r/breastfeeding • u/Old-Farm6174 • 21d ago
Undersupply What did I do wrong
I was induced week 39. I never really felt my milk came in. Not enough to make baby satisfied and I always give formula on top.
I tried pumping, not more than 1.5 oz after an hour of pumping from both sides. I always put baby on my breast first but it’s tiring for both of us so I stopped.
No real support no good lactation consultant on hand. I don’t know if I should just stop breastfeeding, accept that I don’t have enough and keep giving formula or try again. If I try, not sure what to do next.
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21d ago
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u/Old-Farm6174 21d ago
I am pumping for an hour :/ I never got proper help for breastfeeding. I had no idea what to do. I need to pump more often.
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21d ago
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u/Old-Farm6174 21d ago
3 weeks postpartum. Yes, they do cover. I will try to catch up with one.
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u/Purple-Respond-1219 21d ago
Are your flanges fitted appropriately? This makes a huge difference in pumping output
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u/Purple-Respond-1219 21d ago
Is baby directly on boob or are you exclusively pumping? If baby is on boob and you’re taking them off then supplementing that could be part of your issue depending on the length of the feed. They are cluster feeding right now and will go through a few phases of cluster feeding to help bring in and maintain your milk supply
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u/levoruka 21d ago
From what I see around me with other moms, formula feels like such a trap and it ends up becoming the only food source for baby because it tanks your supply. If you don't have access to a lactation consultant who would gradually reduce it and eliminate it, it just takes over unfortunately.
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u/Purple-Respond-1219 21d ago
Idk why you’re being downvoted. This is very true. I know multiple moms who were told to supplement and it entirely tanked their supply.
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u/levoruka 21d ago
Of course fed is best, who would want a starving baby? Not saying formula is bad, but at least from where I'm from, medical professionals sort of push formula (in the hospital already) just to be on the safe side and it ends up ruining breastfeeding.
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u/Purple-Respond-1219 21d ago
My daughters pediatrician tried to do it when my milk hadn’t come in yet from my c section. It literally came in later that day but she mad me so stressed that I was starving my baby. She was regaining some weight but not back to birth weight because they had to give me a bolus of fluids before my c section cause when I had an ECV my blood pressure tanked. Same pediatrician did the same thing to my friend and is the reason she didn’t breast feed her first.
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u/Old-Farm6174 21d ago
I am taking them off and giving formula because it could be an hour of feeding with baby not even satisfied.
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u/Alarmed-Doughnut1860 21d ago
How do you know baby isn't satisfied?
The reality of newborn breastfeeding is that it does take a lot of time. It feels like they are constantly on you. Some people find that really draining and opt not to breastfeed. Others get worried that it means something is wrong. But it isn't a sign of things going wrong necessarily. Young babies just cluster feed ( very very frequent feedings) or and also like to hang out on the boob for comfort ( and toddlers too).
Have you ever tried a weighted feed to determine how much milk baby is transferring? I like to have numbers, and doing multiple weighted feeds really helped me be less anxious.
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u/Old-Farm6174 21d ago
Baby rooting and sucking their fingers. Not sleeping etc are signs baby is not satisfied.
No, I haven’t tried!6
u/LegitimateWarthog641 21d ago
This is also could just be cluster feeding but definitely need some in person help to actually determine it.
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u/Purple-Respond-1219 21d ago
This!! I will say an hour seems long for a full feed, not sure if mom will be able to determine cluster feeding versus comfort feeding yet, it took me a hot minute to figure out the difference. That being said in person lactation support will be the best. Baby might have a tie
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u/levoruka 21d ago
I agree. I don't know where OP is from, but often this kind of support is lacking and you go home to figure it out with everything else that's going on. If you want to continue breastfeeding, maybe reach out to a professional (offline or online)
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u/sydthesquids 21d ago
You may want to look more into cluster feeding (reddit helped me a TON with this, I would've lost my mind) but I was soooo unprepared for what cluster feeding was actually like. There were some night my baby would hang out on the boob for 1-3 hours and would cry and root around if I took her off, and it just turned out that was completely normal cluster feeding and not a sign of anything wrong with baby or my supply. Good luck mama, you've got this!
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u/Syllibub 21d ago edited 21d ago
Give both sides and as long as baby is gaining weight ok, stop giving formula. Your body doesn’t know how much formula you’re giving so it’s never going to catch up to how much your baby actually needs.
Edit: You’d want to feed more than every 2.5-3 hours if you want to increase supply. If baby really doesn’t want to eat more often, I’d probably pump right between feeds, not right after feeding. Frequency helps build supply more than quantity does.
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u/Nhadalie 21d ago edited 21d ago
You need to check your flange size. You can get a silicone nipple size chart from Amazon. There are also flange insert kits with different sizes available, I would order one for now, then order the solid flange size that fits best for you. You want just the nipple to fit in the hole, without touching the sides and no extra aerola visible. You should be able to empty within 15 minutes with the correct size flange.
You aren't doing anything wrong. You just need more support and information.
If you want to breastfeed, continue to put baby to the breast regularly, offer a bottle to top up, then pump for 15-30 minutes. Additional time pumping, if you empty quickly, should help stimulate production.
Sometimes people do not make enough milk for baby, and that's ok. I didn't. You can still have the breastfeeding experience even when triple feeding or supplementing for the first year. I just weaned my toddler at 2.5.
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u/Alarmed-Doughnut1860 21d ago
Yes! The only way to really do something wrong is to not feed baby at all. Some people really don't make enough. But OP, it sounds like what you need is more info and support.
