Feel like giving up

A

Astar

Member
I gave birth 11 days ago, and milk flow is still pathetic. Had to supplement bb with formula as nipples are short and challenging for bb to latch. Bb also refused to latch.

Have been pumping regularly, i've tried fenugreek, medication from dr, fish and papaya soup etc, did not increase the flow at all.

can only get 20ml max at each session. Massage lady says i have no blocked ducts and milk can sure flow (can also squirt like fountain) when she squeeze for me.

So feel like giving up. What should I do?

:err:
 
jojoki

jojoki

Well-Known Member
DONT GIVE UP!!!! Just do your best can latch whenever u can.. latch first then supplement if not enough... its okay if ur really cant bf exclusively but just bf as much as u can. Having partial breastmilk is better than none! Wth flu around... ur bb def need all the antibodies she can get from bm. anyway fryi my milk flow only really set in around week2.5
 
eeshern

eeshern

Member
yes don give up pls! i am stil breastfeeding my 13 months old son. the journey is very tough. i have got engorgement every other month and also infection every 3 months or so....and for the last 13 months i had never had more than 3 hrs sleep at a time bcos my son will wake up for milk! if i can do it so can you. in bf you need a lot of patience. pls boil papaya with white fungus, red dates and pork. that will help boost yr supply.
 
eeshern

eeshern

Member
oh n first 2 weeks u r not advised to pump....u need to let him or her latch on. it's called latch on demand. u need to stabilise yr supply b4 u start pumping.
 
S

snowbear

Well-Known Member
dont give up... The bfding journey can be very difficult at first but things will work out eventually. Like what jojoki says, it's better to give some breast milk than none at all. dont be discouraged by the amt of milk that you're pumping out coz actually pumps dont fully remove all the milk that you have so it's not a good gauge of whether or not you have a lot of milk.

In the first 3wks or so my baby also refused to latch (for whatever reason i do not know). But eventually she learnt to latch and things got better after that. Some pp's supply takes longer to come in but with consistent effort in pumping (that means having to wake up in the middle of the nite to pump too!), your supply will eventually come. For myself, I tried to latch baby for every feed at the hospital and pumping after that so that milk can come in faster (LC's advice). Continued with pumping every 2-3hrs after being discharged (tried latching a few days after that but baby just refused to do so; i stopped latching for a couple of wks before going back to the LC to clear blocked ducts and learn to latch again). I'm sure things will work out in the end. Press on!!! :)
 
N

Newhope

New Member
Hi Astar,

Don't give up. It is only the 11th day. I read somewhere that first few days is colostrum, next few days is the transition milk and only on 10th day then it is the milk.

For my case, I dunno how to latch on, initially, only pump out the milk 3x a day. Hence, milk supply also very low, 20 - 40 ml. But then nurse clinician fm hosp called to follow up and advise me to pump more often. Now I pump 4x a day and my milk supply has gone up. Overnite Supply 120ml, rest of day supply is 60 - 80 ml per pump session. Hence, continue.

You are still lucky. My son has VSD, ie hole in heart and he is not feeding much. Sometimes, I pump those milk he also dun really drink much.

So, urs is a small issue. Milk supply will incr with more pumping. Drink more fluid and fish soup. Milo, horlick red dates tea (if still confinement). Easy, can boil ikan bilis soup/ dump some fish bone to boil soup. After confinement and busy with taking care of my son, that's what I do. Fish soup with papaya also very helpful. I see an improvement immed after my confinement lady cook for me the 1st time.
 
N

Newhope

New Member
Oh Ya,

I usually take a basin of warm water with towel when I pump milk.
I will warm-pressed my breasts first before I start to pump.
Halfway thru, I will do it again.

By the way, could it be your pump equip giving you prob?
 
U

uddermummy

Well-Known Member
astar, 20ml is actually not bad if you pump. Pumping doesn't get all the milk from your breasts; only bb can do that.

If you are having prob with short nipples, get help from a lact consultant. Can try those from hospitals, or the ones listed in www.breastfeeding.org.sg

I have flat nipples, and the first month of bfing was really hell cos nipples were sore and bleeding. I was on painkillers most of the time.

But bb became better at latching and she can now draw out the nipples even when my breasts are engorged and nipples are super short.

can check out jack newman's video on bfing and his articles as well.
 
