Pumping Breastmilk - Houston,TX

I had the same issue... almost double out of one side than the other. I read every possible remedy to help increase supply, including everything mentioned below and found that eating steel cut oats/Irish oatmeal every day made a huge improvement in my supply. With just one day not eating oatmeal had about 1 oz decrease. Water was also very important, as others have noted. Best of luck!

The other posts are all great advice. I found that if I pumped as soon as I got up (even before my shower) that I could get 4oz on on and 6 on the other. My son favored one breast over the other so I had to try really hard to work on the right side. Good Luck and don't give up!

This post is a little long but will hopefully help any moms out there having a hard time with breastfeeding and /or are looking to increase low milk supply - it is a summary of the therapy given by a lactation consultant/ peditrician after several $250 consultations.

C., right off the bat, having a different amount of milk is completely normal. The best pump is your baby - they can get a whole lot more out than any machine, so if you can increase nursing when you get back from work or before you leave, this will help.

In my case, I was hospitalized for a week following a difficult birth and my son wasn’t able to nurse so my milk almost dried up. He was low in weight as well. This is what I did to recover it with the help of an excellent lactation consultant/ pediatrician - it covers possible causes, supplements and diet that increase milk quality and supply, nursing and pumping schedule, and tips to help make baby and you enjoy nursing.

HOW TO GET BABY TO ACCEPT NURSING

Our biggest obstacle was getting him back to the breast at six weeks of age, as he was used to the bottle and to the nipple shield. If he was hungry he would reject the breast.

To get around this, the doctor suggested only breastfeeding when the baby was happy, so that nursing would be a pleasant experience for both mom and baby. This is easier said than done, of course. While doing this therapy, these were the instructions I received.

* Never nurse your baby when he's starving, as it may become an unpleasant experience for the baby and it will stress you to boot.

* Try to feed frequently and on demand - about every 2-3 hrs was right for my son. Waiting 4 or 5 hours between feedings is Ok only if the baby is on formula exclusively or asleep (do not wake them) - breastfed babies must be fed more frequently. If you can, pump after you nurse to increase milk production.

* Engorgement is not a sign of good milk production – it’s a sign that you’re waiting too long to nurse. Milk will NOT build up and increase supply – rather, it will signal your body to produce less milk. So nurse frequently (every 2-3 hours) around the clock (yep, no one ever told me this before) to keep up the milk supply (but only if baby wakes up, otherwise pump).

* If you supplement, give small amounts of formula, in line with how much he would take in if nursing. A 5 or 6 oz bottle is way too much if you are also breastfeeding - it expands the baby's tummy (which is the size of his fist) and if you nurse him later, you can't compete. Try 2-3 oz of formula at a time (in my case I sometimes supplement after feeding as my left side has no milk).

* Before nursing, give an ounce or so of formula if the baby's very hungry to take the edge off the hunger. Then offer the breast. Do this at first only and keep pumping, the idea is only to calm the baby a little.

I also had problems with very slow flow and low supply (measured, it took 300 pumps to get 1 1/2 - 2 oz of milk over 20-30 minutes - it is now 50-80 pumps in 5 minutes for the same volume). It's also normal to not be able to pump much even if you have a lot of milk (some women can't get anything at all) - the best pump is always your baby!

To help solve it:

* Fenugreek herbal supplements (1-2 capsules per meal) - only if OK'd by your doctor if you have a history of diabetes. Otherwise, high protein meals and milk help. You can try fenugreek tea as well but this was less effective.

* Avoid spearmint or any type of mint that may lower supply.

* Make sure the baby's positioned correctly. The baby's head should be halfway between your wrist and elbow, she should be facing you, and her body should be resting under the opposite breast (the baby should not be horizontal). Use a cushion or nursing pillow that can be molded (like the one from Sealy, sold for $14 at Bed, Bath & Beyond) to help support your arm and keep you from getting tired.

* Sit in a comfortable spot. I have a glider but don't use it anymore - I found a $20 backrest with armrests from Bed Bath & Beyond to be far more effective in supporting my back. I sit in bed and nurse my son.

Also, if you are using a Boppy, it is too high in some cases and holds the baby horizontally, as opposed to diagonally. A softer nursing pillow that you can adjust is better, but be careful with a young baby if she falls asleep.

* Keep pumping. Don't let more than 4 hours pass without pumping or nursing & pumping.

