For many breastfeeding mothers, low milk supply is a constant worry. During my first few months as a nursing mother I dealt with minor supply issues. However, I was so distracted by other breastfeeding issues that I didn’t fully address the problem of low milk supply until my daughters were over 6 months old.
I have twin daughters, Julia and Aria, they were born April 27th, 2011. We had planned on having the twins naturally at home, but they ended up being born by c-section after a long 3 days of labor. Needless to say the birth was traumatic, but my work was far from done. I was DETERMINED to breastfeed. In my mind there was no other option.
I’ll recap the first 7 months for you. It was a seemingly endless test of my determination to breastfeed. I had grown up around women who breastfed their babies and knew it wasn’t always a walk in the park, but I had no idea how hard it would be.
Both girls had clampdown bite reflex. It took Julia 4 months to outgrow this and I was so concentrated on Julia the first months I didn’t realize Aria had the same problem. Because of this, Aria formed a habit of bad latching that will still show up if she’s stressed or overly hungry. I also dealt with thrush, mastitis, post-partum depression and have Raynaud phenomenon.
Raynaud’s is basically a circulation problem. I won’t explain more about it here other than it is intensely painful. Breastfeeding did not let me win without a long hard fight, but I did finally win. I have a wonderful husband, supportive family, a faithful God and a determination inherited from my mother that saw me through those tough months.
Breastfeeding Crisis: Low Milk Supply
When Aria and Julia turned 7 months old my milk supply started to diminish. The girls became very fussy, and I began to use the milk I had stored in the freezer for extra feedings.
I increased my liquid intake, food portions and nursed frequently. In the past that’s all I had to do to resolve low milk supply. But I didn’t see any difference even after weeks of doing this. In fact, my milk supply was watery, and diminishing.
After everything I’d gone through I couldn’t and wouldn’t believe that low milk supply would be my Achilles heel!
My diet during this time was full of pasture raised organic eggs, grass-fed beef, broths, lots of veggies and an occasional smoothie with raw milk. I was healthy, exercised, cooked 99% from scratch… I didn’t know what I was doing wrong!?
I had loaned my copy of Nourishing Traditions to a friend, so I headed to my library to see if they had it. I searched Sally Fallon in the database and found that the library’s copy of the book was checked out, but another book showed up that Sally Fallon had written the forward to: The Untold Story of Milk by Dr. Ron Schmid. I took it home and started reading.
I’d always been a supporter of raw milk, but had never really read up on it. When I saw the book at the library I figured I should research the raw milk issue more thoroughly. As I made my way through the book I was fascinated by the corrupt history of pasteurized milk and the benefits of raw milk. I hated drinking plain milk, but it was obviously very nutritious so I half-heartedly bought a whole gallon of raw milk and intended to increase my smoothie making. It sat in my fridge for several days until I read this about Dr. Francis Pottenger MD:
“Pottenger’s research so convinced him of the importance of raw milk that he recommended one quart of raw milk per day to pregnant and nursing women. According to Pottenger, women who did not have access to raw milk, or who refused to drink it, put the development of their babies in jeopardy and should not breastfeed.”
Ouch!
It was late at night and I had already pumped. But I went into the kitchen and gagged down a huge glass of raw milk. It wasn’t that bad, but I was still grossed out at the thought of drinking a quart a day! I thought, Oh well, that guy was just over the top and it probably wouldn’t even help. I brushed my teeth very thoroughly and went to bed.
Low Milk Supply Resolves After One Large Glass of Raw Milk
Then the miracle happened…I woke up around 5am engorged and leaking everywhere! I pumped almost 6 ounces, and then nursed my girls when they woke up an hour later.
Well, that was the end of me refusing to drink raw milk!
My milk that I had just pumped was thick and my daughters were obviously happier than they had been in days. I was an overnight raw milk advocate!
It took me awhile to get used to drinking plain raw milk, and I did cheat… I added carob, homemade chocolate syrup, or made smoothies with it the first month or so, and I didn’t always drink an entire quart… But I now drink 2 large glasses a day, and crave it if I’m tired, hungry or after I exercise. It’s a mother’s dream food because it doesn’t require cooking or prep, just open the fridge and pour a glass.
