Breast Pumping Troubles

Firstly, you will not be a bad Mama whether you continue to breastfeed or stop altogether. It's a personal choice and there is no right or wrong. I used to feel SO guilty at how people would make me feel when I told them I supplemented with formula. You would have thought I had committed a crime! Do not let anyone make you feel bad about your choice. :) Your milk supply will not go completely away until you wean totally. There will always be something there, and any little bit you produce is better than none at all. Whatever you can do will be just fine whether it is once or twice a day. Your baby will still get antibodies and other beneficial brain-building fats and proteins from your breastmilk, even in the smallest of amounts. It may also help keep her regular if she is on a mainly formula diet. Best of luck to you and your little one!

Pumping is a hassle. I've been pumping at work for 12 months (and counting) with this baby and ten months with the baby before. I'd really look at weaning the baby BACK to your breast. Nipple confusion doesn't have to be a dead end. Then you can lay off pumping and just nurse nights and weekends. The best of both worlds!

My first thought is to do the trick that involves getting into the tub with baby about halfway to feeding time, warm water (not hot) and just cooing and cuddling, no pressure and see if she'll latch on. I got one of mine off a nursing strike that way once. My second thought is nipple shields. I've never used them myself, but I've heard that they can work. Go to kellymom.com and search for nipple confusion. I'm sure she has lots of good ideas.

I am currently pumping for my niece who I had by surrogacy. I am actually trying to stop. They say that up to 6 weeks to 3 months are actually where the babies get the most benefit. The benefits decrease from there. You did a great job pumping for so long. Give yourself a pat on the back.

First of all, I praise you for pumping as long as you have. I couldn't do it. I had to stop nursing my 6 month old because of medication, and I didn't even want to think about pumping. i would say that the point to stop is totally up to you. Whatever you feel comfortable with and stresses you the least. Don't feel guilty about whatever you decide to do, as long as your baby is happy and growing she is getting everything she needs. And pumping for 3 months gave her alot of antibodies she wouldn't have had otherwise. Hope this helps a little.

Hi, I'm a 1st time mom too. I breast feed my girl and seemed to never have have enough milk and also had to give formula. She also didn't latch on good, but eventually she got it, it took awhile, I think she was over 3 months. But to answer your question about how much breast milk is enough? Any ammount you can give her is benifficial. Of course the more the better, but any ammount she gets will help her. I always offered the breast then gave the formula. When you pump you only need to pump up to 20 min each breast. My lactation consultant told me it takes max 20 min to empty a breast. If you want to up your supply and you are able, pump every 2 hours. If you need to contact a lactation consultant. They can usually help you over the phone free, if you have insurance it usually covers visits, check with your provider. Between calls and visits I used mine close to 20 times. (You know us 1st time Moms!) If you have a double pump it goes fast. I was also only able to pump small ammounts, as little as 1/2 ounce when she was newborn - 2 months. I got it up to 4 ounces by the time she was 6 months. I stopped pumping, by that time she was mostly using the breast for comfort and to go to sleep. But I was head strong and wasn't going to give up. If I knew now what I knew then I wouldn't have let it stress me as much. Now my girl is coming up on 11 months and is happy and healthy. You do what you feel you have to do, what makes you feel like its the right thing. We can all give you advice but remember, thats all it is, advice. You need to do what you feel is best follow your heart! It won't let you down! I know your a great mom I can tell by your concerns for your baby. Good luck and God bless you and your family.
C.

You didn't mention what type of pump you were using. If you are not using a hospital grade pump, that's where I would start. You should be able to rent one. Check with your baby's doctor about where to find one. Something you might try when nursing her at home is to use a nipple shield. They only cost around $8 at Babys R Us. It is a silicone shield that goes right over your nipple. It makes it feel more like a bottle. She might like that better. Also, make sure that you are drinking enough fluids. That can really have an effect on milk supply. Just remember,if it isn't working for you, don't stress about it. Formula will give you a happy and healthy baby, and if Mommy isn't stressed, it's better for everyone.

Use the weekend to work with her. She's not latching because the bottle is easier, so when she is hungry offer the breast. If she won't latch, let her have some water in a bottle, then offer the breast again. Eventually she will be willing to work for what you've got. There will be lots of screaming involved, because she is guaranteed to protest. And you will have to use every ounce of patience you have, but if it's what you want, you get to decide. When I had mine the Doc always said... Your baby WON'T starve herself. Eventually she'll learn that she better take what you offer, and you will be able to nurse whenever you want.

Hi A.,

Congratulations on your lo. I commend you for pumping and continuing to give your daughter breastmilk. Please don't let anyone make you feel like a bad mama! You are doing what works best for you and your lo, that's what it's all about.

