Another Pumping Question

[Anonymous]

New mom here. How do introduce pumping into your schedule when you are feeding a baby every couple of hours? Are you able to get enough milk. I'm only trying to get a little surplus so I can leave DC with DH or take a bottle out with me.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I would try and pump after feedings. At first, you may not get that much but eventually your supply will increase.

[Anonymous]

You won't get too much after pumping right after nursing since your DC drained you - obviously.

I recommend pumping about 2 hours after nursing - assuming DC doesn't need to eat again - is he/she a newborn still?

Also, you can pump while DC is sleeping...assuming DC sleeps for more than 2 hours in a row.

The pumping in between nursing will increase your supply - just give it a little bit of time for your body to adjust to the demand.

Don't forget to drink water!!

[Anonymous]

I would pump before nursing (one of the morning nursings) -- babies are more efficient than pumps, and mine could get enough not to be miserable. Then we'd end up nursing again sooner than usual.

My first hated bottles, so I ended up being glad that there wasn't much in them. Less to throw out. Good for you for starting early.

[Anonymous]

If you are not having much success pumping between nursing sessions, I would try pumping one side while feeding the other, then letting baby 'finish' off the side that you pumped. Baby is much more efficient, will definitely get out a little even after the pump, which will help increase your supply faster; your let-down will most likely be better while baby is sucking, and with time, your supply will catch up to produce more for each session.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I was only able to pump while DS slept. I was not coordinated enough to pump one side while feeding from the other, and the only time I was able to not worry about DS was when he was napping.

[Anonymous]

If you're ready to introduce a bottle, you could pump just before you'd normally nurse, then bottlefeed him only some of it. My son had difficulty latching so I pumped/bottlefed from the get-go, and found that I usually pumped a little more than he needed (the first weeks I often got 3-4 oz, but he was only drinking 2-2.5, so I could save the rest and get a couple bottles ahead of him each day.) Now that he's figured out nursing, I pump much less frequently, but the pumping ratio has stayed steady - I am able to pump almost 4 feedings' worth of milk in only 2 pumping sessions when I'm at work. Some people say the baby is more efficient than the pump, but that's not my experience. If it is in yours, you can a least work in extra sessions once he consistently sleeps longer stretches. My son started sleeping 5 hours a night at about 8 weeks, then 8-9 hours the week before I started back at work (good timing!) So I now do an extra pumping session at home before I go to bed, and sometimes in the middle of the night if I wake up feeling "full".

Good luck!