In March my milk supply was once again put to the test. The girls were 11 months old at this point… So, they had large appetites. Both of the girls got the chicken pox and exclusively nursed for almost a week. Aria had them worse than Julia and so she exclusively nursed for over a week. I was tired, but didn’t have any supply issues. In fact, I was still able to pump extra at the end of each day. After the chicken pox was over I knew I didn’t need to ever worry about low milk supply issues again.
Raw Milk Helps Moms With Low Milk Supply!
Aria and Julia are now 13 months old. They nurse 3-4 times a day each, and are happy healthy little girls. I’m not really thinking of weaning at this point. It took almost 9 months to finally figure out breastfeeding, and the past four months have been awesome. Last month they started tandem nursing again… Being a mom is tiring. If it wasn’t for the pauses of nursing during the day I don’t know if I’d sit down and just enjoy my children. It forces you to sit, think and notice your baby. And when nursing is over they’re so endearing that I end up playing with them and ignoring the dishes and laundry. If I was giving them bottles they would independently feed themselves and I would probably continue on with my chores.
As a mother of twins I feel compelled to share my story. I believe it’s vital to breastfeed multiples because of the bonding time. If you’re pregnant with multiples most doctors will assume that you won’t even try to nurse, or that you’ll automatically supplement, but prove them wrong. The first 6 months is insane and even though it was so painful to nurse I’m glad I did. I was able to really get to know each one individually and I’ve never really felt guilty about ignoring one over the other.
One more note to breastfeeding mothers. I did talk to different lactation consultants during those months, but discovered that the research I did on my own was far more fruitful. The lactation consultants were very nice, but I don’t think any of them expected me to succeed.
In our culture it seems to be instilled in us to “try your best, but not to worry if you fail because no one will blame you.” That attitude is particularly prevalent in the medical world towards breastfeeding. Lactation consultants, nurses and doctors would give me a pat on the back for attempting to breastfeed, give me some useless advice, then proceed to tell me that “no one would blame me if I supplemented with formula. In fact, some women just aren’t able to breastfeed, and it would be less stressful if I just supplemented.”
Those kinds of comments fed the fire beneath me to prove them wrong, and honestly helped me stick to breastfeeding no matter what. I will admit that I was a die-hard and nothing else mattered at times. Was I too hard on myself? I don’t think so. I think we’re just conditioned to think that if something is gut-wrenchingly hard and painful then it might not be worth it. Well, it is worth it. Nursing is our special mother/baby time. Breastfeeding is also VERY important for the mother’s health. It helps to lose weight, forces you to keep yourself nourished and to sleep well.
When a mother has her baby she needs to take things slowly and not jump right back into the fast lane. Sit, contemplate and fully enjoy your beautiful new baby. You spent 9 long months making that child lying in your arms, now enjoy the fruits of your labor!
If you can get it nowadays! Only raw cheese here.
I have been breastfeeding 2 children for 5 years, so I’m speaking from experience. I don’t doubt your story at all but I did note 2 things that might help you a bit. First, around 6-7 months postpartum is can seem like you milk supply drops off. Your breasts don’t feel as full and all that, it is a prime time that women quite breastfeeding because they think they have supply problems that they don’t really have. This is your body regulating your supply more efficiently. I think you probably DID have a supply problem, especially since you are nursing two, but that adjustment that your body makes naturally may have been a factor.
Also, it may not have been the raw milk exactly but the sugars in the raw milk that boosted your supply. I have noticed a strong correlation with going low-carb and my supply dropping off precipitously. When you mentioned the foods you included in your diet you did not mention much in the way of carbohydrates, maybe you eat plenty of rice, potatoes, oatmeal, and bread, but I noticed that you didn’t mention those foods. Add plenty of carbs back, even (and especially) cookies and ice cream and you may see your supply explode. And if you are horrified my my not very Sally Fallon advice I’ll just say that in reality breastfeeding is very taxing to the body and nothing is easier for your body to extract calories and nutrients from than good old refined and semi-refined carbohydrates. You have two nurslings of the same age making tremendous demands on your body, Have some ice cream ;-). And potatoes. And raw milk since that worked too! Carbs also relax the adrenals and help you feel less stressed, and that has got to a plus for a mom of twins.
If I am totally wrong about my assumptions, forgive me.
