breastfeeding advice?

Question

i have a seven week old baby and am breastfeeding i express my breastmilk so i know how much the baby is receiving at each feed when am expressing milk i can only get 4 oz out each time and i can only do one bottle and then i have to try again later to do another bottle before time for another feed i thought that i would have more breast milk than that as the baby is a big eater what would slow the milk down advice needed

Answer 1

Flamidwyfe is quite correct. You do not need to know how much the baby is getting. At each feed on the breast s/he will take what she needs at the time. I am actually wondering if you had problems breast feeding in the first place and decided to swap to bottles but keep with breast milk? If so then you need to express as often as she is feeding. I couldn't ever get more than about 4oz's either but then at 7weeks that is actually about right because they are still feeding at 4hourly intervals.
If you can actually put your baby to the breast I would recommend that you do. If you have been using bottles for a while now then it may not actually be possible anymore as the action your baby uses to drink from the bottle is different to the action she would use to drink directly from the breast.
When you express drink something at the same time. You need to keep up your fluid intake to produce fluid. Also make sure your expressing is rhythmical. I would also recommend using an AVENT hand breast pump. I tried a few, but this was the best for me and the most comfortable to use.
Good Luck and I hope you and your new baby enjoy your time together!

Answer 2

A few things first:

1. You haven't been pumping from the beginning have you? That can mess up your supply. You should wait 4-6 weeks to establish a milk supply prior to pumping.

2. When you pump, do you have a dual pump or just a single? Duals are more expensive but better because you're expressing both breasts at the same time and it helps with milk production.

3. Did you ever just breastfeed? It is easier (okay, sometimes it is really exhausting, but it does get better) and though you can't see how much your baby is getting, your baby knows how much. When your baby is full, your baby will stop eating.

Okay, onto your question. As for expressing 4oz, good for you. I'm serious, not kidding here. Some women's breasts just do not respond well to pumping. It would take my sister almost a week to get 10oz of breastmilk stored (good thing she was a SAHM). You can sit down two women and give them the same pumps and one may pump 12oz while the other does 2oz. It all depends on the woman. So relax, that can affect your pumping. If your stressed, your letdown will not come as easily. If you're really concerned and you want to continue breastmilk without breastfeeding, you can contact a lactation consultant--your local hospital probably has one. If not, you can go to www.medela.com and type in your zip code for lactation consultants. As a last ditch effort there is an herb called fenugreek that is supposed to help with milk production. Otherwise, suck up the cost and get some formula. That's what I had to do. My baby is primarily breastfed, but he was eating about 19oz a day in daycare and I was only pumping 12-14oz, as you can see, the numbers don't really add up. You can start introducing formula mixed with breastmilk and work towards a straight formula bottle. My son has 1 formula bottle a day and the rest is breastmilk.

The other thing you can try is a "nursing vacation". Basically, nurse your baby (yes nurse, not pump--although you can put a pumping in every now and then), try doing it over a weekend. Also, make sure that you're drinking plenty of water, minimum 32oz a day, however, the closer you can get to 64oz+ the better. Keeping yourself hydrated helps you produce milk also. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I was an exclusive pumper so I know about the struggles of trying to produce enough milk. (I also know how hard it was to try to feed my son at the breast, how difficult the decision to pump was, and how badly other people can make you feel when they tell you you're doing it "wrong")

Here is a checklist of things that will help you get the most out of your pumping:

*ROUTINE
- How often are you pumping? The more you pump, the more milk your body will make and the more you will have to offer baby.
- How regularly are you pumping? The more of a routine you are on, the better your body will respond and the more milk you will make.

*DIET
- How well are you eating? Make sure to get enough protein, fat, carbs and fruits/veggies. Try eating four meals a day.
- How regularly are you eating? Just like with pumping, the more routine your meals are, the better your body will respond.
- How much water are you drinking? The more water you drink, the more milk your body can make.
- Are you taking a vitamin supplement? This is imperative - breast milk requires a lot of nutrients from your body. Try an OTC prenatal supplement, one that's very rich in folic acid.
- How much oatmeal/oats are you eating? Oats work better than any herbal supplement (even the much-touted fenugreek!) Have a couple of bowls of oatmeal each day. Eat Cheerios for snacks. Try oatmeal cookies, oat bread - anywhere you can find it, eat oats, oats, oats.

*SLEEP
- How much are you getting? How regularly are you getting it? It's a Catch-22 that breastfeeding/pumping mothers are always up with the baby... yet they need lots of rest in order to properly feed their baby. If you can, nap when your baby naps. Have someone else in the household (or a friend) take care of cleaning or watching the baby so you can rest.

*THE BREASTPUMP
- What kind are you using? Hospital-grade electric is the best for expressing as much milk as possible. All of them have comfort settings that, when used correctly, should make pumping very comfortable.
- Are you using the right-sized attachments? There are breastshields to fit every size breast, from the very small to the very, very large. If the average-sized shield that came with your pump isn't working, try a different size.
- Are all the parts in working order? Are the tubes clean and free of moisture? Are the membranes on the valves intact? Is everything connected correctly? Your breastpump manual will help you examine everything. You'd be surprised how one little imperfection will cause a significant drop in your milk supply.

