Does breastpumping or feeding the baby deliver more milk to them?

Question

I find sometimes when I pump my milk in the morning I get like 3 to 4 ounces from each breast when done for 20 minutes on both sides. Then at nighttime, the amount reduces alot to like 1 or 2 ounces per side. Now let me ask, if I continue to feed the baby every 2.5 to 3 hours, does he get as much milk if he latches on himself, or is it the same amount he would get that I would see when I pump? If he gets more drinking himself, then how much more milk is he getting, versus me using the machine?

Answer 1

Babies can take all the milk from the breast. While there is disagreement about what percentage milk a breastpump can get from the breast, it can not get it all. I have heard as low as 30% and as high as 90%.

Also babies can take milk much faster, or slower.

"No pump can remove milk from the breast as well as an effectively nursing baby, so pumping does not maintain milk supply as well as a nursing baby."

"# How old is your pump? If you have an older electric pump (particularly older than a year), or if you are pumping more often than the pump was designed for, the motor may be wearing out.
# Many times a decrease in pumping output is because pump parts need to be replaced. Have you checked your pump and replaced any parts that are worn or that haven't been replaced in the last 3-6 months?
# Do you have a type of pump (like the Avent Isis) that benefits from occasionally boiling the boilable parts?
# Switching to a larger pump flange makes a difference in pumping comfort and/or output for some moms. See Choosing a Correctly-Fitted Breastshield for more information."
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumping_decrease.html

"Obviously, if you can pump a lot, you are producing a lot, but if you cannot pump a lot, this does not mean your milk production is low. Do not pump to “find out how much you are producing”."
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/27expressing_milk.html



Home > Breastfeeding > Jack Newman's Breastfeeding Handouts
Some Breastfeeding Myths
Handout #11 Some breastfeeding myths. Revised January 2005
Written by Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC. © 2005

* Many women do not produce enough milk
* It is normal for breastfeeding to hurt
* There is no (not enough) milk during the first 3 or 4 days after birth
* A baby should be on the breast 20 (10, 15, 7.6) minutes on each side
* A breastfeeding baby needs extra water in hot weather
* Breastfeeding babies need extra vitamin D
* A mother should wash her nipples each time before feeding the baby
* Pumping is a good way of knowing how much milk the mother has
* Breastmilk does not contain enough iron for the baby's needs
* It is easier to bottle feed than to breastfeed
* Breastfeeding ties the mother down
* There is no way to know how much breastmilk the baby is getting
* Modern formulas are almost the same as breastmilk
* If the mother has an infection she should stop breastfeeding
* If the baby has diarrhea or vomiting, the mother should stop breastfeeding
* If the mother is taking medicine she should not breastfeed

8. Pumping is a good way of knowing how much milk the mother has.

Not true! How much milk can be pumped depends on many factors, including the mother's stress level. The baby who nurses well can get much more milk than his mother can pump. Pumping only tells you have much you can pump.
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/11some_bf_myths.html#8

Answer 2

Your baby is much more efficient at getting milk from your breast, however, that doesn't mean the baby is getting more or less consistently. There are a couple other factors playing a part in this.

1. Most women produce more milk in the morning, so that seems normal in your situation.
2. Your baby will only drink as much as he wants when he is nursing, so sometimes he might get more than you would pump and other times, he might take less because he isn't as hungry.
3. Babies that drink from a bottle tend to drink more than they would if they were nursing. It is a lot less effort, and they often finish the bottle even if they didn't really need it.

I had to return to work quickly after my son was born, so he was exclusively breastfed, but via the bottle. He still prefered the every 2 hour schedule, but only drank 4 or so ounces at each feeding.

In the big picture, if your son is hungry, he will let you know. So don't worry! Whichever way you are giving him your breast milk, it is better than formula! Good luck!

Answer 3

The baby is much better at producing milk than the pump. The time you feed makes a significant difference on how much you produce. I always produced alot of milk in the morning because my body was well rested. At night, she was eating less so my body was producing less. In the early evening I had a particulary hard time producing milk because I was tired and going all day and it seemed to be the time when she wanted to eat the most. My pediatrician also told me that the pump only produces a small amount of what the baby is actually getting, because she is able to use her tongue and suck more efficiently. There is no way to actually tell, but she suggested that the pump probably only produces half of what the baby can suck. This is especially true for women who are still learning how to pump and that what they pump may be even less than half.

Answer 4

The amount of milk all depends on how often you express/feed. The more you do it the more milk is produced. If you want to keep giving your baby breast milk either via bottle or breast you need to keep up expressing as often as the baby needs it. You should do is about every 3-4 hours for about 15mins a side. You should probably only do 1 side at a time and alternate throught out the day. ie do left side first up and then at next feed to right side. Expressing is a lot of work but if you have the time and patience it works. Good luck...

Answer 5

He gets way more actually latching on. Babies are "designed" to be perfect little milk extractors. ;) With the pump, there are many variables that determine how much milk you get, such as your letdown reflex, the pump's strength, and how long you do it. I know that I could never get much with a pump with my second child, but he was getting plenty from me. With my first, I started pumping very early on and was able to get 16 ounces at a time sometimes. It just depends on if your breasts are "conditioned" to the pump. It has nothing to do with how much you're producing or how much he's getting.

I have no idea how much he's getting versus the machine, but as long as he seems content after a feeding and is having plenty of wet and poopy diapers, he should be getting enough from the breast. That's what I loved about breastfeeding-they always knew how much they needed and I never had to "force" them to eat based on how much I thought they needed or how much was left in the bottle. Good luck!

Answer 6

The best time to pump is after the baby has nursed. That way it is already flowing and you are increasing the supply for next time. It shouldn't be an either/or choice. The pumped milk can supplement your own when it is inconvenient to nurse. The only way to know how much he is getting is to weigh him before and after. It's easier just to observe if he's thriving and gaining.
If you get too concerned with all this, the milk will not "let down" as readily and you are both losers.
Women have been nursing babies since Eve, so relax and enjoy.

Answer 7

that is why a lot of moms worry if they get enough. I have a new born 3 months and still breastfeeding(longest time ever)I have two others. I was worry but to be honest pediatrician said to only have her on for 10-15 each side but I just let her eat as long as she wants(she does spit up a lot cause of it though) at least I know she is getting full. I think more on the breast babies are much more efficent than a breastpump I have experience with both.

Answer 8

Thats impossible to say.

Some women have great success with a pump, and some don't.

I can only get 1 or 2 oz at a time, but i know there is alot more in there.

He is possibly getting more at the breast... but that is irrelavent as he will eat as much as he needs reguardless. The breast is never empty... so even if he continues to nurse after the inital letdown, he will still be getting drops, and sometimes a subsequent letdown.

What is it that you are trying to accomplish?

Answer 9

Ive read they get more from the breast. So they get more from the breast then the pump does. This was my experience also, I could pump more at times where the baby actually feeds then when I soley pumped - like at work.

However, how much they get from the bottle vs the breast probably depends on how much they like bottle feeding, the nipple size, etc.

You could probably just compare the two different pumping sessions for your last question.

Answer 10

I asked my Dr the same question and he states that the baby can usually get a little bit more from nursing. When you pump it all depends if you are relaxed enough, if you are hurrying, and if you are giving yourself enough time to let down. When you nurse the baby makes your body produce a hormone that helps you relax and so you let down much easier but it takes practice for you to do that when you are pumping. Hang in there you are doing a good job and congratulations on the little one.