Anyone having breastfeeding issues? What have you done to overcome it?

My daughter was tongue tied and we had it clipped before we left the hospital. We also had some trouble with milk production and breastfeeding. I used a nipple shield for 3 months and one day my daughter pulled it off and latched. It was rough, I just hung in and kept trying. I also just found this, https://pregnantchicken.com/d-mer/ 💕🤗

1 reply

We are still trying. Keeping with it as long as he’ll stay on my boob. I’m Surprised and proud we’ve made it this far with all the issues we’ve gone through. <3

Have you tried power pumping? Pump for 10 minutes, wait 10 minutes, pump again for 10, wait and do this for an hour. Do this a few times a day until your supply increases. Hope this helps!

1 reply

I’ve heard of it but never tried. I’ve had him on my boob a lot. I’ve also pumped post feeding and fed back to him and nothing ever changed my supply.

I wasn’t producing enough milk for my daughter and started formula. Don’t be ashamed to use it. I had to take a step back and realized if I tried to continue nursing her it was for me not for her. As in everyone pressures you to breastfeed and I wanted to be a “awesome breastfeeding mom” but she went two months straight without gaining ANY sort of weight. I’m not saying give up I’m just saying it’s always and option and don’t be ashamed. Best of luck ♥️

2 replies

You’re doing awesome! My baby girl was in the 11th percentile so she wasn’t doing good at all. It is hard and I did it for 4 months and some moms don’t even get that opportunity so I’m grateful ♥️

Thank you. And thank you for that reminder. I do give him a bit of homemade formula. I found it in my searching and was skeptical. Then my midwife told me about it and said one of her other patients swears by it and has used it for several years for all three of her kids. He does well on it. Its nice to know we don’t have to burn through the donor milk or purchased breastmilk too quickly. I’ve always said I’ll breastfeed for as long as I can make it work. I’m surprised we’ve made it this far, honestly! He bounces around in the 30th - 35th percentile in his weight so he seems to be doing ok. I’m more so just venting about how stinking hard it it, how many issues you can have. During world breastfeeding month I feel like no mom’s who have similar issues were speaking up. Everyone I was was like “I breastfeed for 4 years!” I just never knew this sort of thing could happen.

I tend to forget to pump (like today) when things get busy and after a day or two my supply will fall off. Frequent nursing and or power pumping helps. Try keeping baby near you if you pump or have videos/ something that smells like him. It sounds silly but between that and visualizing pumping full bottles my supply will come back up again. I didn’t have great luck with the fenugreek. I was tempted to try the one birthsong supplement above but waited and the other worked. Also, ELECTROLYTES!! I cannot stress that one enough. It doesn’t matter what else I do, if my electrolytes are low so will my supply. (And oddly enough I have found that drinking a ton of plain water makes me MORE thirsty. I was told by a doctor that the excess water (over a gallon a day sometimes) could be flushing the electrolytes out. Pedialyte May be better than Gatorade depending on your preference. I got a liquid electrolyte solution at an organic grocery store near me. I have to mix it in juice though

1 reply

That’s a good tip! I haven’t been supplementing any since giving birth. I should start back up!

I'm epileptic & the medication I was on affected my milk. I couldn't produce enough when I had my oldest son. My daughter was born 9 weeks early & wasn't thriving on breast milk alone so was mix fed. My youngest son was more successful but after 14 weeks he wasn't interested & was bottle fed while weaning & breast milk was used in some of his early meals (rusks, baby rice, cereals). I was gutted, I felt like a failure but I know now that I tried my best.

1 reply

That’s all we can do! Our best. As long as they are growing and fed however that ends up looking.

When my son was a month old, I ended up needing emergency surgery to drain an abcess I developed during a nasty case of mastitis. It reformed & needed cut open twice before it finally healed up. It was a nightmare I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Amazingly enough, he is now 16 months & he still nurses occasionally. One thing I noticed, if I would eat a meal, say for dinner, that had a bunch of garlic (especially if it was minced garlic & not just garlic powder) by morning if my son wouldn't nurse long enough I would have to pump. That & drinking a ton of water were my best bets. Nothing wrong with using formula tho, fed is best!

1 reply

Wow. So sorry to hear that! Glad you all made it through ok and that your son is still nursing a bit!

