Help My Milk Has Not Come in Yet!!!

A., it took 11 days for my milk to come in and when it did, it came with a vengeance! I was in P A I N. My boobs were hard as rocks and i was walking around the house with ice packs in my bra. Remember this: warm towels on breast before feeding, and ice packs after.

same thing happened to me and the lactation consultant adviced to pump every time the baby was fed for 15 min each side even if nothing comes out. After following this routine the milk came I think after 1 1/2 weeks.

A friend of mine had the same problem and it was because they had not removed her placenta, I hope that's not the case with you, it should definently be in by now! Good luck and congrats on your baby!

My baby nurse recomended a tea from Whole Foods..Mother'Milk
and it helped my milk come in-- Hope that helps and best of luck. You can call the hospital for a lactation consultant as well.

This same thing happened to me. I had to have an emergency c-section and it took me 2-3 weeks before my milk fully came in. I was advised to nurse frequently and pump frequently, as well. I would certainly talk to a lactation specialist ASAP. The breastfeeding support center at the Harris Methodist - HEB hospital is really outstanding. The number is ###-###-####. Call as often as you like; they are always there with a friendly, helpful solution.

Definitely seek the help of a lactation consultant. Also, the site www.breastfeeding.com has a wealth of helpful information. There is a Mama on this site who (I think) owns The Nesting Place in Grapevine, and she would be a great source for you. Sorry, I can't remember her name. (I also have not read the previous posts, so forgive me if I repeated anything.)

Good luck and hang in there!

Oh, I almost forgot...I had to use the nipple shields (you can get these at Babies R Us and most pharmacies) in order to help my DD get a good latch. I also pumped, and only supplemented from a cup when needed. Don't forget to not introduce a pacifier or bottle until your milk is in good, if at all possible. Warm compresses on the breast and squeezing your nipple to get the milk flowing before latching the baby on may also help. There are many holistic and prescribed drugs that can help, so explore those options before giving up. More info on that can be found on the above site or through a lactation consultant.

You MUST take care of yourself right now, too. You have to drink enough water and eat protein in order to make milk. Ask your friends and family to help with ensuring your proper nutrition and rest. No added stress needed now.

Again, my best!!

A.,

It sounds like you have recieved a lot of good and just interesting advice. Seeing a lactation consultant could really help because there are so many things that could interfere with let down. For many women relying on the pump to get you going can be very ineffective, depending on the pump you use and frequency of use. There are some techniques for supplementing at the breast that give you peace of mind and keep the baby stimulating the areolar nerves that tell your breasts to produce milk. Please feel free to call me and I will be happy to help in any way I can. I am a lactation consultant at The Nesting Place.
Good Luck and let us know how it worked out for you.
Sincerely,
K. W
The Nesting Place

Every woman is different, but do give it time. I never did produce enough and always had to supplement. I did have help from lactation consultants, but I just never produced enough ( I even took homeopathic things like Fenugreek and got a prescription medicine to try and increase production...they helped, but not enough). I have heard several people whose milk took 2-4 weeks to fully come in. My pedi's wife actually took a full 3 months before she could stop supplementing and just breastfeed. So, just keep on trying. And if you just end up not producing enough, don't feel bad...it's nothing you did or didn't do, it's just nature. I breastfed as much as he would take per feeding, fed him a bottle, and then pumped to try to increase.

Yes A., it took my with all my 3 boys 8 to 10 days... just keep going, it will come!

I.

Is there any reason why you are not putting the baby to breast? That, I think, may be delaying things since a breast pump is never as effective as the baby and the stimulation the baby gives helps stimulate your milk supply. Sometimes, as was my case, the milk comes in gradually so it looks like you have colostrum but there is milk in the mix. It sounds like you're having the same issues I had and I can tell you from my experience that pumping does help, but should be done in addition to breast feeding.

Congratulations, Mom! You're doing the right thing by continuing to pump and breastfeed even though you do not see milk. Sometimes it takes longer than others but it will come. Mine took about 1.5 week to come in and when it did, I was engorged and had to treat the pain. I pumped every 2 hours for 1.5 week. Good luck!

