Pumping Troubles

Hello there - I too exclusively breast feed my son who is now 6 months. There have been moments where I too have panicked because he has emptied both breasts and was still hungry! Some things to keep in mind is that your body responds to your baby better than it does the pump and your milk production is based on supply& demand. If your little on starts eating more your body will produce more.

When my son was 2 months I started working out which unbenounced to me affected my milk supply. My Pediatrician recommended doubling my fluid intake and also recommended Fenugreek (an OTC herbal supplement that helps increase production). Keeping my fluid intake up and taking the Fenugreek helped significantly. When I started pumping I would get around 2 oz out of each side. Now that my son eats more and I have a pumping routine at work I pump 4 oz on each side 3 times a day. You'll get there - it just takes a little bit of time so be patient - Ultimately, your body knows and will react to your babies needs! Good luck ;)

You could supplement him with formula for one feeding. If you keep pumping your body should recognize that it needs to supply more milk. Or you could try pumping like a hour after he eats, letting the body catch up. This would be a good time to get him on a bottle since you will be going back to work. Gook luck and Congrats.

S.

N.,
You really only need one days supply of milk, because I assume you'll be pumping at work. If you're stressed it'll make it harder to pump and the more you think about it the harder it is for you to "let down" when you pump. Are you going to be working full-time? It might be nice to work just two days the first week, then have two days at home. Your body should be getting better at just making what your baby needs that's the reason theres not as much "left-over" to pump after your baby eats. Keep up nursing - it's the best gift you can give your new baby!!
Blessings,
Sue P

I think that your body adjusts to what he is eating. What I would do is take what you have to daycare and then everyday when you pump at work just take that when you pick him up. That is what I had to do. You don't have a huge extra supply, but he still has breastmilk. Make sure you are drinking enough water as well. Good luck!

Go and see a lactation consultant. Ask your healthcare provider if you need a referal or call the hospital you gave birth at to get a referral. They can really help you get your milk production up. You may also want to take fenugreek capsuls (available at health food stores) since they really do increase milk production.

I am a working mother who breasts feeds exclusively. My son is six months old and eats about six times a day. I have tried several different things and if dont skip any feedings and I try to pump I only get a small amount of milk. when I go to work and actually miss a feeding and pump I get at least 6 oz. Your body stops producing milk all the time and becomes a supply and demand thing. Try feeding your baby more often and then your supply should increase so that you can use that "extra" feeding to pump. Way to go, and dont give up.

How wonderful that you are exclusively breastfeeding! Is your baby thriving? If so, don't worry! What you are experiencing is very normal!! It is typical that infants go through "growth spurts" at various times and seem to eat and eat until you feel all you have are two empty Glad bags on your chest. I have exclusively nursed two babies (and returned to work at three months) and have had periodic moments when I panic and think "where has my milk disappeared to?" even though I know very well that my baby is just eating more and that soon I will feel "normal " and perhaps a little bit fuller in a few days or so. A few important things to remember in order to maintain and/or build a milk supply:

1. Remember that your breasts will always produce milk in response to how much milk is removed.
2. Always respond to your baby's feeding cues and feed "on demand" in other words, don't put your baby on a schedule. Avoid using pacifiers because sometimes a baby can get used to pacifying himself instead of nursing and missing a feeding - -which will reduce how much milk you produce.
3. Keep nursing at night. It is normal for babies to wake to nurse beyong six months.
4. When you go back to work, continue to exclusively breastfeed whenever you are with baby - -no bottles except while at work. You should never have to give your baby a bottle yourself.
5. Whe you go back to work avoid letting your breasts get too full before you pump them. If you are feeling "engorged " frequently your body will think it is over producing and produce less milk.
6. Even if you have a big supply of breast milk when you go back to work, you want to avoid using it because your baby will fill up with your stored breast milk and you may be tempted to pump less than meets baby's needs- - thereby reducing your actual production of milk in the long run and jeopardizing your milk supply.

6. Stay calm and relaxed when pumping and avoid multi-tasking. Think of your baby- - I play a photo slide show of mine while pumping.
7. Trust your body! If you start running in to problems while working ask for help from a lactation consultant.

With regards to the pumping now , because your baby is eating more, you will probably pump less for a time. You could also try pumping at a different time of day- - babies' feeding patterns can change and your baby may be eating more now in the a.m. and less in the p.m, for example. Don't worry about taking herbs or anything, that really isn't necessary. Your body is working perfectly to nourish your baby. If you really want to stimulate more milk production you could chose a second time during the day to pump, but it is probably not necessary.

