Milk supply problems & latching issues

So the problems I hear most about with nursing a new baby are milk supply, and trouble getting baby to latch on. Here is some information you might find helpful!

The best way to ensure a good milk supply is stimulation to the nipple/breast. The most effective method of stimulation is your baby! If you are having issues with milk supply the best thing you can do is to nurse as frequently as possible! As often as baby will allow! Make sure not to let baby go longer than 3 or 4 hours, even if baby is sleeping! A mistake that many new Mom's make is being fearful to wake baby up. Newborns need to nurse at least every 2-3 hours around the clock and definitely no longer than 4 hours! It is NOT normal for a newborn to sleep 7-8 hours without eating. Know that in the first few weeks you should be nursing your baby 10-13 times in a 24 hour period. There is no such thing as nursing your baby too much! You can nurse not enough, and cause your milk supply to drop. The soreness you may experience at first is only temporary, I promise!

Some other things to try are spending lots of skin-to-skin time with your newborn. This helps to increase your milk production and increase your already growing bond with your baby :) Sleep sharing has also been shown to increase milk production (see my post on SAFE sleep sharing!) as is babywearing. Anything that promotes closeness to your baby is shown to increase your milk. Bonding with your baby, believe it or not actually increases the release of the same hormones that cause your body to produce milk!

If your milk supply is so low that baby begins to lose weight (with the exception of the first few days, baby may lose up to 7% of their birth weight), you may need to supplement with formula. A lot of Mom's choose to use a bottle to supplement. If you do this, your baby may have what is called "nipple confusion". At the breast, baby has to work harder to get the milk, whereas with a bottle the milk instantly fills their mouth! The flow is much faster with a bottle, so baby can become lazy and refuse to latch onto the breast. The best way to supplement a breastfed newborn with formula is to get what is called a "periodontal syringe" that has a narrow, curved tip. While baby is latched on you will want to put the tip of the syringe in the corner of baby's mouth and slowly (a drop at a time) depress the plunger every few minutes. That way baby is getting enough to eat, and you are still getting the stimulation to your breast!

Another common misconception is that when a new Mom pumps, they will be able to gauge how much milk they are producing. This is NOT the case! If you only are able to pump a very small amount, this does not equal the amount your baby is getting at the breast! The pump does not provide the same stimulation as your baby, so you will not express as much milk with the pump! Baby is much more efficient at emptying the breast! It takes practice to learn how to "let down" with a pump. If you can also pump between feedings however, this is good for increasing your stimulation. The only accurate way to know how much breastmilk your baby is getting during a feeding is to set up an appointment with your lactation consultant to weigh your baby before and after a feeding.

As far as baby's who do not latch... Persistence is the key! A lot of women give up too soon and give baby a bottle. As long as your baby is having enough wet and dirty diapers (After your milk has come in baby should have 3-4 dirty diapers and 5-6 wet ones over a 24 hour period), baby is getting enough to eat! In most cases, when baby is hungry enough, he/she will latch on. Some things to try are: Use your hand to manually express some of your milk and gently rub your nipple on baby's lips, let baby practice sucking on your pinky finger upside down instead of a pacifier (make sure your nails are trimmed short!). If you do need to supplement as determined by your lactation consultant or pediatrician, again, use the syringe and if baby refuses to latch on to the breast use your finger instead, putting the syringe in the corner of baby's mouth. Still only drops at a time! Even if it takes several minutes to give baby an ounce or so. But that is ONLY as a last resort, if baby is losing weight. There are also nipple shields, they are great! They can be a pain in the butt, because you have to sanitize them after each use, but well worth it! They are great for babies that have nipple confusion, and to help reshape your nipple if you have nipples that aren't shaped too well for nursing. They come in different sizes, contact your lactation consultant to get fitted and learn how to use them.

There are also many over the counter and prescription medications that can help increase milk supply. Not to be tried without the supervision of a professional. Some herbal supplements like Fenugreek can work really well, and found at many health food stores. Metamucil is another good one! There are a few prescription medications that may also help boost milk production. With the help of your lactation consultant, and I urge any new Mom to have one, you can pick some methods that really work to help increase your milk production and overcome most latching issues! My hope is that with more CORRECT information available and easily accessible, that more Mom's will choose to and successfully nurse their babies!!

To learn more about how your milk production works, please take a look at this link:

kellymom.com - How does milk production work?