How Many Oz at a Time?

J.-I am a mother of 4 of my own (breast fed all 4) and have taken care of acouple of more children... the doctors today say only give them formula until they are about 6 months or so, however my children would have starved to death if i would have listened to that, you might try adding some rice cereal to the formula, about 2tsp to start, to were she can still suck it through the bottle. Theres nothing wrong with switching to formula totally, sometimes the breast milk just doesn't satisfy. Good luck! -T.

Congratulations, first of all!

I am a mom of 4, I nursed all 4 of them. I think we had almost every problem in the book, so hopefully I can help out a little. LOL My advise would be that 2-3 oz is fine at this point. At 2 wks their tummy can't really hold much more than that. If she seems to be wanting more after you feed her, it might be a need to suckle for comfort more than hunger. If you want to get her to start nursing again, it can take some work, but it is possible. Every time you get ready to feed her try expressing a little on your nipple & offering it to her, she might taste the milk & try to latch on. Babies are lazy & they are just like adults, they tend to go with the path of least resistance. A bottle makes feeding very easy, they can gulp down a larger amount in less time & with less work. Nursing requires more energy, so she might resist at first.

I would also contact a lactation consultant, or La Leche League, they might have some ideas. There are a number of ways to get your supply increased, but the best way is to get her to stimulate you - at 2 wks they are also going through a growth spurt, so they naturally suck more - it's supply & demand, they nurse more often & your body responds with an increase in supply. If you just can't get her to nurse again I'd reccommend a reputable double pump (Medela is great) & pump a little longer until her growth spurt backs down again. Try to avoid a paci in this phase too - if she's wanting to suckle offer her your breast.

Sorry to have rambled on, these are some of the things we did with our kids. I hope everything works out & that you find something useful in my novel! LOL

If she nursed for a week, she knows how to nurse at the breast. She just got used to the bottle, and to her, it's EASIER. The breast milk that is produced for her is proportionate to the amount she nurses,so she will be much more satisfied whenever she returns to the breast. (The old supply and demand, you know.) I know how very difficult it is to get a baby to nurse at the breast-especially the first day after leaving the hospital. I thought my breasts would explode! But, my baby girl finally got hungry enough and didn't want to waste that milk that was dripping down. She finally took to it very well. I hope yours does, too. It won't be easy, but I hope you don't have to give her a bottle. Breast feeding is SO worth it!
p.s. The consultants are a great idea! I didn't use one because, like I said, she finally got hungry enough to nurse. (And it was a Sunday when we returned home)

Unfortunately, it's just hard for some moms to pump. I could never get much out, even when I had no trouble at all producing it and nursing my kids. Sometimes you just can't let down completely. I suggest that you keep trying to nurse her. Offer the breast when she's just starting to get hungry. Let her try for a while. If she gets frustrated, then offer a bottle. I totally agree with what another mom said- she knows how to nurse still. The bottle is just easier so she's "being lazy", so to speak. Hopefully you can get her back on the breast and she'll get a full tummy and you'll both be happy.
Good luck!!

well, the baby has to work to feed from the breast and doesn't have to suck as hard from the bottle, with a little suck the fomula flows right in. as far as your breast milk goes. the breasts will only make what it thinks the baby is drinking. eventually it will taper off as the pump is not nearly as good as a baby of emptying the breast of milk. and the feedback loop is not as strong. meaning the more a baby nurses and needs, the more the breasts will make. if the breasts sense the baby only needs 2-3 oz that is all they will make. and the breasts don't know the difference between a pump and a baby.
so they really need a good emptying to produce more milk.
I am curious why even in the hospital they wouldn't let you nurse her? When my babies all had jaundice I continued to nurse them. When I went back to work when they were around 3 months old, we had to do the pump, bottle, breast milk thing and eventually my milk slacked off, because the baby would only take a bottle. and the breast was not getting the signals to keep making milk. but on the one hand, it was easy to dry up. i had no problems with engougement etc. because the supply dried up a little at a time over about 3 months, so that by the time the baby was 6mos old i couldn't get anymore.
you might try a breast shield. they are silicone and fit over the nipple to protect the nipples when they are sensitive. that might feel like the bottle enough that she will nurse at the breast. or you might try the bottles with the littlest nipple holes to make her work her suck more and if it is the same as the breast she might take the breast again.
you can also try to find a lactation consultant from the La Leche League.
I think that if you are feeding her the breast milk and she is still hungry than you are not pumping enough to keep up with her demands. you should probably be making more. but again a pump is a poor substitute for a baby's suck. have you tried to let her get really hungry, and you be engorged so the milk will flow from your breast with little effort?
you can also massage the ducts to help them give up the milk, even if it is a pretty firm massage they might give just a little more each time, until you have increased your supply. there are usually some pockets of milk high in the breast and under the arm area that are not emptied by the pump, if you can massage the milk down that might help.
drink lots of fluids.
that is all i can think of.
good luck,
L.