Pumping can be stressful and your body is adjusting to the needs of your baby. I've always been amazed at how our bodies work when our lo's nurse. Breastfeeding is supply and demand. As your daughter suckles at the breast, your body will produce the milk needed for the demands of your baby. With her suckling less and you pumping, your body is adjusting to that need so it is making less. If you're looking to keep your supply up, then let your daughter suckle at your breast. Your body will meet the demand. If you're ready to be done with pumping then gradually stop pumping all together.

You've given your daughter the best start. Peace to you in your decision without any mama guilt.

J.

Vanderbilt Hospital has great lactation consultants on staff. They helped me with one of my babies that had trouble latching on. I would suggest that you give them a call or even schedule an appointment to take the baby with you to Vandy and get them to help you. If you could get the baby to nurse when you are home with her at night and on weekends your milk supply would not decrease during those times.

Hi A.
This is a hard question because only you can answer how long you want to pump. I pumped and worked full time and believe there were many, many days that I contemplated on quitting. You would never be a "bad mama" for stopping breastfeeding. Did someone tell you that? In my opinion any amount of breastmilk your baby gets is great. Your baby will be just as well nourished on formula. I do understand the position you are in. I had supply issues when I BF. I used Fenugreek and Mother's Milk tea intermittently when my supply would decrease. Also drinking lots of water and trying to stay relaxed and keeping stress levels low are helpful ways as well. Websites I recommend for all areas of your request:
www.lalecheleague.org,www.babycenter.com,and www.kellymom.com (not sure if this is a .com or.org. Good luck and contact me if you have questions - ____@____.com
Good luck
P.

Tons of good advice here, already. I also had troubles with supply. But, keep at it if it feels right for you. I pump every 3 hours and nurse throughout the day/night. I was able to pump at work so that was very helpful. I still had issues with keeping up so I eventually had to supplement. After many trials and errors this is what ended up working for us. I used Similac Advaned ready mixed. I started off with 1/2 breast milk 1/2 formula in each bottle and I mixed them just before he was to eat and would lightly warm them in a glass of warm water from the tap. Other formulas and overheating would cause my milk to go bad immediately. You don't want to waste that precious milk. As time went on I would have to gradually decrease the amount of B. milk to formula as he was eating more and I didn't want him to have to drink only formula. Breast milk taste quite different from formula! My guy is almost 11 months old now and I just learned that I am pregnant again. My milk supply is so little now that I just finally stopped pumping two days ago and he is taking all formula in his bottles and still nursing. I'm not really sure how much he is getting from me, but it is obviously comforting to him and that works for me. Good luck whatever you decide to do.. and whatever is best for you and your little baby is the right decision.

Make your own decision, and don't let anybody make you feel guilty about it!

That said, I pumped for 11 months. My daughter and I never could get the mechanics of breastfeeding down, so she drank breastmilk from bottles until she was almost a year old (after I quit pumping I still had a lot frozen).

I had a lot of trouble with my milk supply to begin with, so she had a good bit of formula for awhile, but I kept pumping and also took fenugreek (an herb from a health-food store) and my milk supply built up. There's also a prescription drug you can take that does the same thing, apparently.

Anyway, don't give up unless you need to stop. When I stopped it was because I had taken a new job and didn't have a private/convenient place to pump anymore. Do what you need to do and don't let others make you feel guilty!

Hey A.,

I was a full time working mother that pumped for 11.5 months, but I could not have done it without Fenugreek (3 pills, 3X per day) and Reglan. You have to get this from your doctor. I used Reglan for months. Usually I would use it and build my supply back up, then as soon as my period hit, my supply would tank again. So right back on the Reglan I would go.

I also had to supplement with formula. I rarely was able to pump enough to give him all breastmilk. Also, my son would not nurse until after I started back at work unless it was in the middle of the night. At that point, I don't think he cared as long as milk came out of it! :-) Pump as much as you can at work, but use the weekends to really pump as much as possible...like every 2 hours during the day. It may mean you have to stay around the house verses go a lot of places...it will take sacrific!

Also, have you tried breast message before and while you are pumping. I would double pump to begin with, and then pump one breast at a time while messaging to push the rest of the milk down and out. Or if you are really talented you can double pump, hold them with your forearms and message both breast at the same time.

The thing about it is, do the best you can do and leave it at that! Feel good about yourself that you are trying! And, if it gets too hard or you aren't getting enough milk to keep pumping, pat yourself on the back for what you did do!! Any amount of breastmilk that you give her is good. It's definately not a all or nothing kind of thing!

But please call your OB and tell him you have tried all of the natural ways to boost your milk supply and ask for a prescription. The Fenugreek helped, but no where near as much as the Reglan. That stuff is amazing.

