Milk Supply and Pumping

You have a LOT of advice so I'll keep it short. My Dr. recommend I pump one side while my son fed on the other. I have the same pump you do. It is a little hard at first but it gets easier. Good luck.

I have the Medela Advanced Pump In Style If you get a prescription from your OB AND buy it in a hospital, you can save alot of $$. I bought mine for $295 total. The prescription just saves you tax. And for kicks they send it to insurance to see if by chance they'll cover any portion. But at the least it will save you tax (if you buy one from a hospital). And hospitals have better prices. Or at least Medical City did. I've been pumping since she was a month old. She's 7 1/2 months now. At first, I was so concerned about supply and only getting a little bit, so I started pumping more often. But my pediatrician advised that I try and just pump longer each time but not more often. So I increased it by 5 minutes each time and pumped 15 minutes each time and my supply just began to increase. It would take a few days, but it eventually did. And as she got older, my supply would also just increase on it's own as well. Also, I drank Mothers Milk Organic Tea, and I truly believed that helped also. Good luck! I got stressed out with breastfeeding early on when she was about a month old, and decided to pump. I stay at home, but for some reason this has worked for us. I wish I would have had more information going into breastfeeding so that I could have stuck with it longer before going to solely pumping. But, next time i know!

To increase your milk supply you need to nurse more often or you can pump more often. If you intend to pump on a regular basis, I would suggest renting a hospital grade pump. I rented one from a online dealer, and it has been wonderful. You may be only getting an ounce from each breast right now, but just the act of pumping is telling your body to produce more milk. Your supply will increase shortly.

The best thing to match your milk supply to your baby's needs is to feed your child on demand, your milk supply will increase due to the constant stimulation. Since your baby is only 5 weeks old, your milk supply is probably not totally established. My son nursed every 1.5 to 2 hours until he was 2 months old.

You might call your ob and ask if you can start drinking "Mother's Milk" tea from Traditional Medicinals. You can order it online or find it at most health food stores that carry those teas and even some grocery stores. Call ahead and ask if they have it. When my milk supply was low, my ob told me to drink two cups a day. I think the instructions on the box say to drink three to four cups so that's why I mention you should call and ask your ob what they recommend. It really worked for me. Good luck! :-)

I would call your hospital and rent a hospital-grade double pump. The difference is unbelievable. I can't believe they sell single pumps - such a waste of time. After a few days with the double, you will need to buy freezer bags, because you will be pumping so much. Good luck!!!

Hi A.,

Nursing is all about supply and demand. By supplementing with formula, you are telling your body not to produce milk for that feeding. Just feed your baby whenever he is hungry (unfortunately, at his age it will be about every 2-4 hours). Exhausting, yes, but it won't last forever and it is the best thing for him. If you feed him directly as much as possible and save the pump only for situations where you're full and he's sleeping, the two of you will get into a rhythym that will work for you. I would suggest getting a good book about breastfeeding...it really helped me though I can't remember any titles at the moment. Just check your local bookstore or possibly library.

Also, make sure you keep your nutriton level as high as possible so you keep production up and it's the highest quality milk. For an easy way to do that, visit my website. And remember, don't give up! It will get easier, I promise.

Fondly,

M.
www.GoodHealthMadeSimple.com

A.,

On the Medela website it mentions using an herbal supplement called Fenugreek. I got mine at GNC, took it twice a day, and it helped. I have also looked into Milk Aid. I think you can only get it online though. Also, lots of water and protein.

Best of luck
T.

A. - You need to STOP supplementing with formula immediately. All you are doing is telling your body not to produce more milk.

Around this time, a baby goes through a growth spurt and to accomodate that growth, a baby wants to nurse more...which is how your body knows to increase your supply. When my daughter was 5 weeks, it was just before Christmas, and I remember trying to shop but she wanted to nurse almost constantly. What I found helpful was to get a baby carrier (Mai Tai) so that I could move around and she could nurse.

