Pumping Question - Billings,MT

I found you usually have the most milk at the first feeding in the morning- if I pumped after that feeding, I had extra to build up a stash in the freezer. Hope that helps!

What I was told to do by the lactation specialist at the hospital was to pump 30 min after I breastfed. That would start to increase the supply. I was also told that you have more milk in the mornings, so that's the feeding that I starting pumping after. Hope this helps.

Pump away. The more you pump the more you make and having a freezer stash can really help when you need a break or the like.

Your body produces milk on a supply and demand basis. So, it's not like there is a limited or set amount of milk and if you take some during pumping, there won't be enough later. When you pump, or your daughter nurses, it sends the message to your body, "Make more milk." So, your body makes the amount that is used.

Hi K.,

Seems like you've gotten some great ideas. I breastfed but always liked to have about 20 ounces or more in the fridge for an emergency, or if I got sick, wanted to go out, etc. Something I found was don't be afraid to freeze small amounts 2-3 ounces. If you put too much together you may end up with some precious milk wasted. Milk cannot be refrozen once reheated.

I always started my pumping by pumping when the baby started sleeping longer and I would get engorged. I would pump off that extra from each side, store and freeze it everyday.

I would also pump one side before nursing on it -- usually while the baby is nursing on the other. Then have the baby nurse on both sides. The purpose of this is that the baby is MUCH better at emptying the breast then the pump is. I would do this so the baby gets that filling and fatty hind milk. Also having the baby nurse one side always helped my milk come in so I could pump more. I would do this, at first I would sometimes feed the baby some of what I had pumped, but pretty quickly my body would realize the "demand" was increased and start making extra.

I also bought some Mothers Milk Tea to increase supply.

Good luck!

With my first, I would wake up leaking while my baby still slept. So I'd get up and pump, then go back to bed for another hour or so. When he woke up, I'd nurse him and he was satisfied. I ended up with a freezer full of milk, and even contacted the milk bank about possibly donating. Of course, when he hit 3 1/2 months, he got ravenous and we used up all of our supply in those two weeks before he could start solids. That squelched any plans for donation!
I haven't tried with my second and third boys. I just use the free formula I get, although I do have a few ounces of milk in the freezer right now.

Your body will always have milk for your baby. You don't need to worry about pumping away every last drop and not having anything for your hungry baby. Not to mention that pumping increases supply, which overtime will mean you'll have more milk for your pumping needs and for the baby.
Pump as much as you feel it necessary to do. I personally don't pump between every feeding but then I guess I'm one of the lucky ones with a massive supply. I can get 4 to 6 ounces in 10 minutes with my little pump so it's not really an issue for me. But even if you're only getting 1 or 2 ounces at a time with the pump, it is not an indication that your baby will get the same or less. Remember your baby is better than any electronic device you can hook to your body. Your baby will be able to get milk your pump never will. Your body will also respond differently to the baby than to the pump, your body does know the difference.
Good luck!

You have the most milk in the morning, so after you feed her in the am, hook up the pump. My son would usually only want to nurse on one side in the morning (because there was a lot of milk) and I would pump the other side. I started this when he was one month old and pumped EVERY MORNING and froze it for later. I would pump any where from 3-4oz extra a day. I had 80 bags of frozen milk when I returned to work...woohoo! Good luck.

When my daughter was two months old I started pumping for extra milk if I was out for a while or so my husband could feed our daughter. I had great success with pumping extra. It was kind of time consuming, but my pediatrician taught me how, and once I got going I found that my body just kept producing more milk. I didn't find any loss due to the pumping, because it seemed that my body didn't know the difference of whether my daughter was drinking or I was pumping. More just kept being produced.
I recommend it, if for no other reason than it gives you the chance to go off on your own even for a little while.
Good luck!

