To pump or not to pump

[mac1979]

I'm at a loss with this. I know pumping will increase my supply, but it seems every time I do she is hungry right after, and I'm pretty much tapped out, then she gets mad because there is nothing there when she latches. She is four days old and has some jaundice (her doc is monitoring her) so not waking up to feed regularly. Should I try to latch her while she is sleeping to see is she can drain a boob because she needs to food to flush the billirubin, or just pump and bottle feed her if she wakes up before I have a chance to "refill".

 

[MummyKP]

Try avoid pumping in these early days. This will make your body think it needs to make more so can cause oversupply. Wake little one to feed regularly. My LO had jaundice and I fed her every couple of hours, and woke her if she was asleep. Pumping should be avoid for the first 4-6 weeks until breastfeeding is well established. Well done, these early days are difficult!

 

[mac1979]

Will cause any issues is she isn't completely draining when she does eat? That is what I am most concerned about.

 

[Nerdy]

I feed and then pump right after, shafts making sure to offer both breasts.

 

[LoraLoo]

You'll struggle to latch her while asleep, I used to have to strip mine off sometimes as newborns to wake them for a feed.
I'd avoid expressing at this stage

 

[Teri7489]

It's very early days and she is capable of helping you boost your supply without pumping. Wake her regularly to feed if she doesn't on her own. Sit in her natural daylight as much as possible to help with the jaundice. If you think you need to pump then do it straight after you have offered her both breasts. Xx

 

[MummyKP]

No she will never completely drain your breasts as they work like a tap. Once she seems finished on the first breast, offer the other.

 

[AmandaBanana]

I pumped right from the start because I had to go to work and school.
I was okay.

However, my only advice would be to pump after she eats. You won't pump much this way,but you'll be able to drain it out and she will still be able to nurse.

This way helped me because I was getting blocked ducts from my boobs not being drained. I produce a lot of milk.

I know my Dr also recommended getting baby bakes, put a wet cloth on them... anything to wake baby up to keep feeding. If it came down to it, even hand express into her mouth. She will swallow some of it at least.

 

[noon_child]

If you KNOW she isn't feeding effectively then sometimes it is necessary to pump to stop from getting mastitis and to have milk to supplement her with. However 4 days old is probably too early to tell how effective she is at feeding as your milk will only just have come in properly, she might well still be losing weight or not back up to birth weight (and that is normal).

How are her nappies? If she has passed her meconium and poos are getting lighter and yellower in colour then its a good sign that she is feeding well and you don't NEED to pump.
How are your nipples after feeds? If you have no damage and they come out without looking squashed or angled then again it is a good sign she is feeding effectively.

A bit of info about "full" breasts and "filling up": This isn't how human breasts work. We have no real space to hold milk in our breasts (hence why they leak when baby hasn't fed for a couple of hours). We over produce milk as a consequence of hormones produced after birth but once supply has settled down our breasts never really fill up, they produce milk as needed. When milk is removed from the breast prolactin levels increase telling the body to make more milk more quickly. when milk remains in the breast, prolactin levels fall and the body makes milk more slowly or stops. So empty breasts mean making more milk. Yes your baby will be frustrated that there isn't an easy supply of ready to flow milk after you have pumped but your body will be producing it constantly - she may just not want to work for it.

Simplest (although not always easy) thing at this stage is to try to get baby to feed as regularly as possible. Keep her near or on you so that she can get to your breasts whenever she wants to and if it is going beyond the 2 hr mark between the start of each feed then make an effort to wake her (strip her down etc.). You only need do this till she makes back her birth weight, then you can follow her lead more.

If you do want to pump sometimes and she wakes right after its not the end of the world. If she gets frustrated then you can feed her a little of the expressed milk to calm her (say 5 - 10ml) and then try her back on the breast. The more she sucks from a not-engorged breast, the more she'll stimulate your supply and the more fat content she'll receive in the milk itself. Little and often is usually the way babies want it!