Remember that you body can make milk on demand AND that you baby can get out milk even if you get nothing from a pump. So don't worry, just relax and nurse.

If you do continue to pump (I did to build a supply for when I returned to work), keep in mind that initially you will get very little. Just combine milk from various pumping sessions. As you become more comfortable and your body adjusts, you pumping output WILL increase.

I hope this helps! I successfully nursed exclusively till DD was 15 months and I was the first of my friends to be a full time working & nursing mom. I continue to support and give advice to my friends who nurse. It's not always as easy as sticking a bottle in baby's mouth, but SO much more rewarding!

Congratulations! I have 6 week old twin boys and actually went through this same thing around week 3. Make sure you are getting enough water and plenty to eat. The pump you have is probably fine. Thanks to the great ladies on here and all there wonderful ideas I use the Fenugreek pills and they do help! Good luck and Congratulations again!

The more you supplement with formula, the less milk you will produce. It is supply and demand. If he is still hungry he should breastfeed more, you will produce more milk.

A pump will NEVER get as much milk as your son can.

Hi Dear,
Good work and you can drink natural tea called Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea....It`s best and works quick naturally;)

A., I soooo feel your frustration. I have had a really difficult time with breastfeeding. I finally feel like I have turned the corner. I of course met with the lactation consultants in my hospital. Then I met with a lactation consultant at my peditrician's office. I ended up going to a La Leche League meeting (and I've continued to go). They have a great message board too. I'm always reading the posts for extra confidence. My Lewisville chapter gave me the name of a lacation consultant that I really attribute to my continued breastfeeding. Wendy, at www.babybirthandyou.com really saved me. She come to my house for $75 and spent 2 hours with me. She taught me proper latch on in all of the places I would want to nurse in my house including my bed. She also weighed my baby before and after each breast to determine how much he was taking in. She also gave me coded paperwork to submit to my insurance company. I went to a follow up appt at her house for $45. She is wonderful! Here'e what I've learned from everything so far. As for the Mother's Milk tea... the main ingrediant that increases milk in the Mother's Milk tea is Fenugreek. You most likely won't get enought Fenugreek in order to significanty increase milk supply. You can buy the capsules at most GNCs and Vitamin stores. You need to take about 6-9 a day. You will know if you are taking enough because you start to smell like maple sryup. I know, very odd. I felt like a walking IHOP. Also, eating Oatmeal is an amazing milk increaser. If you are putting cabbage leaves on your breast for pain this may reduce milk supply. Wendy told me to pump after my morning feedings to help increase my supply. The breast typically has more milk in the morning. She told me to keep pumping for at least 10 minutes even if I'm not getting anything. This was for nipple stimulation which increases milk supply. I was told that supplementation is ok as long as you are also pumping. In other words, every time you give a formula bottle... pump. It's all about supply and demand. The breast will think that you don't need the milk if you frequently skip breast feedings. This has been a real journey for me, and I continue to have doubts. But, I think that I am coming along now. My beautiful son is 7 weeks old now! Good luck!

A.,

I was able to increase my milk supply tremendously by pumping. Although a baby's suckling is more efficient and effective than a pump, the baby does not eat frequently enough. For a significant increase, you should pump in addition to breastfeeding your baby. Also, it helps to use a hospital grade pump such as the Medela Lactina or Symphony. From personal experience, I was able to increase my milk supply so much that I donated several gallons to the milk bank over a 4 month period.

Good luck!
K

Yes, a double pump will help save you time for sure. Look at www.pumpingmoms.org for other advice.

K.

Hi A.,

I don't have much advice for you, because I have the opposite problem - oversupply! I know that may not sound like a problem, but it is. The baby chokes, gags, etc. while nursing, and it's awful. I've finally gotten mine under control by "block nursing" which is nuring on only one side for 6 hours and then switching.

I know there are ways to increase your supply also though. I think pumping more frequently would be one way and do invest in a good quality pump for that, because friends have told me that it is a must to have a good pump (hospital grade) in order to get enough milk out.

