Pumping Breastmilk

I wouldn't worry about drying up. It sounds like you are overproducing. If you are feeding your son first until he is full. That is all he needs, so pumping isn't necessary. Your body will produce less, but not too little. It will do just what your son needs. I would recommend just pumping on the feeding times that your son misses, or didn't nurse very well that feeling. You may feel that you aren't making enough, but trust your body. It knows just what you son needs by how much he drinks. You are telling your body you need more than you do.

I have a 2 month old son and work full time. I pump at work 2 times and go home for lunch to nurse him. I also pump if he sleeps through the 11pm feeding, just for my relief because he won't wake up for another 2 hours to eat. (that is his 4 hour sleep time). I did a similiar routine for my first born as well. As long as your son is acting satisfied after nursing, then you are ok.

I know it is nice to see the stock pile in the freezer, but it is ok not to have the stockpile. Relax and enjoy your baby. Congratulation on the new baby boy.

My child is 6 months old and I, also, have been pumping from the beginning. Actually, I tried breastfeeding and she never latched so I went to pumping when she was 4 weeks. She has had breastmilk from a bottle ever since.

I always pumped right before she fed which was every 3 hours. She ate right after she woke up so I made sure I pumped 30 min before her nap was over. I sometimes even did an hour before her nap was over just in case she woke up early.

Actually, it has worked out well. When I returned to work, I was so use to pumping anywhere and everywhere (car, restrooms...) that it was no big deal. The only thing I did have to train my body to do is sleep at least 8 hours w/o pumping.

to keep your supply the best way is to nurse and not pump as much. there is something in the connection with the child that tells the body to create more or less as the child grows.

Kelly H's advice is "STELLER"- read her posting and contact a La Leche League leader they will talk to you for free and give solid advice. I pumped 3 times a day for 18 months and nursed in the AM & PM and my child has never had formula in her life. If you are commited to BF then you can do it, you just need to get the right input. Congrats on your baby!

Congratulations!!!!! I exclusivlly breastfeed for a whole year. I started to use the pump about a week after he was born because I needed to up my supply. He ate every 3 hours until he turned 6 months and he went to eating every 4 hours and I would pumped after each feeding and emptied the breast, which only took about 10 minutes. I went to lactation consultant in the begining because he had trouble latching and making sure he was getting the right amount of milk from me. I ended up producing more milk than my little guy needed so I donated all my extra to the local milk bank and when I was done breastfeeding I had dontated an extra 2423oz. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me but I would recommend contacting a lactation consultant or LLL. Best of luck on breatfeeding!

Oh and kellymom.com had great information too!

A.,

You don't need to pump a lot. Let him nurse and that will make your milk come in better. The pumps are never as good at stimulating the milk glands as the baby is. If the milk dries up, don't worry. You've already given him all the good stuff he needs for his immune system. Drink plenty of water, get lots of rest and relax.

Peace,
C.

You need to rest sometime in there. And enjoy your little guy. Your son, rest and drinking plenty of fluids will help your supply. Rest is very important. Your body seems to know. I am a mother of 2. Nursed my first son for 16 months and my second son is 10 months and we are still going well. There are also many things out there to help your supply of milk. There is an herbal tea called Mother's Milk that I used (the first time around) on occasions and later on I took some Fenegreek and Fennel pills but I didn't take them until my son was about 9 months old. I hope this all helps, but don't worry, just enjoy your son. When he sleeps, you need to sleep as well.
Mel G

The best advice I was given on this issue was not to stress...your baby will get what they need. What I did was feed then pump after my son was about 4 months old. My milk slowly started to slow down around that time and I wanted to keep it up so that is when I started feeding and pumping at the same time. Unless you are not making enough milk now, I would not stress about pumping so much now..the stress of it alone will cause your milk supply to decrease. Enjoy that baby!

