Looking for tips on transitioning to EBF from EP

onenewmama

After several weeks of having to EP due to LO (who is 8 weeks old) having a poor latch, being a lazy eater and having no weight gain, he is finally able to latch and appears to be doing a good job mostly emptying my breasts and seeming content. He still falls asleep sometimes while eating, though, and I don't feel empty every time. So, I am concerned he may not be eating enough, which could lead to weight gain and supply issues. I had supply issues in the beginning, but after a week or two of EP'ing, I was able to produce an average of 40 opd. I'm just paranoid the supply issues will return, which would be a problem, particularly since I go back to work in 4 weeks and will need to be able to pump 12-16 opd to feed him each day. (From our time EP'ing, I know he takes 4 oz bottles.) I tried to do a weighted feed this weekend to see how much he was eating. It was tough to get an exact measurement, though, because he had a wet and dirty diaper in between. It was probably only 1 to 1.5 oz he ate. He does eat much more frequently from breast than when he gets 4 oz bottles, though.

I am looking for any tips on how to be sure I maintain my supply without causing a new oversupply issue. For the past few days, I have been pumping 4 times per day still (I was pumping 7-8 times when EP'ing) and am feeding him by breast every time except for one or two bottles (I freeze the rest). Does anyone have any advice on how much I should be pumping now and how to know whether he'd eating enough?

TIA!

onenewmama

I agree it is madness! I don't want to go back to EPing I want to go to EBFing from EPing. (That sounds confusing no matter how i write it ) But I will still have to pump at work when i go back, so I want to make sure I make enough to fill the 4 oz bottles he will take.

Thank you for the diaper tip. I weighed him that way and another way, so I'm glad to know the right way. I figured as much, but the wet diaper seems to weigh more bc of how it expands, so I didn't know if that made a difference.

He is getting good diaper output, but he was even when he had no weight gain and the pedi told me to pump, so that why I hesitate to go by that. I will keep an eye on his weight now that we are trying this new routine. It's amazing how complicated it is to feed a baby. I had no idea it would be!

onenewmama

Thank you. For the one pump per day, is it ok to pump as much as I can or do I need to stop sooner to control oversupply? I don't want a long pump session to make it harder for baby to get hindmilk at his nursing sessions, but if it won't affect other sessions, I'd love to be able to freeze as much as possible.

onenewmama

I want the stash so he can have BM as long as possible after I stop breastfeeding. So, I want to continue to freeze extra when possible. But, I don't know if I pump once a day in the morning and get 10 oz that makes my body think it takes 10 oz to empty every time. I don't think that's the case, but I don't want my son to be unable to empty and get hindmilk during his nursing sessions. I hope that makes more sense.