I also have a friend who says that her milk seemed to be the most plentiful and filling with her youngest baby, and the only thing she did differently was eat more high protein, high fat foods such as those found in the book Nourishing Traditions.

Not sure if that helps you at all, but don't give up :) I'm sure others on here will have more advice for you. You can also call a lactation consultant at your local hospital and ask there. I delivered my son at Baylor Medical in Grapevine, and they offer a lactation consultant by phone for any breastfeeding questions. I bet you could call and ask to find out more ideas!

Good luck!

A., I have a 14 week old baby boy and I also breastfeed & pump. Here is what I do: Rent from the hospital lactation dept. a Medela double electric pump. Double pumping will save you time 2) keep hydrated meaning drink a lot more water than you normally do - this has really helped my milk supply 3) a few times a day pump after you actually breastfeed him - I think this stimulates milk production. I also supplement w/formula but what I do is mix them. So I will give him 3 oz breastmilk in a bottle w/2oz formula. Good luck!

The lactation consultant told me that the pump will not increase my supply the way a baby would so if I could just breastfeed my daughter as much as I could that she was feeding so frequently so that my milk supply would increase to where she was satisfied without having to feed to often. I too tried the mothers milk tea as well as some herbal vitamins that I wish I could remember the name of for you. I was also told that peanut butter worked but that could be and old wives tale lol. If you want to try another pump I would rent one from the hospitals lactation consultants first. That way you don't spend a ton more $$$ just to have it be the same outcome. :) Good luck! Even if you can't what you are giving your child now I know makes a huge difference! Some is better than nothing and I commend you for trying to give as much as you could or can! :)

i see you've already gotten lots of advice already - all i can say is don't give up! it helped me to pump as soon as i felt the milk let down - it was very quick for me from that point - i believe i have the same pump except i do it manually - it has worked great for me so far - to increase my supply i was pumping all the time - especially at night - that really helped - my little girl would never get a full feeding in so i would pump all of it first and then feed her the bottle - it not only helped increase my supply, but she also ate more and slept longer!!! good luck!

Hi! Congratulations on your new baby!

I don't have any advice regarding the pump, however I hope to help you with your supply questions.

Breastfeeding is all about supply and demand, so by supplementing with formula, you might just be decreasing your supply. Nurse your baby as often as possible to increase your supply and don't use any bottles on an ongoing basis. You can also take fenugreek to increase supply (ask an employee at a health store for details as I've never taken this supplement).

Also, note that your baby is much more efficient than your pump, so your output with the pump really isn't a good indication of how much milk you are making.

Here are some websites with great breastfeeding info:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T020100.asp

Both sites have great sections on supply!

Also, ask the hospital where you delivered if they have a Lactation Consultant. She may be able to help you.

Good luck! I hope you can continue breastfeeding! It is one of my passions. :)

A.,
For milk supply make sure you are drinking enough water (you should get at least 75% of your body weight in ounces of water a day). This is a big mistake I see a lot of my moms make, they just simply don't drink enough. Then, make sure you are getting enough to eat. You should have something every 2 hrs. And, your protein intake needs to be higher than when not nursing and/or pregnant. So snack on high protein foods and add some protein to each of your meals. Kathy O'Brien is a good friend of mine, and she is an excellent source for breastfeeding advice. Her website is www.kathyobrien.org, you may want to get on there and get her # and call her. She also teaches classes at Babies R Us on nursing that are excellent. Feel free to email me if you have more questions, there are some good supplements you can take too. Hope this helps!
C

Hi A.,

You've gotten lots of good suggestions so far. You might want to consider also contacting a local la leche league group (www.lalecheleague.org) - they were instrumental in helping me with all the BF problems I encountered. I too had to supplement my first child, but the big problem with that is that has a big, negative impact on your milk supply as the baby won't want to nurse as often, thus your milk supply actually falls further and further behind their needs when you supplement with formula. I was never a successful pumper and believe the stat that it's only 20% as efficient as the baby. So, as others have already said, just nurse more frequently and yes, it is hard to spend days at a time with that baby constantly attached (or seeming so), but the payback latter is tremendous. I was where you are at 6 weeks and it took me til he was 3 months to totally remove the formula.

