Breastfeeding question...?

Question

I'm 12 days post pardum and breastfeeding my little one. I pumped today because I want to make sure that I'm making enough milk and I want my milk supply to go up. I got about almost an ounce and a half after 15 minutes using a double pump (combined). I nurse the baby every 2-3 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night. She is going to the bathroom ok but at night (evening around dinner time) all she seems to want to do is nurse like she can't get enough. Just wondering if anyone knows how long it will take for my milk supply to increase even more. Thanks for any answers advice! Serious answers only though please.

Just wanted to say thank you so much for all the great answers!!! I've learned a ton from reading what other have experianced and the advice given! Although the people who already posted probably won't see this I still want to say thanks!

Answer 1

Trust me you do not want too much milk. If you have too much milk you will be in pain and your baby will a) have trouble nursing and b) have stomach pains and c) may have diarhea

You should read this:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html
(Read the whole thing this is just a bit)
Cluster feeding, also called bunch feeding, is when babies space feeding closer together at certain times of the day and go longer between feedings at other times. This is very common, and often occurs in the evenings. It's often -but not always- followed by a longer sleep period than usual: baby may be "tanking up" before a long sleep. For example, your baby may nurse every hour (or even constantly) between 6 and 10 PM, then have a longish stretch of sleep at night - baby may even sleep all night.

Cluster feeding often coincides with your baby's fussy time. Baby will nurse a few minutes, pull off, fuss/cry, nurse a few minutes, pull off, fuss/cry... on and on... for hours. This can be VERY frustrating, and mom starts wondering if baby is getting enough milk, if something she is eating is bothering baby, if EVERYTHING she is doing is bothering baby... It can really ruin your confidence, particularly if there is someone else around asking the same questions (your mother, your husband, your mother-in-law).

This behavior is NORMAL! It has nothing to do with your breastmilk or your mothering. If baby is happy the rest of the day, and baby doesn't seem to be in pain (as with colic) during the fussy time - just keep trying to soothe your baby and don't beat yourself up about the cause. Let baby nurse as long and as often as he will. Recruit dad (or another helper) to bring you food/drink and fetch things (book/remote/phone/etc.) while you are nursing and holding baby.

Does this mean that baby needs more milk than I can provide?
No. Don't give baby a bottle -- supplementation will only tell your body that you need LESS milk at this time, and that will not help matters. Also, keep in mind that formula fed babies experience fussy periods in the evening, too -- fussy evenings are common for all young babies, no matter how they are fed. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine spells this out in their supplementary feeding guidelines:

There are common clinical situations where evaluation and breastfeeding management may be necessary, but supplementation is NOT INDICATED including... The infant who is fussy at night or constantly feeding for several hours.

Why do babies fuss in the evening?
One frequently-heard explanation for baby's fussiness in the evenings is that milk volume tends to be lower in the evening due to the natural cycling of hormones throughout the day. However, Dr. Peter Hartmann, a breastfeeding researcher, has said that in the women he has studied, milk volume is not low at this time of day. Even if milk volume is lower in the evening, fat content is typically higher in the evening (particularly if baby is allowed to control this via cue feeding), so the amount of calories that baby is getting should not be significantly different. Milk flow can be slower in the evening, which may be frustrating for some babies.

Doctors often attribute evening fussiness to baby's immature nervous system (and the fussiness does end as baby gets older, usually by 3-4 months). However, Dr. Katherine Dettwyler (who does research on breastfeeding in traditional societies) states that babies in Mali, West Africa and other traditional societies don't have colic or late afternoon/evening fussiness. These babies are carried all day and usually nurse several times each hour.





And you should read this:
How does milk production work?
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/milkproduction.html



And this:
Is your milk supply really low?
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html#supply

Forceful Let-down (Milk Ejection Reflex) & Oversupply
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

Answer 2

Okay!!

