concerned : (

i pumped at 10 this morning and got 4 oz total. i also pumped last night around 3 am and at 12 am and got about the same. i did not BF at all; just gave them EBM which obviously wasn't enough.

am i now doomed? is this ALL i am going to produce now?

 

I don't have any advice, but I didn't want to not comment.

Big hugs! Hang in there- you can make this work!

 

The more often you pump, the more milk you will make. So if you want more milk...just keep on pumping. are you going to put them to the breast at all? If so they are way better than the pump at stimulating milk production.


You can do this! Just post any questions that you have.

 

QUOTE(MissyEby @ Jun 22 2009, 11:05 AM) [snapback]1363794[/snapback]
The more often you pump, the more milk you will make. So if you want more milk...just keep on pumping. are you going to put them to the breast at all? If so they are way better than the pump at stimulating milk production.
You can do this! Just post any questions that you have.


Yes, i BF them them as well. yesterday my DH wanted to get a 'supply' in the fridge for nightime and i had nothing.

 

Ok....well to get your fridge/freezer stash, what you are gonna want to do is after nursing the babies, PUMP! Each time. Now when you finish pumping just take your pump parts (the washable ones) and put them in a big ziplock bag. You DO NOT HAVE to wash them every time! Just put the bag in the fridge! then it is ready for the next time. This is how you will build up your surplus!

 

Of course you're not doomed. Anything but! You can still nurse if you want. Nurse, pump, nurse, pump, pump only...whatever combo works. The key is upping the demand so the supply comes up too. The only way to up the demand is to tell your body you need more. Best way is to let babies nurse and then pump after, but just pumping is fine - just do it a little more until the supply comes up. Drink lots of water and take fenugreek for a while.

BTW: 4 ounces doesn't sound too bad for 10 minutes of pumping.

 

QUOTE(girls! @ Jun 22 2009, 11:29 AM) [snapback]1363838[/snapback]
Of course you're not doomed. Anything but! You can still nurse if you want. Nurse, pump, nurse, pump, pump only...whatever combo works. The key is upping the demand so the supply comes up too. The only way to up the demand is to tell your body you need more. Best way is to let babies nurse and then pump after, but just pumping is fine - just do it a little more until the supply comes up. Drink lots of water and take fenugreek for a while.

BTW: 4 ounces doesn't sound too bad for 10 minutes of pumping.


i pumped for about 20 mins using my medela freestyle

 

QUOTE(newtothis @ Jun 22 2009, 08:31 AM) [snapback]1363843[/snapback]
i pumped for about 20 mins using my medela freestyle



Oh, ok. Your post said 10 minutes. Either way, the supply and demand thing still applies. Are you nursing them at the breast before pumping at all?

EtA: just read that you are also feeding at the breast. Are you feeding at the breast and then pumping for 20 minutes after? If so, the babies probably got the bulk of it and 4 ounces after feeding 2 babies still seems ok to me. Plus, I think I remember from your post a day or so ago that they may be going through a growth spurt and if so, they're going to get most of it at the breast. Just keep doing what you're doing. Dips in supply are common and it will come back up.

 

QUOTE(girls! @ Jun 22 2009, 11:33 AM) [snapback]1363847[/snapback]
Oh, ok. Your post said 10 minutes. Either way, the supply and demand thing still applies. Are you nursing them at the breast before pumping at all?


if i nurse, i'll pump about an hour later. i have never nursed/pumped really.

 

Personally, I found pumping right after I nursed draining and exhausting. (Also, I never got any thing out after they had just nursed) I can't give you a lot of advice on upping your supply, because I tried everything and it didn't work, but I also wasn't pumping 4 oz at 4 weeks. If I had been, that would have been enough for them at that time. They ate every 2 hrs. Try not to stress out about your supply. Just keep nursing them, pump when you have time or feel like it, and if you have to supplement with formula, don't think this means you have to give up breast feeding. I was so stressed out about my supply those first weeks, that I really didn't even enjoy my babies. Whatever your doing or chose to do in the future will be the best thing for your babies, because you're their mommy and know what is best for them.