Be well,
M. B.

If you're trying to establish a feeding schedule, I'd switch to demand feeding for a while. The more frequent nursing will increase your milk supply much better than a pump will. And besides, he's several weeks away from actually responding to a feeding schedule. He should naturally even out to some sort of routine around 12 weeks.

Dear A.:
Congratulations on your sweet baby!
Since breastfeeding is supply/demand, you need to first of all understand that every ounce of artificial breastmilk (formula) you give him, that is one ounce of the real thing that he will not demand! :-)

At between 4-6 weeks babies go through a growth spurt and demand more feedings for a period of about 3-4 days to increase the supply of breastmilk.
With the use of your pump and allowing him to nurse longer and more frequently, you can slowly build your supply.

Determine that for the next 3-4 days you will take a mini-vacation from life on the outside. Hang out in your jammies with your tiny man and allow him to nurse, nurse, nurse. You take some time to lounge in bed while he nurses, watch some girlie TV and movies and take naps together. Make sure you're getting your healthy diet and plenty of fluids, just to keep you feeling good.

When you pump, you will never SEE as much as baby actually gets. When he's latched on your breast, the hormone flow works between the two of you to provide more milk than having a plastic funnel attached to your boob! You hardly ever have love hormones (oxytocin) for a Medela :-) but as you gaze at your son nursing away, the hormones flow and so does the precious milk.
So what you SEE in pumping is probably about 1/3 of what he GETS when he nurses.

Against popular opinion, allowing a baby to "use" you as a pacifier is actually a God-given right - and is pretty smart because it causes you to produce more milk later.

Feel free to contact me off-list if you wish to visit more. I'm ____@____.com ...
Best Wishes!
love,
B.

You can rent a good double pump for around $50 a month. I rented one for 2 months with my first one since he had to stay in the NICU for 2 weeks after delivery.

With my second it was harder to BF and I noticed my milk supply was a lot less than with my first. I would nurse and when my 2YO was acting up, I would pump really quick and give her a bottle. I still nursed or pumped every 3 hours most of the time. My milk supply just wasn't there. I talk to my OBGYN about it and he allowed me, along with my pediatrician, to take a compounded med to increase milk supply called Domperidone. That save my life with BF and pumping. That is just my opinion though.

Keep on breastfeeding and pumping, drink lots of water, and don't stress out over it because that will decrease your milk supply. You can also try Mother's Milk tea.

Good Luck and Congrats on the new baby.

The lactation nurses at my hospital told me to try fenugreek taking 2 capsuls with every meal for about 3 weeks then cut it down to 1 capsul with every meal. And if it still was not enoug of a milk supply then add blessed thistle. Both are herbs that you can get at most helth food stores. It worked for me for awhile but stress made it where almost nothing could get my supply up. My son was a premmie. but i have heard of many women that it worked great for.

Great Lactation consultant. Loved her worth every penny. Nursed my daughter for one year. Dabney
Judy Eastburn ###-###-####

You can take an herb called Fenugreek to increase your supply. It is totally safe and approved by Le Leche League. It really helps. Also, I have an AMEDA, Purely yours, breast pump. I love it. I had never used a Medela until my youngest was born prematurely and that's what they had in the NICU to use. I quickly stopped and started using my own, because I got more milk with the AMEDA. It's hard to find them around here, but there are several online sources. The good thing about that brand, too, is that you can purchase it without the bag if you want and it's significantly cheaper. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that if you are supplementing with formula, your milk supply will never match his needs. It truly is a supply and demand thing and if he's not trying to get it all from you, you won't make enough for him.

Get on the Le Leche League web site and find a lactation consultant near you. They are VERY helpful.