If you pump, it's possible that you'll get less breast milk than what the baby does while nursing (they're better at drawing milk). Likewise, breast milk is used more efficiently by the baby's body so they don't need as much of it as regular formula. So if you are pumping milk and it's less than the above guideline, don't worry, it's OK.

It's also possible that you may not be able to pump or don't get too much breast milk when you do, but that your baby can still nurse without problems. The only way to know if your milk supply is adequate is baby's weight gain. You can measure this accurately at home without a pediatric scale. We have a $69 Tanita BF681 digital floor scale at home with body fat measurement and calorie intake recommendation - I weigh myself with and without the baby, the difference is his weight. It's fairly accurate.

Although I give my son formula at night, I never wake him up. I wait for him to ask for formula (he'll still be hungry after nursing). Enjoy whatever time you have to sleep because you don't want to create new habits that you'll have to undo down the road. I feed my son at night only because I have to either pump or nurse at least every four hours to keep up my precarious milk supply. Other moms I know had their babies sleep through the night (some 10 hours) and said their bodies adjusted, even if they were still nursing.

On my own, this is what I discovered also helps.

* Keep your weight up. I got used to the belly fat and upper arms, thinking of it as padding for my son. I've kept on 20 lbs on purpose to help with breastfeeding, by eating 2200 calories a day (chicken, cheese, PBJ sandwiches, juices, mixed green salad, Nesquick cocoa w/ whole milk and Kushi granola bars are the basis of my diet).

* Bribe your baby with soft materials. I got cozy micro fleece or velour longing sets from Costco ($20 each) that my son loved to cuddle up to while nursing, and are good PJs to boot. Clothes also made a huge difference in my outlook - J Jill and Macy's Charter Club both sell great jeans and pants that are made of stretchy material that fits great and is very forgiving to the extra pounds. J Jill also has great velour tops (like velvet) that are machine washable and/or can be wiped off easily in case of spit up.

You can also try the following tips from baby books, in case the baby rejects the breast:

* Slow milk let-down- Milk may take up to 5 minutes to come down. Help the milk flow by using a warm compress or pump a little so that the baby doesn't have to work so hard to get some milk.

* Diet - strong foods (garlic, spicy food, cabbage) can alter the taste of the milk.

* A cold - if baby's stuffy, he simply can't eat and breathe at same time. Use vaporizer, saline drops (one small squirt of mist in each nostril, while baby's upright).

* Teething - but I think your baby's too young for this..

* Earache - if the baby's not eating in general, crying, tugging at its ear, has fever, etc. Call your doctor immediately.

* Thrush - if baby has fungal infection in mouth nursing may be painful.

* Hormonal change in you - if your period has come back or if you are pregnant (!) your hormones will change the taste of the milk.

* Tension in you -If you are worried or upset the baby will sense this.

* No reason in particular - it may just be an "off" day and she may not want to nurse.

* Too many distractions - TV, radio, people, etc. Go to a quiet, dim-lit room.

* Baby's ready for weaning - not likely this young though

* Allergies - if your diet includes milk (or you add it) see if this affects your baby in any way as it can sometimes give them gas. In my case, I can't drink more than 3 glasses a day (borderline lactose intolerant). It doesn't affect my son.

* Lastly, if you are right handed, you will likely produce more milk on your right side because this arm is stronger and you will probably have a firmer, more secure hold of your baby with your right arm. Whe you hold him with your left, it may be more akward and your baby will tend to nurse less time. Try changing the hold, with your baby tucked under your left arm in a football hold, on a pillow.

Whatever you do, don't take this personally if the baby doesn't want to nurse. There are a lot of causes for it and several things you can try.

And as always, if she doesn't nurse, or doesn't nurse much, pump afterwards so it doesn't affect your supply.

Hope this helps!

It is normal for different amounts to be pumped out of different breast.
The amount you pump depends on many many different things: the time frame in which your pumping ( are you pumping on his schedule for two minutes longer than that last drop comes out of the breast, leaving the cups on for the entire time on both sides, but not going past 30 minutes), if you are hydrated (drink a whole bottle of water ever time you pump, while you are pumping), the amount of stress you are under, your diet (are you taking in enough calories on a regular basis to make the milk) and genetics (some women make a lot of milk and some women dont), the machine you are using also matters. A pump in style is to use for approx. two pumpings a day with the baby breasting all the other times. A hospital grade pump is built to actually make your supply as a baby would if it were breasting each time each day. If you are using a manual or a cheaper pump it will not work as well at keeping your supply up, or getting the milk out.
Best of luck! You can always call a lacation consultant or your OB for help or suggestions!

