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Breastfeeding
Pumping/letdown/supplementing question
I use a medela pisa and ep. My milk starts flowing very quickly, so I push the letdown button and increase the suction, but my milk flows flows for just a few minutes. I'm able to get another letdown and finish with that before the 20 mins is up. Should I try a 3rd? My son is 1.5 weeks old, and I'm only getting 2-3 oz. He is eating 3-4 oz, so I have to supplement with formula, which is really bothering me. (I tried to nurse for several days but he was losing weight so a lc suggested I ep). I want to get enough milk so that I don't have to supplement. I pump every 2-3 hours, with an occasional 3.5 hours at night- or rarely a longer stretch at night. Pump each time he eats.
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Re: Pumping/letdown/supplementing question
First, good for you for trying to EP! But... I would look for a new LC. They should not be telling you to give up on nursing this early. Even if you have to use a nipple shield while he is this young, it would give you a shot at nursing later. Ask your pedi's office for a rec to an LC if you're seeing the hospital one. Try finding a La Leche League near you if you can't find another LC.
Keep pumping each time he eats, but I'd probably add at least 1 more pumping session since you are EPing so early. I would also try for a 3rd letdown, I routinely get 3 before I am empty. And it often takes me longer than 20 minutes to get there, so I'd see what you can get if you spend 30 minutes. Hard because you're EPing, but if you can find the time I'd do it. The first 6 weeks you really need to pump as much as you can while your supply is regulating, otherwise you will likely always have to supplement. That said - usually you produce an ounce an hour, so to get 2-3 oz every 2-3 hours is about right.
And I agree with PP that 3-4 oz is a lot for a babe so young. There is a great milk calculator on Kellymom as well as an article on how to bottle feed a breastfed baby (good to know how to do even if you aren't switching between breast and bottle).
how much loosing weight???? your supply won't come in until about 4 days, so it is expected that they will loose weight. Supplimenting wasn't even discussed until the 2day follow up appointment in the doc's office. It was only then when my LO lost another 10 oz since the hospital discharge that i was told to offer formula after BF, and LO drank almost a full 2oz each time. The more formula you give the harder it will be to catch up. (formula is 3-4 hrs to digest and breast milk is 2-3) My supply never reached above 1oz in each breast. I allow the entire 2 mins of let down. If you are pumping 2-3oz it sounds like your supply doesn't have any issues. the pump will empty you out quickly too as does a baby (5-7 mins)
I know everyone else is saying that the amount your child is eating is too much, but dd routinely eats 3.5 ounces each feeding so I don't necessarily agree. I really think that if they are getting the overall ounces that they need throughout the day, who cares how much they eat at once? She eats the total overall ounces mostly throughout the day, and only wakes once at night. Seems fine to me because I'm getting sleep not having to be up most of the night feeding her 3 different times, she's eating how much she should be and gaining fine.
Not really sure what advice to give you on the supplementing. DD ends up having to have somewhere between 1 and 2 ounces of formula a day because I have some supply issues I am working on and by the end of the day I am just barely short.
We're mostly pumping right now too because dd has a very small mouth that is making her a very inefficient eater. With what seems like a good latch, she will nurse for over an hour and barely eat an ounce and a half. However, we are hoping to get her back on the breast full time eventually and the LC thinks this is doable.