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Breastfeeding
nic326
member
BF'ing all.the.time
nic326
member
DS #2 is just about a week old and wants to nurse constantly. I am trying to build up a fridge/freezer supply as well but have no time to pump b/c I am nursing all the time. When I do get a chance to pump I get maybe 2oz. I have a PISA
My nursing sessions can last up to an hour or more if I let him go. The second he comes off the nipple and I try to pick him up he is rooting again and wants more. My boobs feel completely drained and floppy. I cant imagine I have anything left at all! Is he comfort nursing? Is he cluster feeding and having a growth spurt (seems a little early)?
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Re: BF'ing all.the.time
Keegan Patrick - Bilateral Clubfeet found at Anatomy Scan.
www.facebook.com/portraitave
Hang in there! A little one who needs to nurse constantly is a draining experience (pardon the inadvertent pun).
The only time my DD wasn't nursing in the first couple of weeks was when she was sleeping. It was exhausting! I couldn't even pump because she was latched almost all of the time. She ended up sleeping very well at night as time went on and I think it was because of all the eating she did during the day. Around 6-8 weeks it got a lot easier. At that point we typically went 2-3 hours or so between feedings. She's now 6 months and I have no idea how frequently she eats- maybe every 4 hours of so. It's still a lot, but feedings that used to take 30min-1 hour now take about 5-20 minutes. It makes a big difference.
When she was younger I worried a lot about my supply and whether I was "doing it right" (The ?she?s eating again??? comments didn?t help too much either). It seemed like a perpetual growth spurt. I talked to our Ped and an LC and they both said if LO is gaining well and everything looks good with her wet/soiled diapers, it just might be her process. At 6 months we have a breastfeeding relationship that I cherish. I feel like I worked so hard over the first 3 months and now I get to enjoy the rewards.
Regarding building a stored supply, during the night I would feed her from one breast and would pump from both after she fell asleep. Not the most fun thing to do, but it worked really well for us. Also, around 8 weeks she would sleep about 8 hours overnight. I would try to wake up before her and pump before her morning feeding. That was when my freezer stash really grew.
Good luck!
Hum...YES. Don't worry about pumping yet. Just learn to get proficient with nursing. In a couple weeks, you can pump on 1 side with nursing on the other than switch.
And 2 oz at 1 week is MORE than adequate amount to be pumping!!
Yeah, don't worry about pumping now. And even later, don't stress about it. I pump only when I get a chance or to replace a feeding. You don't need a huge stash.
Just nurse your baby for a couple more weeks.
Pumping can wait until baby is 4 or 5 weeks old. Then you can add a pumping session in the morning while baby is sleeping (usually about an hour or so after the last feeding). That will help you create a stash and train your body to add a session in the morning so you'll pump more when you return to work.
Then also pump when baby gets a bottle because you need to replace feedings you miss with pumping.
You can't necessarily tell if there's milk by how your breasts feel. He may be comforting himself by nursing, but he's also giving your body the cue to increase supply.
He may also be cluster feeding or starting a growth spurt. They're different for every baby. Here's some info from kellymom:
When do babies have growth spurts?
Common times for growth spurts are during the first few days at home and around 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months (more or less). Babies don?t read calendars, however, so your baby may do things differently.
Growth spurts don?t stop after the first year ? most moms notice growth spurts every few months during the toddler years and periodically thereafter on through the teenage years.