 

Ditto all the pps! 4 oz sounds fine, especially if you're pumping right after nursing. (In fact, 4 oz right after nursing is pretty amazing.) If you want to boost it, keep pumping after all/most nursing sessions.

But don't be too hard on yourself. My initial plan was to pump enough that they'd always get EBM in bottles, and no formula. Then I realized I'd go crazy doing that. I pumped as much as I (reasonably) could, and whenever we were out of EBM, they got formula. No biggie. (And as long as you're nursing plenty, it's not going to hit your supply.) Just saying it's an option.

 

QUOTE(azucena @ Jun 22 2009, 04:53 PM) [snapback]1363956[/snapback]
Just keep nursing them, pump when you have time or feel like it, and if you have to supplement with formula, don't think this means you have to give up breast feeding. I was so stressed out about my supply those first weeks, that I really didn't even enjoy my babies. Whatever your doing or chose to do in the future will be the best thing for your babies, because you're their mommy and know what is best for them.


Yes! I didn't have access to an electric pump. I tired a hand pump and it was useless. So they got formula in their bottles. I breast feed for 15 months.

 

QUOTE(newtothis @ Jun 22 2009, 07:33 AM) [snapback]1363849[/snapback]
if i nurse, i'll pump about an hour later. i have never nursed/pumped really.


when you nurse, you should pump as soon as possible after. not an hour if you can help it. The thought is, that the babies will pretty well drain all you have. You might get an ounce or two by pumping immediately after nuring but after a few days/weeks your body will understand that its not making enough for a feed.
If you wait an hour, your body just thinks your doing another feed. See what I mean?

You also need to nurse and/or pump often! dont go for longer than 4 hours during the day, or 6 hours at night. That should be your max!

 

Make sure you are eating and drinking enough!!!

 

QUOTE(E&Msmom @ Jun 22 2009, 04:31 PM) [snapback]1364306[/snapback]
when you nurse, you should pump as soon as possible after. not an hour if you can help it. The thought is, that the babies will pretty well drain all you have. You might get an ounce or two by pumping immediately after nuring but after a few days/weeks your body will understand that its not making enough for a feed.
If you wait an hour, your body just thinks your doing another feed. See what I mean?

You also need to nurse and/or pump often! dont go for longer than 4 hours during the day, or 6 hours at night. That should be your max!


ok. the reason i dont pump right after i feed my babies is because i only get about an ounce and then have nothing to put in the fridge.

 

Yep, this post is right on the money....when you pump right after you nurse...it simulates to the breast that the baby is still hungry and that it needs to make more!!


keep up the good work Momma!

 

QUOTE(newtothis @ Jun 22 2009, 07:00 PM) [snapback]1364439[/snapback]
ok. the reason i dont pump right after i feed my babies is because i only get about an ounce and then have nothing to put in the fridge.


If you can help it, don't worry about the fridge just yet...once your supply gets going, that will be easier to do. I pumped after every feed for the first few months and it was just like you said, just a few ounces, but it really kicked up my supply so that I eventually didn't even need to supplement at all (so the ounces added up sitting in my freezer!). The only times I could get a lot after a feed was early in the morning. If you don't want to pump after every feed, give yourself a break and just nurse in the afternoon/evenings and pump after the early morning feeds. I think most women produce more at night and in the early AM...I can't remember where I read that, but it was definitely true for me. If you really want to get your supply up, you could also try a nursing marathon one weekend or something if you have help.

I'm still confused about what your goal is, though. I think you've posted a couple of times about not having nursed for long stretches (if I'm reading it right). Are you giving bottles instead of nursing or are you nursing and then supplementing? Are you hoping to EBF or is the plan to always offer some bottles? Neither way is better than the other, I'm just asking so I can understand what you're looking to do. I guess I'm asking are the ounces you're collecting from pumping for someone else to bottle feed for you to rest (temporary situation) or is it a goal to always BF and bottle feed or are you pumping because a doctor/LC said you had to supplement (again, probably temporary) or is it just to have a back up supply in the freezer? Sorry for all of the questions!

 

basically i'll feed the babies for almost an hour sometimes. when i'm done they are still hungry. i have no idea how long i'm supposed to literally sit and nurse for, so we top them off with EBM from a bottle.

at night, i always bottle feed with EBM. it takes way too long at 2 and 5 am to sit and nurse. my DH has work and to keep everyone's frustration down and everyone happy, lol, we just feed them about 3 ounces that way.

