Breastfeeding question?

Question

I am due in about eight weeks with my thrid child. The forst I did not try to breastfeed, the second, I tried, but had a supply issue. Is there anything that I can do to insure that I will have an adquate supply before the baby comes. I saw on a previous post that it is OK to pump before the baby arrives. Is this true? If so, should I dump the milk that I get if any, or freeze it.

Thanks,

Jen

Answer 1

I don't know which post you're talking about, but I would not recommend pumping beforehand! Nipple stimulation will actually induce early labor and it is much too soon with eight weeks to go. Plus your baby needs the special milk (colostrum) that comes when you first begin nursing. If you begin pumping NOW, he may not get this right away since a lot of it will be in your freezer.

To build your milk supply, your best strategy is to nurse on demand, drink plenty of water and avoid supplementing with formula. Remember BFing is basic supply & demand, so the more your baby demands, the more you'll make. If you give even one bottle of formula a day, your baby won't take as much from you, therefore your body will produce less.

Answer 2

You shouldn't get any milk at all before the baby arrives. You might get colostrum, but milk is not usually produced by the body until around the third day after delivery.

If you want to have a big supply, have the baby start nursing from the first moment possible. Do not allow anyone to give that baby a bottle or a pacifier. The colostrum and the comfort of nursing is all the baby should need. Offer your breast about every two hours, if the baby doesn't clamor for it sooner. Every time the baby suckles it sends a message to your body to make more milk.

Also keep in mind that the more the baby suckles the faster your uterus will contract. This can be painful and you may want painkillers like Tylenol 3, if you aren't taking them for delivery pain already.

Do not use any drugs during labor and delivery if you can help it. They might make the baby too sleepy to nurse very much, and you need those signals being sent to the milk factory. Also drink plenty of liquids to keep things flowing.

If you have any further problems consult a lactation consultant. You may also need to change things in your diet to up your supply if there is a continued problem. Remember that breastfed babies eat more often than bottle-fed. If your baby always seems to be more hungry it could be this difference or your baby's nursing temperament. Some can just never get enough mommy milk, but it has nothing to do with supply or milk quality.

Answer 3

There is nothing you can do prior to the birth to effect your supply. Until the delivery of the placenta you have colostrum. About 3-5 days after the birth your milk will come in and supply will shift from being hormonally driven to a supply and demand process. The more frequently you nurse or pump postpartum, the more milk you'll make. Be sure that your latch is checked while in the hospital by a Lactation Consultant. Try going to some La Leche League meetings to form a support group and learn more about breastfeeding.

DO NOT PUMP BEFORE THE BIRTH. Pumping while PG can bring on contractions which could possibly turn into labor! It is NOT OK to pump prior to the birth! Also, colostrum comes in such small quantities (spoonfulls), is very thick and sticky and is very difficult to pump.

Check out http://www.lalecheleague.org and http://www.kellymom.com for good breastfeeding info.

Answer 4

I would talk to your doctor before you pump before the baby is born. The first "milk" that comes in is vital to your baby! If you pump, your actual milk may come in and your baby will miss out on those vital nutrients from the first milk. I would also think back to what happened with your first attempt at nursing. Did u drink enough water? Did you let them drain you breast completely? Did u alternate breasts? Did you try pumping after each feeding to up your supply? Were you getting enough rest? Were you eating well? Did your baby latch on correctly? All of these things can effect your supply. Try to make sure you do all of these things. Have a lactation specialist help you out. Try contacting the hospital where you plan to give birth to see if they have one on site. Also try contacting your local WIC to see if they have a lactation consultant, or if they can help you find one. La Leche League is a free orginization of lactation consultants and they are a wonderful help! Good luck and don't give up!

Answer 5

I struggled with nursing my first 2 and have had tremendous success with #3 hes 7 months old and is doing great with the nursing. You can freeze the breast milk you prepump. Look for la leche league meetings in your area and have a consultation with a lactation professional after delivery. I don't think theres much you can to to pre-ensure a milk supply but I would recommend learning as much as possible and eating a healthy diet. Once baby arrives stay hydrated and nurse nurse nurse, make sure you have a really good pump.

Answer 6

Breast milk does not come in until 2-5 days after your baby is born. Until then, you will produce colostrum, which is rich in vitamins and antibodies. It is very common for the first few weeks of breast feeding to not go smoothly. Because breast milk production is based on the supply and demand idea, to increase your supply, you will need to nurse frequently at first. There is absolutely no need to use a breast pump before your baby is born. Your nipples will not need any kind of pre-conditioning. Taking a breast feeding class before your baby's birth along with getting help from the hospital lactation consultant while you are in the hospital will help immensely with preventing sore and cracked nipples. This is often caused by improper latch-on, which may take your baby a few weeks to get good at. If you pump before your baby is born, you will get only a very small amount of colostrum. While pumping it out does not really harm anything, it is not necessary to do so. I successfully breast fed all 4 of my children, the last 2 for 11 months and 14 months respectively. I never used a breast pump for any of them. My oldest and my youngest both had breast feeding difficulties. It took about 6 weeks for my oldest and I to really get the hang of what we were doing. It took a lot of tears (from both her and I) along with 3 visits from the lactation consultant, but we finally got the idea of what we were supposed to be doing. I went on to nurse her for 5 more months before I had to go back to school and work. My oldest is now a mom herself with an almost 4 week old baby boy (our first grandchild!). Just this week he finally began nursing well. It was a special time for me to be able to support and encourage her when she was going through many of the same worries and frustrations I felt as a first time mom.

Answer 7

There are many things to try to increase low supply, Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle and Evening Primrose Oil are available from the health food store.
There are prescriptions that increase Supply they usually take 2 or 3 Days to kick in.
If you have time Pump after every feed.
Get as much advice about good latching techniques from the midwives as you can.
Don't pump while you are pregnant, stimulation of the nipples causes the uterus to contract, that's why midwives encourage you to breastfeed as soon as the baby is born.
Good luck.

Answer 8

I was able to breastfeed both of my children without a problem. I also pumped occasionally if we were going to be going out for the evening, etc. As was previously mentioned, I would not recommend pumping before your baby is born.

Call the hospital at which you are planning on delivering your child and set up an appointment with one of their lactation specialists. They will be able to give you tips on your diet, ways to hold the baby while you nurse, and the best type of pump to buy/rent.

You can also get in touch with your local la leche league, they are a wealth of information :)

Answer 9

well I sucessfully breast fed 2 and never did anything before hand. Brest feeding exclusively after baby is born is the best thing you can do. If you pump and get milk out then you can freeze it -don't waste it! LOL But I honeslt did not think you had milk for like a week after the baby is born. The first is not milk but colustrum...may have spelled it wrong!

Answer 10

i wouldn't pump at this stage as it can trigger labour, make sure that you eat well and drink plenty and rest when you can, the more you feed the baby in those first few days the more your milk will come in but when you are feeding make sure you drink loads, try to drink a pint of water for every feed. when you do pump you should freeze the milk (its too precious to dump) it'll come in handy down the road but i seriously advise you not to pump yet it makes the uterus contract that's one of the reasons its hailed for weight loss after pregnancy because your stomach will go down more quickly as it contracts when the baby suckles.