I had trouble with my first child having a lip tie. We powered through as much as possible but at 3 months and supplementing my milk just dried up. I too had tried everything or at least I thought I did. When baby 2 came I was determined to not need formula. After a month my supply started to decline so I ate the milk makers cookies, drank some of their tea, got a new pump and started pumping after nursing. That did the trick! I use to use a medela freestyle pump so I switched to a spectra s2. The massage mode and the great suction helped to build me up and then some! After talking to a few of my pumping friends I came to the conclusion that the duckbill valves are far superior to the membrane valves. And changing them out for new ones every 2 months or when you notice wear really does make all the difference! I hope these tips help you build back your supply. I forgot to mention baby #2 also had tongue and lip ties & with all of the pumping along with nursing we were able to nurse till 10 months (he quit).

2 replies

But I exclusively pumped for a few months after that until he didn’t want it anymore.

I have that same pump and tried pumping after feeding but it never seemed to change. It just made the next feeding harder as my body wouldn’t produce more. I also for a while rented a hospital grade pump from my lactation consultant that never really changed anything.

Drink tons of water, eat oatmeal every day and have a few sips a Guinness. Also ice cold cabbage leaves Directly in the bra for soreness. Those worked for me, an old nurse swore by those, good luck!

5 replies

I don’t drink alcohol so Guinness is the one thing I haven’t tried. I did the oatmeal for a while along with lactation cookies that have oaymeal in them along with brewers yeast. Nothing seemed to change except gaining weight. Lol.

Drinking alcohol is not recommended. That's a really outdated practice. We know better nowadays 😁

Keep trying! To increase your supply be consistent with pumping and try power pumping.

We went through quiet a bit the first 4 months(tongue tie, lip tie, dairy allergy, severe reflux, oversupply leading to 3 rounds of mastitis and extended nipple shield use)but at month 4ish it finally leveled out with lots of work and perseverance! Remember any breastfeeding you do is beneficial to your baby! If you can give half breast milk then that is amazing and will still give your little one all the benefits breast milk has to offer 😊 stress is such a supply buster and you may find that if you give yourself a little acceptance for supplementing you may have better results in your pumping/nursing.

2 replies

Thank you for the support! I’m keeping him on for as long as it’s working. And somehow he’s still getting some from me which does ease my mind. And wowzers! You deserve a medal! Go mama! It’s pretty amazing what women go through. The standard image of perfectly serene and peaceful breastfeeding is hardly the norm.

Yes it is a struggle for almost everyone, its just becoming more common for women to be open about it now. I set myself a bunch of small goals with my hard goal being 6 months, with my personality I can handle just about anything as long as I can see an end in sight. Im so glad that I was so stubborn during those 6 months because by the time that date rolled around we where doing so well nursing and it became the most convenient thing ever! We are at 14 months and still doing great. You are working so hard to give your baby everything you can just make short goals so you can feel the accomplishment because you are working so hard and deserve to feel good about wherever you are on your journey

That is exactly what happened to me. Hang in there! I just pumped and supplemented with donor milk for 2 years. He never took on to breastfeeding.

6 replies

Two years, super wow!! I have been pumping for 5 months and every day I swear it's my last. Cant imagine 2 years, you did amazing job.

Wow. Two years! That’s amazing that you were able to accomplish that.

I’ve had issue with feeding both I can produce around 3months worth but after that I have to swap to bottle I use hipp organic milk I’ve tried many and this was the best! I completely understand the feeling you get finding out but honestly it’s a lot more common than you would have thought so don’t feel bad darling

Hi! I did but persevered and now my son is nearly two and I’m still going strong! Keep going mama. I started following @littlepeachlondon for advice on instagram would recommend checking her out!

My first child I struggled with supply issues... I ate oatmeal every day, took fenugreek, blessed thistle, brewers yeast, pumped like a crazy woman... lol it helped but not as much as I needed and after 8 months I just had to finally do formula. With my second child I realized I wasn’t drinking enough water the first go around... it sounds insane but I drank 1-2 gallons of water a day with my second while breast feeding and it made all the difference! I still did the oatmeal and would take supplements at growth spurts to help my body produce more when he all of a sudden demanded more than usual but it really was quite phenomenal. Pregnant with our third now and interested to see how this child will be... but we all just do our best! Keep up the good work and fed is always best.

