Pumping and supply

2Be Dr. Mrs.

My DD is in the NICU (7 days old) and I've been EP every 3 hours pretty much since day 1. On day 4-5 I finally was getting something, but it is not increasing at all, and I'm talking very little (10 ml or so). I am really looking forward to attempting to breastfeed but am now worried that I won't ever establish a supply. How long does it take? Am I already past the point of establishing a supply? I can't see keeping up EP for this little volume as I'm becoming very frustrating being tethered to that machine and not seeing any output. I did start taking Fenugreek yesterday, am only 3 doses in.

Thanks for any suggestions or advice!

Denesdia

I EP-ed for one year for my DD (born at 25 weeks), and am currently EP-ing for my DS (born at 35 weeks).  My first question is did you meet with a Lactation Consultant at the NICU?  A Special Care Nursery nurse was very helpful with me and my DS when she showed me a graph that told me how much I could expect to produce for the baby based on his age.  If you don't have the graph, then the advice will be the things you are doing which is pumping around the clock every 3 hours, staying well hydrated, taking supplements (like Fenugeek), and looking for a diet that supports BF.  This website gave me good advice and peace of mind.  GL!  And, good job for trying so hard!  Nobody thinks about how much work pumping for LO's in the NICU is.

www.kellymom.com

 

MarriedBestFriends

At 1 week PP I wasn't getting a ton- your supply is absolutely still establishing and it generally takes about 12 weeks before it's almost impossible to raise. How long are you pumping? I never went less than 20 minutes. Do your shields fit properly? There are different sizes. What type of pump are you using? A single or manual will not work for EPing. How much water are you drinking? I drank 200 oz/day for the entire year I EPed. Are you doing skin to skin/able to do so? That will help. Are you able to try nursing before you pump? Could also help.

Just pump pump pump- if needed switch to pump every 2 hours during the day and back to every 3 at night- BFing is all about supply and demand. Congrats on your daughter! 

shanlubey

My son is 8 days old, and I pump every two hours, at least 8 times a day. My LC told me to establish a good supply, 8 times a day for the first 2-3 weeks tells your body that you need more milk. Every time I pump, I do so for 15-20 minutes. Always at least 5 minutes after that last drop falls to let my body know I need more. Also, I play with the controls on the pump, starting with lower suction but faster speed, then I turn up the suction up a bit. 

Also, some hot compresses on the top of your breasts for 5 minutes before pumping. I stop half way, go get a cup of milk or juice and drink it with the hot compresses on the under side of my breasts and then start back up. I also massage them a little towards the end, and milk seems to flow. I am getting between 60-110mL's per pump depending on the time of day. My LC said that you can get lots of milk no matter when as long as you try, try, try. It's all supply and demand. Right now, your body thinks it only needs that much. You need to trick your body to think it needs more. My baby is only getting 24mL's a day right now, but I am freezing away. 

Drink lots of water, stay hydrated and don't give up. You can and will do it! 

OscarQ

I had some trouble in the beginning and got very frustrated, then it picked up before leveling off around week 4.  I kept at it until he was 6 weeks old but then gave up since he was so outpacing my supply.  Good luck!

sweetpea18

It takes a little longer for your milk to fully come in when you ep. Just keep pumping. Make sure you are drinking a lot of water. When you think that you're about to float away, drink more! Try eating oatmeal. And make sure you're eating enough. You need to be consuming an addition 300-500 calories a day. When you are at the hospital, pump bedside and at home have a picture of your babe to look at while you pump. And hang in there, you're doing great!!

witt0198

I highly recommend a hospital grade pump if you're not using one. Insurance companies will usually cover the rental of one if there's a medical need such as having a preemie.

Are you starting with the cycles coming fast to trigger a let down, then slowing them to remove the milk, the cycling fast again to get another let down, and slowing to remove the milk again? By doing this I could usually get 4 let down's in a 20min pumping session.

Ditto talking to a LC, I needed custom sized flanges, it helped get rid of hard spots, stopped the trauma to my nipples that was causing cracking and blisters, and made let downs come easier. I never would have known if I hadn't talked with a LC.

Massage your breasts towards the flange while pumping. It may sound wierd, but there are actual studies that prove this increases women's supplies, and makes pumping more effective.

Think of LO, pump near LO, have a picture of them taped to your pump, smell one of their blankets. Our bodies are a bit like pavlov's dogs, their made to let down to a baby though, not a pump, so anything you can do to get your body thinking of LO usually will help. Ditto skin to skin as being a good thing. Honestly, pumping next to my Evan would make a difference of 1 1/2 oz more than what I could usually get.

 

2Be Dr. Mrs.

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement! I have an appointment with the LC tomorrow who can hopefully either give me some piece of mind or help me evaluate if I'm doing everything correctly even.

Thanks!

osuangelee

I had some issues with my preemie and I topped out at producing 300 ml/day pumping.  The doctor put me on Domperidone which has been amazing!  There is another drug that also helps with milk let-down but the side effects included fatigue, depression, and suicidal thoughts (no thank you!).  The bummer is domperidone isn't covered by insurance for this use, so it is expensive (about $150/month).  My lactation consultant found it through a Canadian pharmacy for about half the price, which really helps out since I'll have to be on it for the duration of breastfeeding.  It did help since I was doing everything right and my supply wasn't keeping up.  Good luck!