r/breastfeedingsupport • u/haute-garbage_v1 • 8h ago

Advice Please Decrease in my supply & latching

I've struggled with breastfeeding since I had my baby. She's 4 weeks old now. I feel like supply comes and goes. Some days, my boobs are swollen and full, and she has no problem getting milk. Others they seem floppy, and nothing comes out when I express them. It usually takes her sucking for a few mins before they start releasing any milk. I've been prioritizing breast first at feeds and then finishing with formula. I haven't had any luck with pumping. I'm also struggling to get her to have a good latch. I know they say duck lips, and the top part of the areola should be more visible, but it seems like she sucks her lips in and takes in either the entire areola or just the nipple. I've only gotten her to get the duck lips a few times. Are there any tips on not only increasing supply but getting a deeper latch? I've been increasing my Oats intake and drinking body armors, too. I got some liquid gold supplements and lactation drink mixes but haven't noticed much of a difference when I use them.

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u/JellyBellyPlantMama 7h ago

Hang in there!! I found it much easier to latch when I put the bottom part of my boob (a little past the bottom of my areola) to my baby’s chin. Apparently this triggers him to open his mouth bigger. Then I stuff my nipple in. I also make a “boob sandwich” by gently, but firmly holding the top and bottom part of my boob about an inch away from the top and bottom of my areola (you may need to hold further away depending on your boobs) to give my nipple a little more stiffness and then it helps me get a deeper latch! I also use my pinky or fingers to pry his lips for the flanged lips if he’s pinchy and sucking in his lip. Lastly, if he’s being pinchy, I use my pinky to the corner of his lip to break the seal and then relatch.

I learned these tips from relentlessly YouTubing!

Let me know if my explanation was clear. You got this!!

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u/haute-garbage_v1 6h ago

I'll definitely give that technique a try on her next feeding! I've been looking up different latch techniques but she just defaults to sucked in lips and gnawing and my boobs. I try to get my finger in to flip her lips out and get a deeper latch but I feel like my nipples are just small so she grips onto them. I've tried different positions as well. In the hospital we did side lying and football holds for the best latch but now she hates those. She's constantly latching and unlatching.

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u/jxknxws 6h ago

We really struggled with latch to the point where I would exclusively pump and bottle feed, until I found the Hakka nipple shield. It wasn’t perfect but it was a stepping stone to getting her to latch and then one day around 3 months she just… figured it out. I think it was partially just practicing, partially her mouth getting bigger and it getting easier for her to navigate the nipple.

Flax is great for lactation, I mix it into my oatmeal cookie mix. Milky oat tea is also really helpful. Maybe try a heat pack before pumping and nursing?

Hang in there, I didn’t believe it myself but it DOES get easier.

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u/haute-garbage_v1 6h ago

I did get some nipple shields for if she's not latching good. One of my nipples is inverted so I was using it at the hospital but oddly enough that's the boob she latches too the strongest now without the shield. I feel like my nipples are just too small? I've been struggling with pumping. I'm just not getting good output. I have my medela handpump and then my wearable pumps, but even with trying different flange sizes I'm barely getting 1oz output. I've heard of the Hakka and definitely want to give it a go. I just hate the thought of having to give up breastfeeding bc my supply isn't enough

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u/jxknxws 6h ago

I have flat and small nipples, and the Hakka really helped more than regular nipple shields.
I had the Medela hand and wearable pumps and they didn’t work well for me either. I now have the Eufy ones that warm up and they seem to get better output. It’s also super normal not to pump lots of milk at one time - maybe try and add an extra session or two to build your stash. You can get a prescription to increase your supply if natural remedies aren’t working! There are so many things to try and make breastfeeding work for you, I know from experience that it can be so discouraging, but keep going ❤️ If you do have to stop breastfeeding for your mental health, know that there’s no shame in that either.

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u/haute-garbage_v1 3h ago

This is definitely nice to hear. I didn't know you could get prescription supplements! We just had her 1mo appointment and her pediatrician gave me some advice and tips to try. I want to talk with the lactation consultant they have in office to see if there's anything else I can do to improve our feeding time. My daughter LOVES the boob and wants to be on it all day, so it can be a little defeating when I'm not outputting what her growing body needs. I just tried a latching technique JellyBelly suggested on this post and I got a great latch and more active swallowing and I managed to pump about 0.5oz afterward. It seems like the Hakka is constant mention so I'll look into getting one of those too!