community

all boards


birth clubs



my blog

Sort:
11-14-2012 at 6:40 AM
lauriebyro...
Not Ranked
Joined on 03-28-2007
7,984 Points
lauriebyronm is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 8:13 PMBronze

pumping question

how much is you little one eating at each feeding of pumped breast milk? my little guy is a week old and i'm not sure how much to feed him. i am nursing him as well but he lost to much weight i had to supplement and pump and i'm not sure how much to offer him

 Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker  Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker 
11-14-2012 at 8:30 AM
christinas...
Not Ranked
Joined on 04-02-2012
14,564 Points
christinasullie37 is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 8:06 PMBronze
I would talk to your OB and your ped.  Are you making enough milk?  this was my problem and had to stop EP all together.  I only get about 2 oz of BM a day.  It sucks but she is gaining and getting healthy again.

 Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker  
11-14-2012 at 10:40 AM
LalaMama81
Not Ranked
Joined on 07-16-2009
Philly Burbs
97,035 Points
LalaMama81 is online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 1:10 PMGold

I would see a lactation consultant stat. They can help you improve your supply, check the baby's latch, etc. and they can help you figure out how much to supp if necessary and how to do it. I would also suggest a weighed feeding (they weigh the baby before and after to see how much milk transfers)

I had to supplement w/ both kids b/c I have insufficient glandular tissue (rare, but means I didn't have enough milk-making tissue). I took herbal supplements, pumped extra,  nursed 12x a day, drank tons of water, ate tons of oatmeal and only supplemented at the breast w/ a supplemental nursing system (homemade). 

How much weight has the baby lost? How are the diapers? Did they start gaining yet?

 



Ellie 9.08, Violet 8.11 
11-14-2012 at 11:44 AM
AmyG*
Not Ranked
Joined on 08-12-2010
24,577 Points
AmyG* is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 9:23 PMGold

ok, so yeah, a very good place to start is, how much weight has baby lost?  expected is up to 10% but more than that may be normal and acceptable if you were very swollen before birth and then were given a lot of IV fluids, which would have passed to baby and artificially inflated his weight--so once he started peeing, he would lose weight fast. 

Weight gain from lowest weight should be 1/2-1 oz per day or 4-7 oz a week.  if he lost 10% of weight it would naturally take a while to regain birth weight, up to 3 weeks of age is within the realm of ok after ruling out milk transfer issues.

2nd question is how often is baby nursing and for about how long?  often the first and best thing you can do for weight loss is to nurse more often, every 2 hours around the clock for 24 hours, then every 2-3 hours during the day and no more tha 3-4 hours between feedings at night.  focus on baby nursing well on side #1, using nagging techiques to keep them actively nursing longer, sitting baby up, change diaper, cool washcloth on feet and back of neck, no swaddling.  use breast compressions and massage to get baby nursing longer.  offer side #2 as dessert.

3rd a weigh in on a very accurate scale before and after a feeding will tell you how much milk baby is getting at the breast.  an IBCLC lactation consultant can do this, but drs office can as well (a nurse visit which is usually free), LLL meeting, and yes I know moms who have used the self serve scale at the post office, fed ex, and have tried it at the grocery store produce section with usually poor results and strange looks ;)

If you know how much baby is taking in at the breast, you know if baby needs supplement.  for such a young baby, they will not need the whole 25 oz a day that a bit older baby is taking in.  but that is your goal, to get to 25 oz a day.  so if baby nurses 12 times a day, and you do a weigh in and baby gets 1.5 oz, then baby needs an addition 1/2 ounce ONLY.  use a breastfeeding friendly device to give this supplement --a supplemental nursing system, syringe, cup, spoon, eyedropper, finger feeder are all options.  sure you can use a bottle with a premie nipple, but with a newborn just figuring out how to latch at the breast, sometimes they learn bad habits with the bottle that can make nursing harder.

after giving supplement, pump for 5-15 minutes after the milk stops flowing to signal a higher supply.  if you are pumping more than 1-2 ounces, 12 times a day AFTER nursing, then there is nothing wrong with your supply.  so that means baby needs help getting the milk from the breast, or baby needs time and will regain birth weight if we are patient. 

 

from what you've said I don't see a need for panic , if you give we all your weights, I can evaluate and give better more specific advice.

 


AmyG 
11-14-2012 at 4:23 PM
Afunky6
Not Ranked
Joined on 06-29-2011
41,572 Points
Afunky6 is online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 1:02 PMSilver

When DD was that young I offered 2oz I believe. I would slowly increase from there.

I would definitely talk to a LC though. They can help you with any sort of questions. Our LC would answer questions for me just over the phone, though you could go in and talk to them and get your LO weighed to see how much weight he has lost.


 Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker 
Hot Topics

New dad or dad-to-be? Chat with other dads here!
Visit the Dads & Dads-to-be board

Need baby shower inspiration? Get ideas here!
Visit the Baby Showers board

Chat with other crafty moms here!
Visit the Crafty Moms board

search boards

choose another board