IF i have no EBM we supplement with formula.

 

You are doing great. Try to remember any breat milk is better than none. I am in the same boat that you are. I can't get ahead of my boys no matter what I do. I nurse them and then I pump about 20 mins later. I get a little more milk but it isn't that long of a gap. They have their hungry time at night when I can't get them full. They usually go through my extra then. I have not been able to get a stash at all. Do you pump at night after they eat their bottles? I use that for the next feeding if I don't have any other milk. Good luck.

 

At night, have you tried breastfeeding one baby and having DH give the other a bottle? Your breasts need to be stimulated at night since you're establishing your milk supply. If you don't BF, then you should pump. The way I figured it, if you are going to pump, you may as well just feed one of them. I can understand not wanting to breastfeed both of them at night.

As far as pumping, I breastfeed my babies and then pumped after almost every feeding for the first 2 months. I was exhausted, miserable, and not enjoying my babies. Plus, I hardly got any milk. The best thing I did was to stop pumping so much. Now I pump before I go to bed (3 hours after my babies have their last feeding) and also in the early morning after their first feeding.

 

QUOTE(AmberG @ Jun 23 2009, 01:27 PM) [snapback]1365436[/snapback]
At night, have you tried breastfeeding one baby and having DH give the other a bottle? Your breasts need to be stimulated at night since you're establishing your milk supply. If you don't BF, then you should pump. The way I figured it, if you are going to pump, you may as well just feed one of them. I can understand not wanting to breastfeed both of them at night.


Those are great ideas! Here's a link about supply - I'm not sure it will take you to the right page (101), but it talks about the daily ebb and flow of supply, how mothers usually have the most in the mornings and then it gets to be less as the day goes on. This isn't where I read about it, but it's similar. When you get up to give the 5 AM bottle, can you hook up a double electric pump? If you don't have a hands free nursing bra, cut holes in a sports bra so it holds it in place while you are giving the bottle. I know I've heard that nursing or pumping at night is the quickest way to increase supply. I bet a few days of pumping during that feed would give your back up supply a boost!

I know the other ladies have already said it, but you are doing a fantastic job!! :Clap: Even though it's miserable now, in a few more weeks you'll barely remember this crazy phase!

 

thank you everyone for your responses.

i usually pump at night once when we are bottle feeding. it is really just must easier for us to bottle feed them at night and sometimes during the day as well. i feel like when i BF them, i am feeding them for over an hour and they aren't fully satisfied. whereas i can give them a bottle of EBM and they are content but a half hour later.

i feel guilty when i dont get to BF them. it is also still a bit painful; well, sore rather. my nipples are past the pain point and are now just feeling 'bruised.'

i am going to read that article now about the ebb and flow of BM.

 

QUOTE
i usually pump at night once when we are bottle feeding. it is really just must easier for us to bottle feed them at night and sometimes during the day as well. i feel like when i BF them, i am feeding them for over an hour and they aren't fully satisfied. whereas i can give them a bottle of EBM and they are content but a half hour later.


A lot of moms find pumping and bottle feeding easier in the beginning. The downside is that while nursing can be harder than pumping for the first couple months, once you get past that, pumping is MUCH harder than nursing. If you can stick it out for a bit longer, the babies will get much better and much more efficient. If you get stuck pumping, then you're stuck with all that extra work long term. Once nursing gets easy, it is REALLY easy.

It sounds like they're having trouble nursing efficiently. Have you had a LC watch? There might be some quick fixes for that. One thing that comes to mind - have you tried breast compression while they're nursing? I also used to tickle the babies' cheeks/chins while they were feeding to keep them actively nursing (not just hanging out).

Also, I think the best thing for your supply and their nursing would be to just forget about pumping for a while and nurse, nurse, nurse. Do you have enough help that you could set aside a few days and just nurse the babies? If they're hungry in an hour, nurse again in an hour, and just keep going. It would be a phenomenal supply boost.

Hang in there! You can get past all these challenges! We're rooting for you!