My advice is drink more water than you ever thought imaginable .and just live with my baby on the boob. Good luck and if you have to give him formula don't beat yourself up you are doing the best you can!!!! I was formula fed and I am super duper healthy.

Often you're producing more milk than you think. Babies fuss so we worry that we aren't giving them enough so we are told to supplement which causes drops in production. Before you supplement at a given feeding step on the scale before and after with your little one. There's a good chance you've filled her up and if you haven't her crying can improve production (sore boobs as production increases, but I found it worth the tenderness). Adding more feedings and letting her nurse for comfort after she's done eating can help a lot, too.

2 replies

Completely agree

We’ve seen a lactation consultant and weighed him before and after feeding several times. We co sleep and I have him on my boobs all night sometimes. It really feels like my body just isn’t capable of producing what he needs. I’m more so just asking to see if there are things I haven’t learned to still try and just complaining. Lol. Because it’s been a tough journey. But we’re managing.

Weaning my 13month old. She is getting too rough and twists my other nipple while nursing

My coworker swears to drink a beer a day. I have no proof behind it but she said she drank a beer a day and could pump 8 oz out of on side

4 replies

Brewers yeast can help for sure!

I was told by my doctor with my first and it helped for a while, and then production started to decrease again. I heard mixed messages about it though, and I didn't with my other 2.

Adding coconut water and milk wherever I can. Lactation cookies with oatmeal, brewers yeast, and flaxseed meal. I eat yogurt daily (not sure how much it helps I just love yogurt), and I pumped after he ate for a few weeks. Even if I didn’t get anything I was telling my boobs I needed to produce more.

Hi!!! So sorry you’re going through this. I know it can be really frustrating. Have you tried pump princess brand supplements? They’re so great!! And so is mother’s milk tea. Also power pumping for an hour for 3 days. I’m a birth Doula and this has helped so many of my clients. I’m also exclusively breastfeeding and haven’t had real issues but a dip in my supply a few times. Hard work getting it up but all of the above helped me too and hand expressing the last bits after pumping. I would love to donate some breast milk to your little love! Let me know if you’d accept. Hang in there mama!

2 replies

I’ve been using the Legendairy brand supplements and drinking Mother’s milk tea and taking domperidone. Which I didn’t think was helping but I still took them.. now that I’m out it def seems to have lessened my supply! Crazy. Makes be feel dumb for not re upping sooner. Hopefully my order gets through customs soon! Oi. I used to pump post feed for the first 4 months but that never seemed to do much but cut into my boobs recharge for the next feed. I suppose I could give it a shot again. Thank you for the milk offer! So sweet of you. We’d love to but not sure how that would work as we are in LA :-/

Hi! To start, you’re doing a great job!!! Breastfeeding can be REALLY difficult sometimes. Make sure you’re drinking enough water (like, a lot), taking fenugreek really helped me too! Also, breastfeeding is supply and demand. So, basically just LIVE with baby latched. Latch every 30 min (or more if baby wants) while baby is awake and feed a ton at night too😅 For the first 6 months of my sons life he was basically latched 24/7 it seems like. Day and night (we co slept for the first 6 months). Nurse for comfort and hunger. Keep up the good work mama!

1 reply

Thank you ☺️ trying to up my water game. I drink but maybe not quite enough. I’ve also started electrolytes thanks for this thread. Fenugreek gave me crazy tummy issues so I have to stay away from that. We do co sleep and I have nights where he’s just on my left boob all night and it never changes anything. My life side has always only produce like 1/4-1/2 an oz.

I definitely recommend connecting with a breastfeeding support group in your area. The meet-ups with other nursing mommas (& repeat nursing moms) is invaluable! Keep up the awesome work, you’re amazing!!!

1 reply

Thank you. So sweet and honestly just some info on this thread has help me realize some things I can do more of or add to try and help. It’s also nice knowing I’m not alone and that it’s hard/challenging regardless of if you have issues or not. We also worked with a lactation consultant and know it’s def a supply issues and nothing she recommended helped change what was going on.

I would drink as much water as possible that helps with my Supply which is not the greatest either. Also I found lactation cookies by milkmakers really helped my milk supply and they taste pretty good too 😊!

