If your baby is breastfeeding how do you pump milk?

Question

Won't baby take all the milk? It would be nice to pump every so often to let husband feed baby & also for when going out in public. How do you squeeze pumping into baby's feeding schedule?
Also when should you introduce the breast milk in the bottle so baby won't get "nipple confusion"??

Answer 1

I had a problem with my daughter latching on. I wanted her to only have breastmilk, so I began pumping immediately. I would always put her on the breast first and if we had a problem I would pump and then feed her by bottle. I had an electric double breast pump because I work full time and new I needed something effecient when I returned to work. My daughter eventually got use to both the breast and bottle. I used the Avent bottles because it's supposed to be more like the natural breast (not in terms of looks, but in how the baby has to suck on it to get the milk, they have to work a little harder at it.) In the beginning your body is producing more milk than you will probably need because a supply demand hasn't been established. That is the best time to stock up on breastmilk. Your breastmilk gets replenished every 90 minutes, so you can pump in between feedings, or you can pump after feedings. Your baby doesn't always empty both breasts - especially before the supply has been established. Pumping from the beginning will help keep your milk supply up. You can store breastmilk in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, in the freezer for up to 2 months and in a deep freeze for up to 6 months. I would advise taking a breastfeeding class. The hospital where I had my daughter offered one, so I took it. The lactation specialist that taught the class helped me while I was in the hospital and was also available for questions over the phone once I returned home. Good luck!

Answer 2

Breastmilk is made all the time, but most of the milk for the feeding is made "on demand" when you put the baby or the pump to the breast. When you put the baby or the pump to the breast, your body will simply make more milk.

If you are nursing full time and just trying to fit in pumping to make some occasional bottles, the best time of day to pump is usually first thing in the morning. That is when most moms have the best supply. You can also try pumping one side while feeding baby on the other. Or you can pump after baby feeds.

It's usually recommended to introduce the bottle between 4-6 weeks, depending on how well nursing is going. If nursing gets off to a good start, 4 weeks would probably be fine to introduce a bottle. If you have a rough time getting started nursing, latch problems, etc. then waiting until closer to 6 weeks might be better.

Answer 3

I pump an hour to two hours after feeding as soon as I get out of the shower. The baby will not take all the milk, your body makes excess depending on how well established your supply is, however the baby is better at getting the milk out then the pump is, so pump before feeding time, not after. The shower will help your breasts let the milk down and make pumping easier.

I got the playtex nurser bottles which are similar to a breast to prevent nipple confusion. I introduced my daughter to them before she was a week old and we had no issues, however most baby experts do recommend waiting 6 weeks.

Answer 4

You can pump in between feedings. It will increase your supply so you can "stock up" on breast milk. Many babies take bottles in day care and breastfeed at home. You just have to find a nipple that your baby will like.

Before you give your baby a bottle you have to be willing to accept that your baby might like the bottle better and that you might be able to pump all the time. ( I enjoyed that much more.)

If you pump all the time your husband can feed the baby so you can go take a shower or go shopping whenever you want with the exception of having to pump. It w3as the best choice for our family. Ask your husband what he thinks. It is his baby too.

As long as your baby gets breast milk and you feed him and talk to him while he's eating it really doesn't matter how he gets the nutrition. Guess what. It's still concidered nursing as long as you feed and nurture your baby.

Answer 5

I pumped in the hospital and breastfed the more you pump the more milk you produce After the milk comes pump between feedings for about five minutes on each side. I read in a book that they recommend not pumping for about three months because they say that you really don't need all the milk you can pump and they want the baby's feeding to help make your milk flow at the right amount. So don't worry about pumping, the milk will produce with the demand of pumping and baby feeding.

Answer 6

While I was on maternity leave, I would pump first thing in the morning before baby got up, and when she was napping. Try to pump before the baby eats, trust me, there is milk left over and you will produce more for baby even if you thought you got it all out with the pump.

Don't listen to the first answer, it's not one or the other, you can do both.

I am back to work now and I pump in the morning and once or twice at work, and then nurse in the morning and at night.

I used a bottle on the baby as soon as 4 months. And she had no problem switching back and forth. I think it's rare with the nipple confusion anymore with such natural shaped nipples they have on the market now.

Good luck.

Answer 7

A woman's body adjusts to the demand for milk, so the first week of pumping won't be very prolific for her. If she's set on pumping she should do it around the same time every day and keep doing it- even let the pump go when there is no longer milk coming out. That will make her body make more milk. It's also best to get the baby adjusted to an artificial niple by 2-3 months old or they might always reject it. (I have an 11 month old that refuses formula and bottles and only wants the "real" thing- boobies!)

Answer 8

I nursed both my boys for about 7 months each, and never had a problem with "nipple confusion." To get going on the pumping, I would pump as much as I could after he finished nursing, or pump first, before he nursed (just a little). It also works really well to do it if they sleep longer than usual and skip a feeding.

Answer 9

Pump while the babys sleeping. You can introduce the bottle at anytime, I never had a problem with nipple confusion, and dont know many people whose kids did. Just dont empty your breasts. This will actually confuse your body a little into making more milk.

Answer 10

Yes you can do both with my son i breastfeast for 2 weeks and then i ended up expressing the milk in to a bottle while he was asleep and he ended up taking milk in bottle straight away.