HELP... Need More Milk!

PUMP PUMP PUMP NURSE NURSE NURSE... when I was BF... i barely got 2 oz when i pumped but the more i pumped and nursed the more i would get. when i went to just pumping i was getting about 5 oz from each breast at a time. I would nurse on one side and then pump the other and the next feeding nurse from teh side i pumped on during previous feeding and pump the other side. it took about a week of pumping every 2-3 hrs and nursing pretty much all day to get my supply up.

Try oatmeal or cheerios. That helped me a lot. And while you are working, she will be taking your stored milk and you will probably be able to pump more.

Are you pumping after she eats? That will also help build your supply as your body will think that she is still asking for more.

oh k i had the opposite problem. But i notice on he pump. I use the a medela syphomy one. The first 6 weeks after my child was born and i was pumping all the time every 3 hours and freezing alot of milk. than i got her to latch on and i slowed down and stop pumping in between her feedings. Than i bought one for when i was away from my child for some time and it was the ones you buy in the stores and it didn't pump very much milk. But the ones you rent from the hospital are better. They are pricey to rent but they sure do so much better. i know i am going to keep on use one of those. OH yeah those pumps from the store they don't pump the milk ducts in the way back of your breast which can also cause a clog.

Some great advice already here and hopefully I can add some more. I've never taken this stuff but I'm a member of another board and the mommies there swear by it. One's called Mother's Thistle (I think) and the other is called Fenugreek which can be found at GMC or a healthfood store.

Pump after every feeding even if you don't get anything, make sure you have a good quality pump (if you can afford it the Medela Pump In Style is awesome!!)

D.

I never got 'gobs' of milk pumping even with my Pump in Style. I think 4 ounces a side was the most I ever got.

But I built up a stock pile. I only gave bottles when I wasn't available to nurse her.

When I went back to work I was almost always able to pump enough to replace what she had during the day at day care. (Though I had to pump 2 or 3 times a day to do that) My dd generally drank 8 ounces while at day care--- and I nursed her at lunchtime.)

Things I did to 'stockpile' were - pumping at night (like you said you do) pumping on one side and nursing on the other.

Oh and when I returned to work the fastest way for me to get a good let down of milk was to bring her pjs to work and smell them (I put them over my shoulder)

Hi T.,

I take a great supplement called Probiotics that has REALLY increased my milk supply. I actually didn't take it for that reason, but it works for that as well. It has multiple uses. It helps with digestion of foods, keeps good bacteria in your body when on antibiotics, helps with heartburn, and DEFINITELY increases milk supply! I am a distributor through a company called Conklin, and I think a bottle w/60 capsules in it is around $40-$45. That should last you 2 months, depending on how many you wanted to take a day. 1 capsule a day should work great, but you may decide you want to take 2. They also have a money-back guarantee, so if you take it and decide it's not working for you, you will get a complete refund.

I can give you more info on it if you'd like. You can e-mail me @ ____@____.com or call me @ ###-###-####.

Hope to hear from you!
Liz Wendel.

looks like you got lots of good advice...mine is...get a quality pump and pump and/or nurse often. breastmilk works on a "supply and demand" system. the more is needed/demanded the more is supplied.

T.-

You've gotten some great advice, and I agree with all of it. Get a great pump, and just keep working at it. When I first started pumping with my double electric (hand pumping barely got an ounce), I would get about 3 ounces total. Within a month I was getting 4 ounces from each breast, and that is typical for me now. When I started, I pumped for 10 minutes, even if that was a few minutes after flow stopped, to continue stimulation.

It sounds like your baby is happy and getting the food she needs, and you have a nice schedule/system with your pumping. Keep it up, and I bet you'll see an increase. And, if you continue to have a concern, you can always contact your local La Leche League for more detailed advice and support.

Congratulations on your commitment to breastfeed!

Yours in health-
Dr. Alyssa

I agree with previous poster. But you may also want to try to pump for 2 or 3 minutes even after milk stops coming out to stimulate your breasts as much as possible to tell your body basically "that was not enough!" I tried it with my son and it worked rather well. What kind of pump are you using?

Hello T.,
It probably isn't you it is probably the pump you are using. If you are using a hand pump it probably doesn't have enough rhythm to simulate your daughter eating, I would recommend that you get/ or rent an electric or battery operated pump if you are going to try to breastfeed for a while. It would be more efficient and less time consuming. Most hospitals can give you information where to rent one.
Don't give up without trying different avenues if breastfeeding is what you want to do.
Good luck,
Michelle

It could definitely be the pump you are using. Since you are planning to go back to work, you should really invest in a professional pump. I started out with a cheap single electric pump and my milk started decreasing. I went and got the Medela Pump In Style and couldn't be happier. It's got both double and single pumping action and you can adjust the speed and suction. Once I started on this pump, I ended up getting out a couple more ounces, to about 5 total as opposed to 3 total from the cheap-o pump. I've been using it for about 4 months now at work and sometimes on the weekend and it's working like a charm. I would look at the prices of renting before you go that route. It was going to be about $80 a month for me to rent a pump and I bought my pump for about $300. Since I was planning to nurse more than 4 more months, it was cheaper in the long run for me to buy. Of course, if you are worried about your milk supply getting too low, you'll want to use a hospital grade pump and those can run about $2000, if you buy one. From what you said, it sounds like she's getting enough when she nurses, so you should be ok. Anyways, a baby that can nurse well will always get out more than a pump, so she's probably getting more than you think. Hope this helps and good luck!

That sounds about right. But it depends on when you are pumping. Are you pumping after she has eaten or between feedings? Try to squeeze in 10 minutes of hind milk after she's eaten. It make take a couple of weeks but your body will respond to the longer nursing time of pumping after. Or pump at feeding time then put her on.

Children are more effective than pumps at getting the milk out because you relax more. I massaged my breasts while I pumped especially further up on my chest and into my armpit. round circles, like you're checking for lumps. Don't presse so hard that it hurts but be firm.