1 reply

I think I’ve seen those. Don’t they have fenugreek? I can’t do them as it give me horrible tummy issues. But I’m working on the water thing! Lots of other people have said the same and I do try to drink constantly but now I’m going to try and almost overdo it. Lol.

Hi! Sorry if this is long but I wanted to give you encouragement. Our LO had a severe tongue and lip tie, that went unreleased until 10 months. I had her checked by 7 different providors until we found an IBCLC (international board certified lactation consultant, very different than a regular lactation consultant) who had tongue ties listed as one of her specialties. Within 48 hours of seeing her, baby girl was revised and she gained more weight in one week than she had the previous two months combined! So things I would check: has baby’s tie reattached? I learned there are preferred tongue tie pediatric dentists over others, who help with post revision care and stretches. For some reason I have this gut feeling there could be some of that involved. Check here for a provider: https://www.tt-lt-support-network.com Also back to our story: so she wouldn’t eat solids. She developed an oral aversion from choking from her tie, and we have had her in feeding therapy since about 10 months old, and she is 22m

7 replies

Next week. She started eating solids daily (compared to literally a crumb or a sip every 2-3 months) just in the beginning of August, and could/would not take a bottle until July of this year, so she has been exclusively breastfed for the first 19.5 months of her life. So I had to work on getting my supply up and keeping it up! I will reply with what I did and what I would have changed

Motherlove more milk plus capsules are magic. I personally stayed away from straight fenugreek because it can cause a dip in supply for some, and you know you’re getting enough when you smell like maple syrup. I love maple syrup and didn’t want to hate it when this was over, haha. Moringa is amazing. You ca get capsules, motherlove sells some, or get a powder and add it to your smoothies. If you do smoothies with cooked (and cooled ) oats, some brewers yeast, moringa powder, ground flaxseed and whatever else you want, it is a lactating moms dream. Yummy and filling. Please don’t reduce your calories too much. Some moms really notice that if they go under 1800 calories daily, they cannot keep up with milk production. I found the book “mother food” by Hillary Jacobson to be incredibly helpful. I bought a used copy for only $1.90 online! Power pumping - 20 minute pumping, 10 minute rest, 10 minute pumping, 10 minute rest, 10 minute pumping (one full hour total) will boost supply.

What’s your diet like? Water intake?

3 replies

You should be drinking at least a gallon a day or more and eating an extra 300-500 calories. So if you aren’t eating enough that could be the problem or part of it. I notice on days that I don’t eat enough my supply isn’t that great. On days I eat a ton my supply is amazing and I leak

I eat pretty well but I don’t go out of my way to eat more. Which I’m told sometimes can help? Due to this thread I’m now trying to drink a ridiculous amount of water to see if that helps.

I feel your pain! For some reason I can not pump more than 1 oz in an entire day. My milk came in 7 days after my C-Section so I had to supplement with formula. Then I had an emergency gallbladder removal and had to pump and dump. Still I kept trying and I’m at 7 weeks post partum and ready to give up. I’ve tried every supplement, upped my water intake, seen multiple lactation consultants and nothing works.

3 replies

I just looked into the sns and think I’m going to try it! Thank so much for the advice!

Damn mama! You’ve been through a lot. Love to you! Hang in there! I think it’s worth trying for even if your babe is only getting a little from you. We use a sns (simulated nursing system) so that I can keep him stimulating my boobs as long as he’ll keep using the sns. We’ve made it 7 months. It’s not the way I pictured it but it’s important to me and worth fighting for. We also use a homemade formula that I supplement with along with the donor milk. We’ve also bought milk off of onlythebreast.com I recommend checking it out as weird as it is.

Try some “Nursing Tea” it’s inexpensive and it’s sold at “Walmart”

2 replies

Is that the same as mother milk tea?

I’m not sure🤔

Also check out human milk for human babies (I think you can just Google that), it is a national donor bank and I believe it is free. I just remembered about that.

2 replies

Yes, moringa is super great! They estimate the average person has a 162% increase

Haven’t heard of that one! I will for sure have a look! I also have moringa but didn’t know it can help with production! I’ll for sure try that out too.

I would definitely recommend seeing a lactation specialist. Some hospitals offer their services for free, and it was a lifesaver for my daughter! She was born preemie, so she struggled with latching for the first couple weeks.