Hi A.,

First off- congratulations on choosing to breast feed! Personally I think it's one of the most special bonding moments a mother can have with her children. I chose to breast feed both of mine- and like any first time mom- learned some life lessons with the first! It also helped that my OBGYN frequently speaks for the LaLeche league and gave me some pointers. Here are some things I learned:

Fenugreek- you can buy this at any GNC- or store like that. It's an herbal supplement- very safe, no side effects- doesn't affect breastmilk, but helps to keep production up. This is going to sound kinda weird, but your milk glands are modified sweat glands and Fenugreek- works on that. The ancient Egyptians are the ones who discovered and started using this stuff- so it's been around a while. Comes in a pill form.

Brewers Yeast- you can get from the grocery store. Along with giving you healthy hair and nails, the yeast also works along with the bacteria in your breastmilk. Again- completely harmless.

Now- with my oldest I started on birth control pills after the recouping period (about 6wks). The first set of pills were progesterone only (usually b/c has a combo of progesterone and estrogen)- but here's the kicker- estrogen will dry up your milk very quickly. I couldn't handle the progesterone only because it made my hormones (mood swings) fluctuate too much and I felt crazy- so I started back on the regular ones and I lost my milk at 4mos. Completely dried up. That was tough.

Anyway- talk to your doctor about the stuff above or check it out on the LaLeche website. Whatever you decide to do the best of luck to you!

Are you not producing? I never made much only a half ounce if i was lucky for the entire day. Six weeks later still making that amount I gave up. I was told that I was using the wrong kind of pump. So for the last two weeks I switched. Also it is more efficent to let your baby nurse directly to the breast. Dont eat peppermint due to the slowing of your milk. Eat lots of oatmeal. Contact your local le leche leauge. Good luck dont give up yet!

Congrats! I've been pumping for my 4 1/2 month old from the beginning (she couldn't breastfeed due to health problems and never latched on well after that). I just pump whenever I can fit it in. Sometimes it's every three hours, sometimes there's a five hour break (or 6-7 hour break at night). My supply has not been affected throughout the hour changes...the only thing that happens when I wait too long is they start to feel full and leak. Sometimes I also pump for longer than 15 minutes (when I have time) to try and keep up my supply. I know it's a hard schedule with everything else there is to do...good luck and have fun with your baby boy. :)

Are you pumping by choice? Many babies spontaneously start taking the breast between 4 and 6 weeks if they have not before. If you would rather have him on the breast, I would contact a lactation consultant and give that a try. Your baby will be much more efficient at getting milk out and keeping your supply up than a pump can be.

Hello A.!
Congratulations on your lttle baby boy!
And congrats on nursing this far! Every day of milk is better for your baby!
I would be surprised if you *needed* to pump that often. At 3wks old, your baby will/should be eating every 90min-2hrs. Breastmilk digests in 90min...and baby boy will take a while to adjust to that new, uncomfortable sensation of hunger. In the womb he received constant nutrition - a bit of a change.

One idea would be to visit a local clinic right before a feeding. Weigh him before feeding, then weigh him afterwards. This will tell you exactly how many ounces he's taken in one feeding.

Another way - more practical too - is to watch his wet and dirty dipes. He should be having 5+ really wet dipes a day and 3+ dirty dipes a day --- if he is only receiving breast milk, no water or supplemental formula. A baby older than 6mos will likely have fewer dirties and still be fine). (Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, pg 133)

Two things I would recommend.
1) Borrow/Buy the book "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding". It is put out by La Leche League International. They are the leading authority when it comes to breastfeeding and lactation. You can get it used on Amazon.com for as little as $5 (+shipping).
http://www.amazon.com/Womanly-Art-Breastfeeding-Seventh-I...

2) Call a LLL leader! I see that your in Hobbs, NM - and I looked online to try to find a meeting nearby you could go to...Lubbock looked the closest to me, but then Geography is not my strong point :-) Here are links to the TX and NM pages
http://www.llli.org//Web/Texas.html
http://www.llli.org/Web/NewMexico.html

Even if you don't get to go to a meeting, I would call a leader. Phone consults are FREE with La Leche and it would likely set your mind at ease about your body's ability to provide for your son.

