Audrey and
My son is 2 weeks old and a week ago I started to add a pump session here and there to build up my freezer supply for work. I have a 15 month old who I was only able to BF for 3 months. As soon as I went back to work I only was able to pump a total of 4 oz a day! That's with three fifteen minute sessions with my high end Medela pump. I go back to work at the end of July and I am really worried about not being able to provide for little man. I have tried all the tricks, and even took Fenugreek and a perscription from my OB to increase my supply with my daughter. The past 4 pumping sessions I have tried recently I got maybe 1/4 oz total! Usually I pump an hour after he eats. I get more if I pump while he is on the other side, but that's not something that will work while working. Help Mamas?
Answer
You can try to start off with messing around with pump sessions. I did far better with a lower setting. Do breast compressions while you pump too. So start at the place where your breast meets your body & massage downward toward the nipple (while pumping).
If you get better output while nursing, then you are struggling to get the letdown reflex triggered while pumping. You may also try practicing hand expression in the shower. I say in the shower because heat helps & because working on aim takes a bit of practice. Here is a good video on how to hand express: http://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Hand-Expression-Technique.htm
If you do end up supplementing, just know it's not the end of the nursing relationship & you can still continue to nurse while together & give him whatever breastmilk you are able to express while away. I have a friend who never got even drips out while pumping & she still pumped for the stimulation while at work & still nursed her daughter to 20 months. So do NOT let pump output discourage you from making your nursing goals. I found the less I worried about how much I pumped, the better I pumped.
When I was first pumping (at home( I found drinking ONE beer to help me relax AND give better output. Dr Thomas Hales is quoted on the La Leche League site with this to say about beer:
***Thomas W. Hale, R.Ph. Ph.D., member of the LLLI Health Advisory Council, says this in his book Medications and Mothers' Milk (12th ed.):
Significant amounts of alcohol are secreted into breastmilk although it is not considered harmful to the infant if the amount and duration are limited. The absolute amount of alcohol transferred into milk is generally low. Beer, but not ethanol, has been reported in a number of studies to stimulate prolactin levels and breastmilk production (1, 2, 3). Thus it is presumed that the polysaccharide from barley may be the prolactin-stimulating component of beer (4). Non-alcoholic beer is equally effective. ****
So you can *try* it & see what it does for you. I wouldn't recommend you drink beer at work, but it might help you relax & maybe even get a bit more milk.
Most importantly remind yourself that you ARE doing a great job. Having a tiny one isn't easy, you are tired & likely need more rest then you are getting. Don't let this stress you out. I had to supplement here & there with my 1st - then I found ways to get better output, etc & you'll find what works for you too. It is hard going back to work with little ones. I took a piece of clothing he had worn & a small photo album of him & looked at those while pump & smelled his clothes. It DID help me with getting letdown
You can try to start off with messing around with pump sessions. I did far better with a lower setting. Do breast compressions while you pump too. So start at the place where your breast meets your body & massage downward toward the nipple (while pumping).
If you get better output while nursing, then you are struggling to get the letdown reflex triggered while pumping. You may also try practicing hand expression in the shower. I say in the shower because heat helps & because working on aim takes a bit of practice. Here is a good video on how to hand express: http://video.about.com/breastfeeding/Hand-Expression-Technique.htm
If you do end up supplementing, just know it's not the end of the nursing relationship & you can still continue to nurse while together & give him whatever breastmilk you are able to express while away. I have a friend who never got even drips out while pumping & she still pumped for the stimulation while at work & still nursed her daughter to 20 months. So do NOT let pump output discourage you from making your nursing goals. I found the less I worried about how much I pumped, the better I pumped.
When I was first pumping (at home( I found drinking ONE beer to help me relax AND give better output. Dr Thomas Hales is quoted on the La Leche League site with this to say about beer:
***Thomas W. Hale, R.Ph. Ph.D., member of the LLLI Health Advisory Council, says this in his book Medications and Mothers' Milk (12th ed.):
Significant amounts of alcohol are secreted into breastmilk although it is not considered harmful to the infant if the amount and duration are limited. The absolute amount of alcohol transferred into milk is generally low. Beer, but not ethanol, has been reported in a number of studies to stimulate prolactin levels and breastmilk production (1, 2, 3). Thus it is presumed that the polysaccharide from barley may be the prolactin-stimulating component of beer (4). Non-alcoholic beer is equally effective. ****
So you can *try* it & see what it does for you. I wouldn't recommend you drink beer at work, but it might help you relax & maybe even get a bit more milk.
Most importantly remind yourself that you ARE doing a great job. Having a tiny one isn't easy, you are tired & likely need more rest then you are getting. Don't let this stress you out. I had to supplement here & there with my 1st - then I found ways to get better output, etc & you'll find what works for you too. It is hard going back to work with little ones. I took a piece of clothing he had worn & a small photo album of him & looked at those while pump & smelled his clothes. It DID help me with getting letdown
Breast-feeding: Can I pump every 4 hours?
azlcd
I'm expecting my first baby in a few weeks. I will have to go back to work, and I'm trying to arrange my schedule. It will be much easier if I can pump every 4 hours, but everything I read says pump every 3 hours. Any advice on this?
I have to go back to work after 12 weeks. So for the first two/three months, I can definitely feed or pump every 3 hours.
Answer
You can pump every 4 but I wouldn't do it at first. Here is something I found out after nursing three kids, you body learns your routine. If you nurse/pump at noon today, you will get milk in at noon the next day.
You will get more of a supply the more you do it and the more you nurse. Make sure you get a good pump to be successful. Nurse as close to you leaving in the morning and getting home and as much as you can when you are with your baby (nights and weekends) to keep a good supply. You will get more milk from nursing than pumping. Don't over-do the pumping.. just 15 minutes each side (get a dual pump) or you will get sore and bored of it. I could go on forever but I think you get the point ;)
Try to shoot for every 3 but don't go more than 4. I have done every 4 but I noticed my milk would go down a lot by the end of the week and i would try to build up feeding my baby a lot over the weekend to get back up by monday again..
You can pump every 4 but I wouldn't do it at first. Here is something I found out after nursing three kids, you body learns your routine. If you nurse/pump at noon today, you will get milk in at noon the next day.
You will get more of a supply the more you do it and the more you nurse. Make sure you get a good pump to be successful. Nurse as close to you leaving in the morning and getting home and as much as you can when you are with your baby (nights and weekends) to keep a good supply. You will get more milk from nursing than pumping. Don't over-do the pumping.. just 15 minutes each side (get a dual pump) or you will get sore and bored of it. I could go on forever but I think you get the point ;)
Try to shoot for every 3 but don't go more than 4. I have done every 4 but I noticed my milk would go down a lot by the end of the week and i would try to build up feeding my baby a lot over the weekend to get back up by monday again..
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