Wedding Woes

I need help

My milk still hasn't come in. Since yesterday I've pumped a whopping half oz total.

So pumping. When it stops flowing (or trickling) in my case, is it time to stop, or do I keep going to stimulate more? I'm pumping for maybe 15 minutes at a time.

Should I be pumping before I feed her or after?

How much damage am I doing myself by not pumping or feeding between 4 am and 9 am? The baby would not sleep last night and ended up attached to my tit between midnight and 4, so when she didn't wake up again until 9 I didn't either.

She's lost 11% of her body weight, so I'm supplimenting an oz of formula twice a day, but I want to stop that as soon as possible.

Re: I need help

  • nicoleg1982nicoleg1982 member
    First Comment
    edited January 2012
    Pump after you feed and drink TONS of water.  TONS.

    Pump until you are empty.  If you want to keep pumping to stimulate, you can, but I found it wasmore effective to pump more at a different time instead.  Like adding a "feeding."
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  • Also, leaving her on that long.. she was eating at some point, but at this age you need to wake her up every 3 hours or so and keep her up to feed.
    imageimage
  • My kids lost over a pound in the first few days so I'm not sure 11% should be anything to worry about. 

    I didn't even start trying to pump until the 3-4 wk mark.   The first few times I'd only get a piddly amount but the more you pump the more you will get. 

    I also wouldn't worry about the 5 hr span.  Then again I don't worry about too much.

  • I was told not to start pumping until after 3 weeks. That's when you have a good supply/demand ratio. You do need to be feeding her as regularly as possible, and compressing your breasts to fully empty and stimulate the milk ducts.

    Have you spoken with a lactation consultant? Or does your hospital offer a breast feeding support group? I found the support group to be extremely helpful, considering I didn't have a clue what I was doing.
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  • pump for at least 20 minutes at a time, every 2 hours for the first few weeks.

    it took me a good 4 -5 days before i was getting much more than colostrum / a few mL of milk.

    i would also pump after she BF, or pump one side and let her eat from the other and then switch. 

    if you're planning to stick with BF, and not pumping one side while she drinks from the other, invest in a milk saver as well. You can lose a lot due to leakage. 

    Wolverine wasn't really great at BF until she was about 4 weeks old, and i didn't even get to try until she was more than a week old, so i was pumping what i could and the NICU supplemented a bit of formula until my milk came in. 

    I remember being really excited because i went from maybe getting 5ML at a time to getting 20+ the next day. 

    other things that may help: fenugreek (3 pills, 3x/day) hot shower before or warm cloth on your chest when you pump, massage your breasts as you pump (help to push the milk towards the nipple), LOTS of water - if you're dehydrated, you won't produce as much milk.
  • DS lost too much weight after he was born. The lactation consultant had me pump after each feeding for 20 minutes and then give him that milk at the next feeding. So I would nurse him and then pump.  While I was pumping DH would give him a bottle of the excess I had posted at the previous feeding. This only lasted for a few days.  Then I would do what Nico suggested. I'd pump once a day while he was napping in order to have excess.  Don't worry about getting that much milk now b/c she only needs a small so you're only goin to make a small amount.  It seems like so much work for so little.
  • pump for 2 minutes after milk stops spurting/slows way down 
     
    If you can massage while you pump, do that. (including during the 2 minutes post-spurting)

    (I didn't pump until 2 or 3 weeks out, so not sure how that affects anythign)

    I wouldn't worry about the 5 hour span--I decided fairly early on that sleep = important.  If kiddo slept for more than 5 hours, I'd pump (and if she woke up 5 min after I pumped,, I'd try to nurse her.  If she fussed, well, i had a handy bottle of fresh-pumped milk to give her)
  • Yes re: mscali, the baby needs so little.  LC at my hospital told me babies only need 2 tsp. at each feeding.  The size of a medicine cup on a cough syrup bottle.  You aren't feeding an army.  Just as wee one.  And it takes some time for the two of you to get the hang of it.  Before long you'll be hmoing it up in front of the tv while Rita does her thing.
    imageimage
  • *Barbie**Barbie* member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    edited January 2012
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_need-11?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:fbc7f876-43be-4d22-9515-a891bf24e2e4Post:fa75c049-0103-490f-a29a-d028c7e9992f">Re: I need help</a>:
    [QUOTE]Also, leaving her on that long.. she was eating at some point, but at this age you need to wake her up every 3 hours or so and keep her up to feed.
    Posted by nicoleg1982[/QUOTE]

    don't use your boob as a pacifier - let her activley feed for 15-20 minutes per side, and if she startes to get sleepy or stops feeding, try to rouse her, and if it doesn't work, let her sleep  (in her crib) and try again when she wakes up. pump in the meantime, and if you haven't had a chance to "fill up" when she wakes up hungry, give her the bottle.