Totally Agree! I am actually a HUGE carb eater… I make my own sourdough bread, eat loads of potatoes and LOVE ice cream… I also ate loads of oatmeal because I knew it helped with milk supply. I’m a very “gut instinct” type person, so even though I LOVE Sally Fallon/Weston Price… I knew that I needed loads of carbs. As I’m typing this I’m eating a slice of sourdough bread with a ton of butter:)
That is really good advice! I have had frequent supply issues with my children. I always adapt to a low-carb lifestyle to help lose baby weight. My youngest is now 3 months old and every time I eat sugar and carbs it does seem to help.
The WAPF is not against carbs at all. This is a Paleo thing, not a WAPF thing. Carbs are fine traditionally prepared and as long as there are plenty of good fats like butter, cream, coconut oil etc in the diet and the carbs don’t replace those good fats.
I know that WAPF is fine with carbs, but the author mentioned the Nourishing Traditions book written by Sally Fallon (which i also own) and remember her saying in a video that a 1 slice of bread would be a treat to have (rather than a staple of diet). I am paraphrasing of course. Maybe my dig was unfair, but that is how she came off to me. I will say that in order to rescue my milk supply I would not turn my nose up at carbs whether they were properly or improperly prepared. And I would not turn my nose away from sugary foods like cookies, cakes and the like for they have their place too. Especially for a nursing mom struggling with supply issues.
I don’t want to come off as contrarian, i love WAPF and I am a huge proponent of eating nutrient dense foods. But all successful cultures have blended nutrient dense foods with large amounts of calorie dense carbohydrates. More and more I am seeing a witch-hunt against foods that have been the staple foods of every successful civilization and that mind-set has even leaked into the WAPF movement.
More than just being fine with carbs, under Tips for Succesful Breastfeeing in Nourishing Traditions, Sallon Fallon actually suggests porridges of soaked grains to increase milk supply. In the Beverages section, she provides a variation on Rice Milk that she calls Nursing Mothers Tonic, made with quinoa. Quinoa is also mentioned in the Whole Grains section as being valued by women in the Andes for its ability to stimulate breast milk. Although quinoa is not technically a grain, I think the point is that there are a variety of nourishing foods that may help with milk supply quantity and quality and mothers can only do their best with what is accessible to them and what works for them.
I should mention though that I am not encouraging refined sugars carbs… I use honey, maple syrup and sucanut for the most part. My husband likes his candy, but I really try to stay away from anything that isn’t made from real food ingredients.
I just want to add my two cents worth 😉
When I had just had my son (9lb 3oz) and having gained 25+ kgs in pregnancy (I was mortified and stopped weighing myself at 25kgs!) I embarked on a low-carb, zero sugar (including fruit) diet and lost weight incredibly quickly (I ended up tiny and I should note it was before I discovered the WAPF). My milk supply was awesome and I put this down to the large amounts of protein I was consuming. I was told by a friend that protein will impact milk supply and certainly found it to be true in my case.
I guess what I’d really like to say is that I don’t think, regardless of what type of diet you try to follow, that recommending cookies is exactly healthy, surely?! I guess there are many recipes in the world and maybe the ones being spoken of are very nutritious, but I just don’t think it’s good to be feeding that to a baby (because let’s be real, it goes into your milk supply). I don’t even feed that sort of food to my two year old now (as solids) so I certainly wouldn’t to a breastfeeding baby.
I don’t mean that offensively to the person who wrote the comment, I just think it should be pointed out that whatever the breastfeeding mother eats her baby also consumes (sugar, chemicals, MSG, etc). I was a little dense to begin with and was under the impression that only the good stuff went in (yes, as I said, dense) so figure there may be other mums out there who aren’t well informed too 🙂
Good luck to everyone in their breastfeeding endeavors, regardless of diet 🙂
Cookies aside, (and I was not recommending that author eat a diet of only cookies) by your reasoning, Diana, breast feeding mothers should all eat ice cream in any quantity they desire because ice cream (old-fashioned cream, egg and sugar variety, not with all the additives) is a very close approximation of human breast milk in macronutrient content (yes, even sugar!) and even compares in micronutrient content. Cream and egg yolks are not devoid of micronutrients and sugar is not exactly the devil society has made it out to be lately.
Low-carb is great at stripping weight off, but can eventually lead to hormonal burn-out, low metabolism and muscle catabolism. It’s just something to think about if someone is experiencing issues on a low carb diet. Not that I know the author was, I have no idea.
What can you drink if you have a milk allergy?
Wish I had known when I was struggling with nursing!
