new to group, new to breast feeding and have questions
Hello my name is Rachel and i'm new to this group, i have 3 kids (two boys ages 3 and 4, and a newborn daughter), i didnt breastfeed my boys but am my daughter and i'm having some trouble. I dont actually breast feed her because she was born 4.11lbs and my milk hadn't came in so the hospital suggested i suppliment with formula so she drinks from bottles and i pump breast milk. Well for a couple days i didnt pump much at all, maybe 2 to 3 times a day on both those days cause family visited and we got busy, well i was pumping about 4 oz of milk before that and after that now i'm just able to pump maybe 1oz. Will it take a few days for my milk to come back in or is it going away for good? Each time i pump (lactation lady at hospital suggested 10 mins every 2 hours) there seems to be less and less milk. My boyfriend said i have to pump and breast feed for the milk to stay, that pumping alone wont keep it. Any help at all would be great, thanks.
Quoting Rjohnson6708:Hello my name is Rachel and i'm new to this group, i have 3 kids (two boys ages 3 and 4, and a newborn daughter),
Welcome!
i didnt breastfeed my boys but am my daughter and i'm having some trouble. I dont actually breast feed her because she was born 4.11lbs and my milk hadn't came in so the hospital suggested i suppliment with formula so she drinks from bottles and i pump breast milk.
OK.
Well for a couple days i didnt pump much at all, maybe 2 to 3 times a day on both those days cause family visited and we got busy,
Ahh. That can be a problem. The more you pump the better off.
well i was pumping about 4 oz of milk before that and after that now i'm just able to pump maybe 1oz.
Half an ounce to two ounces is normal output. You need to be pumping every two hours around the clock. Let family do EVERYTHING else.
Will it take a few days for my milk to come back in or is it going away for good?
Pump ev ery two hours around the clock, back this time TOMORROW. Though you may never again see four ounces at a pump. That's abnormally high.
Each time i pump (lactation lady at hospital suggested 10 mins every 2 hours)
Yep. I'd go 15. Baby's daily need is 24-32 ounces.
there seems to be less and less milk. My boyfriend said i have to pump and breast feed for the milk to stay, that pumping alone wont keep it. Any help at all would be great, thanks.
Your boyfriend is pretty much right on. You need to get baby on the breast. If baby is home, then get her on the breast. On kellymom.com, there is an article on getting baby back to breast. Take a look at it and follow it.
Get baby onto your breast - baby is WAY better at getting milk from your breast than the pump. Your pump output is actually very normal, but keeping it up can be a struggle.
Have you been working on getting her to latch at all? That's really key to maintaining a good supply since you *can't* skip feeding sessions and baby is more effective than the pump. Even if she's still having trouble now, keep working on it and she should eventually "get it". Did the LC check for tougne tie in her and flat/inverted nipples in you?
As for pumping... you MUST pump on a regular schedule and DON'T skip sessions. Every 2 hours is good during the day, and every 3 hours at night... but you probably want to increase the time to 15-20 minutes. You may not get as much right now, but keep pumping and it should increase.
The milk will come back... but getting her to latch is even more important in my opinion, since it prevents any future supply problems (and it does get harder to pump as baby gets older... you may never see 4oz sessions again... but 1-2oz is totally normal output).
I personally would do all I could to get baby to nurse, it may take some work but the baby nursing would get way more milk out that a pump. Its not too late I hate that they told you that you have to pump and bottlefeed and that they said to supplement with formula..it was NOt needed
OMG no carseat OT
- Rjohnson6708
on Jul. 23, 2012 at 1:20 PM