Home Forums Breastfeeding Breastfeeding I need advice from the experts!!

So Sarah is now a week old and I think I am doing something wrong. I love nursing her, but I don't think she is getting enough because she is still fussy after nursing. She doesn't have the "gulping" like a nursing baby but is swallowing. I know when I pumped I used the "high" setting and she doesn't suck that hard. I don't feel much let down with her. I have been using the Lactaid and that helps her get full. I added blessed thistle to my routine of dom and fenugreek. I was only getting 1.5-2 ounces every 4 hours before she was born so I know my supply isn't where she is. The last 2 days with the supplementer were better with the fussiness but on Wednesday she was almost refusing the breast like it was empty, why suck on it? I have worked hard to get milk and don't want to give up but I don't want to starve her either. I am going to weigh her today because I have to go into work (in L&D) for something. Her birth weight was 7.9 and 4 days later when she left the hosp she was 7.4 and the next day she was 7.2. I know it is ok to lose weight, She is voiding and stooling adequately, at least 6 very wet diapers and a stool, nice bm poo, every diaper.
Help. I would love someone to beable to let me know what to do to fix it. I am OK with having to use the supplementer if needbe. I went into this with the attitude that if I didn't make 100% that is Ok, as long as we get to nurse.
Thanks, Melissa

For me the thing that made me feel better was having a baby scale at home and weighing before and after feeds. It assured me that my daughter was getting milk. She did not take much for the first month but was gaining weight appropriately. She was definitely taking less than 3 oz at a feeding. At her peak (around 4-6 months) she was only taking about 24 oz a day. If she is wetting and pooping appropriately, I would try not to worry. I couldn't hear the gulping very well either, but she would "gain" during every feed. Sometimes it was the feeds that I thought she didn't get much that she actually took in the most. I could not predict it by her outward signs. I only know because I had the scale.
Jennifer

Please have your latch checked too. It is sometimes easier for someone else to see if they are latched properly. She won't be sucking as hard as the high setting on your pump and the high setting is not recommended for pumping as it can damage breast tissue. If she is voiding regularly and has plenty of wet dipes she should be getting enough. She could be getting fussy at the breast because of poor latch. What do you have in the supplementer? I would let her nurse first without the supplementer on both sides and if she is still fussy add the supplementer and nurse some more.

I haven't been pumping on high anymore. I pump on a med setting that feels like her suck. I have only pumped a few times since she's been home when I don't feel like she ate for long. I have been using my stash of breastmilk in the supplementer. She hasn't had any formula, not even when she was in NICU. She had BM only. I have been letting her nurse 15 mins each side and if she is still fussy, then I offer supplementer which she always takes the ounce I put in it. She isn't always fussy after nursing the last day and a half. I guess I am just worried that she isn't getting enough. It seems like the last couple days are better then the 2 before that. Granted we have only been nursing since last Sunday. She was born on a Friday, was in NICu on CPAP and didn't get to eat. On Saturday they only let her have 15cc BM by bottle every 4 hours and she got to finally nurse Sunday. Thanks for all the advice. I will just keep letting her nurse.

I will also let the nurses at work check her latch. I don't think she is totally tounge tied but her tounge does seem a bit shorter and the frenulum??? is a bit tight but she does have a wide open and does wrap her tounge around the breast. I am not a LC but I help moms at work alot in L&D/OB. Thanks girls!!!

It sounds like your latch is probably fine, having it checked won't hurt.
I think she is probably just getting settled in her routine and if she is nursing regularly and taking a bit of supplementer really you are doing fine. She just had a rough start and maybe trying to catch up. HAng in there.