I share the same concerns as Jessica, above commenter. I don’t doubt the benefits of raw milk in general and I’m glad that it benefited this mother. However, for Pottenger to say that any mother not drinking raw milk shouldn’t breastfeed is dangerous, misleading advice. Additionally, I believe there is some very fear-based language used in the editors note, specifically saying that low-milk supply is at epidemic levels. There are so many reasons for low supply, many ofwhich are related to unhealthy birth practices. It’s presumptuous to think that raw milk is the solution to every mother’s supply problem.
Agreed! Agreed! Agreed!
I’ve never had a supply issue but that’s still good to know!
You gotta be kidding me. As much of an advocate of raw milk that I am (if you are going to use dairy in your diet) this is rediculous and exactly the reason why WAP loses credibility with me. This is straight from their playbook and perpetuates the idea that women are incapable of producing enough milk for their babies and need rescued. This had nothing to do with drinking raw milk, it had to do with mom losing her fears in producing enough to feed her children and releasing the stress that causes many supply issues. She may not have had a true low supply to begin with. If consuming (raw) milk is required to “make milk” what about cultures that don’t consume it? The human race would have ceased to exist long ago if that were true.
Why so negative? Is this information threatening to you in some way? What is the harm in suggesting that a nursing Mom try raw milk to improve her breastmilk supply? Insisting that low supply is somehow all in a nursing mother’s head is like these doctors that for years insisted that menopause symptoms were all in a woman’s head too. It is wrong and discouraging and insulting to women who are really doing their very best to succeed at nursing.
I think the problem is that making outrageous claims does more to hurt the cause than to help it. I think it is great to write about anecdotal evidence of raw milk increasing a mom’s supply but the suggestion that a mom without raw milk shouldn’t breast feed doesn’t pass the smell test.
This is not an outrageous claim at all. Have you even read her story or are you knee jerking on the title? Dr. Francis Pottenger MD advocated raw milk for nursing mothers. Just because this is outside the LLL playbook doesn’t make it impossible.
Yes I read the story. I believe what she is saying is 100% true, that the raw milk increased her milk supply. I’m just saying that raw milk as a mandatory prereq to breastfeeding seemingly defies common sense and will put people on the defensive when contemplating incorporating raw milk into their diet. Perhaps after I read Pottenters book and the Untold Story of Milk I’ll change my mind.
It’s not negative, it’s pointing out the lack of science to back it. It’s no secret how much WAP misleads mothers into thinking they haven’t got the diet necessary to build or maintain a supply and that they completely bash the world’s foremost authority on breastfeeding-La Leche League. I didn’t say it was all “in your head” but stress is a primary cause for supply issues and has been proven. I fail to see how I am being discouraging and insulting, in fact I am saying the opposite. Women need no special diet in order to successfully breastfeed their babies, never have, never will, so once again the idea that you have to “drink milk to make milk” is a rediculously misleading old wives tale and is scientifically and factually inaccurate and goes directly against what proven information I give mothers daily to help them breastfeed. I would be remise if I let women believe there’s one food that if they don’t include in their diet they won’t produce what their babies need, it is simply untrue.
You folks are being so rude I can’t even believe it. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Just because there hasn’t been a double blind study on raw milk affecting breastmilk supply doesn’t mean its not true or that it doesn’t work.
It’s not rude to point out a lack of evidence. If it’s true then it would apply to all mothers and those that don’t partake in raw milk consumption would have starving babies. I didn’t say there can’t be some health benefits to drinking raw milk but it is absolutely not necessary to human milk production.
The evidence is that it worked for this Mom and it is an age old recommendation by Dr. Francis Pottenger MD. It is a testimonial post, not a scientific study.
Who in the world is Frances Pottenger? And why is his lack of scientific information supposed to be any more important than what you are saying? I’m sure that if he were important in the world of breastfeeding information we would all have heard of his research by now and would be using it. The problem is that this is presented as scientific, not testimonial, and even so people will take it as science. Why question the known authority of organizations that have stood the test of time like LLL and say that it comes out of the LLL playbook or a lactation consultant’s playbook? That’s what’s insulting, not anything I have said. The issue here is truth vs. anecdotal stories and this is what makes women think they have no control over their own bodies and their ability to nourish their babies without a magic solution.
