breastfeeding question?

Question

ive been breastfeeding and pumping now for 7 weeks and im not getting anything anymore..ive been drinking enough fluids to..ill breastfeed and the baby will only feed for 10 minutes..and then ill only pump 2 ounces total..im really worried because im going back to work in 2 weeks and i wont be able to pump enough for the whole day for her..anyone have any suggestions??

Answer 1

I've been pumping and breastfeeding my twins for 10 months now. Here's a few thoughts:

1. What kind of pump are you using? If you are going to be working full time you will need a high quality electric pump. I recommend the Medela Pump In Style or the Ameda Purely Yours. I had success with both.

2. Are you double pumping? This will get you the most milk and help increase your supply.

3. Don't worry about how long the baby is feeding. One of my twins would finish in 15 minutes and the other would nurse for 30. They both had similiar weight gain and the same number of wet/dirty diapers. Is your baby getting 8 wet diapers a day? That's the best way to tell if your daughter is getting enough.

4. Most women produce the most milk first thing in the morning. Try pumping every morning for at least 20 minutes after your baby finishes nursing. You will also produce the most between 1am and 5am because that's when your body is highest in a certain hormone. (www.kellymom.com)

5. It takes time to build supply and not everyone responds well to the pump. Make sure you pump until there is no more milk flowing. You can also pump for 5 minutes after milk stops flowing which is what I did to build my supply at the recommendation of a lactation consultant. Also, you can try taking a hot shower before you pump letting the warm water flow over your breasts. You can also massage your breasts gently while pumping.

6. Start pumping alot now and freezing the milk. This way you have a supply ready for when you go back to work.

Congrats on making the great commitment to breastfeeding and work. I know it's hard, you're doing a great job!

Answer 2

That isn't bad to get 2oz AFTER a feed... I've read to increase the amt you pump to do it while you are nursing. This stimulates your body to make even more (I think because you are tricking your body into thinking you have twins) than if you were to pump before or after. Dont be afraid of taking milk your baby otherwise would get, your baby does a much better job than the pump. I remember pumping one evening just before going to bed, assuming my 3mth old was going to sleep for at least another hour or two. She woke up just as I had finished, and I thought - oh no, she's going to be hungry and I just expressed all I had. But no, I could feel my milk let-down and hear her swallowing, even after the pump wouldnt get out any more!

When you go back to work, you'll be pumping while at work. Thus pumping will replace an entire nursing session, instead of coming at the end. You should be able to pump out much more, hopefully the same amt she drinks during the day. Continue to pump at night as well, and the weekends, to build up a stash for the following week if you need to. Good luck!

Answer 3

You are pumping directly after breastfeeding and then getting 2 oz? That's fine! (Electric or manual pump? Double or single pump? What brand?)

Baby may only be feeding 10 mins because she has gotten more efficient at extracting the milk as she gets older. Is she having plenty of wet and dirty diapers? Gaining weight? It's important to note that the baby will always be more efficient at getting the milk out than the pump. The pump is just man's best imitation.

When you go back to work, you'll be pumping IN PLACE of some nursings, instead of IN ADDITION TO those feedings. That will help some. Right now you're basically trying to trick your body into thinking that you are feeding two babies if you are trying to build up a "stash" before returning to work. So you're asking your body to up the supply.

You can try pumping on one side while she nurses on the other. That helps some moms get a better letdown and more milk for the pump.

You can try heat and massage before pumping to get things flowing.

You can try pumping in the morning, which is typically the best time of supply for most moms.

If you are pumping and the flow slows down or stops, remove the horns and reposition them slightly on your breasts. This may get you another letdown and can help to empty different milk ducts.

It's very normal to need to pump more than once in order to get a whole bottlefeeding worth of milk.

Answer 4

you may't fairly study your journey with some different person's, and deduce that one project is better than the different. did you keep in mind that its extremely the formula that has meant your children do not get as unwell as the different children you've met? did you keep in mind that its because the little lady replaced into breast fed, that it fairly is why she is unwell? really, no you do not. so that you're evaluating 2 issues that fairly are not similar and likely have not some thing to do with one yet another. As for breastfeeding not being healthful, back its all a count number of opinion. because you've a foul weight-relief plan, does not mean absolutely everyone does. in case you've been breastfeeding and knew that in spite of you ate, the toddler would get, fairly that would make you want to really supply the toddler the perfect? You had to do a similar even as pregnant, you had to stop ingesting, smoking etc. So why is breastfeeding any diverse? Say breastfeeding is undesirable is truthfully incorrect, and some thing that many females do not do. How does that argument artwork correct to a lady with a healthful weight-relief plan, a lady that would not smoke? formula is large, it replaced into made for a particular purpose, and fulfils that purpose nicely. Its no better or worse than breastfeeding. yet there are further advantages that, a minimum of the first area of the breast milk, provides that formula can't.

Answer 5

Fluids are very important as you already know, you should try drinking more if you can. Pumping more is also good advice. Call a nurse.
I used an electric double breast pump and pumped for 4 months. My baby wouldn't breast feed. I was huge, I think she was afraid. We ended up back in the hospital because she was Jaundice and I would try to breast feed her, it never worked out, so I had that pump. The nurses said they had never seen so much milk. (Bigger ones make for more milk, regardless what you've been told.) I guess because there are more milk glands? I should have sold it, but I didn't plan on my baby not breast feeding.

Answer 6

I had a similar problem & saw a lactation consultant.. They advised me to pump after ever feeding to completely empty the breasts & also to pump every 2 hours if baby is feeding less often then that. I even woke up every 2 hours during the night to do this & within 2 weeks my milk supply was up.

Also if you are taking any herbs,over the counter meds or RX, they could be affecting your milk supply. I was taking vitamin C-I didn't know that it decreased milk production until the consultant told me.

Try the routine above-it is tough but it works!
Also reference http://kellymom.com/bf/index.html -an excellent reference for breastfeeding Moms-easier to navigate then LLL.

Answer 7

It's SO SO SO hard to pump milk! So much than just nursing the baby. Anyway. What helped my milk let down, was playing a tape recording of the baby crying, while looking at a picture of him. Yep, both things made it MUCH easier.

Also, you should check your local La Leche League leaders - they have a number you can call for help and/or support, and they might have a couple local meetings you could go to in the next couple weeks.

Answer 8

Fenugreek is great to help with the milk supply. Also try pumping in between each feeding.

Answer 9

Just remember that the more often you breastfeed or pump, the more you will make.