If there are no LLL meetings close enough to you, perhaps a local clinic or hospital has a group of nursing women that meet. My little town in Oregon (where I lived before here) didn't have a LLL meeting very close, but the local hospital had a Nursing Support group every Tuesday morning/evening. It was a greast resource!

If something I wrote was unclear, or if it sparks new questions, please don't hesitate to email me!

K., mama to
Catherine, 4.5y
Samuel, almost 19m

Hi,
You are doing great. Don't bother to pump except if you need to stock up for a special occasion. Feeding is the best way to build up a steady supply. I am so glad to hear that you are so keen to b/f. It is definately the best if you have the option. If the baby is gaining weight you are doing well. Feed him all he wants. I used to lay on my bed and feed on my side and it was very restful. I b/f my last child until he was 2 years old. He is very healthy and rarely gets sick.
W.

you have to stay on the very regimented schedule to keep up the supply... at least i did... i had twins last march about a month early, so my supply took a long time to kick in, i even had my obgyn prescribe me reglan, which helps stimulate milk production... it was very difficult for me to keep up with their needs and a complete lack of sleep, plus recovering from a c section... ultimately after doing what you are talking about (pumping after they eat) and getting less and less sleep in the process, I started to get lazy with it and only pumping every other feeding... once i did this, my supply never fully returned and i was forced to put them on formula... i felt so terrible because i had planned on nursing the whole first year, but i guess you live and learn...keep it up... i know it's tough, but it will soon become so routine...hope this helps...

Milk changes over time. You get more fat and calories packed into less milk. You aren't drying up. Pumping efficiency also lessens over time. By the time my baby was 1, I could only PUMP an ounce on one side, but she was eating just fine. Keep doing what you're doing. Your body is a demand system. If you want to keep pumping you can, but if you go longer between feedings you'll get less (but better quality) milk.
K.

Is your baby breastfeeding in addition to your pumping? If you have an established milk supply, meaning you are able to pump 2 to 4 oz at this point in his life whenever you pump you are good to go. Your body will adjust to his feeding schedule. I wouldn't pump after you breastfeed him unless you are needing to have a supply for later, maybe if you have to go to work. My daughter was born with some major health complications. I pumped until she was four months old, and then we started breastfeeding. Right before she had her heart surgery I was only getting less then half an ounce of milk and was only being able to pump once or twice a day. If you stay hydrated and are producing some milk, when you need it your body will catch up. I heard the Neonatologist tell several moms that while my daughter was in the NICU and saw it for myself. So if he is nursing, you can cut back on your pumping. You will end up with more milk than he needs if you don't. Which is uncomfortable and straining on you. Pumping takes a lot of work! and that is a long time for you to spend on the task of feeding your baby: with your body recovering from pregnancy and delivery, and caring for a new baby, etc. There is a great breastfeeding book by Dr. Sears and his wife called The Breastfeeding Book: Everything you need to know about nursing your child birth through weaning. And talk to your peditrician about your sons eating habit and your pumping/nursing they too are knowledgeable in this area and could give you some insight. But I say if he is nursing and having wet and poopy diapers regularly, etc. you need not worry about having an established milk supply. You will be fine.

Who ever told you that you needed to pump like that? As long as you are feeding your child your body will make milk. How do you think they did it hundreds of years ago? A lot of women never pump at all and they're fine. If you're really worried about it though, they are a lot of herbs and teas you can drink to increase your milk supply. Here's a link to a great website that talks about it.

http://www.parentingweb.com/lounge/bf_herbs.htm

Also, make sure you're getting enough calories and enough sleep at night for your body to be able to make the milk. (If you're pumping at night after feedings then you're probably not getting enough sleep. Just relax.

Hi A.,

If you're planning to only BF and are just pumping to help establish your supply, you should be able to stop pumping as often after 3 weeks. Once my milk supply was well established, what worked for me was to nurse on demand and then work in a pump in the morning, afternoon and one at night. As your baby gets older, you will be able to go longer between feeding/pumping without a decrease in supply. As least for me I was able to go 4-5 hours by about 4 months. Hope that helps and congrats on your baby.