Hello, J..
I had to see a lactation consultant with both of my girls and know this can be a difficult thing to deal with.
Hope things are better when you are reading this. I know that trying to breastfeed is often tough to start out, but you are doing really great!! If you have not yet contacted a lactation consultant, there is a great one that I know of in Richardson, Texas (Judy Eastburn) who we recommended when I worked for a pedi there in Dallas, Texas. Let me know if you need her number. I actually took my first daughter to her as a newborn because she would not latch on well at all at first because I had flat nipples. LC's are very helpful to let you know exactly how much baby is getting from you after getting baby to latch on, of course. They can give lots of tips on what might help, and they often will rent you a hospital grade pump if you do not have one already and are in need of one. Another thing that would help increase supply is just plain oatmeal (at least it worked for me). 2-3 oz. every 2-3 hours IS pretty good since baby is just 2 weeks.

Hope this helps,
L. :) 34yo mother of Kayla 6yo (nursed for 2 years) and Addison 16 months (STILL nursing) :)

As others suggested, you should see a lactation consultant ASAP and also consider contacting your local La Leche League. This group of ladies helped me tremendously with my first son when I was having difficulties like yourself. It is really important to keep in mind that a pump will not be as effective as the baby nursing herself and your daughter is young enough that you should be able to get her back on the breast. One trick is to bottle feed first to take the edge off the hunger and then try to get her to latch onto the breast. Supplementing with formula will make her want to nurse far less often and will only cause your milk supply to decrease further. So, again, please contact a lactation consultant and La Leche League ASAP: www.llli.org

I would highly recommend the lactation consultants at Presby Allen, Vicki and Terri. Even if you didn't deliver there, they can still meet with you or talk with you over the phone.

Milk can take weeks to establish. Are you taking any supplements to encourage it? Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle help with production, while a good Omega 3 supplement will enrich the milk with good fats (this will help her feel more full). Drinking lots of water helps too. If you are pumping every 2-3 hours that is great, but a lactation consultant would have the best advice on how often. Your pediatrician or OB would have some names. Also, try to find the slowest flow nipple you can so that you are more attractive to her than the bottle. This is also something a lactation consultatant can advise you on. You are on the right track! Don't give up.

Hi J.. Congrats on the new baby and I am glad she is over the jaundice. I agree--a lactation nurse should be able to give you tips on making more milk but I will say that pumping exclusively doesn't make as much as if the baby is attached to the breast. The pump is just for in between feedings mostly--but I bet the lactation lady can give you tips on how you can make more while pumpling exclusively. Good Luck and hang in there. :) C.

Hi,

The standard is that if you produce less than 17 oz in 24 hours, you are in danger of losing your supply. As long as you pump every 2-3 hours during the day using a double pump (hospital grade if possible), and you pump until you stop getting milk, then an additional 2 minutes in case there is a second let-down, you should be optimizing your supply. Some people respond better to the pump than others. For some, using a picture of the baby or sitting by her when you pump is helpful or using soothing music, massage, aromatherapy, etc. For me, it was reading a trashy magaazine like People that did it because it took my mind off of the need to produce milk (which was stressful).
I also absolutely agree that getting an LC to help with BF is helpful. Not sure where you are, but Harris Methodist HEB and Harris Methodist Ft Worth have good LC programs. Check with your local hospital or even the WIC office or your pedi for help. It's not too late
Good luck! Kathleen

When I first started pumping I would only pump half an oz per breast. I had an breast augmentation so I think being cut under my breast damaged my production because I could only produce from the top part of my breasts.

I had to work to produce more milk...I continued to pump every hour when I could. I also drank Mothers Milk Tea and took some vitamins Fenugreek from the GNC store to help build milk supply. Also turns out a medicine that I took when I was preg has a side effect of producing milk...I belive it is Phenegrin or it could be Reglen. AND ALL OF THIS WORKED!!!YOu may want to ask your doctor.

When all was said and done I was able to produce a total of 6 oz total...for me that was a lot. I stock piled all that I pumped for her later. But by that time she was six months old and wouldnt take to me anymore so I pumped in order to store milk until I dried up. I used the remaining precious milk when ever she was starting to come down with something to help boost her immune system.

I hope this helps...Good luck.

I know that it is frustrating, but the amounts you are getting seem about right. My son is 5 months and I only get about 2-4 oz every three hours while I am at work. Remember, a pump is not as efficient as a baby. Don't feel bad about having to supplement. Any amount of breastmilk she is getting is good for her! Keep up the good work!

I think you are very normal - at least according to what I experienced. I did eventually get more - up to 6 oz. (that was a big pump LOL)- but 3-4 was my norm. And the time amt. you mentioned was also approx. what I did. A friend of mine had about the same experience and numbers too.

Hope all goes well for you and your daughter!