I have a 2 week old baby and my milk supply is not keeping up with the feeds. Im hvaing to half supplement with formula but now its making him constipated and gassy. I have no idea what to do....I hate having to supplement with formula. I dont think hes old enough for the cocnut milk. Has anyone any ideas on anything other than formula or if there is any decent formula? im buying organic soy and I really dont think any are going to be any good. Also any ideas on getting milk supply up if anyone knows. Im taking fenugreek and mothers milk tea.....
Hi Sueanna,
Congratulations with your little boy... A little miracle, just two weeks old.
I'm no specialist, but I'm nursing my son for almost 9 months now.
Probably you have read about all the usual advice. Like letting him drink more often, so you will produce more milk.
If you add formula, he will be less hungry when he comes to drink with you. So he will drink less, and you will produce less milk, so he will drink more formula, and again drink less with you... So be careful. Try to nurse him as often as possible.
When my milk supply was down I have taken nutritional yeast. There was a discussion about it on this forum, because it is not raw, but the results are very good. I mean, what do you prefer: to give non-raw formula to your baby, or to take something non-raw yourself with the result that your baby can get his perfect food?
Good luck.
Email or call Jinjee at 805-798-7893 or her email is on the site http://www.thegardendiet.com
She is raising 5 kids on the raw diet. She is great and will help you.
God Bless
take care
I took a mothers milk tea and a tincture till a good milk supply came in. And it really helped. Yogi's Tea makes a mother's milk formula. Also, drink a lot of water! And let the baby nurse as much as possible. I was also told that oatmeal and beer produce more milk. I'm sure you can do something with raw oats. I, personally, allow cooked food. I'd rather my baby get my milk.
I also gave my baby some soy formula at the beginning because I panicked I didn't have enough milk. Well, he's 4.5 months old and 17lbs. and only breast feeding.
Hi Sueanne,
Congratulations on your baby boy.
It is all about supply & demand... them more you feed the more milk your body will make.
I found La Leche League very helpful http://www.laleche.org.uk/pages/about/breastfeedinginfo.htm
http://www.laleche.org.uk/pdfs/Beginning_Breastfeeding_Leaflet.pdf
Love & Blessings x
Sueanna,
Congrads on the new baby, and hopefully everything will work out for you with the breastfeeding. I don't have any breastfeeding tips for you. But, you did ask about good formulas (for if you need them).
For various reasons, I did not breastfeed. My daughter had a small bit of blood that I noticed in her diaper (my Mom and husband could not see it). When the doctor check her stool (by testing, not sight) there was some blood in it, indicating that the formula was not working for her.
Our pediatrition changed her to Alimentum formula. It can be bought at most stores. You do not hear about it much because it is VERY expensibe compared to the other ones (like Similac and Infameal). It's very easily digested and I believe is used for babies with that are born early or have other problems. It's not organic, or something you can find in a health food store.
But, our pediatrition calls it liquid gold, and that it really makes a difference with babies who have trouble on other formula. I personally can tell you that if I ever have another baby and have to use formula, I would use that brand.
But, be warned- it's priced accordingly (big bucks!)
Good luck with the breast feeding. Maybe some of the other ideas will work for you instead. But, I mention that if you need a good formula.
Fenugreek, or tea with fenugreek is supposed to be one of the better herbs to take when trying to build your milk supply up. And, as others have stated its all about supply & demand. I am exclusively nursing my 9 month old baby boy right now....(congrats! by the way), but I had a low supply when my milk first came in. First, I didn't worry about feeding on a certain schedule, I fed him pretty much non-stop...they don't need very much at the beginnning, their tummy's are the size of their fist, so its not going to take much to fill it up. And, like the previous poster said, if you supplement with formula, he will get full from that and not want to nurse as much, so it is a vicious cycle. I say this with only concern and a heart to help, I am not judging you at all...please know that....if you have to do formula, you may want to check out the warnings about soy being estrogenic (it mimicks estrogen) and can cause problems later down the road. Raw goat milk is the closest substance to human breast milk, closest properties and compound make-up. I don't know how available it is to you, but I would encourage you to not give up on nursing! Here are a couple links that I found with pretty good info...the first one has a really odd url, lol, something about cats, but thats not what the article is about :P
http://cat-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/alternatives_to_declawi... (it really is natural ways to increase your milk supply)
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T020100.asp
http://www.essortment.com/all/increasebreas_rhtl.htm
Good luck to you and your lil man! and, if you have any other questions or whatever please ask. I'm on my third baby but I remember with the first one, I had questions about EVERYTHING!
Oh yeah...one more thought, is he latching on correctly? If he doesn't, he could be just barely sucking milk out or not at all, so it won't trigger your letdown. which lets your body know that milk is going out so more needs to be made! Sometimes its not so much of a supply issue, but a latching on one. =)