Q: I just found out that I am pregnant with my second child. I started to breastfeed my firstborn, but was shocked to find that I didn’t have enough milk in either breast to fill the bottom of one bottle. Needless to say, I switched to formula. I would like to try to breastfeed this child. Do you know what I can do to assure that I will have breastmilk when this child is born?
A: In order to understand what happened with your breastfeeding last time, I would need more information. But take heart in knowing that it is really unusual for women to not produce enough milk for their babies. Babies do not need a lot of milk during the first couple of days, so moms don’t produce much. Babies usually go into a very hungry stage around the second day of life and begin nursing and nursing and nursing. After another day or so, your milk “comes in,” and you begin to produce more and more. You can tell if your baby is getting enough milk because he will begin having a lot of wet diapers (six or more each day) and bowel movements (three or more each day), and he will be content and growing well.
Pumping is another matter. Many mothers find that although they have plenty of milk, they cannot easily pump it out. It may be due to lack of information on how to pump correctly, or it may be that the pump is poorly designed. There are many breast pumps on the market that are not effective in removing milk. They do not work anything like a baby. It is unfortunate that women have the opportunity to purchase such pumps and frequently believe that when they cannot remove much milk with the pump that the problem is that there is no milk. In most cases, the problem is a lousy pump.
When you breastfeed this time, enjoy the early beginnings together. Watch your baby for signs that he is getting enough to eat. If you have doubts about how things are going, consult with your lactation consultant or your local La Leche League leader. If you decide to pump, be sure that you have an effective breast pump that other mothers have used and been successful with.
Consider going to some La Leche League meetings this time before your baby is born in order to gain insight from successful nursing mothers and to have an expert answer your questions. I wish you well.
By Ann Calandro
BSN, RNC, IBCLC Lactation Consultant
