Frustration

[Frog]

I am really having a hard time with BFing. My baby, Owen is 3 weeks old. He nurses great (I think) and will go 3-4 hours between feeds. At his 2 week apt. he was back up to birthweight, and I think that he is continuing to gain.

Here's my "issue". I have a dd who is 4 and was born extremely sick (had a liver transplant at 7 months), and has on-going issues. She never BF well or took a bottle well and life was very stressful. I tried to feed her every 3 hours then pumped afterward. I was never successful at pumping, but I figured it was because she didn't nurse well. I THOUGHT this time would be completely different. However, I started pumping yesterday and I get 1-2 ounces and that. is. all!!!!

I've read other posts where people say they never could pump well, but they had a good milk supply. I understand that, however I NEED to be able to pump well for when I go back to work. Also, how do you KNOW you have a good milk supply? I never leak, my breasts are back to their "normal" (small) size, and I can't pump anything out of them.

Please give me some advise on how to increase pumping. I'm really struggling, and my DH is adament that I continue to BF. I feel a lot of pressure about it.

Thanks!

 

[Margerle]

The first thing is to stop feeling pressure. Since production isn't the problem with those of us who can't seem to pump, it must be something else... maybe stress or something similar.

The second thing that I found that helped was if I massaged the breast good as I pumped. Start under your arm and high on your chest wall to get those distant glands a flowin'. Keep going till you get to your nipple.

Think about your baby... tape his hungry cry and play that for yourself if need incentive to let down.

Adjust the phlanges of your pump. Experiment with sizes to make sure you have a proper fit. That is a big reason why mamas have a hard time pumping.

Relax relax relax. Don't get stressed, don't over stimulate (we want to avoid engorgemnet) and just go with the flow

More information:

https://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/pumping_decrease.html