A.,
Don't worry about drying up, if you're producing milk now and you drink plenty of water, eat healthy, and get as much rest as possible you shouldn't have an worries. As far as the pumping issue, have you tried pumping one breast while feeding him on the other, and then switch breasts. This how I did it with my 1st born. You don't have to worry about not having enough milk for him and the stimulation of nursing or pumping should produce even more milk. With newborns they only take in about 2-3 ozs per feeding, so measure what you pump and see how much you're getting out. As far as the mechanics of how to duel nurse and pump, I used the football hold for the baby, with his feet towards my back and used a pillow to prop him up high enough to comfortably reach. Having a good breast pump will greatly help! Do you have any place around your hometown that offers help with nursing mothers? Sometimes the Hospital has this information, if so you can talk to someone, take a nursing/pumping class.
I hope this information helps, it can be overwhelming being a new mom and there's no instruction manual that comes with the baby : )
Sincerely,
V

If you don't have any kind of supply issues, then you shouldn't need to keep pumping at this point. I have a 2 month old and the only time I was pumping at that early stage was to try to relieve some engorgement. If you have a normal supply, then I wouldn't worry about pumping....just feed him. My baby is 2 months old now and the only time I pump is right before I go to bed since he goes down about 8:30-9pm and doesn't eat again until at least 3-4am (although he has gone until 6am a few times now. Yay!) and I was getting full and uncomfortable in the middle of the night. I will say that I have the opposite problem of most people in that I have a huge milk supply and he almost can't keep up!

Your body will produce what he needs, so don't exhaust yourself with all of the pumping...I don't think it's necessary now that your supply is regulating. In fact, you may be signaling your body to produce too much milk since you're pumping after he is satisfied. I would stop the pumping for now and see what happens. If your supply decreases to the point where your baby isn't getting satisfied at every feeding, then you can always start pumping again.

Best of luck and congrats on the breastfeeding! It really is the best thing for them.

I think that you're doing great. You've made a serious commitment to nurse your baby and it shows. You will make more milk as your baby's demands grow. (It usually took me about a day to catch up.) Pumping to stay ahead is brilliant. Make sure you are properly storing your stockpile to ensure it stays good - the right bags and the right temperature in your freezer.

My first baby and I made it 12 months nursing exclusively. She has an unbelievable immune system - in her first 36 months she never had to go the pediatrician for anything other than shots. The second baby and I only made it 6 months. Stress of a new job got me. So take care of yourself - sleep as much as you can and keep taking your vitamins.

Call a lactation center and ask for their advice. Methodist hospital offer a free lactation center service. I would say you're pumping too much from my own personal experience. I had really bad supply problems with both my kids and only had to pump that much for the first 2 weeks then gradually did less and less. I would also say take fenugreek tablets that you can get at sunharvest as that is also supposed to boost your milk supply. I took those for a few months.

Hope this helps.
S.

Hi A.,
When I went back to work and had to pump, I would only pump at lunch and then nurse when I got home from work. There was no problem at all but I guess everyone is different.
Ask your pediatrician or OBGYN next visit - they can give you tips on making it a good experience for you and your baby.
Take care,
T.

A., your milk should be a supply and demand thing. I brestfed my first 2 kids until they were a year and my 4 year old until he was 2 and a half. I only pumped with the youngest. You should be fine. But, you do need to remember not to stress out about that because stress affects your flow of milk. Nursing should be a calm time between you and your baby! And, unless you are going back to work......you shouldn't worry so much about pumping.....you should be fine!

Hi there and congrats to you and your little one! If you are able to nurse him, then you probably won't need to pump unless you are engorged and need to release some of the milk. I nursed my daughter until she was a year old and didn't pump unless I was at work or engorged. Your milk supply will increase based on supply and demand. If your little one starts to nurse more, your body will know to produce more because he is eating more often. Plus you probably won't pump that much out after you have already fed him.

One suggestion I do have is there is an herbal pill called Fenugren at GNC and it helps nursing moms produce more milk. Best of luck to you both!