When do you pump? How do you know if you need to?

[mara16jade]

OK, so I'm a little confused about pumping. And this is a three part question.

1) If you're also BF'ing, but want to start developing a supply to store in the freezer/fridge. How do you do this? How do you know when you should pump so that you don't deplete your milk for when you want to BF your baby? I'm so worried that I'll feed him, he'll go down for a nap or something and I'll feel the need to pump and then he wakes up and wants to feed but I have nothing to offer him. How do you manage this?

2) When I'm at work, how do I know when its time to pump? Do I just set a schedule for myself, or will I feel the need? Like pressure, pain...? Is this like a once an hour, once every three hours, twice a day sort of thing? I'm so clueless...

3) How fast does your milk re-supply after you feed or pump?
Hours? Half hour?

Thanks ladies!!

I guess this just got me all excited since last night after my shower I was about to start putting my stretch mark oil on and saw both bbs beading up with clear and white liquid! My mama boobs are preparing!

 

[Hopeful1479]

Hi there, I breastfeed, but I had a lot of difficulty in the beginning so my baby will take a bottle better than from me which makes me sad but she is still getting my breast milk since I am a pumper. I pump right when I wake up in the morning to make her a bottle for daycare and I pump twice at work and when I pump at work I use that milk for ones I freeze... I let her feed off of me when I get home from work, then pump again before I go to bed to have a bottle ready for her either at night if she wakes up or first thing in the morning. I wish I could answer all your questions but take it day by day. I do know that my boobs get hard when really full!! Good luck to you!!

 

[Celesse]

1) If you're also BF'ing, but want to start developing a supply to store in the freezer/fridge. How do you do this? How do you know when you should pump so that you don't deplete your milk for when you want to BF your baby? I'm so worried that I'll feed him, he'll go down for a nap or something and I'll feel the need to pump and then he wakes up and wants to feed but I have nothing to offer him. How do you manage this?


Express just after a feed. You might not get much out, but if your gonna be building up a stash then you need your supply to be more than just what baby takes. Pumping after a feed will initially up your supply.


2) When I'm at work, how do I know when its time to pump? Do I just set a schedule for myself, or will I feel the need? Like pressure, pain...? Is this like a once an hour, once every three hours, twice a day sort of thing? I'm so clueless...

No experience. Your breasts will adjust to whatever schedule you put on them. So it will be a combination of factors: work demands, how much milk you need to get per day for baby, how often you need to pump to get that amount.

3) How fast does your milk re-supply after you feed or pump?
Hours? Half hour?

Firstly your boobs are NEVER empty. They are always capable of making some milk, it just flows much slower when baby has just fed and drained them.

Your boobs work on demand and supply. They get to know when there will be a big demand. So if your boobs get to know baby will nurse every 2 hours then there will be enough milk there every 2 hours. It takes about 48-72 hours for the supply to catch up with the demand.

And your boobs are very clever when it comes to supply and demand. I used to co-sleep with DD and she would suckle the same boob all night. In the morning I'd swap to the other side for the morning feed and both boobs would feel as full as each other. Then one night we swapped around the bedroom, which meant I also swapped boobs. The usual night time boob ended up rock hard and very full as it was expecting to nurse baby all night long.

When I was tandem nursing my left boob was for the toddler and the right was for the baby during the day, but at night both were for baby. My boobs made different types and amounts of milk based on which child they would be feeding.

 

[mara16jade]

Awesome!

Magic mama boobs!!

Thanks!!

 

[kung_pao mama]

OK, so I'm a little confused about pumping. And this is a three part question.

1) If you're also BF'ing, but want to start developing a supply to store in the freezer/fridge. How do you do this? How do you know when you should pump so that you don't deplete your milk for when you want to BF your baby? I'm so worried that I'll feed him, he'll go down for a nap or something and I'll feel the need to pump and then he wakes up and wants to feed but I have nothing to offer him. How do you manage this?

This is really tough at the beginning because newborns feed so frequently. You'll seriously feel like your baby is attached to your boob all day. so finding time to pump is a challenge. Pumping after feeding is a good idea, just don't go crazy. You don't want an oversupply. Having Too much milk is sometimes just as bad as not having enough. When my son began consistently sleeping longer stretches at night, I pumped after he went to bed.


2) When I'm at work, how do I know when its time to pump? Do I just set a schedule for myself, or will I feel the need? Like pressure, pain...? Is this like a once an hour, once every three hours, twice a day sort of thing? I'm so clueless...

If you can, definitely schedule it. Seems that 3 hours is the "average" time between feeds/pumps, but find out what works for you. I can't schedule my pumping breaks and have to just take them whenever i can squeeze them in and this leads to me sometimes going 5 hours between pumping (which is terrible for your milk supply, especially early on). I REALLY wish i had a set schedule that myself and my boss were okay with.

