First-time breastfeeding Mommy?

Question

Hi everyone. I recently gave birth to my second child on Monday and he came at 32 weeks. I am trying to breastfeed him (I did not BF with my first) and I just want to make sure I'm pumping right. My son is in the NICU so I have to pump. I'm trying to get my supply started and I have a little, but I'm only getting about 15 ML altogether at each pumping session. I'm using an Evenflo Double Electric Pump. After my milk comes completely in, how much should I be getting if I pump for 20 minutes? Also, do I need to wake up through out the night to pump or would I be okay if i pumped before bed and as soon as I woke up? Any information is greatly appreciated as I have no idea what to expect nor do I know what exactly I'm doing. Thanks in advance!!

BTW - I'm not only pumping to start my supply, but to take into the NICU for my baby.

Answer 1

Congratulations. Sorry about the NICU business.

You should pump AT LEAST as often as your son would be eating. That means waking throughout the night and so on.

I have seen dodgy reviews for that pump -- it might be worth renting a better one from the hospital for the time being.

The best nursing info on-line is unquestionably at http://kellymom.com/ . (It is the only site I've ever donated more than a token amount of money to, I was so grateful...) Which oddly isn't loading right now, but. See what she has to say about preemies and pumping -- it should answer pretty much every question you have.

If you end up needing help/support beyond what you can get on-line, check out La Leche League (http://llli.org/ ) and/or look for a lactation consultant -- but make sure it's a certified consultant and not a hospital nurse with a half hour of extra training; a lot of the breastfeeding bothers people here run into seem to have their origins with misinformation from hospital nurses.

You can also look into a "supplemental nursing system" if you are still in a position of having to supplement when you can get him to latch. There are pictures here:

http://www.breastfeedingbasics.org/cgi-bin/deliver.cgi/content/Problems/sup.html

http://drjacknewman.com/ is an excellent source of info, too, and Dr Newman's book is tops.

Answer 2

Everyone is different and every baby is different so its not really something I can tell you as far as how many ounces. I am sure that the NICU has a lactation specialist or knows one that could help you out. Getting support close by is a major help so if you can check into it. I would recommend pumping every 1 1/2 hours as that is probably how often your baby will feed once he comes home. You don't want to minimize your milk supply and not meet baby's demand. I would set an alarm. Its tiring but a necessity for you to meet babies growing demand for nutrition. If baby is in the NICU - breastfeeding is the best gift you can give him for a healthy life. I would recommend 25 minutes for feedings because you really need to fully relax. Later on when your milk comes in and you train yourself to use the pump it will come in way less time. You can email me if you want because I was a first time breastfeeder that had complications. For sure do it every 1 1/2 hours. You can buy freezer bags and store it also so you can have back up. Good luck with everything.

Answer 3

Yes OF COURSE you have to pump in the middle of the night. That way your body knows what to do. It keeps a consistency, otherwise the demand is low and your body will most likely not produce well or start to stop. Since he's so young I wouldn't imagine you making much more than an ounce. 15ml = 1/2 oz so I think you're fine. As time goes by and he's able, start breastfeeding because you're supply will need to go up as he needs more milk. Maybe your pumping will help make more. Double pumping is said to increase supply sometimes. Keep it up!

BTW newborns eat every 1-3 hours, average about 2hrs. I would say the best schedule is just that (every 2hrs). I think 4 would be too long and 3 may be fine but if you want to make sure you keep making that milk and possibly increase it, I would do it every 2.

Answer 4

I depends. The first few days is only colostrum which is significantly less than milk, but vitamin fortified. once your milk comes in, you will know it. A baby should be eating 1 oz per 2.5 lbs of body weight every 2-3 hours. This may be more/less for a premie. I never did researrch on a premie. Milk supply is supply/demand. IF you pump more, you will produce more. If you pump less, you will produce less. When I was breastfeeding I had to feed every 3-4 hours or I would leak (burst almost) all over and my boobs felt like they would explode. If you can get through the night wihtout pumping, then good for you. Ask the nurses if they are supplementing with formula. If so, then you obviously need to pump more (and include at night)

Answer 5

Congratulations on your new baby!

The amount you get from each pumping session matters less than how often you pump. Also, be aware that pumping is not as efficient as a baby nursing, so you may not necessarily get a lot out that way, and the amount you do get isn't necessarily an indicator of how much milk you will have once your son is able to nurse. I had plenty of milk, but could never pump more than a tiny bit.

If you have a La Leche League group in your area, they are a great source of help and support. Here's some info. from their site on pumping for a premature baby:

http://www.llli.org/FAQ/prempump.html

Answer 6

Since your baby is in the NICU, you should be able to have access to a hospital grade pump. These are designed to help you establish your supply. I would recommend you looking into using one. While your pump will probably be great once you have more milk, the hospital pumps really are great while you get things started.

I would recommend you wake up at least every 4 hours at night to pump. This will help increase your supply.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Congratulations on the birth of your son!
You want to treat pumping just like you would feed your child, pump every 2 hours, each breast. You can get storage bags for breast milk at any store, they take up a lot less room than storing it in bottles. You can also freeze milk for the future.
At first you may not get very much but that is ok, just keep up with it and you will produce more. There is a lot of helpful info about breast feeding at www.breatfeeding.com

Answer 8

15 mil is sufficient, most pumps are not as efficient as a baby, and at 32 weeks, 15 mil will be fine for a feeding. when your milk comes in you may be able to pump more.

my sister had a 31 week preemie, she pumped for the 6 weeks he was in the nicu, as well as the first few weeks he was home (nursing tired him out, he would go blue in the face after a few minutes). it took time, but she was eventually able to breastfeed fulltime and drop the pump. good luck!

Answer 9

On the bus, at the store, in my MIL's living room (with her taking notes)... but I think reasonable people understand that babies must eat a lot and a quiet baby is better than a crying one! I never covered up more than just wearing a nursing shirt, as I didnt want to cover my girl's head while she was eating. I never went to the bathroom for the set-up and take-down part either, I just lifted my shirt a bit. No one can see a thing once you get the action down. I was lucky not to get any poor comments either, not from someone seeing me breastfeed. Is was the comments that came from nowhere for people that just knew that I did that were bothersome, especially when she got a bit older (and by this I mean 6 ths). Ignore any of this, and do your own thing - that makes you and your baby happy.

Answer 10

They should be able to help you with alot of your concerns at the hospital. As for your supply, it will continue to increase the more you pump and you must be consistent. So yes, wake up at night to pump.

Good Luck and just hang in there, it will be so worth it.