Comments on: When You “Don’t Have Enough Milk” http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/ Sat, 20 Mar 2010 04:33:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Crystal Sewell http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-12882 Crystal Sewell Fri, 08 May 2009 15:31:31 +0000 http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/#comment-12882 I was told initially that I had a low milk supply because my daughter wasn't gaining weight fast enough. She weighed 10 lbs at birth and has SVT. She is now 10 months old and is only 15lbs. The problem is some pediatricians think that a fat baby is a healthy baby and a small baby is an unhealthy baby. Charlotte nursed fine, but just simply never doubled her birth weight. My husband and I are small people and our 3 year old is only 27lbs...so genetically speaking we aren't Shaq! After 9 months of hearing from the pediatrician that Charlotte MUST be sick if she isn't gaining weight and isn't "fat" and that I needed to stop breastfeeding and give her formula we got a second opinion. I took fenugreek (and still do) just to make sure my supply is enough, and I pump and put the milk either in a sippy cup or in her food. The first pediatrician wanted to run all these tests and a test for cystic fibrosis, although NO ONE in my family has or ever has had CF... The new pediatrician did run some blood work and Charlotte is perfectly healthy...just petite. She is surpassing her developmental milestones, and has good poopie and pee pee diapers. I have a feeling that doctors only assume it's a milk supply problem when a baby isn't gaining fast enough. FYI most pediatricians use the CDC growth chart for formula fed babies which on average tend to gain more weight at a faster rate than breastfed babies. All in all, breastfeeding is possible for all moms, other than if there is some serious health issue...getting help from the LLL or a good Lactation consultant right away is the best course of action. I only nursed my first daughter for 6 weeks because the pediatrician told me that she wasn't gaining fast enough and that formula would be better for her...with my daughter Charlotte I refuse to give up because breast milk is better than any formula. Charlotte also spent a week in the NICU and I was able to pump but she had to supplement formula until my milk came in because the NICU nurses were horrible to me about giving her breastmilk...weirdos! Being proactive is key and not giving up is hard, especially if you have a pediatrician who isn't 100% for breastfeeding. I had a great supportive team of women who helped encourage me and after switching pediatricians my stress over nursing has gone away and Charlotte is 100% healthy, well other than her SVT, which the cardiologist says breastfeeding is the best thing for her heart! Thanks for posting this blog...I really hope that it encourages more mommas out there not to give up on breastfeeding...especially when NO doctor can say exactly how they know if a mom has a low milk supply...or if the mother's body is simply adjusting to what the baby needs. It's funny how mankind has to have control over everything. God Bless Crystal < I was told initially that I had a low milk supply because my daughter wasn’t gaining weight fast enough. She weighed 10 lbs at birth and has SVT. She is now 10 months old and is only 15lbs. The problem is some pediatricians think that a fat baby is a healthy baby and a small baby is an unhealthy baby. Charlotte nursed fine, but just simply never doubled her birth weight. My husband and I are small people and our 3 year old is only 27lbs…so genetically speaking we aren’t Shaq! After 9 months of hearing from the pediatrician that Charlotte MUST be sick if she isn’t gaining weight and isn’t “fat” and that I needed to stop breastfeeding and give her formula we got a second opinion. I took fenugreek (and still do) just to make sure my supply is enough, and I pump and put the milk either in a sippy cup or in her food. The first pediatrician wanted to run all these tests and a test for cystic fibrosis, although NO ONE in my family has or ever has had CF…

The new pediatrician did run some blood work and Charlotte is perfectly healthy…just petite. She is surpassing her developmental milestones, and has good poopie and pee pee diapers.

I have a feeling that doctors only assume it’s a milk supply problem when a baby isn’t gaining fast enough. FYI most pediatricians use the CDC growth chart for formula fed babies which on average tend to gain more weight at a faster rate than breastfed babies.