With regards to going back to work, as long as you keep exclusively breastfeeding now and when your return to work you and you can pump regularly at work, you should be ok even if you don't pump extra now.
Some women have more flexibility with how often they have to pump nwhen they are working- - follow the nursing pattern of your baby as best you can when pumping at work. If you have a baby who eats a little bit frequently, or if you feel engorged after a short while without nursing your baby, you will probably have to pump a little more often than a woman whose baby (and breasts) can go longer between feedings.

Good luck (you don't really need luck) and keep up the good job breastfeeding! Your baby thanks you!

Babies are much more efficient than even the best pump at getting milk out of you. Have you thought about pumping before nursing (at least sometimes)? I know it seems backward, but he'll get more milk out than the pump will, you'll build your daycare supply, and your body will get the clue that you need more milk. The worst thing that will happen is that you have to give him a bottle of milk you just pumped.

Don't worry. Your little one is eating more. Your body will catch up. It takes time for your body to make the adjustments. Just relax, enjoy the bonding and all will work out. I raised 4 children and breastfeed them all. Breastfeeding is natural, women are built for it and your body will adjust.

To me, it does not sound like a trouble, but that he is eating more effectively. There is a growth spurt at 2 months & that's what it sounds like to me. I have a 5 month old & he didn't eat well, after he ate I would pump 5 ounces - that's trouble. You can always see a lactation consultant. I recommend Methodist at St. Louis Park. They helped me a lot & are very understanding, kind & patient. They aren't hard core Le Lache League either, they will work with what you can do.

It's hard, but I have to supplement my son with formula. He eats more than I can make. This seems to be normal from what I have learned, but I didn't know that at the time.

Good luck, I know that you will do as best as you can. Lane is lucky to have a Mom so interested in doing all she can for him!

To boost my supply, I drank 2-3 cups of Mother's Milk tea every day. You can get it at Cub in the natural foods section. You can also order it on Amazon.com for a cheaper price, but obviously have to wait to have it shipped. I also made sure that I was drinking 48-64 oz of water per day. The combination of the tea and water boosted my supply within a matter of a day or two. I also found the best time to pump was a couple hours after my daughter's last feeding of the day. I still do that now to get enough milk so I can use it w/ her cereal. My body is "tricked" into thinking that she has an additional feeding every day so I get anywhere from 4-5 oz per night. I would keep pumping after the first feeding, too.

I don't know what kind of pump you're using, but I've had a mid-grade pump and a Medela Pump In Style and had much more luck with the Pump In Style (as far as # of ozs I was able to pump).

N.,
Hello, its my first time at this website and offering any advice to ANYONE on babies. Dont worry, is my big advice. Focus on the positive things, then think about the problem. At 2 months Lane could be going through a growth spurt. Give it a few days for your supply to build back up. It could also be the pump. It could also be that your milk supply is dropping not due to anything but nature. Up until now, you were still producing some Colostum and Milk, now you are probably just producing milk. And, are you worried/stressed/nervous/tired/eating poorly? that can also take a toll on milk production. I have an 8 month old, breastfed exclusively until 2 weeks ago, when we started food. I used the Medela double electic pump, and pumped often...unfortuntely, my daughter NEVER took a bottle. Whatever happens, you are doing a great job...I am sure that you are a wonderful mommy. I hope that this helps. Again, its my first time at this, so take only what you need from this. Good Luck.
M.

I had the same issue. My daughter ate like a hog around 2-3 months and it felt like I was being depleated of any extra milk.

Start by making sure you're drinking TONS of water throughout the day. Also...pump AFTER EVERY feeding...until your breasts are completely empty. At first you won't get much after each feeding...but, the more you do this, the more your boobs will produce and you will start needing to fill bottles even after your son has fed. You're boobs will only make what your son drinks...and if you empty your breast completey after each time, your boobs will automatically "think" that your son is eating it all and will supply more to fit the demand. Demand more and they will make more.) Plus, when you go back to work, you'll need a good supply in your system so that you you can pump at work (if you're going to) and what you pump one day will be your son's feedings for the next day. Unfortunately, every mother I've talked to notices a gradual reduction in milk production after returning to work, even pumping. Infact, the pumping is the problem. Pumping can never duplicate the specific massaging that a baby's mouth makes, so your body begins to lose prolactin, the chemical reaction that the baby's mouth makes when it massages your nipple while nursing. A lactating chemical. So, your milk will decrease and storing it up now, might be good for later on when your milk decreases, and not now when you're producing full breasts of milk. Hope this advise helps.

Anyway, I did this and my breasts were milk making machines.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/index.html

I found this website so useful when I was breastfeeding. It has the clearest explanation of how your breasts actually make milk (and how you can encourage them to make more - or less) that I have found anywhere. It's written by Nurse Practicioners and Lactation Consultants.