Five weeks? He will want to nurse every 2 hrs...if you're not nursing to demand your milk supply will begin to dwindle..I suggest continuing nursing until your milk supply is well established (usually within 3-4 mo). Your baby naturally nurses more often when approaching a growth spurt so that you will make enough to keep them satisfied as they grow..interfering with this could interfere with your milk production...if you are deciding to pump, you need to pump at the same time every day..this will build your supply...also, check out your breastfeeding resources as www.kellymom.com and your local La Leche League

If you would like to continue breastfeeding and aren't because you think you aren't making enough milk, STOP FORMULA AND BOTTLE FEEDING IMMEDIATELY...if you want to continue breastfeeding, take 3 days in bed with your baby and nurse, nurse nurse...literally nurse EVERY time baby is hungry. This will build your supply. It is COMPLETELY normal that your 5 wk old is very hungry. This does not mean your body/breasts are malfunctioning. I've nursed 3 kids and all three have eaten differently (from the same breasts LOL). You are doing great, just listen to your baby and you'll be fine!

I am about to sell my Medela double electronic breast pump. I think I paid around $300? It is the backpack style, very cute and comes with alot!! Let me know if you wanted to get a used one, as I was going to ebay it for around $125.

Hi A.!

Keep up the good work nursing your baby boy! Babies go through major growth spurts at 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months give or take a few days. It sounds like he's definitely going through a growth spurt and the best thing you can do is to nurse him as often as he wishes. The more he nurses the more your supply will increase. I took More Milk Plus, which I believe is the same as Mother's Milk that one other mom mentioned. I think you may be able to get it at some healthfood stores. I got mine from a lactation consultant that worked at the hospital where my son was born. Don't be too concerned this early about the amount of milk you yield from pumping. Pumping is not nearly efficient as the baby is at getting all the milk out. I read on a nursing baby website once that even if you're a really good pumper, pumps can only get out about 20% of the milk that is supplied. I think the website was www.nursingbaby.com. Oh, and you can buy the milk supply supplement there too. Feel free to email PM me should you have any questions. Best wishes for you and your precious baby boy!!

Pump, Pump, Pump. I would invest in a good double pump. I used the Medela Pump in Style. It's costly, but worth it. The best time to pump is in the am. I would also pump at night. Also the more feedings your son takes and the longer you let him feed will help increase your supply.

Hi A.,
I also ran into this issue. What my lactation consultant told me is that to remember they go through a growth spurt around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, etc. At those times, they nurse ALOT. As your milk supply increases they will slow down because they are finally balanced. Also, like many suggested, drink plenty of water and if you can, nap when he does.
Good Luck!!
A. B

A. ,
I ran a daycare for 16 yrs and nursed both of my boys. The pump you have is great. I would advise you to tank up on water alot of it !!!
Do not mistake his crys for hunger though, some times you may want to try to stall him in between feedings and see if you can stretch him a little bit. My first son was a horse !! LOL
I felt like all I did was nurse. I had to wind up starting him on cereal at 2 months just to pacify him from his hunger.
Best of luck on your precious gift.
L. T.

I also had trouble making enough milk. Drink lots of water and you can also get a herb supplement that is called Fenugreek. It is available at places like Market Street or Whole Foods. Take it twice a day and it naturally increases your milk supply.

I am sure your pump is fine. Medela is one of the best. I am still nursing my 15 month old. And plan to continue through this pregnancie. What I have learned through 3 of my own children and some research is that pumping will never produce the amount of milk that nursing will. Try keeping him at the breast longer. If all he wants to do is nurse then let him. He will increase your supply for you. Trust me, you will notice within a few days. Other great things to try too is the Mothers Milk Tea. An herbal supplement called Fenegreek, and Oatmeal. All of the above worked for me.
Good Luck Mamma, and good Job giving your baby such a great start.

