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01-17-2013 at 10:15 AM
Talkativ15
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How much breast milk...

Hello ladies! My LO will be 2 weeks on Sunday and I am pumping breast milk and bottle feeding... Breast feeding just wasn't my thing. I am currently feeding her every 34 hours approx 7 feedings per day. Currently she's taking 2.5 ounces... She eats her hands a little after but not hungrily but I think it's just cause she loves her hands.. Any input on when I should put a little more in for her? Also any tips on how to increase my supply thru pumping? Currently I am pumping every 4 hours

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01-17-2013 at 11:16 AM
LalaMama81
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2.5 oz is probably fine for a 2 week old, if anything she needs to eat more like every 2-3 hours. You should also be pumping more than every 4 hours, and need to pump through the night and in the AM especially. If you really want to increase supply, have her nurse, that will be easier. That said, tons of water, oatmeal, eat enough calories and more milk plus by motherlove or fenugreek.


Ellie 9.08, Violet 8.11 
01-17-2013 at 11:41 AM
uconnhuski...
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LalaMama81:
2.5 oz is probably fine for a 2 week old, if anything she needs to eat more like every 2-3 hours. You should also be pumping more than every 4 hours, and need to pump through the night and in the AM especially. If you really want to increase supply, have her nurse, that will be easier. That said, tons of water, oatmeal, eat enough calories and more milk plus by motherlove or fenugreek.

all of this.  i too EP.  you should pump, and feed, more frequently to increase supply.  good luck!  EPing is a lot of work, but i believe totally worth it,


 
01-17-2013 at 11:59 AM
lmb5109
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My LO is almost 4 weeks and is eating 4 ounces every 90 minutes. At 2 weeks she was eating 3 ounces every 90 minutes. I have a hungry little girl!


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01-17-2013 at 12:33 PM
AmyG*
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a breastfed baby at the breast takes in about 25 oz a day regardless of how big or how old they are.  The range is 19-30 oz a day. the content of your breastmilk changes to meet their needs without the number of ounces increasing by much.  unlike formula where baby has to take in more and more and more ounces to get enough nutrition.  so do your math, and stay in that range.  frequent emptying of your breasts is the biggest way to increase supply.  at the breast baby is usually eating every 2-3 hours, about 2-3 oz.

AmyG 
01-17-2013 at 12:52 PM
kateraid
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My LO is 9 weeks and feeds at the breast every hour and a half. It takes an hour and a half for them to digest breast milk. 

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01-17-2013 at 12:53 PM
kateraid
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Ps in the beginning I was told to nurse at least 10-12 x a day.

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01-17-2013 at 1:14 PM
g8trkim
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2.5 sounds good for now. DD is 9 weeks and she drinks 3 to 3 1/2 oz, but I think she gets more when I BF because when she gets bottles it seems like she's hungry sooner.

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01-17-2013 at 1:19 PM
Talkativ15
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Actual breast feeding didbt work for me... It's not my cup of tea... But I believe in the benefits it provides for the baby... I will try pumping more during the day to every 3 hours but as far as feeding her more we have to wake her to eat a majority of the time ... What is the mother love stuff that was posted about

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01-17-2013 at 3:30 PM
sadsadie
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Talkativ15:
Hello ladies! My LO will be 2 weeks on Sunday and I am pumping breast milk and bottle feeding... Breast feeding just wasn't my thing. I am currently feeding her every 34 hours approx 7 feedings per day. Currently she's taking 2.5 ounces... She eats her hands a little after but not hungrily but I think it's just cause she loves her hands.. Any input on when I should put a little more in for her? Also any tips on how to increase my supply thru pumping? Currently I am pumping every 4 hours

you need to be both pumping and feeding LO more frequently (ideally ever 2 to 3 hours). Your LO should be eating between 9 and 12 times per day. Your milk supply will not increase unless you step up your pumping efforts.  


