Preparing for Breastfeeding

Pumping now will not help you down the road, no. In fact like previous posters said it might cause preterm labor, which wouldn't be a good thing.
When you added formula, did you use a bottle or did you use a supplemental nursing system (SNS)? An SNS is a little tube that goes next to your nipple, so the baby can suck (which means your body gets the idea it needs to keep making milk) and your baby is getting fed. AND you get the nice feeling of bonding (including hormones!) that comes from a baby sucking.
Were you working and pumping with your first children? With my first I was back at work by 12 weeks, and I ended up needing to supplement by 7-8 months. I'm now breastfeeding my second with no end in sight. Pumping is never a good indication of supply, and I was never able to pump as much as my first son "needed" to eat. I've found that being at home and being able to nurse on demand has made a HUGE difference in my milk output.
And if you do end up needing to supplement, you might want to look into www.milkshare.com. It's a place to find donated breastmilk (and to donate!). This time around I was able to donate over 100 oz. to a preemie baby. Maybe you can supplement with breastmilk instead of formula.
Good luck! If there's anything else I can help with, please let me know!

2 moms found this helpful

Hi J.,

I have a 16 month old baby and I had a lot of problems breast feeding as well. I was induced at 35 weeks so he was a preemie, and we just didn't get off to the right start breastfeeding since he was in the NICU for a while. He was also supplemented with formula because he wouldn't eat when he was born, and then my milk wasn't coming in. And, my milk really never did come in. I did the goats rue, fenugreek, pumping consistently, lactation consultants, joined LLL, etc. but nothing really worked. At 3 months, my baby decided to ween himself because he would get so frustrated with the amount of milk not there! That was heartbreaking to me, however, I continued to pump and save my milk so that I could give it to him in a bottle. The most I ever got was 1 ounce total, and near the end, I'd get a teaspoon. It seemed the more I pumped, the less I got. But, I saved it for a few days until I had enough to put in a bottle. I did this until he was 14 months old and I felt like I was still really helping him because he still got at least some of my milk. And yes, a little part of me feels bad I couldn't totally nurse him. However, there is no reason to feel bad because I did the very best I could do. (I think its really easy for moms to get down on themselves for not being perfect, at least I am my hardest critic).

Also, a really generous girlfriend who had a baby around the same time had an oversupply (discouraging to hear when we don't have enough milk, right?) and offered to pump about a months worth of milk for my baby. Seems strange to some moms, but I know she didn't have any diseases and didn't drink alcohol or do drugs. So, I felt it was the right thing to do.

You should feel really proud at how hard you are working to give your baby the best start. Lots of moms try it, its hard, so they give up, but you did not :) But I also had to remind myself that millions of healthy babies grow up on formula and because very smart and successful adults.

I would check with my doctor about other options to help with your milk supply, other than pumping early.

Congratulations on your new addition and good luck with breastfeeding. I think relaxing and thinking positively is half the battle :) The rest is nature.

P.S. Now my 16 month old (who hasn't nursed for a year) is starting to show an interest in nursing again. If he runs into my room while I'm changing, and he sees them, he opens up his mouth and runs to me trying to latch on. If only he would have felt that way right from the start :)

1 mom found this helpful

I was really bummed when my milk dried up (seemingly overnight) with our first when she was 6 months old. I was doing daycare and was not able to nurse on demand as I would have liked and I think that along with NOT getting enough water is what did it for me.

With our 2nd I nursed ON DEMAND. (I only pumped when I felt engorged and uncomfortable.....which was often because I produced more milk the 2nd time.) I let him use me for his pacifier too. Pumping just doesn't have the same effect as the baby. Keep offering your breast whenever your baby seems hungry, uncomfortble, or just plain don't know what is wrong. They won't over-eat because if they aern't hungry the baby just suckles enough to get comfort but not really get much milk. Yet it still has the same effect on your body. (At least this is what happened with our 2nd.) Also, I nursed ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE! I did not let our surroundings ever keep me from nursing our little boy. I think that also helped with the milk production. We were able to nurse for 18 months!

And for my diet with the 2nd one. I ONLY drank WATER and MILK. No other beverages. I drank soda with the first and I wonder if that didn't add to my milk drying up... I think I read somewhere that caffine dehydrates you so you have to drink more water to make up for it... So, I just didn't drink any. I also made sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and had a salad almost every day for lunch.

Congrats and good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

Ditto to that- don't pump! You don't want to induce labor. I agree with everything the first poster said.

Sounds like everyone else has pounded in not pumping now, so I don't need to tell you that again.