I know how hard it is to work and give breatmilk...I fought through all of the guilt as well. The best of luck to you!

A couple more herbs you may want to try is:
Alfalfa - 2 pills, 3 X per day
Goats Rue or anything by Mother Love:
http://www.motherlove.com/products_extracts.php

Sorry - one more thing...you may want to check out this bottle...http://www.adiri.com/

I pumped with my daughter until she was almost 7 months old when I had to go on medication for the second time that required me to pump and dump. I just couldn't do it again and I was only pumping about 12 ounces by that time. I never pumped enough to not supplement (she nursed only for 1.5 weeks). At my best I pumped almost 20 ounces - for about a month then it went down to about 16-18 for a while. For the last 2 months it was at about 12 ounces.

My schedule for pumping was 4 times a day for a half our each time (both sides at the same time). In the beginning it was 5 times a day but I couldn't keep up with that and keep my sanity. It really took the whole half a hour. My let down was really slow so if I just pumped for 20 minutes I got less than half what I would if I just added the extra 10 minutes. I did take a lactation tablet from the health food store if it started to diminish and it seemed to help. I could not drink the teas...ick.

So, when should you stop? I think any breast milk is beneficial but a sane mama is more beneficial. Try what you can for another week (lactation aid vitamins or increased time per session) and see if there is any increase at all. If your supply gets down to single digits it may be best to stop. There is nothing wrong with stopping. With my first I lasted 5 weeks and I couldn't get enough to keep it up and he actually nursed. With my daughter it was still really hard for me after 6 months which had been my goal. It still took a good 2 weeks for me not to be sad about it. It is really emotional no matter what. Do not beat yourself up if you have to stop. A happy mama is really best for a happy baby. My son is now 4 and he is incredibly smart and very healthy.

Best wishes!
G.

Nurse her at the same time you pump. Put her on one breast and the pump on ther other breast. That's what I do and I can spend time w/ my DD and get milk! Even if she's not getting a ton of breast milk, just her suckling and next to your skin is Wonderful! Breastfeeding isnt all about the Milk! It is that intimate time that you two share. If you do have to supplement, hold her close to you, cose to your face, perhaps even skin to skin while feeding her.
I don't like to pump either, it's like a chore, but I think about my doughter and then it's not as bad:)
Don't worry, just by asking this question, you sound like a caring and good momma!

Hi A.,
The answer is when you are ready to stop, stop.
There are plenty of outstanding moms who never nurse at all.
I had a similar story nursing my seven month old and really struggled emotionally and physically to come to a good conclusion.
I found that feelings of inadequacy were very affective at wearing me out ,and our quality of life suffered.
If your daughter is 13 weeks old you still have many nights ahead of you.
Follow your heart. You sound like a great mommy.
K.

Hi A.... hang in there, i know what its like to have the goal of being a nursing working mom and its not easy. The same thing happened to us. Boyfriend with baby during the day while I pumped at work. He one day decided to throw a fit while trying to nurse. Heartbreaking. Turns out the bottle nipple dad was using was worn out. The mommy milk was basically pouring out of the bottle. Once he got to the breast he would have to work for it and he wasnt having any of that. We changed bottle nipples four or five times and finally found one that was super slow that made him work for the milk. We found that the playtex slow flow (1-3 mo) , natural nurser maybe? , playtex drop ins worked best, and dad would double check the flow to make sure it wasnt worn out. I also had to upgrade to hospital grade pump. Our 11 month old is still nursing and I'm still working. You can do it. Best of luck and hang in there. I hope this cures it ;)

.

I pumped exclusively from day one. You have to pump as often as your baby would normally eat. Also, you might want to ask your doctor about milkthistle and fenugreek. When I had mastitis and my supply went down, thats what they gave me to get it back up.

You could also contact a lactation consultant at your Ped office. I bet they could help. I wouldn't give up unless you just want to.

the first six weeks are the most important, then you can say 3 months is good, then you can say the first year is great! So you have done good so far. Anything is good, even using a supplement of 1/2 breast milk and 1/2 formula. Your milk diminishing makes sense, the baby sucking usually works a lot better than a pump. Continue as long as you can. Pump while your baby is sleeping, first in the am, and then as soon as you get home. You give up when you are ready, or give up when your milk really is dried up. You are doing good. :o)

W.

There are these little things called nipple shields that you can get at CVS or any drug store Im sure. They are shaped like the bottle nipple but are much thinner. They go right over your nipple. I used them because I had very little nipple. It gives the baby something to latch onto if they are used to the bottle also. It is harder work to nurse naturally then it is to suck a bottle. If they can get by with less work then hey what do you think they will choose. You need the nipple stimulation to continue pumping also. It helps with the milk supply. So even if there is trouble with latching on I will still try whenever you could.

