but it will even out and get easier. Hang on mama, you got this. :green_heart:

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Keep trying and also supplement with formula. Fed is best and you still both get to enjoy your journey.

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It’s rough at 1st. Drinking Gatorade helped me. Your local wic department has a breastfeeding counselor available usually. I also supplemented with formula at 1st and gave my son a 2oz bottle after feeding. It helped as well since he actually wouldn’t gain weight for the 1st month.

Cluster feedings and sometimes just for comfort are reasons you can read about as well :slight_smile:

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You can always try different cookies, teas, pumping more also, I tried it all but with my daughter it was just tough. I was told feed her on both sides, if she still “seems” hungry after she likely is. So at times I would implement the small amount of formula after me feeding her, too! Just do what’s best for you and baby, your gonna know if they are absolutely still hungry or if the cries are for something else! What not to do, stress yourself out to the point where you’re only worsening the supply you’re already having trouble with!! Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing an amazing job, Mama!!!:muscle:t4::heart:
Best of luck!!!

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Baby could possibly be on breast more to try up your milk as he is going through a growth spurt. Try find breastfeeding groups on Facebook they were my life line with my second. My first I felt like you. Daughter wasn’t getting enough, on all the time. I didn’t know even when baby takes a growth spurt that they cluster feed. Is baby having enough wet and dirty nappies, putting on weight.
For a few days write down when he feeds how long for. Don’t forget babies tummy is around size of a walnut if not just a little bigger. Your doing a wonderful job no matter what you choose to do x

I’m a lactation consultant and would recommend reaching out to one locally to you

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With my son for at least the first six weeks it was like this until everything got regulated and he was used to breast-feeding. You can always do a weighted feed and see how much he’s getting if you feel like it’s not enough or try supplementing with formula and see if he is more happy after he has more food but your supply really doesn’t regulate until six weeks plus

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My daughter in law drank body armor it helped with her milk supply

This is one of many reasons I never breast fed. You can never be sure how much the baby is getting. One ounce or two. Are you making enough. Are they getting enough. That stress isn’t worth it to me when I could pump and feed a bottle and know exactly how much l. I also formula fed with no regrets. Formula fattens them up quicker and allows others to help with feeding.

You can pump and put breast milk in bottle

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Consider breast and bottle, my kid was a chunky one almost immediately we successfully combifed for 6.5m

You can talk to your GP and get prescribed domperidone its a anti nausea medication but is also prescribed to improve milk supply takes a couple weeks to make a difference but definitely works :slight_smile:

This is completely normal, I wish more mothers knew this. Your milk supply has not regulated yet and he’s cluster feeding. The first year of a baby’s life you’ll find they’re frequently irritable, cranky, refusing milk, grumpy, etc but it doesn’t mean you’re not making enough or even that he’s hungry. Keep breastfeeding regularly and pump in between feeds if you feel your supply is dwindling. Unless baby is losing weight or their nappy output is poor then you can’t assume they’re getting underfed

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Sometimes no matter what we try we arent able to produce enough, its definitely worth a conversation w your doc.

Contact lactation consultant, they usually have one on staff at the hospital you deliver at. They are experts. Don’t give up breastfeeding is hard . One of my babies literally used me as a pacifier. Super healthy and super smart :slightly_smiling_face:

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Tons of water. I would start eating oatmeal for breakfast or look up the recipe for the cookies that help with milk supply.

End of the day. You do the best your body will allow you to do. If you have to sub in a small bottle of formula after a session of breastfeeding, then do so.

You’re doing great!

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Have you pumped to see how much you are producing?

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If he has plenty of wet diapers then he’s fine. Breastfed baby’s eat a lot more often then formula. Especially around now he’s cluster feeding. It’s normal and he’s okay. Drink lots of water and body armour and if it doesn’t bother your baby a cup of coffee did something for me I bought an iced caramel coffee from McDonald’s and it had me leaking. Smoothies with fruit and oatmeal. Snack on oat bites or what I did was oatmeal cream pies.

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Breastfed babies tend to nurse a lot more than formula fed babies eat. My 3.5 year old nursed a minimum of every hour at least until he was a few months old, then we just shifted to every 2 and that was his regular until past 1 year. If you’re concerned about output though, you can meet with an LC and they can do a weighted feed (you cannot use a regular scale for this), to see how much baby is transferring. But general rule is, if they’re wet diaper output is good and they’re gaining weight, baby is getting fed fine. But, don’t be afraid to reach out to an LC, they can help you with anything nursing related. If there is an output problem, they can set you up on a plan to help increase production effectively without it being massively overwhelming.

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Your baby is going through a growth spurt and this is common. I would be stuck in the couch starting at 4pm till bedtime. Sometimes all day.
He is helping you increase your milk.
Don’t be surprised if your baby wants to be latched all night as well.

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Just keep feeding as baby wants while cluster feeding. The more baby eats the more milk you’ll make, supply and demand. Stay hydrated as well. Trust your body and the process.

