Just not pumping enough

Sundown2014 · May 2012

We've increased the amount DD is getting at the sitter's house to 4 5oz pumped milk. She used to take 4 4oz but she still seemed hungry. I'm having a really difficult time keeping up with her though. I've been taking fenugreek and I eat 2 packets of oatmeal in the morning. Any thoughts or advice? I don't want to have to supplement.

michelle142 · May 2012

Drink a ton of water. Add a pumping session if you can, maybe after DD goes to bed. Try Power Pumping to up your supply.

it'sbabytime · May 2012

I'm in the same boat. I'm pumping 3-4 oz less than what DS is drinking a day and have started to use my frozen stash. Ive been on Fenugreek the last 5 days and have noticed ZERO difference. I tried pumping more often and it didnt work. I pump every 3 hours ( I tried every 2 hrs) and I'm just not making enough. Its making me so sad because I don't want to supplement.

sosoph · May 2012

I pumped every morning at 4am once she sttn, so I started out the day with 8oz of milk. It was brutal, but then I didn't have to stress about how much I pumped at work and could focus on work.

Then there's lots of water, power pumping and extra bf on the weekends. And, it might be a growth spurt so the milk increase is just temporary. Good luck.

Mrs.MauiBride24 · May 2012

You mentioned oatmeal packets - I've read that instant oatmeal is not the same as the real deal oatmeal. FWIW.

Sundown2014 · May 2012

AmyG*:
4 bottles with 5 oz each?

That's 20oz!!

Most breastfed babies take in only 25 oz a day, and yours is taking in 4/5ths of their whole days milk at daycare of 8-9 hours?

Yeah, she is there from 6:30 am- 5:00 pm. She nurses with me in the morning and then at 6:30 pm and goes to bed.

We have also started her on solids and she is eating half a jar of veggies a day. Does that seem like a lot?

I guess I need to up my intake if water and add a pumping session at night. I'm not going to lie - Ill be happy when she can drink whole milk.

Ashley&Scott · May 2012

I completely agree with AmyG.

Sundown2014 · May 2012

AmyG*:
That is a lot. the average breastfed baby takes in 25 oz a day, regardless of how old they are or how much they weigh. Most never take in more than about 3-4 oz at a time regardless of how big they are.

Bottle fed breastfed babies often take in more than that, often because they are expecting the bottle to be more like nursing, slower flow and take 15-20 minute to get full. Are you using slow flow bottle nipples, premie nipples even? how long does it take for baby to eat?

If you take 25 oz and divide it by how many feedings she does in a day, what is that amount?

I really don't suggest baby food much before 6 mos so I won't comment on that.

I'll ask the sitter today to see how long she takes to eat. She has a level 1 nipple on her bottles. When she's with me on the weekends she nurses just fine and doesn't seem hungry after nursing. Doesn't that mean that I'm producing enough?

it'sbabytime · May 2012

AmyG*:

That is a lot. the average breastfed baby takes in 25 oz a day, regardless of how old they are or how much they weigh. Most never take in more than about 3-4 oz at a time regardless of how big they are.

Bottle fed breastfed babies often take in more than that, often because they are expecting the bottle to be more like nursing, slower flow and take 15-20 minute to get full. Are you using slow flow bottle nipples, premie nipples even? how long does it take for baby to eat?

If you take 25 oz and divide it by how many feedings she does in a day, what is that amount?

I really don't suggest baby food much before 6 mos so I won't comment on that.

I'm not sure this is right?? My DS has between 30-36oz of BM a day (between the hours of 7am and 9pm, he STTN) since he was 5 months. Are you saying thats too much BM? He's drinking exactly what our pedi expects him to drink for his age.

bluejetta · May 2012

I can't compare amounts since DD is older though at 4 months she was taking 3-4 3oz bottles at daycare (7:30am-5:00pm) and nursing 2-3 other times at home am/evening as well as overnight.

I was consistently behind about 3-4oz. What helped (and I now pump enough for her (3) 4oz bottles and an extra 3oz if needed) was pumping every morning after her first feed -- around 6am or sometimes later on days that I'm not working. After a couple weeks I found that my day time supply when pumping at worked increased so I now get 12oz a day in 3 sessions at work and 1-2 ounces each morning. The extra goes in the freezer or into cereal or such.

I also make sure I pump a full 30 mins and I can usually get a second let down which helps.

awisern · May 2012

DS takes 4 5oz bottles on the three days he's at daycare. He takes three of the bottles at daycare and one at home with DH since I'm gone from 6am - 7:45pm. He also nurses before I leave and when I get home. I know on average that first morning feeding is between 6-8 oz (we've done countless weighed feedings with a rented scale). So on daycare days he's getting closer to 30oz.

I know all the literature says the average is 25 oz but DS takes way more and he's on the smaller side, so I'm not going to deny him the milk if he needs it. He also eats three meals a day (quite a bit, too because he's a big eater!). I, too, struggle to keep up with him...I'm on average about 7oz short a day from what I pump. I make up for it by pumping every night and on my four days off a week I pump after the first morning feeding. I also borrow from my small freezer stash occassionally and I'm just barely able to keep up. I'm taking domperidone to help, too.

I started having issues with my supply around 4 months and DS was dropping percentages on the growth chart. I worked on upping my supply and the pedi pushed supplementing or starting solids. DS was showing signs he was ready for solids so we started that shortly before 5 months. I kept with working on my supply and I haven't supplemented yet at 9.5 months - I struggle to keep up with him, but I am making it.

You aren't alone - keep working at it! I know it's tough....I've been there.

Sundown2014 · May 2012

awisern:
DS takes 4 5oz bottles on the three days he's at daycare. He takes three of the bottles at daycare and one at home with DH since I'm gone from 6am - 7:45pm. He also nurses before I leave and when I get home. I know on average that first morning feeding is between 6-8 oz (we've done countless weighed feedings with a rented scale). So on daycare days he's getting closer to 30oz.

I know all the literature says the average is 25 oz but DS takes way more and he's on the smaller side, so I'm not going to deny him the milk if he needs it. He also eats three meals a day (quite a bit, too because he's a big eater!). I, too, struggle to keep up with him...I'm on average about 7oz short a day from what I pump. I make up for it by pumping every night and on my four days off a week I pump after the first morning feeding. I also borrow from my small freezer stash occassionally and I'm just barely able to keep up. I'm taking domperidone to help, too.

I started having issues with my supply around 4 months and DS was dropping percentages on the growth chart. I worked on upping my supply and the pedi pushed supplementing or starting solids. DS was showing signs he was ready for solids so we started that shortly before 5 months. I kept with working on my supply and I haven't supplemented yet at 9.5 months - I struggle to keep up with him, but I am making it.

You aren't alone - keep working at it! I know it's tough....I've been there.

Thank you! Your response made me feel much better. Just got to keep at it!

wmkiwi · May 2012

I am in the same boat. DS takes 20 oz during the day but I only manage to pump 10 oz at work. During the week, I pump both sides dry after his morning feeding and pump again after he goes down for the night. On the weekends I try to pump both sides after every feeding with goal of getting 1/2 oz out of the side he just ate out of and 1 oz out of the other side. Those extra ounces on the weekends add up and give me a few extra bottles to stretch out the week. It is a total PIA

Good luck!

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