Heather- if you have to ask who Francis Pottenger is then why are you even bothering to comment or continuing to make arguments with Sarah? Let’s think beyond the world as you know it to answer your own question: The reason Dr. Pottenger’s work may not be well known most likely comes down to the almighty dollar. Why don’t more dentists know about Westin Price? Well, because if the masses found out that we really didn’t need dentists because a wholesome diet of nutrient dense foods would keep us, and our teeth healthy, then who would buy all the fluoride crap they push on us? How would dentists make money?
I would assume the analogy would also apply to Dr. Pottenger’s work. No main stream medical practice is going to support a diet of raw milk to help any individual, let alone a breastfeeding mother because the masses have been so brainwashed by the government, who in turn act as mouth pieces for the very corporations that donated generously to their campaigns. Of course positve raw mlk information will continue to be shunned as long as we have The National Dairy Council to ensure that all-things-raw-milk are dangerous, so you better buy our pasteurized puss instead.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people want studies before they will believe anything to be true, which seems so backwards to me considering how many studies are either done by the government, are paid for by the government, or paid for by the company who produces the product they are trying to sell. There are usually more layers to those “studies” than the rest of us even know about, but for some reason, so willingly accept.
LLL also tells mothers to eat a low fat diet. If you’re on this blog, you know the stance of the information presented, and know that it’s not going to 100% jive with “the world’s foremost authority on breastfeeding” which follows mainstream nutritional views. There’s nothing wrong with differing opinions, regardless of how they’re presented. Get off your high horse.
LOL, Susan, you’ve answered your own question about Pottenger. He isn’t known because he clearly has nothing of value to contribute to breastfeeding or, like I said, breastfeeding experts would know about it by now. You have to be able to scientifically prove your claims to make them believable, Pottenger has not apparently been able to do that. Cassandra, I’ve read everything LLL has said and nowhere does LLL advocate any particular diet in its literature. There may be some different books that suggest trying certain types of dietary lifestyles among LLL libraries but there is nothing in its philosophy talking about lowfat diets. LLL recommends “foods in as close to their natural state as possible” so you should might check that out. LLL is anything but mainstream or it would attract a much broader audience and breastfeeding rates wouldn’t still be lingering in the country if it were. Besides that, we are specifically talking about a particular group (WAPF) telling mothers that their milk isn’t good enough if they don’t follow their specific diet and its not true. Women in third world countries where the nutrition is deplorable are more than able to successfully produce a full supply and amazingly it’s without the help of raw cow’s milk. DIffering opinions are one thing, factually accurate and true scientific information on breastfeeding is something entirely different and I once again state in no uncertain terms that Pottenger, whoever he may be, is lacking this evidence or I’d have it in my hands now. I have no high horse to step down from, I don’t need one, because I have the truth and telling moms they can’t or shouldn’t breastfeed is wrong on every level. Mocking LLL and lactation consultants doesn’t mean that you have evidence to prove them wrong because the information is backed scientifically. No pharmaceuticals will fund it’s research because it gains them nothing, medical professionals are rarely armed with factual information on it either and are also not going to gain anything from a successful breastfeeding mother. Any organization or company that tells mothers they aren’t capable of breastfeeding are contributing to the problem, not providing a solution.
very well put susan
Heather – You say that ‘LLL recommends “foods in as close to their natural state as possible”’, which I’m interpreting to mean that you agree that the food that the mother eats impacts on breast milk production in some way. I also interpret that as the message from WAPF. WAPF recommends a range of nourishing foods from a variety of cultures around the world and if certain foods are unaccessible to women, suggests alternatives. I do not recall reading anything from WAPF that suggests that if women don’t follow a specific diet that they cannot breast feed.
The quote from Pottenger is a bit different, but I think you have taken it out of the context of this story – which was one woman’s heatfelt story about perservering with breastfeeding. There were no opinions masquerading as facts or scientific information and even the quote from Pottenger is clearly his just own opinion. To be honest, when I first read the quote all I registered was “raw milk is good for nursing mothers” and didn’t understand what you were on about until I scrolled back up and re-read it. You mentioned in an earlier comment that breastfeading mothers just need to relax, well, maybe you just need to relax. Maybe Pottenger just got a little over-enthusiastic about his findings on raw milk and has regretted writting the last part of that quote ever since. Your agresssive stance doesn’t win anyone over either.
Ummm how about you learn to spell before you get on a site and start speaking RIDICULOUSNESS.