3) How fast does your milk re-supply after you feed or pump?
Hours? Half hour?

Your breasts never get truly "empty". You're always making milk. I've noticed that my boy sometimes gets frustrated when i feel a bit empty because the flow isn't quite as fast, but after maybe an hour or so, this doesn't tend to happen.

 

[ecarroll2]

Firstly your boobs are NEVER empty. They are always capable of making some milk, it just flows much slower when baby has just fed and drained them.

Your boobs work on demand and supply. They get to know when there will be a big demand. So if your boobs get to know baby will nurse every 2 hours then there will be enough milk there every 2 hours. It takes about 48-72 hours for the supply to catch up with the demand.

And your boobs are very clever when it comes to supply and demand. I used to co-sleep with DD and she would suckle the same boob all night. In the morning I'd swap to the other side for the morning feed and both boobs would feel as full as each other. Then one night we swapped around the bedroom, which meant I also swapped boobs. The usual night time boob ended up rock hard and very full as it was expecting to nurse baby all night long.

When I was tandem nursing my left boob was for the toddler and the right was for the baby during the day, but at night both were for baby. My boobs made different types and amounts of milk based on which child they would be feeding.

Wow how interesting Celesse! Thank you for sharing, will bear this in mind!

 

[ecarroll2]

1) If you're also BF'ing, but want to start developing a supply to store in the freezer/fridge. How do you do this? How do you know when you should pump so that you don't deplete your milk for when you want to BF your baby? I'm so worried that I'll feed him, he'll go down for a nap or something and I'll feel the need to pump and then he wakes up and wants to feed but I have nothing to offer him. How do you manage this?


I express after a feed when I am home. I also express during the night when I feel engorged. In the beginning the baby will be wanting to feed very often which builds up your supply and there really will be no need to express at that point (unless you are not able to be with the baby for part of the day of course). Beatrice latched on 40 mins after my c section, and stayed on the boob an hour and a half. They actually had to unlatch her so that they can dress her.. Offering the breast constantly when baby fusses is the BEST way to build up your supply. This is often every half an hour or every hour in those first days. It does not matter that your milk may not have yet "come in"!

It is essential that you remove milk regularly though, to protect your supply. I made the mistake of not doing this on 3 consecutive nights, waiting for baby to start feeding, and my supply dropped from 4 oz to 1 oz in my right boob! I built it up by starting to pump more regularly again. Still far off the 4 oz tho...

The levels of the hormone prolactin is highest between 1am and 4am, pumping during that time frame will especially help increase your supply.


2) When I'm at work, how do I know when its time to pump? Do I just set a schedule for myself, or will I feel the need? Like pressure, pain...? Is this like a once an hour, once every three hours, twice a day sort of thing? I'm so clueless...

How soon are you going back to work? If it is within the first 3 months, it is crucial that you pump as often as possible to maintain your supply - e.g. every 2 hours. At the end of the first month your supply should settle to about 25-27 oz a day (more during growth spurts), which should be more or less the same until the baby starts solids and reduces her milk demand. I tested my supply yesterday over a 4 hour period (expressing once an hour, and taking the average of the quantities I expressed in hours 3 and 4, multiplying it by 24) and my daily supply is currently 36 oz.

I recently got the Kindle edition of The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk. I so wish I knew about this book before I gave birth!! It has the answer to all your questions. It's not necessarily for women who have any issues with their supply, but it helps gain a better understanding of lactation, and of protecting your milk supply, as well as developing it from day 1, and knowing what is a normal experience of BFing and spot any issues early enough. It's such a valuable book! My flow for example is very fast, and baby often times chokes, especially if my breasts are full, which makes her pull away from the breast often, have colics, and overall struggle BFing.

3) How fast does your milk re-supply after you feed or pump?
Hours? Half hour?

Milk is being produced constantly so don't hesitate to bring the baby to the boob even if you feel it is soft and even if you worry you may not have much milk, or even if you think baby cannot possibly be hungry as she has just fed! Offering the breast to her when she fusses will only increase your supply, and make your breast produce more. Supply catches up with demand. Good luck!!

 

[mara16jade]

Wow, such great info ladies!!

I'm hoping to go back to work no earlier than 18 weeks, but we'll see. At the very soonest, I'd be going back at 3 months...but I'm willing to bet I can hold my job off until 18 weeks. Fx!!!

 

[Perplexed]

I don't know the answers to all questions due to inexperience. But one thing I wanted to say was once I was pumping when I woke up before my baby did, I pumped till no more milk would come out. Baby woke up just then and I was afraid there wouldn't be much for her but there it was...immediate let down she didn't fuss at all so I had the feeling there was no difference than normal.

 

[mara16jade]

^^Great to know!!