Spiralng

Spiralng

Well-Known Member
Jia You Astar, u hv already preserve for 11 days....should continue. Breastfeeding is never easy. For me, my supply is super low that i only feel my son breastmilk for about 2 feeds. The rest hv to rely on formula. I took fernugreek, fish...ooooh how i hate fish....and drink soy milk...ect....even with my patheic flow, I am still trying to breastfeed. so dun give up.
 
A

Astar

Member
thanks everyone for the encouragement. Today, Mrs Wong from Thomson Medical Center called me (cos I gave some -ve feedbk on the LC at Thomson Medical Center). She taught me some tips on how to boost the milk supply. Will try and will jia you!!

:wong19:''Milk, milk, please come!! "
 
S

stonston

Well-Known Member
Dun give up!

I've shared this before but I think it was very long ago.

I have a breast lump removed from my breast when I was 18yo. bcos of tt, i frequently get blocked ducts cos they did cut off quite abit of breast tissue and reconnect some parts so the ducts not very smooth. it's v frustrating and quite painful too.
worse part: my right breast is half the size of my left breast.

but i din let all the problems stop me from breastfeeding. i continued and only stopped when my boy decided to wean himself off my breasts and when my work needed me to spend more time physically at different places doing tasks :)

if i can make it thru all tt, i'm sure all other mummies here will be able to do so also :)
hang on there for ur little darlings' sakes!
 
Caroltpl

Caroltpl

Member
Hi Astar,

Don't give up in breastfeeding. It's an enjoyment and bonding between you and your little ones...my mum cook for me papaya soup with white fungus and fish bone...jia you.
 
Spiralng

Spiralng

Well-Known Member
stonston said:
dont give up!

I've shared this before but I think it was very long ago.

I have a breast lump removed from my breast when I was 18yo. bcos of that, i frequently get blocked ducts cos they did cut off quite abit of breast tissue and reconnect some parts so the ducts not very smooth. it's very frustrating and quite painful too.
worse part: my right breast is half the size of my left breast.

but i did not let all the problems stop me from breastfeeding. i continued and only stopped when my boy decided to wean himself off my breasts and when my work needed me to spend more time physically at different places doing tasks :)


if i can make it thru all that, i'm sure all other mummies here will be able to do so also :)
hang on there for your little darlings' sakes!
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WOW...u r really amazing. I really salute u cos there are many times, i feel lke giving up on breast feeding cos milk flow is really pathetic but when i thought how i never breastfeed my 2 older kids i continue.
 
j0reen

j0reen

New Member
Spiralng said:
Jia You Astar, you have already preserve for 11 days....should continue. Breastfeeding is never easy. For me, my supply is super low that i only feel my son breastmilk for about 2 feeds. The rest have to rely on formula. I took fernugreek, fish...ooooh how i hate fish....and drink soy milk...ect....even with my patheic flow, I am still trying to breastfeed. so dont give up.
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ya.. me too.. so pls dont give up.. lets ganbatte tgt.. me 1mth liao, pump BM oso v pathetic.. I stime dont even hv 20ml.. but I found tat, let my gurl latch on ish alot better than pumping.. as it seems much more than wad I see in pumping.. so.. dont give up! Jiayou!
 
blubberish

blubberish

Member
Astar said:
Any mummies TBF soley on pumping (without latching) at all?
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I'm pumping and giving my daughter EBM as my nipples were short and the staff at hospital that I gave birth in was not helpful in helping me with this problem. So far I would supplement with occasional FM (like about 2-3 times per week) as she sleeps longer on FM.

Actually, I felt a little down initially when daughter refused to latch on. I was actually crying quite a bit. But now, I think, as long as she gets the nutrients that she needs from my milk, that's good enough. It is a little more troublesome though as I would need to take time from rest and other activities to pump, and I have to prepare the chilled/frozen milk every time we go out. However, that's something that I have to live with, when I chose not to do direct latching.

To all who persevered and succeeded in latching on despite the initial difficulties, I salute you. I think that what you are doing is still the best. I shall try it with my next baby. :001_302:
 
U

uddermummy

Well-Known Member
astar, maybe you can try to get someone to help you with the latch? a friend who've bfed successfully or lact consultants?
 
blubberish

blubberish

Member
Astar said:
Blubberish, how did you establish your flow then?
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Keep pumping. I've ever stayed at the pump for 1 hour just to get the amount I wanted. Must pump every 2 hours (counting from the time you finished pumping previously).

Uddermummy's suggestion actually works. My cousin, who is breastfeeding her son one month older than my daughter, helped me once and she managed to latch on. See if anyone can help you first. I made the personal choice coz it was too emotionally painful for me.
 
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