still only pumping 2 oz. per breast..

LyndseyLC

LO is 12 1/2 weeks old and I am still only pumping about 2 ounces per breast.

I am thinking it is because I dont pump the same time everyday because of my odd school schedule.

I pump in the am, once at school when I get a break and then feed her from my breast whenever I am not at school or work. I try not to go more than 4 hours without pumping or feeding her. 

I have been worried she isnt eating enough. She still uses slow flow nipples, we have tried fast flow, she maybe took that a few times.  She was 6lbs 5 oz. when born on 7/16 at 2 month checkup 9/16 she was 9lbs 4 oz. Dr. didnt seem too concerned but did say she should be taking more than 2 oz. per feeding. We had only been offering er 2 oz from bottle since that is what I got when I pumped so I assumed that is what she was getting from my breast.  Now we offer her about 4 oz. per feeding but she still only really ever takes like 3 oz. at most. sometimes 3.5 or 4. But she is still eating about every 2 hours..except at night the first stretch of sleep she goes about 5 hours.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

LyndseyLC

she only gets breastmilk..but I am thinking about doing half breastmilk half formula in her diet..if that would chubby her up a bit..?

rosiemomma

formula has less calories then breast-milk, you could pump for a moment before she nurses so she is getting more hindmilk.

2oz is totally normal pump output. If baby eats every 2 hours 2oz is fine the average amount a baby takes is 24-30 oz in 24 hours, sounds about right, making her take more is setting her up to ignore the feeling of satiation, if she is done she  is done.

if you are still worried about weight gain here are some tips on getting baby to take more milk:

https://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/weight-gain_increase.html

more on pumping:

https://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumping_decrease.html 

cwhitloc

I would stick with breastfeeding if i were you.  If you start supplimenting with formula this early, you're putting your supply in jeopardy.  If you want to fatten her up, i would just offer the boob more.  Make sure you are feeding long enough to get her the hindmilk.  This is the fatty milk and high in calories. Are you nursing at least 20 min per side?

suzyqjmu

Babies are more efficient than the pump so she is probably getting more than the 2oz that you pump.

choogasian

I EBF and when I pump at work I only get 1.5 ounces per breast and my LO is almost 5 months old! She's got the chunkiest thighs I have ever seen on a baby, so I know she isn't starving. I am convinced that some women's bodies just don't respond as well to the pump.

MaeRenee524

choogasian:

I EBF and when I pump at work I only get 1.5 ounces per breast and my LO is almost 5 months old! She's got the chunkiest thighs I have ever seen on a baby, so I know she isn't starving. I am convinced that some women's bodies just don't respond as well to the pump.

 

I agree! I had the Medela PIS with my first and I had the worst luck with it, That combined with poor latch and a my son getting sick and refusing the breast (Bottle and Formula had been introduced due to severe Jaundice) resulted in BFing being cut short at 4 months. I am 100% dedicated to EBF'ing with my June Bug. Will be purchasing an Ameda this time (I think!) 

CarolinaDaisy

2oz per breast per pumping session is actually pretty good. I usually only get 2.5 per side, sometimes 3. But my 7 month old has never taken more than 4.5 to 5 oz at one time.

How many times a day is she feeding? Breastfed babies average about 24 oz of milk per day. So divide 24 by the number of times per day she is eating and you have the average amount per feeding she would need. As they get older, the calorie content of your milk changes so there may not be much increase in amount. You will see an increase in the amount she takes if she starts to drop feedings, but not really until then.

They take varying amounts from the breast depending on time of day and how hungry they are, but typically not more than 5oz at one time. Check out kellymom.com for more info. But average intake by one month is anywhere from 2.5 to 5oz.

So don't worry, you're doing great!

katie4253

4oz per pump is good if you never are going more than 4 hrs.  If you are EPing the general rule is that you will pump about 1oz an hour.  

jessmae10

If you want to continue breastfeeding, don't supplement with formula, or your supply will drop.  My baby is ten month old and still only takes 1-2 oz from a bottle (rarely she will take 3oz).  I have always only pumped 2 oz from one side and 3 oz from the other each time I pump.  She can get more milk when she nurses than I can when I pump...you really can't go by what you pump to determine what she is getting from nursing.  The best thing to go by is if she is gaining weight appropriately.  If she is, then don't worry because she is getting what she needs.  Unfortunately, even pedi's don't always know enough about BF to give great advice...see if you can speak with a LC.  My pedi used to say the same about the amount of oz in DD's bottles, but she also said that she must be getting what she needs because she gained weight like a rock star!!  If you can meet with a LC, they have a scale you can use that will let you know how many ounces she is getting from nursing on each breast.  My DD still nurses at night, but BM only lasts about 1.5 hrs before it is digested, so I expect her to be hungry every few hours.  The Kellymom website suggested above is a great tool for BF research!!  It will help calm your concerns.  A good thing to know (sorry this is long) as well, is that BM changes as your baby grows...so once your supply sets in and gets established, the amount you produce doesn't change much.  My DD still drinks the same amount of BM now as she did when she was younger- but I know that the quality of my BM has changed and meets her needs.  This is very different from formula- and alot of Pedi's unfortunately, aren't aware of that.  Hope this helps, and hang in there, your doing a great job!!   

desdemona39

4oz after 4hrs is a good and normal output! That's what I pump, and DD takes 2-3oz per bottle, and has ever since she was 1mo old, & she's at the 75%ile for weight.

Some pedis are just not knowledgeable about BFing. The composition of your BM changes and becomes more calorie dense as you LO gets older, so from about 1-6 mo, they take in the same #of oz, but it contains more calories.

FF babies have to increase their intake to meet their needs, BF babies do not.