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01-17-2013 at 3:54 PM
LalaMama81
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Talkativ15:
Actual breast feeding didbt work for me... It's not my cup of tea... But I believe in the benefits it provides for the baby... I will try pumping more during the day to every 3 hours but as far as feeding her more we have to wake her to eat a majority of the time ... What is the mother love stuff that was posted about

Okay, I don't know what that means, but you have chosen to pump. If you want to do this, you need to pump and feed more. A baby would be nursing 10-12 times at this age - so really you needing to be pumping that much. Not forever, just for now.

Motherlove is a company that make galactogogues. It is an herbal tincture or pill that helps increase supply. You can get it at whole foods, online at amazon or lucky vitamin and other places.  



Ellie 9.08, Violet 8.11 
01-17-2013 at 4:17 PM
BLPL101
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I EP too and pump 7x a day (try to aim for 8, but that rarely happens). I was doing it twice in the middle of the night (around 2 and 5), but I was getting beyond exhausted so I pump before bed, once in the middle of the night and again when I get up. I make more milk than she drinks so I don't think I need to pump twice in the middle of the night. I eat oatmeal for breakfast most mornings.

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01-17-2013 at 5:15 PM
ChristyML
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When I tried to increase my supply with pumping (I also used and recommend Fenugreek), I pumped every two hours.

BFP: February 12 2012 Joseph Scott born October 8 7lb 12oz 20.5" TTC #2 Since February 2013  
01-17-2013 at 9:45 PM
AmyG*
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Most women who exclusively pump start out pumping as much as humanly possible.  A breastfed baby would normally nurse 10-12 times a day, so that should be your goal, to pump that often.  To bring in a good/full milk supply with just pumping, you really need to rent a hospital grade pump and pump religiously every 2 hours for 24 hours, then every 2-3 hours during the day and 3-4 hours at night. 

Skipping pumping sessions to get more sleep right now is a bad idea.  right now your body is growing all of the ductwork and prolactin receptors within the breast as well as milk making aveoli.  These things grow based on how often milk is emptied from the breast.  Getting these things all in place within the first 4-6 weeks by very very frequent nursing or pumping will help you to be more successful.  Studies show(and my 12+ years of giving breastfeeding advice bears out) that women that back off on pumping frequently before their supply is well established tend to have milk supply issues--they may be fine until the 3 month growth spurt where your hormones stabilize significantly and milk becomes hormonally driven.  So it is important to pump as.much.as.you.can right now.

 

But more worrisome than low supply or not pumping often is the OP says baby is hard to wake and very sleepy.  AT 2 weeks you should see a bit more awake baby who actively nurses or eats and then sleeps, but isn't super sleepy.  Has all jaundice cleared baby's system and has baby regained their birthweight?  Those are the questions to be answered that have me a bit concerned.    

 

If baby is getting enough to eat they will have at least 6-8 wet and/or poopy diapers a day minimum.  but if things are going well they may have 10-12 wet and or poopy diapers, one at every feeding like a little bird when they eat they poop/pee.  If the diaper count is low, then increase waking and feeding baby more often.  A jaundiced baby will be extremely sleepy, also a baby that is getting food but not quite enough food will be more sleepy and will make less poops as they will be absorbing everything they are eating and may not poop many times a day which is normal.

 


AmyG 
01-17-2013 at 9:49 PM
AmyG*
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also if you do the math, 7 feedings times 2.5 oz is only 17.5 oz a day.  That is not really enough.  At this age, eating on hands/fingers is a sign of hunger, it is only when they are older, close to 2-3 months where eating on hands starts to be a sign of self comforting and even teething. 

wake baby every 2 for 24 hours around the clock to feed even if you must give formula.  then the next day do every 2-3 hours feed baby and do one 3-4 hour at night between feeds.  pump to replace every formula feed until you boost your supply.

call dr for a weight check up and to check jaundice levels.


AmyG 
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