Extremely Low Milk Supply

Thank you @DDream . Even I am determined to pump till my baby completes her 6 months but it is just that pumping is so much of work and you don't feel motivated when all you get is 2 ounces in a pumping session.

 

Thanks @bhucat . I have been pumping for every 3 hours during the day and every 3- 4 hours during the night from past 2 months. I did not see any noticeable change in my supply.

 

Thanks for replying. Yes it is true that most of the women supplement for first 3-4 days.

After my milk came in - no engorgement at all. The only way I knew my milk came in is because I was pumping I could see that the colour of milk changed from yellow to white. Only tiny drops.

I used to feed my baby first and supplement her at the breast (SNS) using the syringe for extra stimulation. I did that for every feed for 2 weeks and then it was so exhaustive I introduced slow flow bottle. Luckily my baby did not refuse the breast even after introducing the bottle. So after 3 weeks or so, her pediatrician asked me to reduce the amount of supplement and give her the breast more. I did the same and for 1 week she was continuously crying. Her wet diapers and poopy diapers count is way down than normal. Only 1 wet diaper per day. I almost starved her At her 4 weeks appointment, she did not put on any weight.

I did not give up. I went to the breast feeding support group. They weighed her before feed and after feed and the scale showed that she was having only 1.6 oz from me which is not even half of what she needs. I have no latching issues with my baby. she is not tongue tied too.

I know that they say that pump is not a good indicator of how much we produce but in my case my baby is eating at my breast , the same amount that I pump.

This is how I came to conclusion that I am not making enough milk for her

 

Thanks for the support @hermitcrab . Yes raising a child needs lot of effort. As you know all the mothers want to give the best to their children . I had so much guilt thinking that I am the only one who is not able to give the best to my child but after reading so many posts from this forum and many other baby forums, I am convinced that baby can be healthy even if there is little or no breast milk. Recently, when I happened to talk to my maternal aunts, I got to know some of them didn't have enough milk for their first babies but had tremendous supply for the second ones and guess what all my cousins are equally healthy, irrespective of being breastfed or not.

 

Thanks @fourthaugust . Yes you are right . There is some medical condition which is preventing my body to produce more milk. Had I been in India, I would have got good medical advice. Anyways I will have to come to terms with my present situation.

 

hi @Needtobestrong . Hugs to you. I know how would it feel to not able to feed your baby when so many people around us are doing it with ease. I had 5 of my friends who delivered their babies pretty much around the same time as me and all of them have sufficient milk for their babies. I was so disheartened that it is only me that has the problem but when I spoke to more and more people, I came to know that there are many out there who could not produce enough milk and their babies are healthy too. So I am trying to do the best I can do. Hopefully we will get over the guilt feeling as and when time pass by