Can science prove God exists? No. Case in point.
I clarified my stance on Dr Francis Pottenger near the bottom of the comments. I have had several responses to different comments that I would appreciate if you read so that you understood me a bit better. Also, please read the last few paragraphs of my story again. I re-read everything and don’t understand how you came to the conclusion that I think “women are incapable of producing enough milk for their babies and need rescued.” I have taken all of your comments very seriously and was horrified when I read that sentence. I had no personal gain at stake, no underlying propaganda I was trying to infuse… It is just my plain ol breastfeeding story written to encourage nursing mothers everywhere. As a raw milk advocate, please take away the positive and encouraging aspects you can find and ignore whatever is offensive to you.
One more time I will say… The main, if not sole, purpose of this article was to encourage breastfeeding mothers. If it was taken in any other manner I apologize and hope you can erase it from your memory.
I think people are reading the part where Dr. Pottenger said you shouldn’t breastfeed unless you drink raw milk, as your opinion, when I think you just found information interesting…. I love your story and think it’s great. From reading through the comments, it seems people think that you think it’s either drink raw milk, or don’t breastfeed. That’s what I’ve taken away from reading all the comments, anyway 🙂
I feel your pain… I was there! I have a homeopathic doctor who is classically trained(you want a classically trained one) who worked with me. It was the homeopathy that finally helped the Raynauds. All of our consultations were done over the phone since a good homeopath won’t need to see you in person necessarily. Since you’re only 11 weeks along they may be able to heal and prepare you before the baby even comes. Here is my homeopaths website Email her or search in your area to see if there’s another homeopath.
I know how frustrating it is when everyone keeps telling you to “buck up” the pain will go away… And it doesn’t. And pumping hurts. I really hope this helps you in some way! I’ll pray for you.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Brittany, (or anyone that can help)
I have a beautiful 2.5 year old little girl. I was only able to breastfeed her for 3.5 weeks. Breastfeeding, for me, was an incredibly painful experience. After two treatments for yeast, several visits to the lactation consultant and a frantic call to the La Leche League for help with the pain, I decided to quit. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
I’m pregnant again with my second (only 11 weeks along) and trying to do everything I can do figure out a way around this unexplained pain so I can breastfeed this baby. All throughout my pregnancy with my first, my nipples were very sensitive. Now, when you’re pregnant, you read about having sensitive nipples. How are you supposed to know what’s sensitive and what’s ABNORMALLY sensitive. I didn’t. When I nursed my first for the first time, I expected a little pain, so I tried to buckle down and get through it – but it NEVER stopped. My nipples hurt 24 hours a day from the first feeding. While we were still in the hospital, I couldn’t even put my daughter to my breast, it hurt SO bad. (I pumped at home for three weeks and that was excruciating. Nipple shields didn’t work either…) There were lactation consultants in and out of my room, each one having to see me cry – each one with colder hands than the next. Each new consultant came into the room thinking she was going to solve my “latch problem” but no consultant ever found a problem with the latch. No one could understand the reason for my pain and after a while I think I was categorized as a “wimp.” Now, WIMP I AM NOT. I can deal with my share of pain – but this – this was crippling. I couldn’t even hold my baby to my chest.
I’m sorry – I could go on… I’m just looking for help here. In the article above, You mentioned Raynaud Phenomenon. I’ve done some investigation into this – but I haven’t found anything that would help – if it IS my problem. ANY advice anyone has that reads this comment will be welcomed. I’d love to have as many resources as possible to give breastfeeding the best possible chance.
Note: I will be going back to work after 12 weeks maternity leave, so I will eventually have to pump to establish the supply for while I’m at work.
I would like to suggest a high quality coconut oil since it has very high concentrations of lauric acid even more so than human breastmilk. I haven’t had any babies yet but I plan on continuing to drink it and slather it on because for me it has worked WONDERS!
I am currently nursing a very wiggly 15 month old. 🙂 He’s my second, I attempted to nurse my first but listened to all the wrong people and ended up not being successful. For my second, I pretty much cried the frist few weeks whenever my son wanted to nurse. When just a couple weeks old he wanted to nurse for 30 minutes on each side and one nursing session ended up being 2 hours long because I switch him back and forth due to the pain. I used lanolin cream constantly…smeared it on thick every single time I nursed. That helped. Hot showers. Heavy sweaters/warm clothes helped–I hated being cold (if you know what I mean!). I refused to supplement with formula because that was my severe downfall with my first one.
