[MommaLee]

Since giving birth I have not felt like my milk has come in....I'm not engorged and my boob size has not changed since I became pregnant to now after giving birth. My baby latched and ate well at the hospital even the lactation consultant bragged about her to the oncall ped and nursery.

Well turns out, the day after we get home she would just eat for hours upon hours that I finally gave her formula. She just never seemed satisfied. So I whipped out my medela swing pump to see what I could get because right now, my babes is preferring the bottle over breast...which is no big deal because she is healthy and gained weight at her first appointment (doctor attributes to the formula supplementing) and only got an ounce of milk.

At the suggestion of an obstetrician, I rented a hospital grade pump yesterday and I only get about 1 ounce total at each pumping session which I'm trying to do every 2-3 hours.

I'm kind of wondering if I'm one of those people who just does not produce enough milk but I'm trying.

Has anyone else had a similar experience or could offer some advice?

Thanks,

Lee Ann

[Twinmamma09]

Your milk may be a little late in really coming in. You are only a week out right?

I would keep on pumping every 2 to three hours to stimulate more milk production. I was not getting much more than an oz or so each pumping session at a week out. As time went on, I pumped more and more.

Try drinking plenty of water and keeping up on your calories and that should help.

Let us know if you have more questions.

[L-SBB]

it took just over a week for my milk to come in (due in part to being induced i think) so i was in similar situation where i did have to supp. with formula during days 3-7 until it came in fully. Once it came in I had sufficient milk to satisfy her (no formula needed) so I hope your situation is same and your milk comes in soon...just a side note even 2-4 weeks after she was born i wasn't able to pump more than 1/2-1oz total so that doesn't necessarily mean your supply is low.

[ThaiSpice]

I'd also recommend continuing with BF and/or pumping ever 2 hours, and see how it goes. It could be that your milk hasn't really come in yet. I know in those early days with Grace, before my milk came in, she was eating pretty much all the time around the clock until my milk came in. I think that all of that stimulation was what prompted my milk to come in. The more you can BF/pump, even if you don't get much right now, the more

From La Leche League's website:

Stomach capacity of the newborn

When mothers hear that colostrum is measurable in teaspoons rather than ounces, they often wonder if that can really be enough for their babies. The short answer is that colostrum is the only food healthy, full-term babies need. The following is an explanation:

A 1 day old baby's stomach capacity is about 5-7 ml, or about the size of a marble. Interestingly, researchers have found that the day-old newborn's stomach does not stretch to hold more. Since the walls of the newborn's stomach stays firm, extra milk is most often expelled (spit up). Your colostrum is just the right amount for your baby's first feedings!

By day 3, the newborn's stomach capacity has grown to about 0.75-1 oz, or about the size of a "shooter" marble. Small, frequent feedings assure that your baby takes in all the milk he needs.

Around day 7, the newborn's stomach capacity is now about 1.5-2 oz, or about the size of a ping-pong ball. Continued frequent feeding will assure that your baby takes in all the milk he needs, and your milk production meets his demands.

And if you go to this link, there are some good articles about getting started--the one about how milk production works talks about how nursing (or pumping) as frequently as possible in the early days helps increase the number of prolactin receptors, which helps to establish a good supply.

[MommaLee]

Thanks and yes, she is only 8 days old. Maybe it just hasn't fully come in. I'll keep trying and see if it helps.

[shortlette]

I'm so pleased that you've already been given the info about the size of your baby's tummy. Your supply really does sound adequate at the moment. Even though your worried because she's feeding constantly, that's not really unusual for a newborn. I'm sure that the first 6 weeks of both my boys life I spent on the couch or in bed breastfeeding.

The best guage is that she is making plenty of wet and poopy nappies. Check out this link to kellymom kellymom.com :: Is baby getting enough milk?

Also as tempting as it is to supplement, you need to keep BF' ing as much as possible to build the demand. The first few weeks are the most crucial time in terms of getting it right, so do keep with the BF.

Finally, it's normal that you can't get as much milk out with a pump as your baby can - she can really properly empty your breasts - so keep that in mind.

Good Luck and let us know how you get on!