    eta: also, remember, she's going to get tired fast. she may not make it the full 15-20 minutes.

    i was lucky if i could get wolverine to do 5-10 at a time when she was a few weeks old - that's why i started pumping one side while she fed on the other.
  • Oh yes, hand compression work well. 
  • And I'll second that pumping one side while kid nurses on the otehr = good.  (just watch out for kicky feet!)

    If you stimulate both sides at once, you get more--so pumping both sides = more than pumping each side individually.  Pumping while nursing = more than pumping the opp. side after nursing.
  • Ditto the other suggestions but also RELAX.  Stressing about it does negatively affect your supply.  Get into a comfortable position, put your head back and close your eyes or get lost in a movie or tv show (I know, this is crazy to say to someone with a days old baby).
  • The pediatrician wants her to gain an oz back by tomorow.

    I feel like when she is awake she will not go to sleep and when she's asleep she will not wake up. I've tried everything to force her to feed--changing, burping, taking off her clothes, cold washcloth--they just make her scream and refuse to latch. Then I can finally get her to feed for a good half hour or so and literally the minute I put her down she starts to scream and the only thing that will comfort her is my boob.

    I know I just need to calm down and get a better routine established.
  • td, it's okay.

    it's okay to let the baby feed as long as she wants.  in the first two weeks after the baby is born, you will be establishing your milk supply.  this will set the baseline -- there will be some variation up and down as you go along, but right now, just let the baby nurse whenever.

    you can still nurse when she's asleep (dream feeding).  try to keep her interested by giving as much skin-on-skin time as you can.  you can also keep her awake by gently rubbing her collarbone.

    don't worry too much about routines right now.

    and the 1/2 oz of pumping is great!  i know it looks so damn pitiful at the bottom of the bottle, but it really is enough for her.

    image
  • Defintely do lots of skin to skin. Lay down without a top on and have her in just a diaper. Wrap up in a blanket.
    Lilypie Second Birthday tickers
  • All of this BFing talk makes me want another baby... bad.
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  • All of this BFing talk reminds me that I'm turning 40 next year, and I should probably get on that.
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  • btw, if you do pump, don't bother washing the whole kit after each session.  just leave it in the fridge (put the bottles in coffee mugs so they don't tip over).  you only need to wash it at the end of the day.  saves tons of time.
    image
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_need-11?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:fbc7f876-43be-4d22-9515-a891bf24e2e4Post:e92e0b56-a69c-4a37-9504-3f1d348c052f">Re: I need help</a>:
    [QUOTE]btw, if you do pump, don't bother washing the whole kit after each session.  just leave it in the fridge (put the bottles in coffee mugs so they don't tip over).  you only need to wash it at the end of the day.  saves tons of time.
    Posted by hmonkey[/QUOTE]

    This and agreed on lots of water. 
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_need-11?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:fbc7f876-43be-4d22-9515-a891bf24e2e4Post:8105acf3-a07e-4a62-8b8a-703281121b41">Re: I need help</a>:
    [QUOTE]All of this BFing talk makes me want another baby... bad.
    Posted by nicoleg1982[/QUOTE]

    This, but just not soon.  Maybe in a couple years. 
  • Ha, it makes me glad I'm never going to have to deal with this again.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_need-11?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:47Discussion:fbc7f876-43be-4d22-9515-a891bf24e2e4Post:10940a6d-67d4-405c-acfd-a65de47030a0">Re: I need help</a>:
    [QUOTE]Ha, it makes me glad I'm never going to have to deal with this again.
    Posted by 6fsn[/QUOTE]

    <div>I was thinking that it makes me want to put off more kids at least a year or 2 longer.</div>
  • ((((((((hugs))))))))

    That's all I have to offer.
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