Although I did not work FT while I was breastfeeding, I did go through two periods where my milk supply dropped and I was having trouble pumping enough. As others have said, YES, pump after EVERY feeding - but don't stop when you stop getting milk. Continue to pump for 15-20 minutes AFTER you've stopped getting anything out. This signals your body that your baby wants MORE. It took a couple of days of doing this after absolutely every feeding, but it did work. (I did find it frustrating to take so much time out of my day to do this much pumping, but it is only for a couple of days.) Then, once you've built up a supply in your freezer, you can go back to only pumping as much as you need.

Good luck!

Like the others have said, drinks lots of water. Also, while you are pumping, massage your breast. This helped me get more milk.

He's problably going through a growth spurt and eating more thus not getting much afterwards. I'd try pumping after each feeding and if you want try again after an hour of feeding him. Supply and demand. You can try herbal suppliments like Fenugreek which I think is taken 3 tabs three times a day. I'd check with your local hospital lactation consultant. A quick phone call can get the dosage straight. That should increase supply too, but with him being two months old I'd just do additional pumping. I pumped at work twice a day and fed my DD during lunch. What I pumped one day is what I gave daycare the next and yes, I had formula on hand at daycare just in case I didn't have enough milk. I'd also advise on introducing the bottle now. My second was breastfeed solely until 12 weeks when she went to daycare. I tried introducing the bottle a few weeks before daycare and she refused. I had my husband try and she refused. At daycare, she also refused but after so many refusals and a few days later she got the hang of it. I suppose she was hungry enough to figure the bottle out. She was nipple confused the other way around and was told that betweeen 6-8 weeks is when I should have introduced the bottle. I hope this helps. It is a bit more than you asked for. I apoligize.

Pump more often, your body should adjust thinking it needs to make more etc.... Make sure your eating good and drinking plenty of fluids.

What you pump is no indication of your supply, a baby can nurse up to 3oz more than any pump can! I was never able to pump more than 2-3oz at a time, ever.

Right now your body is falling into a groove. It is no longer making a huge excess of milk, its making what the baby needs and thats all. You pump after he nurses in the moring. Try this, nurse him on one side only, then pump the other side. He only needs one side so he gets the fatty hindmilk to satisfy him and help him grow, only nurse on one side, THEN pump the other side. Also adding ina pumping session at night, after he goes to bed, will be good too. It will train your body to make milk for that 'feeding'.

Drink to thirst, not more. If you drink too much it will have a reverse reaction and slow your milk down. A bowl of oatmeal a day will boost your milk supply. Avoid anything mint, peppermint, altoids, even mint gum. Mint will drastically lower your milk supply.

Just keep pumping in the morning, and remember to only nurse him on one side, then pump hte other side. Right now your body is adjusting and isn't making that huge amt of milk anymore, but you still have plenty of milk. Pump in the mornig after his feeding, maybe pump during his morning or afternoon nap, and then pump after he's been in bed a few hours, but try to time them at the same time every day so your obyd is ready, knows its coming.

Good for you for breastfeeding!

Meet with a Lactation specialist, they will get you on the right path, my son was very hard to get to nurse, my milk supply went up and down due to how he was nursing, and my lactation specialist helped me nurse for 13 months!
Good luck

You probably have already got this figured out, but here's my advice. Getting that first few bottles worth stockpiled is hard, but you can do it. The more your baby eats and the more you pump, the more milk you will have. It's a pain, but it works....for a couple of days pump after several feedings throughout the day. You probably wont get much, if anything at all. As your milk supply increases, you'll be able to either pump some after the feedings, or your baby will not completely drain both breasts and you'll be able to pump more out of one than the other. Just keep up with the pumping and after a day or two it will be there. Another thing that always helped me is fenugreek. I suggest getting the book " The nursing mother's companion" if you don't have it already. Great info.

Keep nursing longer and more often. Make sure you are eating a good healthy diet and drinking plenty of fluids. it will work out.

Remember you are supposed to wait one hour after a feeding to pump. Your milk supply needs to build up again.

I will make the same recomendations that you will probably get 100 times. When I was having trouble with having enough milk I drank mothers milk tea which you can find in the natural food section at rainbow foods or cub foods. I found it cheaper at cub. Also , you can take Fenugreek capsules which you can find at GNC. I was taking 2 capulets a day and drinking 2-3 cups of the tea, normally when I was nursing or pumping. These items were recomended to me by my midwife, so i knew they were safe. I also had good success with them. Good luck!