It sounds like you are only pumping at home, which is probably the cause for your diminishing supply. Can you pump on your lunch break at work? Head to a bathroom whenever you have time mid-day and try to pump. This is what would happen if you were weening her and only nursing in the morning or at night... your supply only keeps up with what seems to be needed. So, if you are only pumping one or two times a day, you wont produce as much.

You are NOT a bab mommy, whether you continue giving her breast milk or not. A baby who drinks formula is no less loved than one who drinks breast milk. Please don't think otherwise.

Good luck, and just do whatever works out and is best for you and your family. Since you're not nursing her but giving her formula from the bottle, then I am sure she'd rather have time with you while you are happy than have a frustrated mommy who has to get home and fight to get a few ounces of breast milk into her.

You sound like a wonderful, loving, concerned mother and I am sure your child is comforted by you!

If the bottles you're using have a pretty large hole, that makes it too easy for her to drink. Nursing the breast takes 'work', and she may simply be 'lazy' after having bottles. I'd try laying down with her when you're feeling snuggly/cuddly and she's feeling hungry, stroke her cheek, talk pleasantly to her, and encourage her to nurse. I don't really think she's lost the 'ability' to nurse that quickly!

Someone ELSE will have to tell you about pumping, 'cuz I nursed 4 kids for at least 1 yr. each 'back in the day' (our youngest is 20), & I was never successful at it!

I faced the same dilemma with my first son. I went back to work when he was 3.5 months old (teacher, summertime!) and I wasn't ever able to pump very much at all. In fact, even though he seemed to nurse alot, he was on the small side for several months, and I had alot of pain when he latched on the first several weeks. Later I realized he wasn't latching on correctly & therefore I wasn't even producing enough milk while he was still nursing! Needless to say, I dried up within a month of returning to teaching, because pumping did not produce much at all. He started putting on so much more weight once he switched to formula! But then he also started getting ear infections, etc... from being with a babysitter/other kids once I returned to work and I felt guilty about not nursing anymore. You want to give your baby the best, which IS the breast, but at the same time, if it is taking away your quality time and you still have to supplement, it probably isn't worth the sacrifice - the ends justifying the means and all....

I absolutely HATED using formula/bottles and with babies 2 & 3 I strictly breastfed so I wouldn't have to deal with them anymore, but by then I was staying at home with the kids, so it was alot easier to do so.

Take care and best wishes for a healthy baby and happy mama! :D

go to yahoo and do a search on "pumpmoms". JOIN THIS GROUP. You will find answers to all your questions about pumping and wonderful advice from people that have been there and done that.

Hi A.! It looks like you've already recieved a lot of good advice. I'm just wondering, if your husband keeps her while you're at work, is he able to bring her to you on your lunch break to nurse?

If you really want to keep nursing, I would suggest pumping while you're at work. The other ladies are right, the more you nurse/pump, the more milk you will make. If you're not pumping while at work, your supply will diminish.

I have a friend who would take her electric, double breast pump to work and on her breaks she would go in the bathroom and pump. It didn't take very long and she did it for a year! Just wanted you to know it can be done!

Good luck!

A deminishing supply of your milk could be the # of times you pump a day. If you strictly want to feed your baby breast milk, then it may be helpful to pump atleast every 3 hrs just to keep up your supply. Breast milk is a supply and demand thing. If you are pumping that much, then it could also be your pump. A pump cannot latch on to your breast like your baby therefore you are not pumping what your baby needs. Usually, the very exspensive pumps will do the job. Also, some women just cannot pump as milk as if their baby were nursing. One very important thing to remember, you are not a bad mother for quiting nursing. The most important time to nurse is the first 6 weeks after your baby is born, which you have done. Your baby will love you no matter what your decision. So keep up the great work.

The longer you can give your baby breastmilk, the better. However, if you are getting frustrated and can't spend time with your baby, then it sounds like it's not worth it -- but that is a personal decision for you to make. I am very pro-breastfeeding, but if you've done what you can, then that's all you can do. Check out La Leche League and some other resources and avenues -- it may be that changing your breast-pump will help you get more -- but don't beat yourself up because of this.

I was able to pump quite easily, but one of my friends (who has had 5 children and nursed them all) was only ever able to pump a few ounces at a time whenever she tried to pump for later.

If she nursed, you probably would be producing more, just because the baby is a much more effective "breast-pump" than anything manmade. Stress can also reduce your milk supply, and tiredness can make it more frustrating to pump.

Kudos to you for nursing and pumping as long as you have and for as long as you can, but don't beat yourself up over this. You've done what you can; there may be other suggestions that will help you be able to keep up your supply, but if not, you've done what you can, and just focus on how much you *have* done, rather than on what you have not been able to do.