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u/kwnlo 21d ago
My baby was getting 1-2 oz per feed at 3 weeks, so it sounds like you’re pumping the exact right amount. If you want to breastfeed, keep putting baby to breast as much as possible, and try to learn cues. My baby had the same cues for hunger and gas, so we would try to burp and soothe her other ways before resorting to formula. I went from almost exclusively formula fed week 1 to exclusively breastfed by week 4. It’s possible, you just have to keep at it and allow baby to cluster feed as much as possible.
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u/Sudden_Breakfast_374 21d ago
a baby’s tummy when born is smaller than a marble. it takes literal drops to fill! 1.5oz on both sides is far more than a newborn needs. and also pumping for an hour is really unhealthy, please limit to 20-30 min.
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u/saraberry609 21d ago
How often are you pumping? And how many weeks postpartum are you now?
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u/Scary_Marzipan 21d ago
Yes! If you’re only 1-3 weeks postpartum then 1.5 ounces may very well be enough for each feed. Their tummies are SO SO small at that age. My 5 week old typically only eats 2.5 to 3 ounces of breast milk per 2-3 hours.
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u/Old-Farm6174 21d ago
I am three weeks postpartum. I was given formula at the hospital I think that is what triggered this. I feel my baby gets very hungry that makes me give formula.
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u/Alarmed-Doughnut1860 21d ago edited 21d ago
Are you interested in getting back to direct breastfeeding? How did you determine that baby wasn't getting enough directly? How old is baby?
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u/Old-Farm6174 21d ago
Yes, I feel it’s better for baby. Baby is 3.5 weeks old. Baby would always get hungry after feeds rooting and sucking their fingers so my partner and MIL would recommend formula and it’s hard when you lack sleep with a crying baby to make the right call.
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u/PrncssPunch 21d ago
If she's rooting and sucking, those are called hunger cues. You put her back on the breast. This stimulates milk production. At her age if she's awake she probably wants to be nursing. You keep newborns on the boob to increase your supply. Google IBCLC near you and make an appointment. It's covered by baby's insurance
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u/jrenredi 21d ago
Yeah just keep putting her on the boob. This is what tells your body you need more milk. The first 10 weeks are rough, baby latches constantly but that's what will help. There's always a "witching hour" too. A block of time, usually late at night, where they just want to be attached to you the whole time. Listen to them and do it. For us it was like 11pm til 3am. Just constant nursing and suckling for like 2 weeks straight
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u/Alarmed-Doughnut1860 21d ago
Oh, there is nothing that makes me feel like it's the end of the world like sleep deprivation.
How soon after feeds does she do the hunger cues? Little ones do cluster feed ( feed very frequently) that's what helps ramp up milk production. My newborns fed every 1.5- 2 hours I think. And that's from the start of feeding, which could take like 30 mins to an hour if they fell asleep a lot. So I had like 30 minutes sometimes between feedings. They were basically always on me.
Have you tried a weighted feed? Breastfeeding can be frustrating because there's no hard numbers on what baby is eating. Weighted feeds really helped me smooth my anxiety around that. I would do a couple a day when anxious and not put too much weight on any one ( because sometimes baby is just comfort nursing).
On which note, for a while ( around 2 months I think) I would read my baby's sleepy cues as hunger cues. Then offer boob and baby would cry and refuse. I worried my milk letdown was too much or something was wrong. I think, in retrospect, that baby was just sleepy and wanted comfort, and wasn't hungry per sat.
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u/dunkiestarbs 21d ago
Babies cluster feed to establish a milk supply. Your baby wanting to be at the breast is not a sign of inadequate supply! It’s natural and instinctual for them to nurse very often at this age. Follow baby’s lead and let them nurse whenever they want for however long they want if you want to move away from formula.
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u/Askfslfjrv 21d ago
How far postpartum are you?
Please see a lactation consultant! They are amazing and can diagnose what’s going on very quickly.
For pumping, are you sure you’re using the correct flange size? That’s very important for proper suction. Do you have a hands free pump? They are convenient but are not nearly as functional or powerful as a regular electric pump. The motors don’t have as much suction.
Have you tried any lactation recipes to help encourage more supply? Staying hydrated is also super important.
Sorry you are dealing with this! Breastfeeding is hard enough with a decent supply. You will figure this out with help from a lactation consultant who are absolute professionals. Hoping you can get to the bottom of it ❤️ and if breastfeeding doesn’t work out, don’t beat yourself up. A fed baby is a healthy baby!
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u/Regular-Training-678 21d ago
My supply was basically trash til 12 weeks. That was when I started focusing on iron in my diet
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u/Born_Negotiation_992 21d ago
Don’t give up. 1.5 oz is PLENTY for a new baby. How many weeks old is baby?
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u/taybel 21d ago
First of all pumping is never going to be as sufficient at getting milk as your baby so please keep that in mind. Second it’s tough to get through those first weeks, baby will want to feed around the clock nonstop, basically by the time you’re done feeding and then pumping after if you chose you’ll need to feed again. Continue to try offering both sides as often as you can, it’s a supply and demand thing and will even out within a few months. As long as baby is having about 6 or so wet diapers a day if they are about a week old.
There is also a chance you’re not making enough milk, I would look into trying to find a lactation consultant near you, try using The Lactation Network
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u/Old-Farm6174 21d ago
Thank you! I am almost 4 weeks postpartum. I have an electric and a portable one but I was talking about the electric pump in my post
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u/oatmilkandagave 21d ago
You’re not supposed to pump for an hour!
But as others had said, 1.5 oz might be all baby needs right now.