Questions & Answers

My milk came in after 3-4 days with both of my kids after my sections. I would pump, pump, pump until your milk comes in more. I agree to see a LC or use a nipple shield. Ultimately, do what you think is best for you and baby...everyone is different.

Not being able to gauge what's going takes some getting used to for sure and if you're not familiar with how often a baby likes to nurse in the early weeks, it can seem really stressful. A lot of mom's do find peace of mind by getting a baby scale and weighing baby just before and just after a feeding. Just bear in mind that breastmilk metabolizes through their bodies pretty quickly compared to formula and it's normal to feel like you're nursing again as soon as you just finished. Also, to say a baby nurses every 1-2 hours this early on means from start to start. IOW, you don't think in terms of "an hour since he finished the last time," but instead, "an hour since he started the last time." You can know your baby is taking in enough if he's wetting enough. You may find this info to be extremely helpful for where you are right now. http://kellymom.com/hot-topics/newborn-nursing/ There is always a learning curve, so give you and your baby time to get adjusted. Most e

2-3 ounces seems like a lot for only being about a week old (right?). And 6-8 sessions seems like too few. My guess is also that that is based on an established formula feeding routine at least a couple weeks in. My daughter took about 1oz tops per feeding and 10-12 feedings a day for the first 2-3 weeks. Then she started doing 2-3 oz around week 3-4. I also only got about 1/2 an ounce out of each breast when I first started pumping. It takes awhile to get used to the pump. My milk came in on day 5 but it wasn't a lot to start. I didn't reach max milk production until about 4-5 weeks in.

I've been told they can measure how much breastmilk baby is getting by measuring your breasts or baby after a feeding...I can't remember which one they weigh. Someone told me this when I was telling them I thought I had low supply. I've also read babies are more efficient at getting milk than pumping. There are also other ways to tell too, like how many dirty diapers and wet diapers. My babies don't get much breastmilk but I've read too it doesn't take a crapload for them to get the benefits.

He doesn't eat the full 3 oz. I just make sure I give him my breast milk first then I supplement with formula and he usually takes about an oz of each. 3 oz seemed like a lot to me too but I just assumed that number was for bigger 5 day old babies which was why mine was eating less. I honestly would like him to get more breast milk but the fact that I don't know how much he's getting when I breastfeed was stressing me out

At first, in the hospital, we only fed 30 ml of formula, which I think is about 1 oz. They couldn't take much more than that. 2-3oz sounds like a lot at that age but I could be wrong. Anyway, my milk came in 5 days after they were born and I still get hardly any pumping. I've been nursing more so I just let them nurse until they get upset (usually because they aren't getting enough) and then switch to their regular amounts of formula (at this stage its about 3-4oz). I can totally understand why you want to pump and it really is helpful when you want someone else to help feed. If you really do want him to breastfeed, it is still possible. I have been able to get the twins to latch even with using multiple different bottles and pacifiers.

Is your reason for choosing to exclusively pump due to a latch issue? Have you consulted with a lactation consultant? Tried a shield? I ask because it's a huge undertaking to pump exclusively in the long run. Your milk should come in some time within that first week after birth. Hormones released after the placenta separates from the uterine wall and are stimulated by nursing prompt the change from colostrum to milk. IME, a nursing baby feeds every 1-2 hours and it's highly unlikely they take in 3 oz, particularly if your milk hasn't even came in, yet. Those charts rarely coincide with what's normal in bf' ing as they're based on formula feeding norms.