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I was the same even though my boobs swelled up and I was lactating. I just couldn’t produce enough milk and it hurt alot. It doesn’t matter how the baby is fed. Fed is best. do what’s right for you both. Xx

Sounds more like cluster feedings, but if you’re worried. Tried some fenugreek. It helped up my supply. Keep nursing please! Don’t give up.

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Some babies just want to be on the boob all the time. It’s hard, but worth it. The more you keep him on, the more milk will come out. Plus, the first 12 weeks your milk is hormone induced. Take advantage of that. After 12 weeks it will exclusively be how much he eats you will make.

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I have the same issue, our pediatrician and my lactation consultant suggested pumping after he eats and offering the bottle as a way to make sure he’s full. You can try the lactation cookies and teas and candies but so far this is what’s worked for me.

Pump it so you can see how much he gets. Its what i would do

Babies are super needy and want to nurse all the time. Not for hunger, but comfort

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If you have a Nursing Mother’s Association near where your live call them as they are willing to help nursing mothers. Also the nurse at the child health clinic is another port of call. Friends who hav breast fed are great at giving advice too. Good luck.

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Could just be cluster feeding

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This is normal. He’s regulating your milk supply. It’s called cluster feeding.
As long as he’s having enough diapers he’s getting enough.

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Keep breastfeeding. The more you breastfeed the more milk you will produce

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That can be normal he may be going through a growth spurt and constantly feeding to build up your milk supply. Is he having plenty of wet and dirty nappies? And gaining weight?

Try cluster pumping. Trick your body into thinking your baby needs more. You can find YouTube videos on how to do it.

Its a growth spurt join breastfeeding groups. Keep baby on boob its very normal but check your latch if you feel he isnt on right

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You can try all the stuff, but remember fed is best. I recommend seeing the pediatrician to make sure baby is growing well and if the baby is then try all the things. If baby isn’t gaining weight then try all the things and supplement feed with formula with the hopes of not needing to do so for the long run. If you do supplement feed I would do breast first and then offer the bottle. However I definitely recommend seeing the pediatrician first to check for growth and also check for a tongue tie that could possibly be keeping baby from latching correctly.

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Have you tried pumping after feeds to get out any left (can feed him that via syringe, spoon or bottle) and stimulate more production. It can also show you if he is emptying the breast (some have a poor suck or tongue or lip ties that prevent them from really fully emptying the boob) and every insurance and medicaid give access to a free consultation to a lactation consultant. Call your hospital you delivered at or local and ask about a IBCLC

Your baby is still in the fourth trimester. Feeding constantly is absolutely normal. The chances of you not producing enough is very slim.

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Keep him on longer if have to, it’ll help produce more milk supply.

Hes cluster feeding. Keep nursing on demand, yes it feels like you nurse 100x day. It’s increasing your supply. As Long as he’s peeing and pooping adequately you’re good

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Baby’s love to nurse a ton. If baby is gaining weight and having enough wet diapers every day then all is well.

Is he gaining weight? If so it’s probably just cluster feeding

This is totally normal behaviour for a baby! Just because they fuss and cry at the breast doesn’t mean that you’re not producing enough. Even the amount you put out in a pump doesn’t actually represent how much your baby takes in. Cluster feeding is totally normal and exhausting. Hang in there mama.

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Pump and lots of skin to skin

Sometimes in the beginning you need to use milk and formula. Nothing wrong with that and doesn’t mean you have to stop. I had the same issue. I bf til I dried up at 8 weeks.

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If they’re wetting plenty of diapers, it’s just cluster feeding and totally normal

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There’s a product or company named boon they make cookie mix for helping produce breast milk, you can find it in the baby isle at walmart, there are also supplements in I think the vitamin isle that help too

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Congratulations :revolving_hearts:There are many things you can try to make yourself produce more milk but you aren’t right now. The most important thing is that your baby is getting an adequate amount of milk. From my own personal experience with my 2 girls I only made enough milk for the 1st 3 months with one and a month with the other. You may have to transition to formula. And I’m not gonna lie…it is a mental transition mainly for you so if you’re sad or feeling a certain kinda way it’s normal. Best of luck to you. Just remember it will all work out.

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Have u tryed boobie bickies hunni or lactating tea or something if u can I find they have worked wonders for me I thought my milk was drying up as well and tryed the boobie bickies and it’s amazing how much my milk supply has doubled even tripled my boobs are always full now

If you can, purchase a breast pump. Some insurance companies will provide them or WIC. After you feed your baby, use the pump to totally empty your breasts. That’s a good way to increase milk production and you can keep up with how much you produce. I did this with my last 3 kids and I produced a MINIMUM of 40 ounces per day. Please note, your baby could also be cluster feeding. You would also benefit if you contacted a lactation consultant. They would be willing to answer all of your questions. Good luck.

Supplement with formula if baby is still hungry. You can do both breastmilk and formula. Maybe your supply will eventually increase but if it starts to lower than you can just increase the formula amount and reduce breastmilk as needed.