One thing that I did for my milk supply in the hospital was to pump for 10 minutes a side after my daughter was done nursing. Every feeding, I'd pump. It really gave my body the signal to make milk. You might want to try that and you can save whatever colostrum or milk you get to use later. Also, check out La Leche League. They have a ton of good suggestions and you can even attend meetings before the baby is born. Good luck!!

I agree with what the other posters said. Also, your newborn will need the colostrum more than the milk when he/she gets here.

Talk to a lactation specialist about what you can do in the beginning of breastfeeding to help you long term. One thing I wish I would have done was pump more at the beginning to build a bigger supply and freeze more milk.

Good luck!

I would NOT start pumping now. My second daughter was born hours after I was giving myself nipple stimulation. It could cause contractions and send you into early labor. Then you would have a whole new set of problems.

what you should do, is go to www.llli.org
the la leche league has the best information out there, and real life experience from other moms. if there isnt a group in your exact town, try looking in neighboring towns or something. i had to drive an hour for mine, but its SO WORTH IT!

Whatm akes you think your milk is gone at 3mos post partum? That is typically when your body evens out your milk supply and your breasts don't feel full at all, and you lose that powerful letdown. LOTS of moms think their milk is gone when its truly not, its just adjusted to what your baby is taking in. Also at 3/4 mos is a HUGE growth spurt in babies, and they will want to nurse non stop. Its not an indication of your supply, baby will nurse during growth spurts all the time, you just need to keep nursing. The only indication of your milk being gone is your baby not crying tears, not wetting diapers, and losing lots of weight. Otherwise your milk is fine, and this is so common amongst moms that its the main reason moms stop nursing at 3/4 mos... thier milk evens out to match baby's needs so they dont' feel full and baby hits a growth spurt and wants to nurse all hte time making mom think her milk is gone.

DO NOT PUMP RIGHT NOW! Nipple stimulation can induce labor, and at this point you will likely not produce much milk, and its not worth the stress on your body right now.

When baby comes, relax, and follow his cues. Don't stop nursing just because he hits a growth spurt or you feel that your milk is gone, because again the only signs your milk is gone is your baby not wetting idapers, not crying tears, and losing weight. A growht spurt and your milk supply evening out happens right around 3-4mos.

I can empathize here--when I stopped breastfeeding, I was able to pump a measly half ounce after hours on the pump. I'd recommend a Supplemental Nursing System. It's likely you'll have to supplement anyway, but at least with an SNS you'd still be able to make breastfeeding work.

The best part about an SNS is that it will help stimulate production the best way, with baby suckling.

Some women just don't lactate enough to produce the amount of breastmilk to adequatly provide the nutrition required, I know I am one of them neither one my children had breatmilk and survived very well on it. I'm not sure you would be able to increase your milk production early that would be something you would have to ask your dr.

Not a good idea, nipple stimulation causes the body to produce Oxytocin (spelling) causing contractions and can cause premature/early labor.

Were you using a hormonal form of birth control? Even the mini pill can mess up your hormones and affect you supply.

dont start to pump early! This could bring on labor.

Hi J.,

First of all, you should feel great about breastfeeding at all. It sounds like you really want to do what's best for your baby, but you have to remember that its not your fault that your supply drops off around 2-3 months. Maybe your kids haven't been efficient eaters, so that would definitely impact your supply.

Anyway, I would not start pumping during your pregnancy since it would probably put extra stress on your body that is already working hard to grow your baby. However, you can start pumping as soon as your baby is born. If your baby doesn't nurse on both sides, then you can pump the side he/she doesn't feed on. Don't worry about how much you pump each time - just because you don't get a lot doesn't mean you don't have enough milk. Also, make sure you pump whenever baby gets a bottle from you or anyone else.

Good luck!

I would be worried that stimulating the breast would encourage pre-term labor.

I would not pump this early, you may take away the colostrum the baby needs the first few days of life. But I would start pumping a few days after the baby is born so you can stock your freezer. It is TOTALLY normal for your body to drop off in supply around 2-3 months- it does not mean your body is not producing milk, it's just adjusting to how much milk your baby needs. So make sure you are nursing on demand and pumping after baby nurses to stimulate more milk. Absolutely do not compare how much you are pumping to how much milk you have or the baby gets- you are just not a good pumper- that is normal. I am a horrible pumper but I nursed my daughter until I weaned her at 21 months and my son is 8 months and we are still going strong- I have to pump while I'm at work. You will never pump as much as baby eats. My son can nurse for 10-15 minutes and be full. It would take me 4 pumping sessions of 15 minutes each to equal the amount he drinks. If you really want to make breastfeeding work but you think you have a real supply issue (most people don't have an issue when they think they do just because they don't understand how their body's milk supply works)you could nurse your baby on demand until your breasts are empty and then give them a little formula if they are still hungry- but never offer the formula first- just use it to supplement when you have to.