Pumping with LO(s) in the NICU
My boys have been in the NICU for 12 days now and I started pumping the night of my (emergency) c-section. I was pointed in the direction of a website full of information about nursing/pumping for preemies, which said that by two weeks postpartum you should be producing roughly 750-800 mL per day for a singleton, or 800-950 mL per day for multiples. However I'm not producing anywhere near that much. I know that having a c-section can inhibit the milk coming in and that the pain medication and stress can add to difficulties pumping. I always produce more in a pump after I've done skin to skin and breast fed the boys, and less when I'm home and have been away from them for hours (I'm assuming this is normal..?). On my worst pumps I'm getting about 10 mL total and on my best I'll get about 24mL. I pump between 10-12 times a day. I plan on talking to a LC again (I talked to them my entire hospital stay and they told me the variance is completely normal) because I am worried that I'm doing something wrong. I've looked at what helps/how to increase supply when pumping and I am working on getting back to eating regular meals and drinking enough fluids and have been sleeping much more (and more soundly) since coming home from the hospital.
Have any of you gone through something similar? Do you have any tips/trick? I would greatly appreciate any advice.
Re: Pumping with LO(s) in the NICU
I pumped for 7 months starting the day of my emergency c - I never had high production and suggest not to keep looking up what you "should" be producing. Every mom (and every boobie) is different. I made twice as much from my right boob than I did from my left and that never changed. However the amount I produced did go up significantly but it took a while. I started with just a few Mls. at my most productive (around month 3-5) I was producing about 26 oz in a 24 hour period - that was pumping 6-8 times a day. I did no breast feeding so I knew exactly how much I was producing and kept a long all 7 months of what time I pumped and how much I got from each boob. I never made more than that so with baby's increasing need and my decreasing supply I didnt make it. here are some suggestions
check your phlange size - (moving one size up made a ton of difference for me)
DRINK GALLONS OF WATER
pump as often as you can
dont be discouraged
use those LCs - call them over when youre pumping in the NICU so they can watch you.
I benefited from experimenting with the settings on my pump (for me the best was fast, low suction to start then increase suction and slow speed when milk would slow I would return to fast, low suction until I had another let down)
HTH
I've been pumping for my guy for 4 weeks now. He gets 29ml 8 times a day through his feeding tube. That's less than 300ml a day. I pump probably less than 500ml a day and everyone at the hospital seems very happy with that amount. I'm slowly getting more and more milk out each day. As long as you're getting what they need and they're growing, I wouldn't worry about numbers on websites.
Definitely talk to the LC, though! Kellymom.com is a great resource.
I pumped for 5 months starting the night of my emergency c-section. For the first 2 weeks I think, I didn't get much. I can't remember the exact numbers. But I kept pumping- night and day every 2-3 hours for 20-30 minutes. I had the Medela Symphony. I HIGHLY recommend it. I rented it for 3 months and then I bought the Medela Freestyle (which is great as well). I ended up having over 600oz of breast milk in my freezer. We found out DD has a milk protein allergy and I had to throw all of it away!
I am on BP meds so I couldn't donate it.
Anyway, my suggestions for increasing supply are:
*When you are home, look at pictures of your LO while pumping or call and check on LO in the NICU. The LC told me to do this and I think it really helped.
*If milk is still coming out after 20 minutes, don't stop pumping until there is hardly anything coming out.
*Drink LOTS of water and eat a well balanced diet
*Pump- alot! (sounds like you are)
*Massage before pump...I was kind of weary of this one and I thought it was pointless but it does help.
Good luck!!
I ended up renting the same pump that I was using in the hospital - the Medela Symphony.
I think this is part of what worries me. They're getting mostly formula right now because I can't produce enough milk. They do mix in what I am able to pump and bring in. I'm trying to focus on the fact that regardless of what I produce, they are growing. I know once they come home I will be supplementing and easing into total breast feeding once I'm able to up what I'm producing which I've been told will happen once I can do skin to skin more often.
Little trick: I mean, what I can add to the conversation... Fill a sock with rice and heat it in the microwave. Lay it over your breast as you pump... seems to yield more milk. Or, use a heating pad. Whatever you have at your disposal.
Good luck. I had a c/s with my first and he ended up in the NICU for 25 days... we transitioned to EBF from EPing as soon as he came home and we did fantastically (after the initial hiccups during the transition) for 16 months.
Check out the preemie blog here: https://preemiemomblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/pumping-power.html
I was pretty focused on my output too and didn't quite meet the suggested numbers on time, but continued to increase throughout LO's stay and ended up with major oversupply and a freezer full of milk!
I used this technique: https://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html
For me, hand expression was my most important tool- there's another video on that same site just above the one I linked to. Sounds hokey, but it really worked! It's a skill you have to learn and practice but now that I'm back to work I'm using it again. I would do "hands on pumping" for about 15-20 mins and then hand express for another 10mins going back and forth. Since you don't need to let down when you use your hands you get more milk out and that tells your body to make more. It's worth a try. Many ppl also swear by power pumping. I think kellymom describes it.
Finally, give yourself permission to cry, take a hot bath and let go for one night, sometimes a little relaxation does the trick! (((HUGS)))
BFP#2 3/16/11, beta 138; 4/12 Baby/HB DS born 9/10/11 at 29w4d due to partial abruption and PTL
BFP#3 8/19/13 Another boy! 17P, modified bedrest and Nifedipine helped us have a termie! DS2 born 4/19/14 at 38w5d.
I am going through the same thing. LO is almost six weeks and I am just now getting more than an ounce at each pumping. A few days ago, I got two ounces and was thrilled. Right now, it's enough to keep up with her needs, so I am going to keep it up. I think as our LOs get older, the supply should increase, if we are doing all the other things- rest, good nutrition, water, lots of skin to skin contact with LOs.
Good luck to you and your twins.