One thing a friend told me when my son was still in the hospital: it hurts now, but every day it will get better and pretty soon it will feel great to nurse. I kept that in my mind, focused on it. Determined myself. It gradually got better and at about 4-5 weeks it got much better. Stay focused–it gets SO much better.
The more you nurse, the more milk you will have. The more you nurse, the faster your body will toughen up and then less painful it will be to nurse.
I had a lot of opposition…no one on either side of my family nursed and were (are still) somewhat negative to the idea. I decided I don’t care what they think. I made the decision straight away to NOT listen to anyone who hadn’t nursed for AT LEAST 6 months. They did what they thought was best, and now it’s my turn to do what’s best for me and my family. Poo on them for thinking otherwise! 🙂
Hope this helps!
In case you don’t know about it…check out the “The Leaky B@@B” on Facebook. Really awesome website for breastfeeding support. I don’t think I would have made it without them. I started following and reading on their at the beginning of my pregnancy and haven’t looked back. 🙂
Saeriu,
I’ll look into it, definitely – but the pain I’m talking about wasn’t just when my little one wanted to nurse. This was crippling pain (not being able to wear clothes) All. The. Time. I never got relief from the pain. Now, I can withstand a low, constant ache. But this – this was like someone held a lighter under my nipples while I stood naked in a freezer – ALL THE TIME (pardon the visual, but it gets the point across). Warm baths didn’t help. ANY contact to the nipple area was sharp, intense pain – the kind you can’t just “get through.” I compare it to the involuntary reaction of yanking your hand away from the object that burns you. It’s like there’s no choice. I cried each time I pumped because it hurt worse. I’m know this is a lengthy explanation, but no one could find the cause for my constant pain. I’m going to look into the homeopath direction because even my OB admittedly has never run across my symptoms. (Which is why I went through two treatments for yeast – I didn’t have yeast.) I’m convinced there’s an answer – I just haven’t been able to find anyone with my symptoms that has found a solution. Discouraging at best. Especially when someone says, “oh, it’s the latch.” or “You’ve just got to stick it out.” Frustrating.
Off the cuff what come to my mind is that you might have some type of hormonal imbalance causing the pain.
K, have you looked into supplementing with a Lugol’s iodine? This may or may not help, but I’ve joined an iodine group due to thyroid issues and there are many women there who have overcome different breast issues with iodine supplementation. They have even had their breast cysts shrink after iodine supplementation. Search up on the topic and you’ll find many sites and how they recommend iodine supplementation during pregnancy. Pregnant and lactating women need additional iodine and it’s also helps with neuro development in babies.
I agree with Frances. I had terrible pain through breastfeeding child 1, and he ended up often drinking bloody milk because of all the fissures in my nipples (I drew the line at storing ‘pink’ milk after pumping though!). I also had mastitis several times to make me even more miserable and achey. I asked every midwife I saw to check his latch, which was fine, and thankfully I had no problems with supply. With my second child I was under the care of a homeopath specialising in women’s issues. Bless her, she diagnosed hormonal problems straight away and my 2nd child’s breastfeeding was an absolute joy. I understand systemic candida infestation may also be a cause of breast-feeding pain.
And… after feeling so guilty for ‘giving up’ on breastfeeding at 11 months for baby 1, baby 2 finished up at 11 months as well!…
I was the same as you – BAD start with very sensitive nipples and painful breasts but after a few months it was fine and dandy. I did need to see a couple of lactation consultants before it got sorted and my son had his tongue tie cut too.
I nursed him for 21 months and whilst I ended up having 5 lactation consultant sessions during that time they were worth every penny as they kept us feeding.
Side note: alot of people think around the 9 month stage that their baby is self-weaning. My little guy refused me for four days and I had to pump during this time and feed it to him via a bottle. I spoke to a lactation consultant who said that it’s often a time when babies get increased mobility and are teething which combined can be quite upsetting so they won’t feed. I persevered, sitting with my top off and having fun times with him until he felt relaxed enough to latch on. Obviously it worked as we made it to 21 months, when I made the decision to stop feeding. 🙂 (hope that helps someone :))
My biggest tip to any mums having supply issue is to increase your protein intake. I was fortunate to have been given this advice by a friend early on and sure enough, if I didn’t have a large amount of protein one day the next I’d have a lower milk supply.