I had a similar problem when I was pumping back in the day. First and foremost make sure you are drinking PLENTY of water everyday - its very important for milk production. The way I "trained" my breasts to produce more milk was to get the pump out every time I nursed the baby and would immediately pump after nursing even if hardly anything came out. Between 3-5 days I started producing more milk. Your body has a great way of only producing enough for the baby so you have to get creative when pumping. Plus it also helps to keep a really rigid pumping schedule if possible.

Of course every body is different - I hope this helps.

It is normal and many moms who are great milk producers do lousy pumping. What does help is fenugreek, lots of fluids and being confident and relaxed while pumping. If you are stressed or worried, it makes it harder for your milk to come down.

Another biggie: good breast pumps and the right size flanges for your nipples!

Keep up the good work!! :)

My breasts did the exact same thing! When I began breast feeding I favored one side because I was trying to avoid mastitis by emptying one breast that had a few small clogged ducts. For the entire 8 months of breast feeding, that breast always produced a little more (sometimes A LOT more). By chance, I discovered that the gap was decreased gradually as I pumped both breasts simultaneously when I was away at work (4 months - 8 months). Doing that twice daily must have encouraged my milk to even out a little. All that said, if you have the energy and time, try pumping both breasts simultaneously for a couple of feedings each day, then feed your baby that milk in a bottle. Over time, maybe that will encourage things to even out. Also, by emptying both breasts you will increase your milk supply. One other thing I found helpful when I couldn't pump enough for daycare, was to divide the breastmilk into the bottles needed, then make formula to top off those bottles. My doctor said it was fine to do and it was beneficial in many ways, particularly once we stopped breastfeeding because she was already used to the formula and had no stomach upset. Good luck!

The one that is pumping out the least milk, is the one you are most likely not breast feeding from often enough. When breast feeding start to offer that breast first and more often and the production should increase, during feeding and pumping. Also keep in mind that your pump outcome reflects your eating habits and stress level at the time you are doing it. At least this how it was for me.

I would recommend renting a hospital grade pump. It will be able to get a lot more milk than your standard double electric pump. You could try it for a month and then see if your supply is in a better place. If your regular pump can then produce as much milk, than you can discontinue the rental. If not, then the cost is still less than formula! Good luck and awesome job on the breastfeeding!

My right always produces more than my left, even when my left seems fuller. I don't know if it has to do with right/left hand dominance or maybe preference by the baby as to which one he/she nurses off longer?

I would not worry about it though. It's normal!

I always had this issue too (with both babies). One produced maybe a half oz and the other 3 oz. It's just due to your "duct work." :) It will probably always be that way and don't worry about it. If you need to increase your milk supply, in general, after your breasts are drained, pump another 3 minutes every time. This should stimulate your milk production. It's very normal and very common. Keep up the good work. I know the feeling of barely getting enough. Drink lots of water and just work on getting your supply up. Try to breastfeed your baby whenever you can (they are more efficient than the pump and will help increase your supply).

Just keep pumping. My daughter did this and her son who is 6 months old still has milk in the freezer, and her milk dried up at 3 months. Just eat well, drink plenty of water and pump regularly. My daughter pumped everytime her son ate.
She nursed her other 2 but didn't have an electric pump, which really does a better job. Hang in there. It's not real easy, but it's worthwhile.

That was completely normal for me, though mine was the opposite - my right side was the heavy producer.

The best way to increase production is demand. Either try pumping more frequently or have your child nurse more. People may recommend fenugreek or other products to increase production - few are clinically proven, and in my personal experience it really was the demand that increased my production.

However, my left simply never produced as much as my right.

See if your OB/GYN has a lactation consultant who may be able to help, too.

Good luck!

I agree with Dana, the best way to get more milk is to demand more! Also make sure your eating enough and getting enough fluids. I also found when I was pumping it helped to relax and read or watch a show and try to have it quiet.....easier said than done I know! If you are really concerned I would contact your dr or babies ped! Good luck!

S.

I have tried only 'using' one breast all day or all night and then at the end of the day/night, the other breast is full and it's easier to pump more. You could also do half a day/night, too, of course.

i had same thing. son in day care and was pumping at work at 6 months. produced more milk on right and i was also more comfortable bfing on right side so i ended up just feeding/pumping on one side. i did this for 1 year-today my son's 1st birthday and i am stopping. i made enough milk and was lopsided for the year but did not care. could not tell in clothes anyway. its totally normal...