milk supply

[madhavi]

i use nipple shield to feed my child, but on and off she started to feed directly also. i have a doubt whether my milk is sufficient for her because with the nipple shield i can visually see the amount of milk ejecting from my breast but when feeding her directly i couldnt guess how much milk is ejecting, will it be sufficient for here. help me..

[Nipple_nectar]

Relax, you need to trust the bewbie, nursin momma:) How old is your baby? Have you supplemented with formula at all? How much does your baby weigh?

The best way to measure input is to measure output, what goes in must come out and you need to see a minimum of six wet diapers in a 24 hour period, if you are seeing that, then you are doing great!

You can do this:)

The nipple shield can cause an ineffective milk transfer which can result in poor weight gain, it is best to try and wean from it. It is great that baby will nurse without, actively try and eliminate it's use to ensure a good BFing relationship.

[StillSingingMom]

That is great that your baby is willing to move off the nipple shield. One of the problems that you see happening with use of a nipple shield is that you get less stimulation of the breast, which leads to less supply.

Getting your baby off the shield an directly on the breast will be great for your supply.

And, as NippleNectar said, the best way to know if your baby is getting enough is easy. Just count wet diapers. If you see six to eight wet diapers in a twenty-four hour period, then your baby is getting enough. The only problem with this is that with super-absorbent paper diapers, it is easy to miss a wet diaper or two. If you are really worried about your baby's intake, switch to cloth diapers for a while, so you'll be sure to catch all the wet diapers.

Trust the baby; trust the breast. If the baby wants to nurse, nurse her. The baby will nurse enough to create the level of milk supply she wants.

[madhavi]

ofcourse she is gaining weight. right now she completely switched off from the nipple sheild to direct feeding. im getting pain on my left breast while feeding. is it common when feeding with a small nipple or flat nipple OR is it a sore nipple? if so tell me somes tips for sore nipples.thank u.

[StillSingingMom]

Nipple soreness is common to all sorts of nipples. There are a lot of causes for soreness- thrush, latch problems. Are you using lanolin on the nipples? Do you need some help with latch techniques? It's okay to take some ibuprofen.

[madhavi]

hi, my right breast is always soft/floppy even if im not feeding my child for the whole day on that side. milk production is also less when compared to the other side probably around 10ml only. is it necessary for me to consult a doctor or should i go for an ultrasound?

[crystal555rose]

My right breast has always produced more milk, let down faster, pumped better and been baby's favorite. I always offer the left to make sure I keep its supply up and to keep me looking relatively even!

From what I read this is normal. Keep offering it so that it keeps producing.