Pumping woes

[WantsALittle1]

My daughter is on day 6 in the NICU and I am trying desperately to increase my milk supply because her feeding quantities are being ramped up daily. I'm scared that soon I won't be able to keep up, because I still have to work very hard to get 10-15 mL with each pumping session. Sometimes I get 22 mL and then the next time I get 10

Also, I've been really bad about getting up at night to pump every 3 hours.

Does anyone have any advice? I know that breast milk is completely essential to my girl's health, but every time I put the pump to my chest it's just agony and pain trying to get that 10-15 mL to come out. I put lanolin on my nipples afterward and ice my breasts for ~20 minutes, but no matter how diligent I am about that, the next time I go to pump it's just pain pain pain. My nipples aren't cracking or anything--they are just sore from the pulling of the breast pump.

 

[AP]

First of all - I know you are struggling to get up in the night but its a must! It was my downfall I think!

Secondly, you might need a bigger funnel on the pump - I know once i got a wider one I was much more comfortable and produced more for sure. I don't know the logic though, it just worked.

Another good idea is to take a blanket that your LO has used in the cot and take it home, and express with pictures of your LO.

This link from the breastfeeding section isnt specifically aimed at the special care mamas, but it might help
https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/breastfeeding/129033-ins-outs-exclusively-expressing.html

 

[Srrme]

Have you tried hand expressing? I found it a lot easier.

I hand expressed for 60 days while my first was in the NICU, and again for 21 days while my second was in the NICU. I had a hard time with the actual pump, and never managed to get as much milk as I did when hand expressing. You can try cluster pumping too, to increase your supply -- and I know it's hard, but as already said, you must wake up in the middle of the night to pump, if you can't make yourself get up every 3 hours, then try 4 or 5 hours.

Good luck.

 

[Foogirl]

What kind of pump are you using? I'll second the advice about getting the right cup. It can make all the difference. It shouldn't hurt at all. I'd also say 22mls at 6 days is pretty good. I think I was still hovering around 10 at that point. And my supply went on to be massive. Make sure you are eating and drinking enough and if you still think you're struggling, ask for a supplement to help increase supply.

 

[lgc]

My daughter is on day 6 in the NICU and I am trying desperately to increase my milk supply because her feeding quantities are being ramped up daily. I'm scared that soon I won't be able to keep up, because I still have to work very hard to get 10-15 mL with each pumping session. Sometimes I get 22 mL and then the next time I get 10

Also, I've been really bad about getting up at night to pump every 3 hours.

Does anyone have any advice? I know that breast milk is completely essential to my girl's health, but every time I put the pump to my chest it's just agony and pain trying to get that 10-15 mL to come out. I put lanolin on my nipples afterward and ice my breasts for ~20 minutes, but no matter how diligent I am about that, the next time I go to pump it's just pain pain pain. My nipples aren't cracking or anything--they are just sore from the pulling of the breast pump.

Hi there, I really feel for you! I found pumping sooo hard. And like you had very small volumes. I managed 5 weeks before my volumes got so low that the proportion of EBM to formula in each feed was getting less and less and I made the (v.difficult) decision to stop.

I do agree that although the night time pumping is the pits it's probably the most important one of the day (something about hormone fluctuations). The more pumps you can get in a day the better. Our NICU recommended 12 times a day but I physically couldn't fit in anymore than 7 or 8.

I found massaging my breasts a lot before and during pumping sessions helped to improve my volumes. I also kept swapping breasts, and its important to keep going till your empty apparently.

Best of luck x x x

 

[25weeker]

In the first hospital I was in I was told it was the number of times you expressed not the times between them. I was told to aim for 8 times a day with one during the night. I would express between 11 & midnight and then again around 3:30 and then 7:30. To increase my supply I upped to 10 times in a day for 2 days. Over a period of 4 hours I would express every hour so I was increasing the number of pumps without getting up more in the night.

My volumes were very low until around week 6 and throughout the whole time pumping I could never express more than 500mls a day. I still went on to breastfeed. A baby is much better at getting milk than a pump. Around 7 weeks I expressed at midnight and then again around 7 as I was exhausted. I just kept an eye on my daily total and if it dipped too much I pumped during the night again.

Double pumping is also great for helping your supply.

Good luck xx

 

[Foogirl]

I was lucky. I skipped night time pumping with no adverse effects. wouldn't recommend it though...

