How do I know I have enough milk?

[ruby83]

Hi ladies,
I am breastfeeding my 15 week old and haven't really had to pump for about a month as he is feeding to regularly. Anyway, he has started waking heaps so I expressed today 2 hours after a feed and I only got 50mls in 20 mins! I have been feeling run down due to him waking 4-5 x's a night and also dealing with a 2 year old. I am worried I am starving the poor kid! I have my nurse app next week so he will get weighed but not sure how to increase my supply or top him up after every feed with some formula?

FYI, with my DS1 I always mix fed as he was premature and my supply was never good. With my DS2 I used to pump 100mls in 5-10 mins so thought my supply was ample.

Not sure what to do....

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

Attend a free la leche league meeting or call them. Look at wet and poopy dipes. A pump is NOT a good indicator of supply.

Topping with formula will lower your supply because that's less baby is getting.

 

[ruby83]

He has plenty of wet nappies. May be a stupid question but why is pumping not a good indicator of supply?

 

[crownest]

He has plenty of wet nappies. May be a stupid question but why is pumping not a good indicator of supply?

Pumping isn't a good indicator of supply because babies are more efficient at getting the milk out as our bodies respond to feeding a baby better than pumping (unless you are exclusively pumping). It might take your body time to get used to pumping again if I take a few days off it takes a few days to build up my output on the pump.

 

[BunnyN]

If he needs more milk he will feed more often/longer until you produce more milk. Only worry if he is feeding often and showing not having enough wet nappies etc.

 

[ruby83]

Thanks ladies x

 

[noon_child]

Sounds like maybe the 4month sleep regression. If so, breastfeeding him is the solution not the problem as it's probably the quickest way to comfort him and get him back to sleep. Babies change their sleeping/waking patterns all the time and it isn't always about hunger at all. If it is a growth spurt, feeding on demand will sort it in a few days, if it's nothing to do with hunger then feeding formula won't help anyway.

 

[Angusplusone]

I breastfed for my sons first year but struggled to get a drop out of a pump. I had the same worries as you but as it turns out, some women just can't pump much or even anything... I spent a fortune on different types of pumps too
Try not to stress about it too much
Hopefully his sleep gets better for you soon!

 

[petitpas]

Sometimes I pumped 250ml, sometimes I struggled to get 20ml. I was a milk donor with my second child. Both children were fed on demand and never accepted top ups. As the other ladies wrote, pumping really won't show you what you've got.
If your baby seems well in themselves and has plenty of wet nappies then you need to trust in your milk
Don't even look at dirty nappies as breastfed babies can go for up to ten days without a poo and it still isn't a worry.

 

[ruby83]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the feedback. I went to see my Maternal Health Nurse and my son is 7kg so gaining well. He is having many wet nappies and pooping regularly so I think he is sufficiently fed. I am co sleeping at the moment and he is still waking regularly and feeding (possibly comfort feeding) back to sleep. It is the easiest and quickest way for us all to get sleep so am just rolling with it at the moment, and hoping it will pass. I have been making/ eating a lot of lactation cookies which I think may be helping because although I am not pumping, if my bub hasn't fed for a couple of hours my boobs are tingling and leaking which they weren't before the cookies! Trying to look after my self more and drink plenty to hopefully up my supply also.

 

[Left wonderin]

Ooh what is the recipe for those cookies please

 

[jessmke]

Ooh what is the recipe for those cookies please

These are the ones I make:

https://blogs.mom365.com/recipe/lactation-cookies-recipe/

 

[ruby83]

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/breastfeeding/lactation-cookies/

I make these and add white choc chips and dried apricots. They are yummy but taste a little like beer from the yeast 😝

 

[ChocolateC]

Just wanted to add my voice to the others who said a pump doesn't get as much milk as a baby. I only pumped a tiny bit at a time with DD, and she grew into a very tall and chubby baby soon after birth so there must have been enough. If your baby is growing and thriving and healthy that is ALL I would worry about.

With my DD I worried that I couldn't pump enough and with my DS now I'm pumping so much that we are actually throwing it away because it gets old in the fridge. It seems really random.