Pumping Enough??

Baby is much more efficient at getting milk out and stimulating the breast, so women who are pumping will sometimes have a supply decrease.

You may want to consider renting a hospital grade pump as they tend to be more efficient. You cna get them from a lactation consultant and some pharmacies and home health stores. good luck!

Congrats L. on the new baby! I just had my 3rd on 8/16/06.

I agree w/Bethany...wait for let down & you should have no prob. I too use the Isis hand pump from Avent & have for my other 2, as well. I also can understand how the pics work because when I see my little girl & get all ticked, then comes let down.

Good Luck!
C.

Prior to the 8 week mark, women actually usually make more milk than is needed, then around that time your supply starts to level off more. So that might be what is happening. You have got a lot of good suggestions there. I pumped for my son until he was 14 months and for the early time I pumped 3x a day for 15-20 min and it always seemed to be enough. When I was a little short what I thought he might need, I would try to pump a little extra at some other time and I always kept some extra in the freezer. Whatever you do, don't supplement because it will make the issue worse in the long run. Make sure if you take fenugreek that you are taking enough, cause most women don't. It has to actually make your sweat/urine smell like maple syrup or it is not enough. A great resource is www.kellymom.com...they have dosage on there I am sure. Also oatmeal helps with supply as well. The tea prob won't do much for you cause it is just basically a weaker form of fenugreek with a couple other things thrown in.

Try not to think about how much you are getting. Bring a picture of your baby and look at it. I used to do some deep breathing, almost like meditation like, and it never failed after I felt myself reach that very relaxed place, I would feel let down start again. Try to clear your mind of all thoughts and just center yourself and relax. The baby gets more from you than the pump gets from you so don't worry that she isn't getting enough. As long as she is gaining weight appropriately you are fine. It is normal to get more milk from one side than the other.

Another way to help your production is to try to nurse her more often when you are home. Try laying down with her to nap when you are off with skin to skin contact and let her latch on and nurse whenever she seems the least bit interested. She can do the most for you as far as stimulating your supply.

L.,

I work full time and pumped at work until last month...for almost 1 year! My son still nurses in the morning but is on solids and no longer uses a bottle.

How many bottles is your daughter taking while you are working? I too would get more from 1 breast than the other and sometimes my 3 pumping sessions at work would = 1 bottle. Your daughter won't starve. Don't stop pumping! What kind of bottle/nipple are you using? We had alot of difficulties with his latch at the beginning and worked a lot with a lactation consultant said to use avent with the slow flow nipples....

My milk supply went way down after I returned to work part-time. I tried FenuGeek as well and another supplement called mother's love (I think), as well as made sure I drank around 64 oz of water a day. I also ate oatmeal, because that is supposed to increase your supply. You do get less when you pump than when you direct feed, so don't worry you aren't starving your baby or she would tell you by crying. I found that as soon as I got home, I would have my daughter feed off one side and I would pump off the other at the same time. It take a technique of balancing, but it helped. My job was very stressful, so I think that had a lot to do with my supply issues.

Just thought I'd add in that it is common for one breast to produce more than the other. I worried like crazy about that myself. Also, I don't have the nice Medela pump, which I've heard is the best, but I've found that I have better luck hand-expressing after a certain amount of pumping has gotten what it can. I can nearly double what I've gotten pumped. Not as convenient to accomplish, but I've had trouble producing enough milk in the past so it was worth the effort.

oh my gosh, it sounds like part of the problem is that you are nursing only on one breast during feedings. you need to nurse from both breasts at every feeding (10 minutes one side, then switch) and if baby is still hungry then you can continue to alternate.
this has probably had some affect on your milk supply. also, pumping all day at work instead of nursing all day long will also slow your milk production. are you taking birth control pillls? that will also hugely reduce your milk supply.
I'm quite sure the baby is not starving. But the baby shouldn't be confusing feeding time with sleeping time. you should try to keep the baby awake during feedings (especially during the daytime) and switching breasts will help. babies get the most milk flow during the first 10 minutes, so if she's nursing one breast forever and ever, she's not really getting much milk from that breast after 10 minutes anyway. I met several times with an awesome lactation nurse who's at illinois masonic family practice in ravenswood. her name is patricia. this is what she recommended to me... hope it helps!

