Family Forum / Parenting / Parenting / January 2006

Hi, I wanted to make sure you understood that the amount of milk you can
pump has nothign to do with how much you actually produce. Many women can't
pump but a few drops but make plenty that only the baby can get out. Babies
are more efficient at getting our milk out than pumps. This is very normal.
Now if you are pumping only, and not planning on nursing anymore, then you'd
need to get your supply up and there are others here who can help you with
that.
What kind of pain are you having? Usually it is best to keep nursing
normally while you are taking care of the problem. When my oldest daughter
was 2 weeks old, I had mastitis and it was really painful, but I quit
breastfeeding because I did not know what to do and I was terrified of
hurting like that any longer. I wish I had not stopped, but I did go on to
sucessfully breastfeed my next two children and I knew the early signs of
mastitis and when I had it with my second daughter I was able to quickly
have it taken care of.
Marie

It's a demand/supply situation:  the more the baby nurses, the more your
capacity will increase.  Chances that you won't produce enough are
pretty slim.

If you are concerned about nursing, you might look for a local Le Leche
League, and attend their meetings.  I know I got great advice there,
including how to nurse my twins.

are you concerned that you aren't making enough because the baby is
losing weight, not enough wet diapers etc., or because your baby wants
to nurse *all* the time?

If it is the latter (i.e. baby wants to nurse all the time) well that
is pretty normal - babies at that age need to nurse pretty often, not
only to get enough now, but to build up your supply for when they get
bigger. There are also growth spurts, the general rule I was told was
(I think) 6 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months. This means you will
probably spend all day nursing on or around these dates.

If it is the former (baby losing too much weight, not enough wet
diapers etc.) then definitely consult a lactation consultant or a La
Leche leader.

If you're thinking this because you're hardly getting anything when you
pump, don't panic - it may well be just that you're not reacting well to
the pump. However, supply reacts to how much milk is removed from the
breast, so if this is the case, then continuing to pump instead of feed
will totally mess up your supply. If you possibly can keep feeding, that'll
be better all round. Can you post more about what specific problems you're
having? I'm sure lots of people can help. You'll also get better replies at
misc.kids.breastfeeding than here.

Sidheag
DS Colin Oct 27 2003

    Are you pumping in addition to nursing at the breast,
or are you only pumping?  This early, it can be a real challenge
for many women to pump, and the best way to increase your
production capacity is to let the baby nurse.  Get a lactation
consultant and/or contact your local branch of La Leche League
for some in-person help on geting a better latch and helping
to deal with the pain.  Get some Lansinoh (or other lanolin
cream) to help as well.  Babies tend to be *much* more efficient
at getting milk out than pumps.  Also, many pumps are just flat
out crappy.  What pump are you using?  Not being able to pump
much does *NOT* mean that you have a supply problem.  With my
first, I probably could have fed a small army of babies, but
I couldn't letdown for a pump worth beans.  I'd be lucky to
get an ounce after a *realllly* long time pumping.  My baby,
on the other hand was putting on a couple ounces a day from
nursing, so I clearly didn't have any kind of supply problem.
    If you want the best odds for your baby to have
breastmilk, you'd likely be much better off to persevere
with the nursing and get some professional advice to help
deal with the pain.  Odds are extremely high that within
another couple of weeks, it will not be painful at all and
you'll have the convenience and health benefits of nursing
and none of the hassles of exclusive pumping (and the potential
that you won't be able to keep your supply up with exclusive
pumping and might have to wean to formula).

Best wishes,
Ericka