I have planned my entire pregnancy that I would be strictly breastfeeding my baby. This was very important to me, but my body does not seem to be producing enough milk for my baby (she is 3 weeks). She went for several days of having periods crying and we couldn’t console her. We thought it was gas because during these times she would start to nurse and then let go. So we thought she wasn’t hungry. But one day after a particularly horrible couple of hours I called my mom in tears saying I didn’t know what was wrong with her. She told me to just try a bottle of formula to see if she drank it just to rule out her being hungry. My husband rushed to the store, bought some organic formula, and when I get back and we gave it to her I’ve never seen a baby drink so fast. She guzzled down four ounces without breaking her latch on the bottle once and immediately fell asleep after. I just sat there crying because I felt so horrible that she had been so hungry and that for some reason my body was not doing what it was supposed to to provide for her. It usually happens about once a day. She will nurse the rest of the day and be fine (and I know she is getting some because if she lets go It starts dripping everywhere and I can hear her swallowing- also she acts satisfied). But at some point in the day she will show me hunger signs. I try to nurse but she keeps letting go to cry, and she won’t stop crying until we give her a bottle. She is mostly breastfeeding but having 1-2 bottles a day of formula. I feel like crying every day because I don’t know why my body isn’t working. I feel inadequate and I see all these other people I know saying that their baby has never had to have formula in it’s life and talking about how proud they are to be providing for the baby off of only their body.

Has anyone else had this problem before? I’ve never known anyone who has. I’ve tried lactation cookies, pumping shortly after feedings to increase supply and demand, drinking lots of water and nothing is helping. I’m at a loss and so sad that I can’t solely breastfeed without starving my baby. 😔