For those of you who ONLY pumped.....

My baby was born at 36 weeks and we are having issues with breastfeeding..he needs a little more time, so I have been pumping and giving him breast milk from a bottle.

The problem is that I pump at least 4 oz every 3 hrs, but my breasts are still firm and kill.

Is it possible to pump too much? I f I over pump, does that make me produce more milk? If I don't pump enough it gets worse...

Any advice would be really helpful!

Re: For those of you who ONLY pumped.....

You're supposed to pump as often as you can to keep your supply up. It sounds like you are doing great pumping 4oz. How long are you pumping for? You should be trying to empty your breasts as much as possible (they will never be totally empty, the baby could always get more out). I would say pump for at least 15 mins on each side, and more if necessary. I used to pump anywhere from 10-20mins on each side. You could also try pumping every 2 - 2.5 hrs instead of every 3hrs since that's closer to how often your baby will be feeding eventually.

Good luck!

Re: For those of you who ONLY pumped.....

I would think right now since your milk is coming in, your body is trying to figure out how much to produce (which is why you are engorged). I would pump until you feel empty if you're trying to increase your milk supply. You can freeze it & use it later.

My son was born at 34 weeks had problems sucking and had to be bottlefed for the first week. The neonatologist did tell me to try to nurse for 5 min each side so he got used to it & pump the rest out until the breast was emptied.

Re: For those of you who ONLY pumped.....

Congrats on your new baby!!

I am only pumping and am really proud of the accomplishment at one month with my little boy...so keep up the good work!

I would suggest that you rent a hospital grade pump in the first instance and just pump pump pump!!! Drink loads of water, and eat loads of chocolate!!!

I have put some pics of Baby Noah up so you can see what a porker he is

Message edited 2/12/2006 12:20:45 PM.

Re: For those of you who ONLY pumped.....

I only-pumped for 1 year. You need a hospital grade pump for the first few weeks. They empty your breasts much better than other pumps. What are you using right now?
Try to pump for 2-3 minutes longer during each session. That may help empty your breasts better.
I also HIGHLY rec'd this:
Hands Free Pumping Bra
Best $32 I ever spent.

Re: For those of you who ONLY pumped.....

Re: For those of you who ONLY pumped.....

I try to bf Noah every day, he is 5 weeks now, but he doesn't take enough of my nipple in his mouth and he doesn't **** it.

Have you had help from a bf counselor? We had one come in from LLL, but Noah prefers a bottle!

Keep trying and keep your spirits up, so long as what you are doing feels right for you, you are doing a great job!

MrsM...I sent you a FM

Message edited 2/14/2006 2:52:09 PM.