With Jenna for about the first 3 months I had a very low milk supply. I had pumped milk before she was born, and it's a good thing because it turned out that I needed that milk for her. She was in the NICU and it took her a while to figure out how to nurse because of that. I had to supplement with formula frequently at first because pumping only gave me about 1 oz out of each breast if I was lucky. This was also a 30 min pumping session. That was the maximum ammount of time reccomended. I did this every 2 hrs, Jenna sometimes wanted to eat every 1 1/2 hrs, and she didn't nurse at first, so she ended up getting formula. What are some things I can do to ensure that I have an adequate milk supply this time?
when are you due?
are you anticipating having another premie?
Most women find that they have a larger milk supply with their second baby (and each subsequent child).
When your baby is born, nurse as soon as possible.
Nurse on demand.
Do not watch the clock, allow your baby to nurse for as long as it likes.
Offer both breasts.
Make sure you have a good latch.
Ask for help, if you have access to a lacation consultant or La Leche League Leader and are unsure about your supply or your latch.
here is a link to Dr.Newman's handout on starting out right:
http://www.bflrc.com/newman/breastfeeding/estab_bf.htm
I am unfortunatly anticipating another preemie. I am due August 17. I am dialated 3 cm already, so I am nervous and doubt I will make it to the middle of August. I would nurse (or pump) at least every 2 hrs at first, but thats because I usually had to wake her up to nurse, if she wanted to eat more often that was fine, but I had to make sure that she ate enough times because of being a preemie. I also drank a lot of caffine then (later found out that is bad for your milk supply) I am off all caffine now, I am just really worried about not having enough milk. To top it all off Similac has already sent me 2 cans of powdered formula. I really don't want this stuff in my house, it will just make it too convient to supplement with formula, especially in the middle of the night. I'm worried about this.
Oh, I also know now thats it's normal for it to hurt at first, even if the baby is latching on right. Before I thought that breastfeeding shouldn't hurt, but now I know that it does. I am a lot more educated about it now. I am also too lazy to bottlefeed. I will have to take stuff for 3 kids. change of clothes for each kid, diapers for the 2 little ones, baby wipes, butt cream, motrin, chewable and liquid, and all the other stuff, I am just too lazy to pack bottles and formula. Besides, I CAN'T forget my boobs. Sometimes I would forget bottles and formula, then have to go out and buy them, never fun.
throw away the formula first of all. send it back to them postage due! you can do that you know?
since you have already gone through breastfeeding a premie before, re-reading information about how to breastfeed a premie and a newborn might help put your mind at ease.
if you are still nursing your toddler, your milk may have turned to colostrum again. if not, it will soon. you can always pump and have some ready for the new baby.
do you know about kangaroo care? skin to skin contact between the mother and baby.
there is not much you can do before your baby is born to prepare your milk supply but you can put your mind at ease.
you already know about caffeine and formula supllementation. you are on the right track.
once your baby is born if you feel you are having trouble establishing a good supply, then talk to yor doctor. but nursing on demand, and skin to skin contact are keys to establishing your supply.
i'm sure you will be just fine, and you will handle it all very well.
when your baby is born if it is possible breastfeed immediately.
commonly held assumptions about premies that are NOT based on any scientific research is:
breastfeeding is too stressful for babies weighing less tha 3.3 lbs
babaies cannot coordinate sucking and swallowing well enough to breastfeed until they reach 34-35 weeks gestation
babies must be able to bottle feed before they can breastfeed.
these are all myths.
you can go directly from tube feeding to breastfeeding!
readiness can be evaluated by observing:
overall condition
how well baby tolerates milk fed by gavage
ability to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing
baby can maintain body temperature outside incubator.
your milk will be stimulated by skin to skin contact. fresh milk is better than frozen if possible.
With Jenna my breastfeeding relantionship was sabatoged (unintentionally) by the NICU staff. They asked my husband if they could giver her a bottle (she was less than an hour old), and he said that would be ok. He didn't know that getting milk from a bottle and getting milk from the breast are very different. He also didn't know that formula is basically junk food for babies. Also, she wasn't eating much, and they wanted to know EXACTLY how much she was getting (I didn't know they could do this by a weigh in before and after eating), so they told me I had to pump. We had some skin to skin contact, but she needed to be left alone as much as possible (what they told me) to not get too tired to eat. I tried to get her to latch on a few times in the NICU, but she couldn't figure it out easily, and the nurses said it was going to tire her out too much to eat efficently. I just wanted to get her home, so I did what they said, and not necessairly what I should've done. I'm just scared that this one will need to be supplemented with formula too, I don't want to do that.
If you do end up needing to supplement, you don't have to use formula. My baby lost too much weight at first and was dehydrated and jaundiced. What I had to do was make sure she ate at least every three hours for at least twenty minutes at the breast. After she ate from the breast, I had to pump and supplement her expressed breast milk with a tube. My midwife said that a half ounce weight gain in two days would be good, and she gained six ounces overnight.
My midwife also suggested taking fennel or fenugreek or dribking fennel tea to boost my supply at first.
Hmm maybe I'll do everything possible to boost my milk supply. Fenugreek, mothers milk tea plus, the fennel stuff you mentioned, oatmeal all day, lots of water, anything else I can do? Also, I'm gonna pump after I nurse the baby.
don't stress yourslef out over it too much. breastfeeding can be completely different the second time around. you are way more aware and eductaed this time. i'm sure you will be fine.
it sounds like you know exactly what to do!
you are gonna do great!
Yeah, just don't stress so much about it! You will do fine. :D Just nurse all the time, both breasts, don't watch the clock, nurse as often as possible, and GET RID of that formula! :)
pumping while pregnant is not usually recommended if you are at risk for preterm labor.
you need to talk to yer midwife or doctor about it.
got cut off...
lll has lots of good information abuot breastfeeding preemies. you can start going to meetings now, and get the info/support you need and continue to go after the birth.
there are many, many good books about breastfeeding preemies (we were worried my twins would be preemies, so i read everything i could get my hands on)... check out yer local library or if you can spend the money, find a good book store or check online.
generally, the only thing you will need to do to insure a good supply is nurse. often. the problem with preemies is that often that don't have a very strong suck (even though my twins were full term, one had a bad latch and a weak suck) and you may need to pump after nursing. i wouldn't reccomend using a bottle, as it may cause nipple confusion in a young baby, but you can put the pumped breastmilk in a supplemental nursing system, so baby is still on the breast and still getting supplementation if need be. also, you can use a cup or spoon or syringe (my babies were fed by syringe when they needed to be supplemented) to give ebm to yer babe if she needs it. i would reccomend speaking with a lactation consultant to fully evaulate yer situation before you invest in any of this, though.
i know it's hard not to worry, but really, relaxing and educating yerself are the best things you can do right now.
I have a Whisper Wear pump already, and will be using that for pumping after nursing. I want to get as much milk out as I can. It's free, why not get as much as you can? Of course I'll probably cry if I have to throw it out.
I have been leaking colostrum already, like if I go braless, I get 2 wet spots on my shirt. Thats encouraging.
Would it be ok to start nursing Jenna after the new baby comes? She still wants to nurse, and I don't want her to be jealous of the baby because it's getting my milk, and she's not. Would that be ok, or is 2 too old to relearn how to latch?
yes if she can relearn to latch go for it!
if not, she might like pumped milk in a cup!