Feeding FAQ: 0-8 weeks – Breast Feeding

Should I increase my supply to cope with growth spurts at 3 weeks?

As a mother of a 3-week-old old baby I am not sure if my milk supply is low and if I need to undertake your plan for increased milk supply. I express the 10pm feed, and always get the following from each breast: left 1 3/4 oz, right 2 1/4 oz. The last few days my daughter hasn’t slept during the 9am sleep, and is not feeding well from the 7am feed. So I decided to express from both breasts and let my husband feed her. I expressed the following this morning: left 1 3/4 oz, right 2 1/2 oz. If I understand from the New CLB book page 55 & 57, I should be expressing double that amount that I expressed the night before. At the moment I am producing enough to satisfy her weight but when she goes through a growth spurt I am not sure if I will have the milk to satisfy her. Do I need to increase my milk supply?
Her feeds at present: 7.10am 20 minutes one side, expressed 1oz from second side (and she refused second side). 10am 20-25 minutes from one side, express 1oz from second side and gave her 10 minutes. 2pm 25 minutes from one side, 5pm 25 minutes from one side, 6.05 20 minutes on second side (she fights the feed on and off). 10.10pm 3.5oz expressed milk in bottle. 2.45am 20 minutes one side, 8 minutes on second. A week ago she weighed 3.61 kg (7.15lbs).
She sleeps 8.50-9am, 11.35-1.30pm, 3.45-4.45pm and settles at 7pm.

Go ahead and follow the plan for increasing your milk. In this week your daughter will be most likely going through her three-week growth spurt. This is also the time when she begins to change from being very newborn and most likely falling asleep fairly quickly after each feed, to having periods of being awake. She needs to begin to learn how to fall asleep after being awake and may begin to take a little more time to settle. Now is the time to begin to “wind down” ready for sleep by swaddling and holding her close until sleepy before putting her down. She can remain awake for up to two hours from waking for a feed, but may be ready for sleep after 1 and a half.

As this stage in development often coincides with a growth spurt, mothers notice their baby being more unsettled. Following the plan for the increased supply should help you both. As your daughter is still having a fairly large feed in the night you may not completely double your 10pm supply in the morning, but getting towards it as your breasts will make more milk when you are sleeping. Using the plan will help this to happen. Having a supply of expressed milk in the freezer will help you if she is unable to settle; often this happens at 6pm at which time you are tired and your supply may be lower, so you will be able to give her a top-up to help her through to 10pm.

Make sure she is really emptying the first side before offering the second at feeds. It can take some young babies up to 30-35 minutes to empty a breast and receive all the benefits of the hind milk.