Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Great news! And questions..

Our little man was born this past Monday (Thanksgiving here in Canada) He is sooooooo perfect!

I've been breastffeding him since he was maybe 1/2 hour old. I am still taking the domperidone and the fenugreek and blessed thistle. I have, however, stopped pumping. Should I still be pumping? He is eating ever 2-3 hours and seems full and happy after his feeds. He has wet diapers and everything else seems to work also.

Will my milk increase wiht his needs as he feeds from here on in? Or will I have to supliment later? How will I know if I have to? Thanks!

The best stimulation is a baby at the breast! I don't think you would have to pump unless baby is going long periods between nursing. If he is nursing every 2-3 hours, you should be just fine

Hi Funnylooking,

CONGRATULSTIONS on your new arrival!!

It sounds like you're off to a great start with breastfeeding! To be sure your baby is satisfied at the breast, it's important that he have approximately 6-8 soaking wet diapers per day. In order to know what soaking wet means, you can take a clean diaper and pour 2 tablespoons of water into it. That will give you a good idea of the weight of a soaked diaper. It's equally important for your baby to have several bowel movements passing sticky black tarry stools (meconium) for a day or two which then transition to dark green and then to mustardy and seedy which are the true breastmilk fed stools. A bowel movement should be at least the size of a quarter or more. Breastfed babies tend to lose a little weight in the first day or two and then start back up. They typically regain their birth weight within 2-3 weeks post partum. If your baby is back to birth weight at the two week pediatric visit, you're doing great.

Moms who have induced lactation are typcially followed a little more closely. It may be a good idea for you to get weekly weight checks in the very beginning just to be sure your baby is on track. But don't let anyone who does not have breastfeeding experience scare you if your baby has lost less than 10% of his birth weight in the first week.10% is about the maximum though so if you're there, that would be a good time to call a board certified lactation consultant to assist you. You can find one here www.ilca.org Just click on the "Find a lactation consultant" at the top of the page.

Can you tell me how long your baby feeds at the breast? Is it one or two minutes or does he stay latched well for a while? Does he fall asleep after a couple of minutes or does he go to town and then come off by himself looking "drunk"? Does breastfeeding hurt? If so, he needs to be latched deeper. Breastfeeding should feel like tugging but no pain.

Most of all, enjoy your baby! This is a special time for the two of you and the gift of breastfeeding is one that will last his lifetime.

Best,

Thanks!
As of today at 18 days old he is up to 9lbs 2oz from a birthweight of 8lbs 6oz. He lost a bit at first and was down to 7lbs 15oz, but with a bit of suplimenting with the breastmilk I stored he perked right up.
I go to one on one support class, it's called Success at Breast and the LCs have been very helpful. Our little guy has a habit of falling asleep no matter how great a latch and I have to spend time waking him up. He is wetting enough diapers, but not pooping enough. Our doctor has checked him and he's fine, so we are just keeping a close eye on him (and hoping that once he eats more he'll poop more)
He eats for up to 15 or 20 minutes (including rest time) and is having good gulps. IT doesn't hurt at all and is more comfy than the pump.
I am back to pumping after feedings to keep up my supply, just because he isn't taking that much yet.
Overall he's doing well and I'm sooooo happy to be able to feed him. Thank you for having this site and letting us know that it is possable to breastfeed even if you don't carry the baby.

Thank you for this lovely update. If your baby is falling asleep at the breast after 15 or 20 minutes, this is fine. What concerns us is if baby falls asleep at the breast quickly, like within a few minutes. This is baby's way of conserving energy when they don't efficiently transfer milk from the breast. Your baby is gaining appropriately, already almost a pound over birth weight at less than 3 weeks of age. This is excellent! Pumping after some feeds is good for keeping your milk supply going.

So CONGRATULATIONS!!! You're doing GREAT!

Best,

I wanted to update and have more worries...
Our little man is gaining weight well, he is now at 1 month old, 2lbs more than birth weight. So that's the good news. He eats every 2 - 3 hours and is taking from both sides and dozing after 5 - 10 minutes. At night when I lay down with him he gobbles and eats for a while (don't know exact time, it's dark and I'm in bed) I have noticed that after feeding from me he is starting to want a top up of about 2oz every couple of feedings. He is also constipated and has horrible gas pains.
Should I be pumping more after each feed to up my supply?
Thanks