K

Hi there,
I don't know if it was a coincidence, but after 4 or 5 days mine hadn't come in, and a friend told me to eat oatmeal - not instant but the kind you cook on the stove. I ate it - had milk later that day. Could totally be a coincidence, but who knows?
Good luck!
J.

How often are you feeding him and pumping? And is it possible that a small fragment of the placenta got left behind? If there is even a little piece of retained placenta that can prevent your mature milk from coming in, so I would definitely investigate that possiblity. It would also probably be a good idea to contact a lactation educator; you could start by calling the Breastfeeding Resource Center at Harris Methodist in Fort Worth; the number is 877-421-7969.

Just curious...did the ped tell you to supplement?? I sound like one of those militant BF moms I know, but I would be concerned that maybe your baby isn't sucking enough at the breast to stimulate the milk's production. The more sucking, the more milk is made (I am sure you know that). Do you pump 5 min after nothing is coming out anymore?? That's what our LLL leaders said to do to stimulate production.

Also, have you contacted your local LLL person?? If you're in FTW, here's our website w/their contact info:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/bffriendsftworth/

You might repost your question there too. Best of luck and milk will come!!!
R.

Hello A.!
L., here. Congratulations on the birth of your son!

I'm an IBCLC - International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

There could be many reasons why your milk has not come in yet.

Frequent, effective stimulation of the breasts is essential. Baby needs to breastfeed at least 8 - 12 times each 24 hours. Most newborns breastfeed about 20 minutes per breast. Mothers hear swallowing sounds. If that's not happening, breastfeeding and then pumping 1 - 12 times a day with a hospital grade electric pump is the best way to ensure a plentiful supply while offering baby mother's own pumped milk as a "supplement".

Some medications given during labor delay milk coming in. Some medical conditions, such as cesarean birth, excessive blood loss at birth, thyroid disease and diabetes can cause a delay. Breast surgeries like augmentation or reduction can affect milk production.

The most likely reason, though, is that baby is not breastfeeding frequently enough and/or is not nursing effectively.

You might want to contact LaLeche League www.lalecheleague.org click on "fiding a group" to find a Leader in your area.
Or contact an IBCLC and get some assistance. www.ilca.org has listings - just click on "find a lactation consultant" and enter your zip code.

Please call LaLeche League or an IBCLC today. Hang in there - your milk should come in soon. All you need is a little assistance. You'll cherish this special time breastfeeding your son.
Happy mothering!
L.

It does take longer for your first born. If your pediatrician didn't tell you to supplement, you might consider stopping the formula. Your body makes milk on demand, and the more your child wants, the more it will make. Seems crazy I know, but it's true. Pumping really doesn't bring your milk in like feeding an actual baby. My twins were in the NICU the first few weeks, and I had to pump. It worked eventually, but it surely wasn't the best way.

Just so you know, my milk didn't come in very well until my baby was about 10 days old! My pedi. told me to STOP breastfeeding and give formula (even though my baby was 8 lbs!) I decided no, I was going to breastfeed. Well, on his next visit one week later, my baby had gained a lot of weight, my pedi was stunned! Just stick with it, I nursed every other hour and my milk flowed! Anywho... don't give up!

It takes up to 2 weeks with first born, I had to pump for a littlt over 2 weeks because he wasnt able to latch on.

It took mine about 5 days with both of my kids. Because it took so long, they wanted to nurse often...and because they nursed often (every 2 hrs or less) I never got engorged like I'd heard would happen when the milk comes in.

If you haven't already seen a lactation consultant, find one fast! If the baby isn't latched on properly, he will not be able to empty the breast.

The other advice is to nurse as often as possible. This should be 8-12 times a day. You probably want to go closer to 12 times until your milk comes in. Also make sure you're taking in plenty of fluids.

When you have to nurse very often, it's hard to do anything else, so you might have to live in a little clutter, but it's a small, temporary sacrifice to establish nursing. You may very well get exhausted or tired of nursing, so don't feel guilty if you have dad supplement with a formula bottle in the evening or middle of the night. Your rest is also important to your milk supply.
Good luck!