there are these pills called more milk plus they are at whole foods and can also be found on ebay. they are a little cheaper there. i also have the double medela pump in style advanced for sale. it is over 300 at bru. it needs new hoses because i lost mine in route from work and home. it is in perfect condition. i have the cooler bag and ice pack. i also have the bottles and extra bottles. and caps. i have found that the best method of freezing is the gerber bags. lay them down flat to freeze them. they defrost fastest and store the best that way. the double pump is better. you pump alot faster that way. at 4 weeks i started pumping 4 times a day and my supply jumped so quickly plus he his a growth spurt and i had to pump 6 times a day to deal with leaking. aslo dont supplement with formula unless you notice a drop in weight. he is getting enough. i worried like crazy and he doubled in weight by 8 weeks. the office told me i had buttermilk. let me know if you need anything or if you want the pump. offer a fair price and let me know.
karen

Be sure you're drinking PLENTY of water. I always had a problem pumping... but my little guy was getting plenty. Supplementing him with formula is probably reducing your supply. The best way to build up your supply is to feed him whenever he is hungry. It may be that he'll get 2 ounces every hour and a half or so, but that's plenty for him!

Congrats on your baby.

Your pump is one of the best out there. You don't need a new pump.

Supplimenting with a new born WILL hurt your supply. I know he is constantly hungry, but that is how newborns are. They can stay on the breast for long periods of time. I felt mine was attached all the time. Hours at a time. It's part of breastfeeding. No, you can't get much done, but it's a sacrifice for you so your child get THE BEST FOOD HE CAN GET/HAVE.

Also, what you get in your pump is no indication of your supply. But Oatmeal is a GREAT supply booster. The REAL Oatmeal, not instant.

Good luck.

I use the same pump. It is wonderful. What I did is pumped every two hours for a few days. This increased the milk enough to start to really flow. Then I maintained a regular pumping schedule that can be changed once in a while. But if you feel you need more then one or two days pumpng a couple hours helps.
Hope this helps. Good Luck.

I used the Medela pump in style (I believe it is a much stronger pump) than what you are using. It costs around $300, but it is a breast pump that most moms use for pumping while at work or exclusive pumping like I had to with my first child who would not nurse. You also might want to speak with your ob to see if they would recommend any medications to increase your milk production. If you are pumping in between breastfeeding him, it would not surprise me if you weren't getting much, especially if he's feeding pretty often. If you were not breastfeeding and only pumping, than 1 oz isn't that much. Perhaps your milk production isn't enough and that's why he is so hungry. I never did produce as much milk pumping in comparison to when I breast fed, but that is only my personal experience. If you are not getting much during pumping, be careful, the less you breastfeed/get while pumping, the more your milk supply could decrase.I would highly recommend you speak to your doctor about this. I'm sorry to say there isn't much support for moms who choose to pump/have to pump - I find there's really only support for moms who exclusively breastfeed.

Hi A.,
COngrats on your new baby. I have a 9 months who is 24lbs. He was a hungry baby so I nursed on demand while I was on maternity leave. I am a working mom so I pump 3x a day and nurse him when I get home. I have learned(as this is my second one) that the more you pump/nurse the more you produce. I was fortunate enough to produce so much milk that to this date I have donated 5000 ozs to the Mother Milk Bank. You can do it, it just takes time to get used to it. I have the Medela Pump IN Style Double electric. It is a great pump as I have had thru 2 children. Also, remember to drink lots of water,.

Good luck!
J.

I have a Medela double pump if you would like it. It has been through 2 kids but still works wonderfully. I also have the car charger. You will need to buy the plastic parts that go over the breast , I have been told that some lactation places will give them to you for free. Contact me if you would like it. I would be happy to donate it as I feel so strongly about giving your baby breast milk - it really is the best thing.

M.

I will say this. Pumping often causes your milk to dry up FASTER. Sounds crazy I know but I also enjoyed giving the milk out of a bottle and I was only allowed to pump for about 2 months. When I tried to re-introduce the breast...she wouldn't take it.
I had a hospital grade pump and it doesn't really matter the pump it matters the BREAST! Sounds like you've got a good pump. You might call the breast feeding support number they gave you at the hospital...LeLeche? I think? By the time I called it was too late for me but they might have some more ideas for you.