I have a preemie baby that was supposed to be born on Sept 18th, and was born on July 23rd.?

Question

He is only on bottle, and I have been exclusively pumping. He is up to about 2 1/2 oz per feeding about every 3-4 hours but i can not pump enough for him. I was pumping every time he was eating, and Im not getting enough. Now Im pumping every 2 hours and hardly getting anything... is my body going to automaticly start pumping our more? This last time I pumped for 15 minutes and only pumped 15cc's all together. This stinks!

Answer 1

Is your baby still in hospital? Is that why you are still pumping?
If so then there are alot of extra factors added to the advice others have already given here.
Things like sitting in front of a photograph of him with an item of clothing with his smell on it helps. Have you tried expressing beside his cot? Have you tried expressing immediately after kangaroo care. Let him have a nuzzle at your breast this will help with the natural flow.
Expressing every 2 hours will just be putting your body under more stress which will have the opposite effect. Go back to doing it every 3 hours but make sure you are also doing it throught he night.
Everyone experiences a lull in volume around 6 weeks try and perservere. There are tablets your doctor can prescribe to help with your supply but they are not a long term solution.
At the end of the day being stressed out about this is doing neither you or your little one any good. It may be better to accept that it just isn't working and suppliment him with formula or switch to formula completely. Many mum's to full termers struggle to breastfeed even without all the added stress of having a poorly baby.
You have done really well to get this far. Don't be too hard on yourself.

Answer 2

I had the same problem when my son was born and could not breastfed due to medical problems. Make sure you are drinking enough fluids. Try not to stress too much because that can affect your milk supply. Try mothers milk tea, it helps you produce more milk. It is nasty but it will help some. The pump that worked best for me was a hand pump called medela harmony. You should also see if there are places that can help you out by letting you take home a hospital grade pump. Someone found an organization that paid for me to use one of those pumps until I was ready to switch him to the breast. If you have the money there are places that rent them out. Don't worry if you try everything and still are not producing enough milk you did the best you could. You started your baby with the best start by breastfeeding him for the first 6 weeks. Congratulations on your baby.

Answer 3

is the baby bottle feeding or is he being fed by tube? If by bottle, then why can't you put him to the breast? And yes the milk supply is by demand. The more you demand the more you should supply. Drink lots of fluid, about 8 ounces each time you pump. Avoid caffeine and medication such as antihistamines, both can decrease your milk. Try pumping after you visit the baby. And if your NICU allows, place the infant to the breast. He may not latch on or be able to take a full meal, but it will help stimulate your milk supply. Just the skin to skin contact will help. There are also medications that can help increase your milk supply, ask your doctor or if the NICU has a breast feeding advocate, talk to them. Most of all if you really want to breast feed, keep with it. It will be worth all the effort in the long run.

Answer 4

You are probably not pumping effectively enough to stimulate the milk glands to produce milk. In addition, how is your diet? Are you getting enough fluids each day? You should be drinking a minimum of 6 to 8 glasses of water in addition to juice, milk and any other beverages you normally consume. You should also be still taking your prenatal vitamins and continue eating a full, well-balanced diet with at least 2000 calories a day. You also need to get your proper rest. I know it sounds easy, and with trying to keep up with the schedule and demands of a premie baby, in practice it seems next to impossible, but if you want your son to get the best nourishment from your milk, this is what you have to do. Go easy on yourself, however, and don't stress, as stress can decrease your milk supply.
Normally when a baby nurses, the suction that is created can empty a breast completely in 10 minutes, and the more the baby nurses, the more milk is made and secreted.
In addition to following the advice on rest and nutrition, continue to pump after each feeding as you have been, but to help stimulate the flow of milk, at least two to three times a day for the next little while, take a hot shower and have the hot water run on your breasts, after which, for about 10 to 15 minutes put warm compresses on your breasts, and in a relaxed atomosphere, hand express milk making sure that you are emptying all the ducts. Place your thumb and forefinger at different positions around the areola as you hand express. This is far more gentle and effective in emptying the breasts than a pump. In the meantime, until your milk supply is up, you can supplement your son with formula. If you continue to have difficulty, or need advice on how to hand express, contact the maternity ward where you have delivered the baby and ask to speak to a lactation consultant, or contact the La Leche League in your area. Good luck to you and your babe.

Answer 5

I had a preemie he is 20 yrs old now...I went through the same thing not enough breast milk. We supplemented with a bottle, I still pumped and gave him all the breast milk I could because breast milk is best.Do you notice when you get in the shower your breast start to run? You need to be relaxed and apply warmth (warm wet towels or a heating pad) sit some where quiet and think of your baby and while pumping if you can apply a little pressure to your breast your milk should come down and you might even feel a slight tingle type feeling as it happens. I think relaxing and the warmth is the key to getting more milk. If your baby was at your breast you would have his warmth and the pressure of him being there and you would have the peace and relaxation because you would either sing or just quietly murmur sweet things to him. So try to simulate that hole scenario ..I hope all goes well for you and your baby!!
~Good Luck~

Answer 6

eat lots of oatmeal.. try to get lots of rest... use a hospital grade pump.. drink lots of fluids. try pumping more often. every 2 hours isn't really enough. is the baby with you? if not have a blanket or something used by the baby when pumping. the smells of the baby can help stimulate your body..
babies are much more efficient than pumps. can u get the baby to start nursing directly?
supplement with formula ONLY as a last resort. not only is that not nearly as good for the baby, but if you back down on trying to get the breast milk your body will quickly begin to produce even less.
here are a few links that you may find helpful...

Answer 7

Good for you for nursing breastfeeding is the best thing a mom can do for her baby. With your baby being a preemie he probably needs it even more.Can he nurse? I know that my milk lets down so much easier for my baby than with a pump. If he cant nurse because he is a preemie try pumping while holding him it might help your milk let down. Also try warm compresses on your breast while your pumping. Or you can try brewers yeast supplements. If your still having trouble don't be embarrassed about calling a lactation specialist to come help you. Just don't give up!

Answer 8

It sounds to me you don't have a good milk supply. Some people just doesn't make enough. Just talk to your nurse and maybe strictly go to bottle feeding. Your milk supply should already be in and going at full force. So what you are getting is going to be it. I don't think you will make enough to feed your baby once he starts nippling eight of eight anyway. There is nothing wrong with bottle babies. The way they make formula now adays is just as adequate at breast.

Answer 9

It's an issue of supply and demand. If your body needs to make more it will. Basically this means that if you are pumping on a normal schedule you will eventually get enough. It's tedious work but your baby needs it so keep at it. (If you stop it'll dry up.)

Answer 10

make sure you drink plenty of water and the more you pump the more you produce just like breast feeding try pumping every 2 hours see if that helps