Worried about Milk supply

[@llli*proverbs.wife]

This kind of goes along with my other post about mastitas and nipples being sore but I am also worried I am not producing enough milk. I have a 4 week old and was exclusivly nursing but found out last week I have mastitas. I had a fever, flu like symptoms and it hurt so bad to nurse and the dr. said keep nursing/ pumping and my supply may go down. I began to pump because I cried everytime my daughter wanted to eat because it hurt, I noticed I only got 2 oz out, in the morning I might get 3.5. I called the lactation department at the hospital and they said to take fenugreek, I thought it was helping, but now I am not sure. I was able to store up enough for two bottles inbetween trying to nurse again, it just hurts so bad still, but my daughter is drinking it faster then I can produce, and I need some on hand for this weekend. I have tried drinking more water, fenugreek and watched the video that was posted on how to produced more and nothing is helping. My daughter always seems to not get enough and I hate that I am considering formula every once and awhile. I want to be my daughters supply, I want that bond, I have only enjoyed it for 4 weeks. But I feel so helpless when she is crying for food and I cant give her anything, I feel like an awful mom.

[@llli*mommal]

How many wet/poopy diapers is your daughter producing in a 24 hour period? As long as she has normal diaper output, she is getting enough to eat.

The trap that many moms fall into- often right around this time- is assuming that fussy always = hungry, particularly when baby is fussing after feeding. Since babies typically overeat from a bottle (anything more than 3-4 oz is overeating, and most babies require only 2-3 oz in a bottle), it's easy to draw the conclusion that your supply must be low if baby drinks 4-5 oz from the bottle and you only pump out 2-3. Many moms also think that supply must be low because their babies tend to be so placid after bottle-feeding- again, not a sign of low supply but rather a symptom of baby overeating from the bottle.

When a mom's supply is well-matched to her baby's demand, she will typically produce about 1.5 oz of milk per hour. So if you pump 2 oz at a time, that's pretty normal output. Other things that can impact pump output include the make/model of pump you are using, the frequency with which you are pumping, when you last nursed, the size of your breast shields, and your overall expertise with pumping.

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

Dont measure supply by what you pump. Measure it by diaper output.

And babies fuss for many, many reasons

[@llli*auderey]

also just remember: it's a demand-supply system. so if she IS still hungry, then the best thing to do is put her back on the breast and let her work for it, and your body will respond. if instead you give her formula, you are actually telling your body to make LESS milk! just keep repeating that to yourself. it's ok to make her work for her milk! that's how it's supposed to work.

[@llli*proverbs.wife]

Thanks ladies, see Auderey I understand that she needs to work for it and that it is supply and demand, she does just fine on the breast but because I have mastitis I have had to use my pump more because the pain is so bad. But I appreciate all the encouragment and help, I feel a little better just from finding out she only needs 2-3 oz and she has plenty of wet diapers all day, the dirty ones are all at night but she still has 2-3. I am going to the Dr. tomorrow to see why I hurt so bad. I just hate the thought that I may not be providing for my little girl.

[@llli*phi]

It sounds like she's getting plenty of milk. I've found that wearing my baby in a sling or carrier helps a ton with fussiness.

Good luck at the doctor; the infection sounds just miserable.

[@llli*proverbs.wife]

To Aprils Magic, I had a question about a post you made in another forum, It really didn't have anything to do with the original post so I figured I would just ask you on here, but in the post about "overeating" the mom said the baby ate 20oz in a short time and you said that a baby should eat 1.5 oz every hour from the past feeding. At least that is how I understood it. So I am being told that a baby should eat 2-3 oz but my daughter sleeps really well, like anywhere between 2-6 hours, she has already slept full nights before. This is why I worry about not have enough milk. So how do I gadge it all?

[@llli*auderey]

the 1-1.5 oz per hour is an estimate for what to provide if you're away from the baby. i wouldn't think it's a very good guage, in the short term, of how much your baby eats at a given feed; my sense is it can vary quite widely across 24 hours and even across days. then baby makes up for a lot when mom is around, too. so especially you wouldn't be able to use that number to think about overnight, since many babies do sleep a longer stretch at night.

the mastitus sounds terrible; get yourself better, and know that almost always, your body just keeps making milk no matter how sick you are, it prioritizes your baby! even if the sickness does make your supply drop a little, keeping her nursing will bring it back up in no time.

[@llli*mommal]

Measure supply by diaper output and growth. If baby is producing adequate wet and poopy diapers and growing at a nor al pace, she's getting enough to eat.

I think that the other thread you mentioned was one where a working mom was having issues with baby being overfed from a bottle. It's a different situation from one in which a mom is able to nurse on demand throughout the day, and the baby can regulate her own intake.

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

When you are breastfeeding, you measure by diaper output. When you have to estimate how much milk to leave, you leave 1 to 1.5 oz per hour of separation, but it does not really apply if you are there with baby. Baby takes what baby needs. The measure is just to help you have a guidepost. See the difference?