Hi there! My DD is 2 weeks old and although I was EBFing, my pediatrician was concerned that my milk wasn't letting down, causing her to cluster feed around the clock. She had me switch to pumping every 2 hours, and supplementing so DD gets 2 oz every 2 hours too. The intent is to try and bring my milk in more so she can go back to EBFing.
Question: anyone else had trouble with letdown? I've never felt it happen and have never felt engorged. I pump about 1 oz every 2 hours. I'm really anxious to get her back to the breast, and wasn't sure how long this pumping regimen might take to bring my milk supply in. Any advice is appreciated!
Thanks!
Re: Letdown question...
I didn't start feeling a letdown sensation until several weeks (maybe a couple of months) into BFing, and it got more noticeable as DS got older. I'm not sure why that was.
Regarding all the pumping helping with your supply: yes, it should help boost your supply (I recommend a hosptial-grade pump). My DS was in the NICU, and I the LC staff had me pump every two hours for 15 minutes/session (even overnight, since that matched when baby would feed). This ensured that when DS got out of NICU, my supply would be established.
There are other things you can do to help increase your supply -- supplements, teas, and so on. kellymom.com and lll.org have advice on this. I eat a huge bowl of oatmeal every morning.
This!
I had similar situation, but pumped an hour after I breastfed to help increase my supply. Nursing has better suction and causes your body to react better than just pumping to increase your supply. GL!
So are you exclusively pumping at this point? Ideally you'd be nursing baby, pumping afterwards, and then supplementing with what you pumped. That will most effectively stimulate milk production. I'd recommend working with an IBCLC rather than your pedi to ensure that you're getting the best advice and support.