L.,
I have found that a *great* resource for pumping moms is the yahoo group "pumpmoms". I can't tell you how much I have learned and what great support the women on this group are. I haven't personally had any supply problems, but LOTS of women do when they pump instead of BFing. Post your question on that group and I guarentee you'll get another load of great advice. Off the top of my head, here's what I'd say to you:

1. If she seems satisfied with one breast, she has gotten enough. But offer her the other one after she's done, just to be sure.
2. She is much better at getting milk out than your PIS is.
3. Rest, stay hydrated, and keep warm while pumping (this can make quite a big difference)
4. Try eating oatmeal - lots of women find it lactogenic.
5. Try "power pumping" - pump for 10 min, wait 10 min, pump again for 10 min. (or some combination - I usually pump for 15 min, wait 10, pump another 5). This really improves your output over time.
6. Nurse her A LOT when you're at home. She is the best stimulation you can get to produce more milk.

Ultimately, trust your body and your baby. They know how much milk you need to make.

L.,
This might sound like strange advice,but I nursed all 3 of my girls for over a year and am now nursing my son who is 6 weeks old. I waited for my milk to let down before I pumped. You can accomplish let down by looking at baby pictures (here is the strange part, I had to look at pictures and stimulate my nipples)once I achieved let down I could pump 6-8 oz in about 15 min from an Isis hand pump. I had also bought the Medela (I was told it was the best) but was much more successful with the hand pump. Good Luck and keep it up! B.

Hi, I went back to work at 3 1/2 months, and was bf my son exclusively before that, and I just wanted to write in and encourage you to keep pumping, and resist the urge to supplement because you think your baby isn't getting enough from what you pump. I supplemented first just with one bottle of formula a day, thinking it would be better for him, but after only a few days (maybe 4 or 5), my milk supply went way down and then I had to fight the last couple of months to even keep him interested in my breasts, because he figured there wasn't enough there for him and liked bottle feeding so much better because he could get more faster. And I, too, had the problem that one breast was giving more than the other, and while I was breastfeeding exclusively, he only ate off of one side, and he was doing just great. I'm just trying to stress that you're probably doing such a great job, and to just keep having confidence in your pumping. I t just want to encourage you to keep doing your best to keep pumping, to relax and keep at it as long as you can, and to resist the urge to supplement because you think your milk isn't enough -- you're doing great, it sounds like the baby is doing great! just keep on going, and drink lots of water!

Go girl!!! You are doing an awesome job pumping on the job. Its hard and also takes a ton of effort so just hang in there knowing you are doing the best thing for your baby. She will reap from your actions. Good luck no matter what you do. Now here is my thought on your question...With regard to pumping vs. nursing...Babies get more milk when they naturally nurse and sometimes it seems they are not nursing a lot of milk because its a short nursing but varying upon baby some babies receive fattier milk and need not nurse as long because its quality vs. quantity. Also, with regard to sides, DO NOT WORRY.I never nursed my newborn on both sides. They often can only nurse enough from one side and they're full. Hang in there. Call Le Leche or a lactation consultant. They are so helpful. I personally had my older sister show me how to help my daughter when she wasn't latching and nursing enough but as long as you get the help thats what matters. With regard to pumping, you may not be effectively getting a let down. Pump more often. I would have to pump several times just to get one feeding for her and I'd prepare it over the coarse of a week before. Ifyou're at work full time you are gonna have to pump more often if you want your supply to keep up otherwise if you space it out its very likely you will decrease milk supply very quickly. Did you try brewers malt? Beer? It works. I totally fill up with milk right away from both. Just a thought. Good luck and we're all here for you. If you wnat to chat or have questions you can call. ###-###-####.

Babies get more from the breast than a pump can, yes. And as far as the decreased amount you are pumping, is there a stressor that came into your life. I know my milk supply went way down when my sister was diagnosed with cancer and I was worried about her. Stress, not much sleep, and not enough water all greatly effect milk supply. If she is content until the next feeding, I'm sure she is getting plenty and you are not "starving" her. She'll let you know if she's hungry. :) If she's nursing 20-30 minutes on one side and content with that until the next feeding, I don't see a reason to push both sides at each feeding. Sounds like she is thriving great! And the main issue is just trying to pump more for while you are working. My advice there is just to try to relax, get plenty of rest, and drink plenty of water (I'd drink a full glass each time I nursed or pumped to be sure I drank enough) and maybe look at a picture of your baby when you are pumping and not right with her. Hope that helps and best wishes to you!!

