pumping for 2! hard work!

starburst210 · April 2012

hey ladies...so i am pumping for my 33 weekers in the NICU and he is talking almost an oz per feeding...she is still at 9 cc's but i am only making just under 2 oz at a time...!

i am giving them banked breast milk when they run out bc at times my visits don't always coincide with feedings....i am nervous i won't make enough for them as they continue to add more on to their feeding amnts!!

any tips on making more milk and advice on not feeling guilty about it!!

thanks!

jennifer1w · April 2012

Don't feel guilty. You are amazing mommy to be breastfeeding your LO's. Make sure you are drinking plenty of liquids and taking care of yourself. Sometimes it just takes time for milk supply to come in. Hope your babies are home with you soon!

Missa_g · April 2012

How long ago did you give birth? I'm exclusively pumping with a hospital grade pump every 3 hours since my boys were born two weeks ago. When I started I got less than 1mL per time, now I average 55mL per pump session. It takes time and dedication, but it's worth it if it's important to you! Consult with your NICU's lactation consultant if you're worried about supply.

As for guilt, donor milk is the next best thing to your milk. I try to remind myself that by choosing donor milk I'm making a healthy choice for my boys.

miesl · April 2012

Mine were born at 33w4d.

Drink a lot.

Get a hands free pumping bra.

Do breast massage and compressions while pumping. Kellymom has good tips.

Don't be afraid to pump longer if it works for you. I pumped for 30 min at a time.

Have a good pump.

I had to supplement a little bit in the first few days. Once my supply came in I EPed exclusively until they were 9 months old, then I started supplementing 1 bottle a day until 11 mo. when a bout of mastitis dropped my supply from 45 to 35 oz. I still get 25-30 oz per day pumping twice. We'll see how long I feel like continuing.

Eta- do not feel guilty about supplementing! You are doing the best you can, and EP is hard, hard work.

snoangel79 · April 2012

Don't feel guilty. I didn't make enough for both... At first we fed Ethan 50% and Allison the full breast milk because she was IUGR. She got about 5 weeks of full bm. I couldn't do it anymore their demand is too great (daughter drinks about 90ml and son 110 now) and my boobs wouldn't produce more than 80ml in a sitting, plus pumping and feeding them was killing me when we got home. We used donor milk with them when my supply was coming in also. Tips I got were to do visualzation (sit with the pumps comfortably on your breasts and visualize the most beautiful place you have ever been and put yourself there). It truly helped me produce about 25% more. Also, drink a ton of water. You can get Milkmaid tea also but you have to drink like 5 cups a day! hahaha

katie4253 · April 2012

You are doing great! Pumping is a ton of work and it is a total mind screw because you just keep analyzing how much you've pumped!

Tell us a little more, though. How long ago did you have your LOs? Your output is very likely right in line with your babies age! Are you working with the lactation consultants at the hospital? My shields weren't the right size at first (too big) and I had to get special smaller shields. That made a big difference in my output.

starburst210 · April 2012

thanks ladies...!! i gave birth a WEEK ago!! and i am making about 2 ounces per pump and i was glad bc they told me today that it should be enough for both of them right now but i guess with my 3.5 year old DD when she was an infant i just knew i ran out at some point and with two i am putting some pressure on myself...i also can't get to the hospital exactly on time to give them my milk certain days so i collect and if they happen to need more they use the banked milk....

would you recommend giving my daughter (the IUGR baby) exclusive breast milk and letting my son (non IUGR) feed off then bank if need be?? it seems that's how they do it anyway....i am sure they know if that's the best....he is already past an ounce per feeding and everyday they increase A LOT! i am so grateful for this but i am also hoping my body can keep up!!

i am also starting to accept the fact that i can only do as much as i can...i am definitely not superwoman and having another child at home adds to the picture as well....so one day at a time...

thanks for all your support ladies!!!

haziedaze · April 2012

I think you take it one day at a time, and have to know that you're doing the best you can. Mommy guilt always seems to creep in, but you have to let go of the things you can't control. You can't control that you had twins and you can't control how your body is going to react to establishing your supply with a pump instead of breastfeeding.

I think your amount sounds great for one week. Check out the blog linked at the top of the page for more pumping tips. What made the difference for me was hand expression. A study at Stanford showed preemie moms who hand expressed or did "hands on pumping" had better supplies a few weeks in. I'll link the videos at the bottom. They're a good starting point, but in the end you just have to try things and see what works for you. I think ppl think I'm crazy when I talk about it, but it made a big difference for me and has been a useful skill to know (i.e. forgot pump at home a few times). I would pump q2-3 hr and pump for 10 mins and hand express for 5 each time. In the beginning I went longer. I was blessed to end up with oversupply and have kept my supply up while back at work with the same technique. Good luck! Your babies will thrive on your love no matter what you feed them!

https://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/HandExpression.html

https://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html

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