You are doing everything you should!!! Keep that pumping up! I am guessing you have a good pump. I use the medela pump-in-style. I do not breastfeed anymore I only pump and put it in a bottle. My daughter is 8 months old and I am now getting about 8 ounces every 4 hours. TRUST ME: STICK WITH IT! Unless something is physiologically wrong which is very uncommon... the more you pump the more you make. When the baby is sleeping you should pump. The first 3 months after my baby was born I pumped every 2 hours until my milk really came in to 8 ounces. And you might even get more than that! So don't be discouraged. If you don't get alot don't stop, keep with it and DRINK TONS OF WATER. And also, make sure you get those gerber breastmilk storage bags. If you have a deep freezer frozen breastmilk stays good up to 12 months so make sure you are saving all that extra milk you pump. I look at it this way, the more extra milk you pump and save the earlier you can stop!!!!!

good luck!

Answer 3

Youre only getting half of what your baby is getting when you pump, be aware of that. The pump suction and the baby's stripping of our milk ducts are totally different. Your 12 weeks post partum so your baby is having his second mini growth spurt, the constant feedings is as a result of this. Your milk supply will increase the more you feed him. Also, baby's love to suck... if you choose to not use a pacifier he'll use you as one for a while until he gets used to comforting himself. Stick with it you're going a wonderful thing breastfeeding your baby! Congratulations :)

Answer 4

The more she feeds the more milk you will produce. If you are pumping as well, you will produce more to accomodate the pumped milk.

Make sure you drink plenty of water and eat properly, without water your body will not produce the milk you need to supply.

Also, take your pre-natal vitamins - it ensures you have sufficient vitamins which is good for your body as well as your baby as the nutrients go into the milk.

Answer 5

It's common for babies to "cluster" nurse in the evening. If you keep nursing on demand and pump as much as you can your body will catch up in a few days or a week. Most women don't get as much milk when they pump as the baby does when it sucks.

Congrats!

Answer 6

First of all, it is normal for your breastfed baby to eat every 2-3 hours during the day and 3-4 hours at night. In fact, consider yourself lucky. Many breastfed babies (and well-nourished ones at that, I might add) go much shorter amounts of time between feedings (mine did, and they are off the charts!).

Second of all, you cannot judge the amount of milk that your baby is getting based on what you can pump. Pumps cannot extract milk as efficiently as your baby can, and that is one of the reasons people who pump exclusively have a hard time keeping up with their baby's needs.

If your baby is happy, thriving, nursing well, wetting 6-8 diapers a day, and gaining weight normally (your doctor will tell you if she isn't), then you have nothing to worry about. If your baby needs more milk, she will nurse more frequently, and that will increase your supply. Allowing your baby to nurse (at the breast, not the pacifier or bottle) as much as she wants is the best way to keep your supply healthy.

But if you do find that you need to increase your supply (if your baby is not gaining weight very well or wetting enough diapers), there are a lot of things to try:
-drink plenty of fluids
-get plenty of rest (sleep when baby sleeps if possible)
-avoid bottles and pacifiers
-make sure your baby is latching on properly (see LLL)
-nurse on demand as often and for as long as your baby wants to
-herbal supplements such as Fenugreek, Mother's Milk tea, and Milk/Blessed Thistle
-breast compressions before nursing
-reduce stress level
-try drinking things with malt in them (like milkshakes, not beer!)
-offer both breasts at each feeding

However, like I said, it sounds like your baby is probably getting enough and you were misled by looking at the amount you were able to pump. Relax, count diapers, and watch your baby... I don't recommend supplementing with formula as this could cause your milk supply to decrease (not to mention other possible negative side effects such as nipple confusion and constipation).

If you are still uneasy, I urge you to contact La Leche League (LLL). In fact, even if everything is fine, I still urge you to contact LLL. It is so much better to have a contact in place in the event of a problem than to wait until your baby is screaming and you don't know what to do before trying to figure out who to call and what to do about it! They are friendly, knowledgable, available 24 hours a day, and FREE. You can find your local group at www.lalecheleague.org. Or email me if you have any questions, I'd be glad to help!

Good luck and congratulations !!!!!

Answer 7

http://www.increasebreastmilk.com/domperidone.htm