I nursed my daughter and pumped for the entire 11 months she nursed. I started pumping when she was 4 days old to relieve engorgement, since she was sleeping about 6 hours during the night and I was waking up before she did because my breasts were so full. I got into the habit of "pumping off" my extra milk right after her last feeding at night (changed to right before I went to bed when she was sleeping from 8pm-9am), right after her morning nurse and again right after her "lunchtime" nurse before she took her nap. I had my daughter on a 3 hour schedule from birth and knew her natural rhythms for napping so I knew I'd have at least 2 hours for my breasts to fill again. Also, I never really experienced "let down," but just went from feeling full all the time to engorged. I was putting about 12-16 oz. in the freezer everyday AND nursing her too. Good luck!

yes K. i've had great luck with pumping! my method is to let her feed for as long as she needs to (or as long as i'll let her go) and than just pump an ounce or two from each right after she's done! that way there's planty of time to let down more before the next feeding. i would just store a bag in the fridge and collect all the milk and than freeze it. this way i can pull out some to reheat whenever i need someone else to feed instead of me. you might feel REALLY empty at night for a few days, but io promise it won't last long, like i said, a few days max:) soon you'll be making enough to store, and your little guy will still be getting his fill. good luck!

P.S. if you are using a hand pump, you might need to pump BEFORE your little guy feeds, since (unless its a really good pump) the baby can usually get more out than a hand pump can

I posted this elsewhere as the therapy given to me by a peditrician/ lactation consultant to boost low milk supply and for encouraging babies that don't like to nurse - it worked a little too well, so if extra milk is what you want this will surely do the trick!

I had problems with very slow flow and low supply (measured, it took 300 pumps to get 1 1/2 - 2 oz of milk over 20-30 minutes - it is now 50-80 pumps in 5 minutes for the same volume). For other moms, it's also normal to not be able to pump much even if you have a lot of milk (some women can't get anything at all) - the best pump is always your baby!

To help solve it:

* Boost milk production by nursing as much as you can (supply and demand) and then pumping - baby's better at drawing milk out than a pump.

* Fenugreek herbal supplements (1-2 capsules per meal) - only if OK'd by your doctor if you have a history of diabetes. Otherwise, high protein meals and milk help. You can try fenugreek tea as well but this was less effective.

* Avoid spearmint or any type of mint that may lower supply.

* Make sure the baby's positioned correctly. The baby's head should be halfway between your wrist and elbow, she should be facing you, and her body should be resting under the opposite breast (the baby should not be horizontal). Use a cushion or nursing pillow that can be molded (like the one from Sealy, sold for $14 at Bed, Bath & Beyond) to help support your arm and keep you from getting tired.

* Sit in a comfortable spot. I have a glider but don't use it anymore - I found a $20 backrest with armrests from Bed Bath & Beyond to be far more effective in supporting my back. I sit in bed and nurse my son.

* Also, if you are using a Boppy, it is too high in some cases and holds the baby horizontally, as opposed to diagonally. A softer nursing pillow that you can adjust is better, but be careful with a young baby if she falls asleep.

* Keep pumping. Don't let more than 4 hours pass without pumping or nursing & pumping.

If you pump, it's possible that you'll get less breast milk than what the baby does while nursing (they're better at drawing milk). Likewise, breast milk is used more efficiently by the baby's body so they don't need as much of it as regular formula.

It's also possible that you may not be able to pump or don't get too much breast milk when you do, but that your baby can still nurse without problems. The only way to know if your milk supply is adequate is baby's weight gain. You can measure this accurately at home without a pediatric scale. We have a $69 Tanita BF681 digital floor scale at home with body fat measurement and calorie intake recommendation - I weigh myself with and without the baby, the difference is his weight. It's fairly accurate.

On my own, this is what I discovered also helps.

* Keep your weight up. I got used to the belly fat and upper arms, thinking of it as padding for my son. I've kept on 20 lbs on purpose to help with breastfeeding, by eating 2200 calories a day (chicken, cheese, PBJ sandwiches, juices, mixed green salad, Nesquick cocoa w/ whole milk and Kushi granola bars are the basis of my diet).

* Bribe your baby with soft materials. I got cozy micro fleece or velour longing sets from Costco ($20 each) that my son loved to cuddle up to while nursing, and are good PJs to boot. Clothes also made a huge difference in my outlook - J Jill and Macy's Charter Club both sell great jeans and pants that are made of stretchy material that fits great and is very forgiving to the extra pounds. J Jill also has great velour tops (like velvet) that are machine washable and/or can be wiped off easily in case of spit up.

You can also try the following tips from baby books, in case the baby rejects the breast:

* Slow milk let-down- Milk may take up to 5 minutes to come down. Help the milk flow by using a warm compress or pump a little so that the baby doesn't have to work so hard to get some milk.

* Diet - strong foods (garlic, spicy food, cabbage) can alter the taste of the milk.