Crying doesn’t necessarily mean hunger. Babies are clingy. They cluster feed when going through growth spurts, which is around the 1 month mark. They’ll nurse often during this. They love to comfort nurse as well. What you mentioned doesn’t sound like not making enough. If baby is having multiple wet diapers, that’s the sign your baby is getting what’s needed.

Try pumping that way you can measure how much is eaten

Try Tesco they have plenty

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Contact the hospital you gave birth at and talk to the breast feeding consultant for solutions. There’s always formula if breast feeding doesn’t work out.

Breastfed is very demanding , babies produce their own milk supply as your baby grows they stimulate your mammary glands to make more milk to fill them up! Because breast milk is so light from being NBs to about 6 months your baby is going to be glued to your boob 100% don’t stop you’re doing great :+1:t3:

also make sure baby is latching on correctly sometimes that’s the problem they don’t latch correctly so they’re not filling up if you hear sounds like sucking you know what I mean lol he or she isn’t latched on correctly

Breast fed babies nurse at times not for the food but for comfort and stress. They don’t know the difference. For the first month or so; it seems like we nurse them non stop. I was concerned about this my first and second time. The first baby I tried breast feeding for the fist 3 days and switched to formula because I was so worried about the amount I was producing vs. The amount she was getting or needed to get. The second time around I was determined to have it work. We had a lactation specialist from the La Leche League help me out and my 2nd went just fine until 2 months in when I needed surgery. I was actually able to breastfeed my daughter throughout my time in the hospital and afterwards. I never felt like she was starving or not getting enough six to eight wet diapers a day and gained weight just fine. I learned to do baby led nursing; as our bodies produce exactly the amount they need if we let them lead the way. If baby wanted to continue all day; I used a pacifier for the first 3 months and as her nursing sessions started to stretch out; I took the pacifier away. She did fine. I think a lot of my first born problems were about my issues not hers. I was constantly concerned about how much she was actually was getting how long to let her nurse, etc. The longer baby nurses during sessions the more milk our bodies produce. I wish I had learned the first time but people go through those things. Don’t upset yourself about things that you can’t change just enjoy your baby. In the end. Bottle or breastfed…they all grow up!

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My son wasn’t able to latch and I had to pump all the time. Eventually, I couldn’t do it anymore as I was just exhausted. I switched him to formula and it was the best thing for him and I. I was so much happier

I’m a birth doula. I’m not an expert in lactation, but I have 5 of my own kids that I breast fed and I had the same issue. But at your baby’s age he’s hitting big growth spurts and his stomach is still small, so cluster feeding is totally normal. It might not necessarily be that you aren’t making enough milk, but that he just needs more frequent feedings because his stomach is only able to hold so much at a time. But something I did not have a concept of is how prolactin works with milk production. I would encourage you to research that an don’t give up. As frustrating as it may be, and trust me I get it…but try to keep feeding on demand.

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Sounds like baby is cluster feeding which is 100% normal. It is exhausting but it’s the only way you will produce more milk for baby as they grow. Feed on demand whenever baby is fussy or seems hungry even if they just fed ten minutes ago. It won’t last forever but it is essential for a successful breastfeeding journey. It will happen every so often as baby grows. You are producing just enough for your baby. But when baby is needing more they will nurse more. Reach out to a lactation consultant for more help. Alot of women think they aren’t producing enough which isn’t true. A small baby doesn’t need much milk. Breast milk digests easier and faster than formula which is why breastfed babies eat more often. The more you feed baby the more milk you will produce

Talk to your doctor. I nursed my son for 4 weeks and he lost almost a pound of weight. He was a good baby, slept through the night, etc, but lost too much weight. Put him on formula and we hardly knew we had a new born baby, he was happy and slept a lot.

Eat oatmeal and pump after babies 1st feeding in the morning drink lots of water

reach out to a lactation consultant also check to see if he is gaining weight if so he is getting enough

There are things you can do to help try to increase your supply. Also making sure your eating healthy with protein. The baby is taking in what you are. I had the same issue with my daughter. Sometimes it becomes a comfort thing for baby too. Tlak to a lactation specialist in your area. Should have one where you had your baby at.

My daughter is on her 3rd the first 2 didn’t latch at all so she switched to formula. This one she really wanted breast fed she pumps and he latches as well but she doesn’t produce enough so she supplements through a mommy group and gets donated breast milk this way the baby still gets breast milk and hers as well. She really didn’t want to use formula. So far so good and baby is very healthy!

Baby is probably cluster feeding. Latch latch latch, it will tell your body to produce more!

Consume more food and calories.

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How old is your baby? Depends if he’s near that 5-6 months might be time to start foods. If you need to supplement with a bit of formula & keep trying to feed him from the breast. Your breastmilk augment and go down as your baby go threw change and growth spurts. Make sure your drinking plenty. Try to see if you can talk to your local lactate consultant they can give you plenty of tips.

Have you tried massaging the side before you latch the baby? Warm compress before feeding can help too.