All in all, breastfeeding is possible for all moms, other than if there is some serious health issue…getting help from the LLL or a good Lactation consultant right away is the best course of action.

I only nursed my first daughter for 6 weeks because the pediatrician told me that she wasn’t gaining fast enough and that formula would be better for her…with my daughter Charlotte I refuse to give up because breast milk is better than any formula.

Charlotte also spent a week in the NICU and I was able to pump but she had to supplement formula until my milk came in because the NICU nurses were horrible to me about giving her breastmilk…weirdos!

Being proactive is key and not giving up is hard, especially if you have a pediatrician who isn’t 100% for breastfeeding.

I had a great supportive team of women who helped encourage me and after switching pediatricians my stress over nursing has gone away and Charlotte is 100% healthy, well other than her SVT, which the cardiologist says breastfeeding is the best thing for her heart!

Thanks for posting this blog…I really hope that it encourages more mommas out there not to give up on breastfeeding…especially when NO doctor can say exactly how they know if a mom has a low milk supply…or if the mother’s body is simply adjusting to what the baby needs. It’s funny how mankind has to have control over everything.

God Bless
Crystal <

]]> By: Mrs. Lindblom http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-12881 Mrs. Lindblom Fri, 08 May 2009 15:00:22 +0000 http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/#comment-12881 What a wonderful, well-researched article! I completely agree. What a wonderful, well-researched article! I completely agree.

]]> By: L http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-11925 L Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:59:52 +0000 http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/#comment-11925 Well said, Harper. You shouldn't have to feel a need to explain yourself, esp to strangers. There is a lot of truth in this post, and some true propaganda. I'm sure your baby will be happy and healthy. Sure it's worth fighting for. For lots of reasons. But it's not the be-all-end-all of child health, or yours. I personally didn't find much helpful here. Just a lot of "get help" in bold letters. Over and over again. Thank God for formula, and for goat's milk. And for breast milk. Well said, Harper. You shouldn’t have to feel a need to explain yourself, esp to strangers. There is a lot of truth in this post, and some true propaganda. I’m sure your baby will be happy and healthy. Sure it’s worth fighting for. For lots of reasons. But it’s not the be-all-end-all of child health, or yours. I personally didn’t find much helpful here. Just a lot of “get help” in bold letters. Over and over again. Thank God for formula, and for goat’s milk. And for breast milk.

]]> By: harper http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-11863 harper Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:31:44 +0000 http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/#comment-11863 I am one of those women with the "low supply" problem. My baby lacked the instinct to connect eating with satiety, and acid reflux created an association between eating and pain. As a result, he unlatched every time I had a let down of milk, and my body got the message to slow production in the first month of my son's life. I've bent over backwards to get my supply back, but it hasn't. He's three months now, and I still only produce about half of what he needs, even using a SNS, Motilium, Mother's Milk Tea, supplements, meditation, plenty of sleep, pumping, you name it. Taking a laxative helped for a little while. What's helped most is relaxing. All the stress of the problem and of the pressure the pediatrician was putting me under to switch to formula really hurt my already low supply. Now my boy and I nurse and supplement. It's the best I can do at this point, and the stress of fighting it was ruining, not only my supply, but my marriage. Don't give up, but don't sacrifice your quality of life to protect the milk supply either. I am one of those women with the “low supply” problem. My baby lacked the instinct to connect eating with satiety, and acid reflux created an association between eating and pain. As a result, he unlatched every time I had a let down of milk, and my body got the message to slow production in the first month of my son’s life. I’ve bent over backwards to get my supply back, but it hasn’t. He’s three months now, and I still only produce about half of what he needs, even using a SNS, Motilium, Mother’s Milk Tea, supplements, meditation, plenty of sleep, pumping, you name it. Taking a laxative helped for a little while. What’s helped most is relaxing. All the stress of the problem and of the pressure the pediatrician was putting me under to switch to formula really hurt my already low supply. Now my boy and I nurse and supplement. It’s the best I can do at this point, and the stress of fighting it was ruining, not only my supply, but my marriage.

