breastmilk supply?

Question

I usually just pump for milk and I have been doing it for 2 weeks since the babys birth. I tried to nurse for a few days, but my back started to hurt, so since then, I just pumped every hour. Today I noticed, barely much milk came out.

Does the babys suckling help with increasing more milk? I know the way it works is supply and demand. But I figured if I pump every hour, it would be the same.

Is it something just passing by, or is nursing the only way to keep the milk going? If I cannot nurse, is there other options to keep the breast stimulated?

Answer 1

1. I would try really, really, really hard to get your baby to latch on. The baby is the best stimulant for your milk supply. Find a lactation consultant who can help you find a better position so your back won't hurt.

2. I've been pumping for 10 months now (I have preemie twins and wasn't able to nurse both directly). It's very, very, very hard work pumping full time. Pumping is NOT the same as breastfeeding. It is way more work because while your baby will eventually not need to eat every 2-3 hours you will still need to pump every 3 hours. It is way more work because while your baby does not need to be cleaned after it breastfeeds, you will need to clean bottles/pump horns/tubing/etc. It is way more work because while you can always bring your baby with you and nurse in "public" it is much, much, much harder to bring a pump with you and pump in public.

3. If you do end up pumping full time there are ways to increase your milk production. Massaging your breasts while pumping is important. Make sure you have a high quality electric double pump. Chamomile tea and fenugreek are natural substances that help increase milk production in some women. Always pump until the milk stops flowing. Pump 3-5 minutes past the stopping of the milk flow for extra stimulation. (This is how I built my supply so that now i can get 40 ounces in my morning pumping session)

Good luck and congrats on your newborn!

Answer 2

The baby is more efficient than the pump. The baby can always get more if latched on correctly.

If your back was hurting, my guess is that your positioning was bad. Get a Lactation Consultant or LLL Leader to work with you on positioning. My guess is that you were leaning over baby or bringing your breast to the baby instead of bringing the baby to the breast. It could also have been related to the huge size/weight of your engorged postpartum breasts if you weren't wearing a good supportive bra.

You're right, it's all supply and demand. The more you pump/nurse the more you should make.

What kind of pump are you using? A good double electric? A rental pump is actually best if you are exclusively pumping. Are you sure everything was hooked up right? When the flow slows or stops, remove the horns and reposition them on your breast. This can sometimes help to get a second letdown and empty different milk ducts.

Answer 3

All the other suggestions so far sound right, but there is a pump that will help. Ask your local WIC department (Women, Infants, and Children) about getting a double Medela breast pump, it has to be Hosp. grade. I pumped exclusively for 5 months and never lost any supply.

My baby wouldn't nurse, but I kept trying her about once a day before that particular pumping. And eventually at 5 months she decided to give it a try. I then gave up pumping except for the occasional bottle for when I couldn't be with her. She nursed another 12 months.

Answer 4

My friend only pumped because the baby wouldn't latch on to one side and her nipples got real sore. She dried up after only 4-5 weeks. My other friend pumped only too and she also dried up after about a month. My neighbor does not pump at all and her baby is 7 months and she still breast feeds.

I was having some issues with my little one, who is now 16 days old, but I talked to a lactation consultant and we are doing great now. If your back is hurting, then you probably just need to reposition the baby. Remember when your breast feeding YOU have to get comfortable first and then bring the baby to your breast. A lot of women set the baby in their lap and lean forward to the baby. The baby knows if you're not comfortable and she won't stay latched on well. It's really important to work on finding positions where you both can relax. If breast feeding is really important to you, I would suggest giving another shot to breast feeding and I believe you can get a lactation consultant free at the hospital.

Answer 5

I had the same problem. I read up and was told my my OB about Reglan its a pill typically perscribed for stomach acid problems that has a strange side effect in women it increases milk production. I doubled in a 1 1/2 days and 2 1/2 times 3 days later. 10 mg 4 times per day. It worked for me for 3 months. I tried the fennugreek and fennel seed and mothers milk, with not much assistance however of the above three the mothers milk tea helped the most. Hope that this helps

Answer 6

there are a number of reason why your milk is running on low
if you take birth control pills kills your milk supply
if your not getting enough calcium or 2500 calories per day
are you doing anything different within the last week
and stress and lack of sleep can hurt you
watch out for herbal teas i belive its tyme?? not sure that drys breast milk out. I pumped with an automatic pump every three hours and my ducks got clogged and got fever and chills! if you get that contact your doctor right away! also to help stimulate the brest hot showers help the milk flow witha motion of draining a cows milk in the shower sounds weird but it helps! hope i helped

Answer 7

The baby sucking gets your "let down" reflex work better than a pump can. The baby is also more efficient at getting milk out than a pump.

You can get a natural supplement called more milk plus at the nutrition store to increase your milk supply.

Try and work on eliminating the pain. You can nurse lying down or if you prefer to sit up, try getting pillows and blankets and/ or a boppy and prop the baby up. maybe put some under his/her head so you don't have to strain your arm. Get all pillow propped up and then let your body relax.

I linked to a website to show you how to nurse laying down.

Answer 8

Your supply is likely to suffer if you pump exclusively. Nothing, not even the best pump in the world, can extract milk like a baby. If your back hurts, get a pillow to help position the baby and support your arm. The boppy pillow is nice for that.

Answer 9

There is nothing that compares to the baby stimulating the breast when it comes to supply and demand. If you are not able to nurse, than more than likley you will dry up sooner rather than later. To help, make sure you are drinking a TON of water.