Thanks for sharing your story Brittany. Bugger the people that misquote and misinterpret what you and the WAPF have written. Each to their own but people should still be respectful of others experiences and be nice in disagreeing! 🙂
My baby clamped on just like the reflex she’s talking about. And despite all the professional around me saying otherwise, I was certain she had tongue tie (much more common than you’d think…it’s also hereditary but many people don’t know they have it because they were fed formula in bottles and isn’t a problem). Every latch was so painful and she was constantly slipping off. We couldnt even lay down to nurse because it strained her neck too much. My lactation consultant said it wasn’t tongue tie and that I needed to stop stressing, but I knew she wasn’t getting enough and that it was causing my low milk supply. To make sure she got enough, i nursed her round the clock for 6 months while i tried every natural remedy under the sun to fix my low milk. I was hoping to avoid surgery and figured I would just try to fix my supply with lactogenic foods…all those grains and herbs though properly prepared made it worse. At 6 months we flew to Albany, NY to see Dr Kotlow (the best in laser surgery for pediatric tongue tie surgery) and he said hers was difficult to diagnose if you don’t know what you’re looking for but that she had a pretty bad case as well as under her top lip tie. The surgery took 10 minutes, no anesthesia and she was able to nurse immediately. He said latch should no longer be painful…he was right! I never again had to slather on coconut oil before feelings! From then on, my milk supply increased and I never had sore nipples! Keep fighting for your motherly instincts. If you think something is off, don’t stop searching until you find the answers. It was a hard lesson, but I kept praying that I would find the answer and that God would make up the difference for my inadequacy. Little by little He would show me answers. I found out about GAPS shortly after her surgery and tha has helped us immensely! My baby is no longer constipated due to Dr Natasha Cambell-McBride’s solid food introduction diet! All the best to you in our journey!
To K. Manes – I had massive breastfeeding issues as well, including low milk supply (my son is now 15 months old) which I did EVERYTHING in the world I could possibly do for and had no luck increasing. It was so emotional a time for me that I can’t even write about it without tearing up. My suggestion, and what I ended up doing, thanks to Sarah, is making the cow milk based homemade baby formula. Sarah has a wonderful video on how easy it is to make and that is what finally convinced me I needed to do that. I had absolutely no choice in doing this because my baby was HUNGRY. At least look into it and have it as an option. And do not feel like you are not a wonderful mom if you need to do it. LLL and LC’s only know so much and you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of the lovely kiddos. I can’t help with what might be wrong with your pain issues, but look into the homemade formula. It saved my baby’s life.
Hi K. Manes or anyone else, If yeast is part of the problem, I recommend trying to improve your gut flora from within eg GAPS of Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride e.g. eating more broth and building up on fermented foods and probiotics in pregnancy slowly if you’re not used to it. Also, externally you can apply kefir (or live yoghurt) to the breasts and armpits before the birth to populate the area with beneficial flora. Best done daily for at least last trimester. This can also be done to the groin area by the way, so baby picks up extra flora at the birth. So even if this does not help the breastfeeding issues at least it will have partly benefited your new baby with some beneficial flora. Hope that helps.
K. Manes,
I am so sorry to hear about your nipple oversensitivity! Good for you trying to work it out before your next one is born. I have what might sound like an odd suggestion: Chiropractic. It sounds like where your nipples are concerned, your nervous system is in overdrive. While most people think of chiropractors as people to go to primarily for back pain, they are nervous system specialists. Since all your nerves run through your spinal column, then out to the various parts of your body from between the disks, having a disk tipped one way or the other can make that part of your nervous system over or under perform. That could be what is going on with you, especially since your problem is obviously not latch related! I wish you the best of luck in your healing, however you may find it! Blessings!
I didn’t learn about raw milk until it was time for my first born to start drinking cow milk. I struggled with my supply even with fenugreek and mothers milk tea and oatmeal most mornings. It was very stressful, but I barely made it to 13 months. With my second I was on The raw milk train and my supply was overwhelming. It was nice and thick and creamy, very much different from the first time around. I had not read this book but I saw a difference and am grateful. I love how at the end she says that we as a society think that if something is gut wrenching painful that it just isn’t going to work out. So glad she proved them wrong. I can definitely relate personality wise:)