 

[dizz]

I got recommended jasmine aromatherapy oil for helping supply (my hospital - diabolical on the patient care but if you wanted some ylang-ylang or jojoba they were YOUR kind of place! Aromatherapy obsessed!) Quite how much use it did I doubt - but it made my ward cubicle smell nice!

 

[toothfairyx]

Pumping is hard
Are you using a manual pump or electric?
Personally I found the every 3 hours unrealistic and only did once in the night. I also found that the stress affected me a lot with my first and took fenugreek with my second which did seem to help.
Try to keep going xx

 

[lovemyboys72]

I used an electric pump when my 27 week twin boys were in NICU and always felt quite comfortable. Milk volume gradually built up, and could double pump (both sides at the same time) which was quicker. Keep persevering, am sure more milk will come in time!

Do your best with night pumping but don't beat yourself up if you can't do it. I never did, was absolutely knackered after a day looking after the boys in NICU that I slept solidly every night. Big pumping session every morning! Had enough milk to last the boys for three months and then did breast and formula for another three months. You need to look after yourself as well as your little girl, NICU can be a draining experience and affects everyone differently.

Good luck!

 

[akblaze]

for the first bit I just hand expressed as I thought that was more efficient. the rest of the time my LO was in the NICU I used their medela pump and decided to buy one of my own. The things that I found helped was to massage before I pumped (hand express a bit first) and also massage during pumping. If your going to pump for a while I recommend the hands free bra!!!! It's amazing!!! Also, might not be true for everyone but I have found that eating oatmeal everyday helps my supply a little bit. I can pump anywhere from 4-11oz in 30 min. And still, 6 weeks later, pumping is still so excruciating and I've seen the lactation consultant so I know I'm using the right flange.. I'm trying to push through it though! Best of luck!!!

 

[WantsALittle1]

Have you tried hand expressing? I found it a lot easier.

I hand expressed for 60 days while my first was in the NICU, and again for 21 days while my second was in the NICU. I had a hard time with the actual pump, and never managed to get as much milk as I did when hand expressing. You can try cluster pumping too, to increase your supply -- and I know it's hard, but as already said, you must wake up in the middle of the night to pump, if you can't make yourself get up every 3 hours, then try 4 or 5 hours.

Good luck.

I have tried hand expressing--OUCH!--I have fibrocystic breast disease, so the most I can really manage is gently pushing on the hard spots while I'm pumping :/

 

[WantsALittle1]

Pumping is hard
Are you using a manual pump or electric?
Personally I found the every 3 hours unrealistic and only did once in the night. I also found that the stress affected me a lot with my first and took fenugreek with my second which did seem to help.
Try to keep going xx

Electric pump, and I'm doing fenugreek too. Supply is *very* slowly increasing, but I'm supposed to be pumping 750-1000 mL daily and the most I can get right now is 280 daily And that is pumping while partially massaging for approximately 30 minutes!

 

[WantsALittle1]

for the first bit I just hand expressed as I thought that was more efficient. the rest of the time my LO was in the NICU I used their medela pump and decided to buy one of my own. The things that I found helped was to massage before I pumped (hand express a bit first) and also massage during pumping. If your going to pump for a while I recommend the hands free bra!!!! It's amazing!!! Also, might not be true for everyone but I have found that eating oatmeal everyday helps my supply a little bit. I can pump anywhere from 4-11oz in 30 min. And still, 6 weeks later, pumping is still so excruciating and I've seen the lactation consultant so I know I'm using the right flange.. I'm trying to push through it though! Best of luck!!!

I have a Medela too! Rented it from the hospital.

 

[toothfairyx]

750-1000mls a day is tons, I'm sure the "average" is around the 700mls mark. I didnt manage it with my first and struggled to keep up until I started to breastfeed him.

 

[WantsALittle1]

750-1000mls a day is tons, I'm sure the "average" is around the 700mls mark. I didnt manage it with my first and struggled to keep up until I started to breastfeed him.

When you started BFing, how long did it take your milk supply to meet your baby's needs?

 

[toothfairyx]

I'd say about a week - but his growth spurts were mega so just as I thought I'd caught up after a few days he'd be going up again so it was an awful lot of feeding.
My second was terrible at breast feeding so I expressed for him and he had bottles, but my supply was massive by then so it was less of a concern.
I also think stress makes a huge difference on supply as I was a lot less stressed second time round.