Im worried that I am not producing enough...

Sclines2595

I know that everyone says, "your body will have plenty for baby".  DS is almost a month old and eats every 2-3 hours.  He was strictly on every 3 hours but the past week it's more like 2 - 2.5.  He will nurse one one side per session and nurses anywhere from 20-30 minutes before falling asleep.  Obviously with BFing, I have no idea how much he is actually consuming.  There are plenty of wet/dirty diapers so that's not really a concern.  I pump and feed him from bottles every now and again if I am out and about or if people are over and DH feeds him a bottle at 2am when he gets home from work.   When fed from a bottle he will eat 3 ounces.  If I pump (immediately after nursing) I will get 2 oz out of the breast he did not nurse from and 1 oz out of the breast he nursed on (3 oz total).  If I don't nurse prior to pumping - I will get 2-2.5 from each side.  It makes me nervous that he will eat 3 oz from a bottle - but yet...I'm only getting 2 out of my boobs.  Do you think this could mean he isn't getting enough when he nurses?? and that is why he is always rooting and wanting to eat every 2 hours instead of every 3 like he used to when he was younger?

shotzie

Babies are more efficient than pumps. What you pump is not an accurate gauge of your supply. The only way to know how much LO gets from nursing is to weigh them on an infant scale right before and right after nursing. LO could be going through a growth spurt and that's why he wants to eat more frequently. You know he's getting enough if he's gaining weight well and making enough diapers. If you nurse when he wants to and for as long as he wants to, your supply should meet his demands.

iluvmylab

Eating every 2-2.5 hours is completely normal.  My DS will ALWAYS take more from a bottle than I *think* he gets from my breast.  If he's coming off the breast on his own and seems satisfied, he is getting plenty.  If he has enough dirty diapers, he is getting plenty.  Babies are much more efficient than pumps, so it's not accurate to guess what he might be eating by how much you pump.  Just continue to feed on demand and you'll be fine.

Ashley&Scott

shotzie:

Babies are more efficient than pumps. What you pump is not an accurate gauge of your supply. The only way to know how much LO gets from nursing is to weigh them on an infant scale right before and right after nursing. LO could be going through a growth spurt and that's why he wants to eat more frequently. You know he's getting enough if he's gaining weight well and making enough diapers. If you nurse when he wants to and for as long as he wants to, your supply should meet his demands.

This.

If you can do the weighed feeding, it will make you feel better knowing how much your LO is eating. Try a LLL meeting or a breast feeding support group at your hospital. You could also probably use the scale at your pedi's office. 

JWSchwarz

The only way to know is to pump at the exact same time your baby has the bottle and compare. You could also do a pump day and only give your baby bottles all day. That eill be more accurate.

sarahice

iluvmylab:

Eating every 2-2.5 hours is completely normal.  My DS will ALWAYS take more from a bottle than I *think* he gets from my breast.  If he's coming off the breast on his own and seems satisfied, he is getting plenty.  If he has enough dirty diapers, he is getting plenty.  Babies are much more efficient than pumps, so it's not accurate to guess what he might be eating by how much you pump.  Just continue to feed on demand and you'll be fine.

All of this. I could have written your post when my baby was a month old too, I think it is a common BFing feeling. If you continue feeding on demand your baby is getting enough.

iluvmylab

JWSchwarz:

The only way to know is to pump at the exact same time your baby has the bottle and compare. You could also do a pump day and only give your baby bottles all day. That eill be more accurate.

This is a terrible idea and will not be accurate at all.   

boogerbearoriginal

Ditto Amyg - sounds like you're in the midst of the joyous 3wk growth spurt. The pump is not a reliable indicator of what LO is drinking or what you're producing.

FWIW my LO is 8.5m and still eats every 2-3hrs. And it takes me pumping both sides 3-4x a day at work to get what he eats vs. him nursing 4 times on one side only when I'm home. His growth has always been fine, I produce enough, my body just doesn't respond as well to a pump as my cute little baby.

It's hard to not worry when they are so little but you're doing great!