Advice on Pumping Breastmilk

Honestly, I would try just mixing it with water and seeing if she'd eat it. I was mixing my son's cereal with breastmilk, but I couldn't keep up with pumping for his bottles at daycare and for cereal. I started mixing his cereal with water and he thought it was just fabulous! And that way, I didn't waste any breastmilk if he didn't eat all of the cereal.

I am just finishing weaning my third son (he turned 1 at the end of June), and never used breastmilk for his cereal or oatmeal (too much work!!). Your baby will be fine if you just use some formula and water. That is the only time I ever really used formula...it makes the cereal nice and creamy!! Now I am using plain cows milk to mix it. Don't stress over it!! Your baby is happy just nursing and she will get all the nutrients she needs.

Good luck!!

H. (SAHM to three boys!)

You should definitely nurse her off the side that you last pumped on first. Your baby's suck still is the best thing to drain your breast and keep your milk supply up, so it is important to make sure she is nursing off both breasts.
good luck!
L.

When my daughter was a baby, I was breastfeeding her, but I was unable to pump. Her pediatrician recommended that she be given a bottle of formula once a week--from someone other than me. This way, she would get used to a bottle, would be able & willing to accept formula & ESPECIALLY from someone other than me.

When cereal was introduced, I had to mix it with formula, and I also continued to nurse.

it would probley be better to nurse for 5-10 min on the side you pump on to prevent getting pluged ducts on that side from not completley draining the breast with the pump but if your not having problems like that then you should be ok to use the next breast

S.,

What I do if check each breast to see which one if fuller. What I found with the manual pump was that it took a long time to empty the breast so I was still more full on the side I pump vs the side the baby nursed on. Hope this helps.

L. M

I also nurse on one side at a time. I always double pump (as recommended by my lactation specialist.) I would also strongly recommend an electric breast pump. Once you try it you'll wonder why you ever used a manual. If you're only looking to get a little for cereal, then I guess it doesn't matter much.

FYI: I'm pumping now (hands free). I nursed my son at 5:30 on the left side. I just double pumped 6.5 OZ. The next nursing will be on the right.

Hi S.,

I also gave my son one side for about the first ~6 months then starting giving both sides when he seemed more hungry and my milk production was dropping off. I think you've gotten some good ideas for what to do in the am if you decide to also pump then, too.

Since your daughter is sleeping so well through the night, another idea is to pump in the evening before you go to bed. Then you don't need to worry if you have enough milk for your daughter in the am. I suspect you'll still have plenty in the am since your body has so long to produce more milk during the night, and eventually your body will also adjust to that nighttime "feeding" and produce more for it. You might not get a lot at first, but it shouldn't take long for your body to accommodate the extra production for the 10pm "feeding" (or whatever time you choose).

Good luck!
L.

Hi S.! My advice would be to feed your daughter for the 10 a.m. feeding off the side you began the day with. So if you are nursing from the right first thing in the morning then pumping the left immediately, you should start from the right the next time. However, since you are pumping the left at the same time you are nursing, you really could start from the left too, so you're not always nursing from the right and pumping the left over and over, and since both sides would be equally full at that time (this is assuming your baby is satisfied with only one side per feeding throughout the day). I always tried to start with the side opposite from the one I had left off with for feedings, but both my girls nursed on both sides each time because I stopped nursing when they were 3.5 months old and not yet on solids. With an older baby, it might be different. You might even find that one side produces a little more than the other, in which case you might begin with the fuller side for the majority of feedings. I hope this helped a little! If you are still confused I'd suggest getting in touch with a lactation consultant, who might have all sorts of ideas you never thought of! Good luck!!

Hi,

I know that when my baby nurses she is able to get more milk than when I pump. So in your example I would feed her from the left side at 10:00 am because it is likely that you didn't really empty yourself as much on the left side when you pumped at 6 am. It also just makes sense to me to alternate sides while feeding (I also usually just feed my daughter off of one breast at a feeding).

Good luck.

I've been told that your baby is more effective (i.e. removes more and faster) than a breast pump. So I would feed her off the side that you pumped.