You're doing fine. Part of the key is to be sure to try your best to feed from the breast everytime he needs to feed if you're able. Try to not supplement while trying to increase your breastmilk supply. And don't get discouraged or beat yourself up. It will take most likely several weeks for your supply to amp it up. Keep eating healthy and drinking enough fluids. Take care of yourself. Relax. You're an amazing mom! *hugs* You're not a failure, no matter what your momma brain tries to tell you. You just keep doing your best, and find peace in that. :) We got you, girl!! Ever want to talk/vent/whatever, feel free to message me. Would love to support you through this if you need a friend in your corner.

2 replies

Thank you for your encouragement and sweetness!

😋

Hi my son is 7weeks and i did give him bottles at first but then when my milk came in i had to breastfeed him as it was so painful. Now i’m trying to give him the bottle again (i’m using cow and gate breastmilk sub) and he refuses to take it. Any tips please x

Lots of water helped me and pumping frequently rather than in long lengths. Also I have extra frozen supply I was planning to donate if you need some extra let me know.

I second seeing a lactation consultant if possible. We saw one a few times the first few weeks we were home and she helped make sure our latch was okay and that baby was getting enough during feeds. Also check the supplements/teas you’re using to see if they have fenugreek cause it can actually hinder supply in some women. I know a lot of the teas & supplements out there have it.

Go see a lactation consultant. brewers yeast and drinking tons of water has helped me

I have made my own cakes by doing a simple cake recipe and adding 2 tablespoons of Brewers yeast, Malteasers, Milo and power pumping. The boobie bikies work but expensive. Drinking plenty of water and lots of fresh veggies and fruit. Some things don’t work for others but to be making your own and using donor milk your amazing!

My supply dropped around 6 weeks pp and I used fenugreek and chugged water and it resolved in a few days. Good on you for pushing through, but also remember to cut yourself some slack. Fed is best and it sounds like you’re doing your best. There’s nothing wrong with supplementing and it sounds like you’ve tried everything. If you have access to a lactation consultant I’d recommend that! We used one to help with latch but they are specialists in all types of breastfeeding issues. Good luck!

Hey mama! Sorry your struggling. I work with a great ibclc who helped us before during and after revision and we are 2 1/2 years strong. I now help as a moderator in her 15k mama fb group of you ever need to chat.

1 reply

And FYI group in in Cali

Honesty, if I were you, i would just feed my baby formula. I know EVERYONE says breast is best and I breastfed my baby until he was 13 months old. But YOU as a mom, need to take care of yourself too and that is just way too much of a hassle. Formula is really not bad. I drank formula when I was a baby and I turned out to be 5'9, fit, educated and a healthy adult.

2 replies

It’s so nice to hear a breastfeeding mums have that attitude! I combo feed and so many breastfeeding mums made me feel like I just wasn’t trying hard enough! Thank you!!!

I also feed her with both formula and breast, and it's always a common topic wherever I go that I had to leave the formula and only do breastfeeding or that I'm so lazy cuz I feed her formula too

You should get checked to be sure you don't have a breast hyperplasia, I did as much as you did and nothing work. As most moms I felt guilty about not being able to breastfeed my baby until one day a came across a video on YouTube about the condition and turns out I have it and I didn't know... People don't openly talk about it but it's real, it's not that we don't try hard enough it's just nature is not on our side sometimes... Good luck!!!

6 replies

I’ve never heard of this. Thanks for the info. I’ll definitely look into it 💗

Ah. Our ibclc mentioned something about this. I had forgotten about it. Going to dig into this.

Mental health is most important and fed is best. I breastfed my son for 14 months and never had any issues at all. Produced so much I donated. But it became so mentally taxing that it stopped me from bonding and I felt so good once we finally stopped. I felt pressured to breastfeed and judge for not loving it because it’s supposed to be this “magical maternal bonding instinct” and I was so lucky to be able to do it with no issues but I hated it. If I did it again I would stop when I knew I was ready or maybe not even start 🤷🏻‍♀️good thing their won’t be a number two for me to feel that guilt 😂😂😂 seriously you’re doing amazing and your child is so lucky to have a mama who cares so much about them to go to great lengths to do what she feels is best 💕💕💕

I'm still not able to keep up with my little one, but have at least seen an increase in milk production by doing the following: More sleep- I instead pump at night and feed baby breast-milk by bottle and breastfeed during the day. It takes her a shorter period of time to feed from bottle. I also still supplement, so bottle-fed while pumping. Drink mother's milk tea and plenty of water (half your body weight in ounces)

Dont give up and dont give anything but your own milk. Your baby needs to get use to your milk. The more you feed and rotate your supply will grow. Just take prenatal or try thr mothers milk tea.

