3rd Trimester

breast feeding

I'm two days away from my due date, and I have a question. A friend of mine just gave birth last week. She is breast feeding, and lactation nurse told her she couldn't pump for three weeks. I was wondering if this was true and why, because I wanted to rent a pump. But i don't want to waste money if I can use it for a couple of weeks.

Re: breast feeding

  • I've never heard this.  From everything I've read, it's nice to have a pump in the first few weeks to relieve engorgment.
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  • Makes no sense.

    She may not get anything those first three weeks (or close to nothing), but there's no reason to NOT pump, really.  I was pumping when C was in the NICU for a few days to help with engorgement, two days after birth.

  • it's not really true.

    I pumped from day one - they took DD while we were still in the hospital, and I had to pump.

    It's better if baby is the one draining the breast, especially for the first several weeks... but in cases where that can't happen for one reason or another... well... that's why pumps exist, you know?

  • If you are bf'ing a pump is a definite necessity from day 1. I BF my first two for 10 months and the pump got more use than almost any other baby item. Buy a Medela Pump in Style. You won't regret it.
  • ideally you let your milk supply 'settle' before pumping.

    BUT it's great to have a pump for engorgment, or in case baby doesn't latch right away and you need to pump for a few feedings, etc.

    You won't waste your money.

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  • imageDoodler:

    Your body is naturally going to produce the amount of milk baby needs.   So, unless you need to breastfeed those first couple weeks, you don't want to "trick" your body into producing more milk.

    You also don't want to start out with a bottle right away...to avoid "nipple confusion" and get latching and breastfeeding down first.  

    So...you won't need to pump right away.

     

    There are other reasons for needing to pump the first few days. For example, my kids didn't latch well and both needed to be "finger fed" with a syringe by daddy while I healed from the bad latch or dealt with them not latching at all at first. During that time I needed to pump the milk for DH to feed them until we both got the hang of the latch and feeding, which might not happen for a couple weeks. 

  • imagejkfranklin:
    I've never heard this.  From everything I've read, it's nice to have a pump in the first few weeks to relieve engorgment.

    Ive heard this too....I would check with someone at your ob's office or with the LC at your hospital 

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  • Arden wasn't eating enough the first few days home, so I had to go out and buy a pump to keep my supply up, as instructed by my doctor, the lactation consultant, and his pedi.  Plus, it is nice to have to relieve engorgement as people said.
  • I've never heard that.  IMO lactation consultants sometimes go strictly by the book or the latest fad in BF.  I began pumping after I had DD within the first week of her birth.  Luckily for me I had my mom who breastfeed me and my 4 younger siblings to guide me through the process.  I don't see an issue with it.  If anything I would think that it would help increase milk supply.  At first you won't get much, and I found in the beginning it was best to do it right after a feeding so as not to mess anything up for DD.  It also might be best to wait until your milk comes in just so that you aren't just pumping colostrum.

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  • imageDoodler:

    Your body is naturally going to produce the amount of milk baby needs.   So, unless you need to breastfeed those first couple weeks, you don't want to "trick" your body into producing more milk.

    You also don't want to start out with a bottle right away...to avoid "nipple confusion" and get latching and breastfeeding down first.  

    So...you won't need to pump right away.

    This!!

     This is exactly what we were told at our breastfeeding class last week.

  • I have heard that some LC say this... I don't believe it though.  I pumped once a day from the first week and I really feel like it helped with milk production.
  • Also, it gave DH an opportunity to feed Elliot once a day and do a little bonding of his own.
  • Pumping gets a lot more milk out than a new newborn. It can make your letdown to strong in the beginning for your LO. LO may develop reflux and the like from getting too much milk too fast before he/she is strong enough of a drinker to handle it.
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