i need advice?

Question

im breastfeeding and it seems like im not getting as much milk..ive tried drinking lots of fluids and eating right..im breastfeeding and also pumping..at night im to tired to pump so i give her breast milk in a bottle..does skipping pumping at night really do anything..my baby is 6 weeks..any advice

Answer 1

your body will provide as much milk as is required.. usually. is there a reason why you use a breast pump instead of just feeding her directly? as far as not pumping at night, your body makes adjustments, it will slow down production if it thinks you don't need that much milk.

Answer 2

Why do you feel like you are having a supply problem?

You shouldn't judge supply based on how much you can pump. The baby can always get more than you can pump. The pump is just man's best effort at reproducing the perfection of the nursing baby.

Breastfeeding is all supply and demand. The more you nurse or pump, the more you will make. If you skip nursings or pumpings, you are telling your body to make less milk.

Around 6 weeks many moms notice that their breasts don't feel as full and they worry about supply. Somewhere around/just after the 6 week growth spurt, the supply regulates. You don't get the engorged feeling all the time now. That's NORMAL. Engorgement is actually an indication that you have TOO MUCH milk or that you've gone TOO LONG between nursing sessions. Engorgement is not the normal state.

At 6 weeks I'd still expect baby to be feeding about every 2 hours around the clock.

EDITED TO ADD:
Someone else posted, "Skipping pumping if anything should make your breasts more swollen with milk."

WRONG! This is not how milk production works.
Skipping nursings will make you engorged. This DOES NOT mean that you have more milk. It means that you aren't nursing often enough and gives your body the signal to make LESS milk. FREQUENT emptying of the breasts tells your body to make more. An EMPTY breast makes more milk quicker than a full breast.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/milkproduction.html

Answer 3

Breastfeeding is just a supply and demand. You supply what is being demanded. First of all, a pump is not equivilant to baby's mouth. Most women have to pump longer, to get the same amount that baby gets in a shorter time period. If you are skipping feedings, including at night, your supply will lessen. Why can't you skip pumping at night, and just feed baby?
Whatever you do, keep it up. Once you figure out a schedule, and what works for you and baby, your supply will also even out. Even if you decide to give the baby formula at night, you should still have enough for daytime, if that is what you do regularly. If you plan on having enough of a supply at night, then you have to regularly express that milk to keep it up.
With my first, once he hit 6 months, I fed morning and night only due to going back to work.

Answer 4

Your milk production is based on supply and demand. The more demand for milk (from the baby), the more you will produce. Although pumping is fine, you won't generate as much milk as you will from nursing. Also, if your baby appears as if she is full, you probably are producing enough milk for her. My first was a big baby and it didn't seem as if I had plentiful production, yet he grew and appeared content. Some other advise, try napping when the baby naps so you can nurse her at night. Good Luck!

Answer 5

Yes, the skipping at night is sending a signal to your body that the baby isn't demanding more. You need to pump even if you feed her from the bottle.

Skipping breastfeeding or pumping sessions is how to start to slow your milk production.

If you need help in boosting production, I highly recommend FenuGreek capsules. You can find them at Whole Foods or other herbal supplement stores.

My hospital's lactation department recommended them to me with my first baby and they turned me into a cow!!!

Answer 6

The more your child nurses the more milk you will start to produce. I would not skip nursing or pumping at this point if you are worried about your milk supply. If you are really concerned I would also suggest speaking with your doctor.

Answer 7

Skipping pumping if anything should make your breasts more swollen with milk .. if you skip one time or so a day its not a huge deal , but with me on the other hand i didnt get breast milk hardly at all with my second daughter infact i could breast feed for less than a whole day and didnt know it i was starving her because i wasnt produsing anything i had to go to formula you might want to ask your doctor if its possible your not produsing anymore only thing i can think of

Answer 8

Lida
It sounds to me that your doing fine there. Also your baby is 6weeks old and would soon let you know if he/she is not getting enough.Giving a baby breast milk in the bottle is also fine. Good Luck.

Answer 9

why dont u just feed her fom ur breast, and yes, if u skip pumping, ur boobs ill be very full in the morning and u will NEED to nurse to get some relief

Answer 10

It does cut down your supply. I never made enough for my hungry boy so unfortunately only breastfed him for a couple of months. I miss it, to be honest. Do your best, that's all you can do.