2 replies

Aww... Thats awesome im glad it's all falling into place.

I have quite literally tried everything. Nothing has ever noticeably increased my supply. Especially on my left side. Homemade formula and donor milk or purchased breastmilk from only the breast has saved us. Ten months was my soft goal and we made it with him still getting this little bit of my milk that I produce, just another two to go and I can stop dealing with this and I’m so happy as it take a tremendous amount of effort.

My son also had a tongue tie and breastfeeding was extremely difficult for us. After it was clipped, he was exclusively breast fed for the first 3 months-after so much mental and emotional stress I switched to formula and it was the best decision I’ve made for him so far. I would always sob from exhaustion after night feedings and feeling like I was nothing but a milk machine for my baby. He is now a happy and healthy 6 month old boy! Fed is best mama. You can’t pour from an empty cup and need to take care of you. There’s nothing wrong with formula! Do what you think is best for you and it will in turn be best for your baby🤗

1 reply

I overproduced and my baby was lactose...you did best

See a lactation nurse but in reality, they can only help so much. It's all about persistence. My baby latched just fine... the problem was my nipples, it hurt so much. It bilstered like crazy and was unbearably painful. I endured it for over 2.5 months because I really wanted to breastfeed. After that, I think my nipples got tough and didn't feel pain anymore. Haha. I am glad I did it but I completely understand why some moms decide to do formula instead.

1 reply

Try Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter. It works wonders!

Fed is best. Fixing that tongue and lip tie will be benefits down the road, it’s not only for breast feeding.

Lots of oatmeal! There's supplements you can take as well and cluster pumping worked wonders for my supply the more you empty your breasts the more it signals them to make.

I had major tie issues with my baby and horrible latch for ever it didn't get better until 4 months. I would meet with la leche league for support and a highly recommended ibclc. Just don't give up. I have success stories from a sister who exclusively pumped for 3 months straight and baby would never take a bottle or her nipple because of a tie. She now is going strong for 3 years on breastfeeding. I have another successful story of a baby that never latched and they ran out of pumped milk while camping. The baby finally latched after months of trying. There are strong women out there. It's very difficult. So worth it if you can push past it.

Use regular formula. I produced enough for 4 babies...that weren’t mine. Mine was lactose intolerant. So I had milk that was projectile..would choke my baby if I didn’t let down and express before feedings...but wouldn’t feed my baby: almost punched a lactose consultant. Do what’s best for both of you. I ended up alternating bf and bottle. So that I could ensure he would get nutrients while I got off all milk products. Wish I had done it sooner...baby Brezza forever.:.

1 reply

Hi Brenna, My little one is almost 8 weeks and seems to struggle with lactose. I tried lactose free formula and she seems to feel much better, poos are no longer explosive/green. I keep pumping and storing my milk as I’m completely depressed not being able to continue with breastfeeding. I let her take breast a few time during the day as she doesn’t take much more than 60ml of formulas per feed. How was you experience with a lactose intolerant baby? Was it temporary?

I tried to breastfeed both my boys. But each time my Breasts swelled up to the point of tender to the touch, couldn’t wear a bra, heavy and it looked like I had breast implants done. Did the whole switching between hot and cool clothes plus massaging them to help. Then found out that my Breasts were infected. The milk dots( best way for me to word it) were clogged. Which required antibiotics. So ended up bottled feeding both boys, which sucked cause I was looking forward to the breastfeeding experience that almost every mom went/is going threw. But I lucked out, bottled feed. Pumped to get all the infection out. Did what needed to be done.

1 reply

This is totally normal you know hun hapoens to alot of mum's but if you keep persisting it usually disapates and haoens less and less x

Any that you can give him is a win, and you get that extra bond. Have you tried eating cooked oats that's always helped me with my supply