Breastfeeding

Dear mummies, I’m feeling devastated with BF. I’m in PP day 8 and my BM just doesn’t flow well. My baby refused to latch as she can’t get milk. I tried pumping and the volume is just so little. Not sure what to do.

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Hi mummy! I'm a first time mom, PP Day 7 - I managed to go from 1ml of colostrum in my initial days to an oversupply and these are the things that helped me :") 1. Eating and drinking well - I realised my supply dropped significantly when I was too occupied and missed my meals! - I've also read that if we're not even fulfilling this then supplements etc can't work as well anyways 2. Check for latch issues - seek out a lactation consultant if you can or search up more about short nipples because it might not be a supply issue! I have latch issues as my nipple is short so baby could not sustain sucking and I cannot breastfeed. - my lactation consultant says trying a nipple shield might help! 3. Make sure your flange size is correct - most pumps come originally with 24mm, and I tried to pump with it at first. My milk came out very bubbly and I could barely get anything substantial for a full feed... - i had a lactation consultant during my hospital stay help me measure my nipple size and taught me that your silicone flange needs to be 3-4mm bigger (e.g. if your nipple size is 15mm your silicon flange should be 18/19mm) - my pump drastically increased with the right silicon flange size!! 4. Make sure your pumps are effective - make sure to get either electric pumps (e.g. imani, spectra, cubble) or manual pumps (medela, pigeon) and not collectors like the haakaa! - I have tried to use both and my pump is more than twice the amount when I use electric pumps vs haakaa 5. Pumping schedule - i paired my pumping schedule to my newborn's feeding schedule! So baby ate and I pumped together every time - helping me to get at least 8-12 pumps in a day. - to be able to do this, you'd need to at least formula feed for one day so you can build your pump supply and from there on you'd get a stash since your pumps will be for one day ahead! If you need any recommendations, I use Cubble's electric C2 handsfree pumps (comes with nipple measurement ruler!) and silicon flange inserts from Baby Express, both you can get from Shopee :") You really don't need an expensive electric pump too bc the cubble one is quite good and less than $150 for 2 sides if I remember correctly. All the best mama!!

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5mo ago

I'm not too sure I can advise on spectra! But on the cubble handsfree pump I use, I don't use the auto mode. There are massage, stimulation and expression modes also. I manually do 10 minutes expression on one side then swap to the other side so 20 minutes in total. If my supply feels like it is dropping, I do 5 minutes stimulation + 5-10 minutes expression for each breast; or if my nipples are very sore and I'm engorged, I replace the stimulation mode for massage mode. My baby wakes up every 2.5-3 hours, so I pump around 2 hours after he sleeps to prepare for him waking up. Because I have 2 of the cubble pumps, I simply use the second pump for next feed, then sterilise both sides after that (I.e. if my baby feeds 8 times I sterilise pumps 4 times)

I'm sorry to hear you're feeling overwhelmed with breastfeeding. It's not uncommon for mothers to face challenges with breastfeeding, especially in the early days postpartum. Here are some tips to help improve your breastfeeding experience: 1. **Stay hydrated**: Make sure you're drinking plenty of water throughout the day as hydration is key to a good milk supply. 2. **Ensure a good latch**: Proper positioning and latch are crucial for successful breastfeeding. You may want to seek help from a lactation consultant to assist with positioning and latch. 3. **Frequent nursing or pumping**: Nursing or pumping frequently can help stimulate milk production. It's important to empty the breasts fully to signal your body to produce more milk. 4. **Skin-to-skin contact**: Having skin-to-skin contact with your baby can help stimulate milk flow and promote bonding. 5. **Seek support**: Don't hesitate to reach out to a lactation consultant, your healthcare provider, or local breastfeeding support groups for guidance and encouragement. If you continue to have concerns about low milk supply, you may consider using a breast milk enhancer product to help support and increase your milk production. You can find more information about breast milk enhancer products [here](https://invl.io/cll7ha0). Remember, it's important to be patient and kind to yourself during this time. Breastfeeding can be challenging, but with the right support and resources, you can overcome any difficulties you may be facing. https://invl.io/cll6she

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Hi mummy, thanks for your detailed advice. Can I ask so you are fully on pumping and no latching? 1. I have been eating well and no skip meals. Drinking lots of red date tea and water. 2. So far I have 2 LC checked and nva mentioned about short nipple so I guess is not this issue. Guess is just my baby too used to bottle feed hence refusing to latch. 3. Both LC checked but was given all different size. I’m also confused. I’m thinking maybe I’m not suitable for spectra? 5. I’m currently also following my baby schedule which is about 2-3hrly however my volume just being so constant at 30-40ml and she’s already drinking 75ml now Lastly will check out the pump you recommended

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5mo ago

I hand expressed colostrum for 2 days, and pumped another 3 days at this 8-12 times frequency before my milk supply increased consistently to 100ml and more in total from both breasts 🙏

I did power pumping and stick to a strict 2-hour interval pump each time managed to keep it up a little more. hang in there mummy!!

5mo ago

Thank you mummy. Yea, my LC said the same too.

If you really want to boost your supply you can try supplements as well

5mo ago

You can try others from legendairy as well I am low supply too and I tried their milkapalooza, it worked really well for me. Sunflower lecithin is just to prevent clogged ducts does not really help improve supply.