* A cold - if baby's stuffy, he simply can't eat and breathe at same time. Use vaporizer, saline drops (one small squirt of mist in each nostril, while baby's upright).

* Teething - but I think your baby's too young for this..

* Earache - if the baby's not eating in general, crying, tugging at its ear, has fever, etc. Call your doctor immediately.

* Thrush - if baby has fungal infection in mouth nursing may be painful.

* Hormonal change in you - if your period has come back or if you are pregnant (!) your hormones will change the taste of the milk.

* Tension in you -If you are worried or upset the baby will sense this.

* No reason in particular - it may just be an "off" day and she may not want to nurse.

* Too many distractions - TV, radio, people, etc. Go to a quiet, dim-lit room.

* Baby's ready for weaning - not likely this young though

* Allergies - if your diet includes milk (or you add it) see if this affects your baby in any way as it can sometimes give them gas. In my case, I can't drink more than 3 glasses a day (borderline lactose intolerant). It doesn't affect my son.

And as always, if she doesn't nurse, or doesn't nurse much, pump afterwards so it doesn't affect your supply.

Hope this helps!

I always found morning to be the best time to pump, I always got more milk then. You sort of have to time it right between feedings which makes it tough, but it is worth it to have extra in the freezer. It makes you feel like you have a little freedom if you need it. I actually gave up on pumping a month or so ago even though I'm still nursing because I kept missing the opportunity to pump since we are usually out and about in the morning. If you pump on a regular basis at the same time every day then your body will compensate and make more milk.

I always tried to pump after a feeding (to empty out what my son didn't drink). Echoing what someone else said, even if its only an ounce or so each time, the milk adds up....Often in the beginning, my son only finished one side, and would fall asleep, so then my other breast was left full and I would pump all of that, which was helpful. Othertimes, I'd pump just a bit (not fully empty out) when I was full but it wasn't time to feed yet. (That helped both to save some milk for freezing, and relieve the engorgement.)

I definitely produced more milk in the earlier months, so that was definitely the time when my freezer milk supply grew. I feel like around 6 months+, my son drank more so it was harder to save extra for reserve. However, I know if you pump more, you'll send signals to your body to create more, so pump away when you can!

The more you pump or feed, the more milk you will get.

If you are afraid that you will pump and therefore she will have less milk, I suggest after each feeding, try pumping for a few minutes. Even if you get 1-2oz, doing that a few times a day will add up. It will take a little longer to feed because you are nursing then pumping, but that is a good way to add to your stockpile!

I tried to get 4-6 ounces every couple of days.

Both my kids had formula in addition to breastmilk. With my 1st I was much better about getting a pile in the freezer. Now, when I am gone, if there is no breastmilk, my son gets formula.

I nursed full time and pumped for 11 months! After she nurses just empty out your breasts with the pump to build up your supply. Once your supply builds you you can pump at other times to build up your freezer supply and once she starts sleeping a little longer you can still pump the feeding she is sleeping through. I heard that if you nurse on one side and pump the other that helps alot to but I was never cordinated enough for that! Also if you do give her a bottle make sure you still pump to keep up your supply!Good luck!

I pump every day after my morning shower. About an hour after my babies morning feed. Now that i do it around the same time everyday my body expects it and produces plenty. I get a bottles worth in about ten minutes! Your body will take care of your baby, don't worry too much.

i dont know if this helps, but we have had to give formula at feedings so i could build up my milk supply. also it gets easier later on when they start spreading out their feedings, because you can pump where they use to feed. Also babies cant eat that much in the beginning, so you can try pumping inbetween, if your baby is still hungry, then worst case scenario you give her a little formula.

I haven't read the other responses, so I don't know if others have suggested this or not. I always had the most success pumping on one side while my son nursed on the other. Both breasts let-down, so you might as well use that milk! It takes a few times to feel comfortable...your hands will be full...but it is pretty easy and you are just taking advantage of milk your body is making anyway.

No worries about extra pumping! I nursed my son for 15 mos while working and pumping at least three times a day. I had so much extra milk I had to throw a bunch out (it was pretty tough to throw out all that extra milk I'd worked so hard at obtaining)! :) Basically, the more you pump and feed the more milk your body produces. Your body will produce what it believes it needs to fill your baby. So pump away! :)