L.:

What your can pump has no relationship to what your breast makes or what your baby takes. Babys only take about 70% of what the breast is producing.

NO pump is a efficient as a baby.

Many mothers do much better with a hospital grade pump which can be rented/ some mothers need larger flanges help.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Pres. Lactation Support Group, Inc
www.lactationsupportgroup.com
800 LACTATE

I didn't go through all the other responses, but having pumped for my own daughter, here is what helped me:

- You will naturally have ebb and flow (LOL) By this, I mean, you will probably have days when you have LOTS of milk and days when you don't have as much. Remember, your body produces what your baby needs at that time... even the color etc. of your milk changes over time. I've read that your milk can change from hour to hour to meet a baby's needs. Sooooo.... on the days when you have more supply, pump more!

- Look at a picture of your baby while you pump, OR better yet, look at a picture of her AND smell a blanket or article of her clothing, OR best- nurse her on one side while pumping the other!

-Eat oatmeal. It will increase your supply somehow- I thought it was crazy, but it worked for me!

-Drink, drink, and drink some more! WATER!!!! If you are consuming caffeine, you are dehydrating yourself. Remember, by the time you FEEL thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Keep water chilled in the fridge and keep it by you when you nurse, etc.

-DON'T worry about starving her. If she was hungry, she would be crying and fussing at your breast. Your body is producing what she needs. If this is a concern, call your pediatrician and ask if you can bring her in to get weighed. Most peds will let you bring a baby in to get weighed anytime without an appt.

- Join LLL (La Leche League) It will give you sooo much peace of mind to be around other moms who have been through nursing their babies and can give you advice.

Good Luck!
-Amanda

With both of my babies, I got quite a bit at first pumping and the amount dropped off steadily. I also got less from one breast and I had supply problems with both babies (more with the first - the second one basically stayed latched on half the day.)

Yes, the baby definitely gets more nursing than from pumping. In my experience there's not that much you can do to keep supply from dropping off, but it seems like different women have different patterns. Some women (like me) need to pump/feed more frequently to keep up supply. Try not to cut out nighttime feedings yet - the nighttime feedings do a lot to keep up supply. Try to make sure you always nurse in the morning and as soon as you get home - make sure that no one feeds her right before you get home so she will nurse well. I also found it helped to basically keep the baby on the breast all day on the weekends - that always made supply go up for Monday and Tuesday. It's pretty fun, actually, to see how supply really does adjust with demand and although a night with lots of feeding leaves you exhausted, it feels worth it when your breasts are noticeably more productive after 24 hours! (that's why they eat all night when they have a growth spurt.)

I took Reglan to help with pumping supply and it helped a lot. It's a prescription drug used for digestion. I'm not sure what the latest thinking is on supplements to help with milk supply, but check with your doctor or midwife or a lactation consultant. (of course, I took fenugreek as well.)

Congratulations on your new baby! If you have to supplement with formula, remember that she is still getting the wonderful antibodies and nutrients from the milk you're able to pump.

Please get in touch with a lactation consultant! There is so much they can tell you that I can't in this website. Are you near St. Alexius Med Ctr.? They have a lactation consultant leading a support group on Mondays from 9:30 to 11 where she will answer all your questions and SOLVE THEM! I swear, it's great and worth it if you have to take a day off work to go. Or call the number there and talk to them on the phone. Basically, I would say that pumping at work will always produce less than having her on the breast. I pumped at work for a year and always found that I got a lot out on Mondays, but by Friday it was a lot less. Pump once or twice a day on the weekends to have a little extra for the week. I would also say to feed her on both sides at each feeding so that when you pump, you will get more out of both sides. No, you are not going to starve her. When she is on your breast, she is getting milk always, it just may be slower, but she will get more out than a pump can. Stick with it and it will all work out. Good luck!