*YOUR BREASTS
- Are your bras too tight? Do you wear a bra at night? You should give your breasts as much "breathing room" as possible. The more you wear a bra and the tighter it is, the less milk you will make. (You will also open yourself up to the painful possibility of a clogged duct)

*SUPPORT
- Exclusive pumping is a lonely thing; not many mothers talk about it, but more do it than you'd think. Ask around or check the internet. You need the support of other women who've gone through what you're going through.

Good luck to you! Take comfort in knowing you are doing the best you possibly can for your baby.

Answer 4

Hi. I have a 9 week old baby and I have had the same experience. I asked my health visitor and she advised me that this is very common. I found that making sure I was relaxed and comfortable before pumping really helps. Don't sit there staring at how much is coming out. It is also advised to have your baby close to you, or look at a picture to help stimulate your hormones.
There is also the fact that the baby's sucking action is much more effective at getting milk out of you than any pump.
I had the same worries that maybe my baby wasn't getting enough milk but as long as he/she is gaining weight and content after feeding then I wouldn't worry.
However, if you think your milk supply may be too low then try feeding or pumping more often. This will stimulate your breasts to produce more milk. Good luck. I hope everything goes well.

Answer 5

I have breastfed five times, and still am nursing one. No breast pump can get as much milk as baby does, when I had my first I was so worried becuase if i tried to express I could never get more then a ounce out! I thought i was starving baby, but was informed by my docter that its a demand system. The more baby suckles the more your body will produce. As long as baby is having at least 4-7 wet diapers in a day don't worry!

Answer 6

Putting your baby to the breast is the best way to get your body to produce the correct amount of milk. You can establish how much he/she is eating by weighing before and after a feed on a digital scale. Only your baby sucking will tell your body to make more milk if it is needed. By continuing to express, you risk running out in the long run!! My baby gave a high pitch whine if she hadn't had enough milk. I then drank Laktoherb tea to increase my milk supply and all was fine. Having a baby sucking on your boob is much nicer than a pump too LOL!

Answer 7

If you express milk you will not get as much out as you would if you were nursing the baby at the breast.

The baby's sucking technique is much more effective than a breast pump.

And of course, the more the baby sucks, the more milk you will produce.

So you really need to try nursing rather than expressing. You will produce more milk that way.

And don't worry about knowing how much milk the baby is getting - if you can get 4 oz out each time with a pump, you'll get plenty if you nurse.

Answer 8

There is a lot of pressure out there nowadays to exclusively breastfeed. Many moms and even some doctors will tell you that all mothers can supply all the nourishment that their baby needs. I made the mistake of listening to all this advice with my first child and nearly landed my malnourished baby in the hospital. When I took her to the doctor at 3 days old, she weighed just 5 lbs 1 oz. My doctor said that if she was 5 lbs, he would have had to admit her to the hospital. She was born 7 lbs 2 oz. The only choices were to supplement her with formula or go to formula entirely. I chose to supplement. After 4 months, my milk had dried up entirely. I breastfed her everytime she was hungry until I ran out of milk, then gave her a bottle. I would pump in between feedings to try to stimulate more milk. I increased for the first month, but started slowing down after that. I called the Lactation Consultant at the hospital where she was born. She went over everything with me and could find no problem so she suggested that I call my doctor and ask him to prescribe Reglin, as she was not a doctor and could not write a prescription. I did this. When my doctor finished rolling on the floor laughing, he said that he could prescibe it if I wanted it, as it would not do any harm, but that it was not possible for this to work and he had never heard of it being prescribed for breastfeeding before. According to him, it is a mild stomach medication that has a side effect of increasing milk in normally lactating women by very trace amounts. I decided it was worth a try, and took it for 1 month. Just as my doctor predicted, it did nothing. Additional calls to the lactation consultant just got responses of "you're lying, this is not possible." When the same thing happened with my second child, at least I was prepared with a jar of formula. This time, I made it 6 months before totally drying up, but for the last 3 months of that, I was down to 6 oz or less.
I hope I did not depress you too much. What I hope to pass on from this experience, is to keep trying, but don't beat yourself up if you cannot do it. Don't let your baby's health suffer because people pressure you with dangerous advice. Feed your baby when he is hungry, even if you have to use formula some of the time.

Answer 9

from the day my milk came in i have been pumping, my baby never latched on. My first month i pumped every three hours,i have a lanshioh double pump and i pumped both breasts at the same time. i was worried too cause i only got 6 to 7oz from both breasts combined every three hours. So after 6 weeks i increased the time between pumping's to 4 hours and the oz went up to 10oz.
My baby is now 3 months 2 weeks and i pump every 5 to 6 hours and i get 14-16 oz from both breast combined. That's what i did hope that helps , i know its a hassle but your giving your baby the best food possible so don't give up.

Answer 10

I'm a bit confused. Are you expressing after feeding because you have too much milk or before to see how much you have?? If you have too much it's no problem as baby will only take what is needed and eventually your body will settle down and only produce what baby wants. Don't express unnecessarily as your body will continue to produce too much milk as it thinks your baby is quaffing the lot. And don't worry first babies are a nightmare because you have no bloody idea what's going on in spite of reading all the books. If you are still not sure ask your health worker or nurse. Good luck and give baby a kiss from me.