Don’t give up, but don’t sacrifice your quality of life to protect the milk supply either.

]]> By: Irina http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-949 Irina Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:28:01 +0000 http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/#comment-949 Very late in replying but I've only found this blog today :-) I wish I'd read this article before I had to fight the baby clinic doctor over breastfeeding my twins! I asked her how to increase my milk supply, and the answer was "supplement"-- when I asked "won't that <b>decrease</b> my milk supply" she said "frankly, yes, but it will ensure that your kids get enough" as if women haven't been nursing twins for millennia! Fortunately, I already had breastfeeding experience with my first, and wasn't overwhelmed by the doctor being a doctor, so I kept up the fight and we won: they nursed for 10 1/2 months (the elder) and 11 months to the day (the younger) and are now happy and healthy 13-year-olds. Very late in replying but I’ve only found this blog today :-)

I wish I’d read this article before I had to fight the baby clinic doctor over breastfeeding my twins! I asked her how to increase my milk supply, and the answer was “supplement”– when I asked “won’t that decrease my milk supply” she said “frankly, yes, but it will ensure that your kids get enough” as if women haven’t been nursing twins for millennia! Fortunately, I already had breastfeeding experience with my first, and wasn’t overwhelmed by the doctor being a doctor, so I kept up the fight and we won: they nursed for 10 1/2 months (the elder) and 11 months to the day (the younger) and are now happy and healthy 13-year-olds.

]]> By: Mrs. R http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-46 Mrs. R Mon, 05 May 2008 22:29:36 +0000 http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/#comment-46 I have been in the position of having a child who was diagnosed as Failure to Thrive (FTT). It was a horrible time for me. My biggest fear was having to stop breastfeeding. Of course, the pediatrician told me to supplement, but I let him know I wanted that to be a last resort for me. He agreed to let me try pumping and adding a "fortifier" to my breastmilk - as long as he saw improvement in my baby within a couple of days. Praise the Lord, we saw improvement, although a small amount. Everything turned out okay in the end, but I totally agree with this article - DON'T GIVE UP! GET HELP NOW! I went to a midwife who was previously a LLL leader. I also talked to a Lactation Consultant at the WIC office and talked to someone who was working on becoming a Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I wanted as much help as I could get to continue breastfeeding my baby. There may just be some adjustments you need to make. For me, it meant giving up "scheduling" my baby's feedings and feeding on demand. This helped my milk supply AND helped my baby to gain, and it was only for a season. GREAT ARTICLE! I hope and pray that more ladies find and read this article. I have been in the position of having a child who was diagnosed as Failure to Thrive (FTT). It was a horrible time for me. My biggest fear was having to stop breastfeeding. Of course, the pediatrician told me to supplement, but I let him know I wanted that to be a last resort for me. He agreed to let me try pumping and adding a “fortifier” to my breastmilk – as long as he saw improvement in my baby within a couple of days. Praise the Lord, we saw improvement, although a small amount. Everything turned out okay in the end, but I totally agree with this article – DON’T GIVE UP! GET HELP NOW! I went to a midwife who was previously a LLL leader. I also talked to a Lactation Consultant at the WIC office and talked to someone who was working on becoming a Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I wanted as much help as I could get to continue breastfeeding my baby. There may just be some adjustments you need to make. For me, it meant giving up “scheduling” my baby’s feedings and feeding on demand. This helped my milk supply AND helped my baby to gain, and it was only for a season. GREAT ARTICLE! I hope and pray that more ladies find and read this article.

]]> By: Carleen http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Carleen Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:30:24 +0000 http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/#comment-8 I agree. I was shocked to discover how many women I know gave up because they had "low supply." Its all over the place. Weird, eh? I agree. I was shocked to discover how many women I know gave up because they had “low supply.” Its all over the place. Weird, eh?

]]>