When to Start Pumping

I started pumping at the hospital. If you are not getting a lot of milk when you pump- you can feed your baby on one side and pump the other. That always seemed to help me the most. Don't worry about having enough milk for your baby...your body will produce the milk. For example you just feed your baby and it spits up all the milk you just fed it. You can then feed again and your body will know your baby needs milk. Your body does produce milk on a supply/demand basis. I found the more I pumped and fed the more milk I was producing. Also be sure to drink lots of water (at least 8 glasses a day) and stay away from wine and beer as that will dry you up. With both of my kids I was Elsie the cow with milk. Just because the pump is not getting milk does NOT mean you don't have any milk. The baby sucks different from the pump.

Good luck.

I started TRYING to pump when my son was less than two months old. I froze the ounce that I earned that hour, and just went back to breastfeeding. I didn't have a problem with not having enough milk for him - pumping was a joke!

Your body works on a supply and demand cycle. When your milk ducts sense near emptiness, they start making more. Please don't be discouraged if you don't respond well to the pump - I had a 20 lb 6 month old that was exclusively breastfed, and I couldn't pump more than four ounces in a 45 sitting (from both breasts combined)if my life had depended on it.

Good luck - enjoy your baby.

N H,
I was told not to even start pumping until baby was 6 weeks...you are still establishing your milk supply. If you are able to stay at home and not return to work, there is no hurry. I would feed in the morning and then pump right after...your body will get used to this and start producing more. The baby will only eat what it wants and then you can pump the rest. The pump doesn't do as good a job as the baby so be careful not to lose your supply.
I pumped as my son got older to have milk to mix with cereal.
Everyone has a different opinion. I wish you all the best.
L.

Congratulations on your new baby! I have a 7 month old daughter, and she's never had a drop of formula. I started pumping within a week of her birth and initially did it right after she ate. Milk usually is more plentiful in the mornings. I was very concerned about my milk drying up like it did with my son (I started supplementing with formula at 2 mos. and dried up at 6), so I made sure to pump or feed this baby EVERY 2 hours for the first few months. I think the frequent feedings/pumping helped my milk be more plentiful, and I haven't taken any supplements. I came back to work when she was 2 months and had a lot of milk stored. I usually pump out between 15-20 ounces during the day at work, and I pump 4 times for 14 minutes every time. I don't know why, but at 13 minutes, milk starts coming out again for me. I also have a band so I'm hands free with my electric pump. It's the greatest thing ever! Good luck!

Oh how I know exactly what you are going thru! I have an 8 wk old and just dealt with the same thing. My doctor ad me start giving our daughter one bottle a day around 3 wks, as long as she was nursing well. I'm still strictly nursing her but my husband gives her one bottle of pumped milk a day. That way we are sure that she will take a bottle allowing us some freedom later.

As for the pumping, I know it's frustrating so hang in there. In the mornings when I had the most milk, I personally would let her nurse on one side and pump on the other. After that I would pump both sides right after I nursed her until it was empty and then for another few minutes for the stimulation to help make more quicker.

I worried about not having enough and only pumped a little as well so I began taking fenugreek, and blessed thistle. I also tried Mother's Milk, however it made my daughter spit up so I stopped that one after 2 days. Those herbs help in encouraging lactation which has been helpful. I currently make enough to feed my daughter and her to grow well but not enough to save and store much for her. I eventually had domperidone prescribed from my dr to help the milk supply. Now everything is great!

Also, watch this video about "maximizing milk production." Kinda odd, but very helpful!

http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression...

Let me know if you have any other questions! Hang in there!!

Just a question, but why do you NEED to start pumping? Are you going back to work, or just want extra milk to freeze. I never pumped, just nursed because I stayed at home with my kids and never had a need for extra milk for someone else to feed them. If you are going back to work, I wouldn't even start until the baby is at least 6 weeks old, by then, your milk supply is established and it won't affect baby's feeding time, once you start to pump along with nursing, your milk supply will increase to meet the demand. As far as needing extra milk to take with you when you go out, why not just nurse when you go out? Unless you are just incredibly uncomfortable nursing in public, you shouldn't need milk for outings, you already have it all with you. You can nurse without anyone even knowing that you are doing it.

I don't remember when I started pumping, but it was probably when my DD was about 6 weeks old. I have a manual pump because I only pump about once a week. I read that the best time to pump is in the morning when your milk supply is at its highest. What I have found is that when my DD sleeps through the night (yours isn't there yet, I know!), I'll be full enough to pump 4 ounces from one side and let her nurse on the other side (not at the same time though!). If that doesn't work, I pump about an hour after I first nurse my DD, then at each subsequent feeding, I nurse her on one side then pump the other. If I use that method, I get about 4 ounces in a day. (You can add to your expressed milk for up to 24 hours from the first expression time.)

Let me know if you have any questions!

I started pumping immediately so her dad could feed her. We are still 100% breast milk, and I pump when she goes long inbetween feedings. There are weeks that I don't pump at all and others where I pump a couple times a day. She is 4 months old and sometimes sleeps from 11pm to 9am.

When I pump, I usually get 2-3 oz out of each and only pump for about 5 minutes. We freeze it vs refrigerator since it only takes a couple of minutes under hot running water and lasts up to 6 months.

All moms are different, so hang in there! Enjoy you time with her.

If you pump and then she is ready to eat, you can try to nurse, or just give her the milk you just pumped. I've done both.