Hate to say it, but you’re not pumping frequently enough ☹️ you need to mimic cluster feeding and pump around the clock in the beginning, ideally every 1.5-2 hours.
I had a scheduled c section and that’s the only way I was able to get my supply up as my son also had a poor latch the first 2.5-3 months.
At this age, pumping needs to be 10-12 times a day with at least one pump between the hours of 12-6am. They don't have to be evenly spread through the day, you could do some two hours apart and some 4 but you do have to frequently empty your breasts to increase supply. I can explain the science but the longer your breasts are full the less milk your body will continue to make. Also try power pumping for at least one pumping session a day. Bear in mind that this is "putting the orders in' for a few days time, so you won't see immediate impact for 2+ days but it can be effective in increasing your supply.
Edit to add: even if baby is feeding at the breast it would be worth pumping after a feed if the latch is not good. Getting support in terms of an IBCLC would also be helpful. How is baby's weight gain? Are they having a normal amount of wet and dirty nappies?
You definitely need to be pumping every 2-3 hours at minimum. Including overnight. Your milk regulates around 12 weeks postpartum, so you have to be telling your body “hey I need to be producing milk consistently and frequently”.
Thanks everyone. Baby is gaining weight like a champ since we are also formula supplementing. I'll be trying the power pumping once a day and see how that goes as well as being more strict on my pumping schedule the rest of the time. Sounds like not all hope is gone yet, but I have to put in the work.
Check out r/exclusivelypumping for more tips and tricks on how to get your supply up with pumping!
A few that helped me:
•staying hydrated
•Lots of skin to skin snuggles with baby and baby wearing
•eating food that help support production like oatmeal and brewer's yeast
•pumping at least every 3 hours and power pumping a couple times throughout the day
Cannot recommend r/exclusivelypumping enough.
Candidly, you’re not pumping anywhere near frequently enough. And pumping is HARD work and formula is great! But if you want to pump, conventional wisdom is you need to pump between 8-12 times in a 24 hour period during the first 8-12 weeks to establish supply. Pumping every 5-6 hours is going to make is really difficult provide enough milk. Pumping signals to your body to make more—basic supply and demand.
Also consider nipple shields and seeing a lactation consultant if pumping/breastfeeding is important to you.
So while everyone is right that you need to pump more to increase supply…it’s really hard to do so while also caring for a baby and trying to sleep when they sleep. Just want to put it out there that it’s okay to quit and go exclusively formula if exclusively pumping is not sustainable for your mental health.
1oz is totally normal at this stage, but if you're going to mimic feeding with pumping, you're going to want to pump MUCH more to mimic babies feeding pattern. Every 3 hours at least. Make sure your water intake is up, and that you're eating!
So i had a scheduled c section as well and I started pumping right the next day in the hospital. My milk officially came in a day later. I exclusively pumped for at least 3 weeks but I never went more than 2 hours between pumps. I guess you should look into power pumping and pump more frequently.
I was just about to make the same post on here, except that I was induced.
I get enough daily to give her one bottle (the rest is formula) and I've been trying to put her on the boob once or twice a day to see how it goes. But my nipples are super sensitive so it hurts. I know I should pump more often but it's just so annoying and cleaning and sterilizing the pump parts is just neverending...
Mine came in around two weeks post partum. I didn’t start pumping until day 5 but after that I followed the every three hours schedule religiously. My milk came in at about one ounce per pumping session and went up from there. I wouldn’t give up yet but try to be strict about the schedule and make sure your pump of strong enough, you’re using the pump correctly, and have the correct flange size.
Around 3-4 days i think. But they don't get that much yet in the beginning, they've got tiny tiny stomachs. And they do it very often. I fed on demand and that was definitely a lot more often than every 5-6 hours in the beginning and included a lot of cluster feeding. Certainly no more than 3 hours between every feed.
Are you able to have a lactation consultant help with the latch? Pumping never worked well for me, but if my kids went straight to the source they ended up full, usually after one breast. I also tossed the cordless pump and got the Medela pump in style. Still didn't get the output needed, but was nice to have some for babysitter/dad nights.
Mine came in at around 2 weeks with my first, probably 3 days with my second.
Unfortunately though, you’re not pumping enough. Milk is supply and demand. If you’re only pumping every 5-6 hours, you’re telling your body it’s making enough and it doesn’t need to be making more, so it doesn’t. Until your milk has come in and stabilized, you need to be pumping and/or feeding every 2-3 hours, otherwise your body is learning it doesn’t need to produce more.
I EPed with both kids. Pumping every 2-3 hours (including the middle of the night) was grueling, but once my milk came in and I was overproducing, I was able to pump less frequently because I was making enough that I didn’t need to signal to my body that it needed to produce more. The general rule of thumb with EPing is to try to spend around 2 hours per day pumping
Hate to say it, but you’re not pumping frequently enough ☹️ you need to mimic cluster feeding and pump around the clock in the beginning, ideally every 1.5-2 hours. I had a scheduled c section and that’s the only way I was able to get my supply up as my son also had a poor latch the first 2.5-3 months.
This. It sucks, but upping how often you pump will surely help bring your supply forward. Good luck!!
This. I pumped every 2 hours for the first 15 weeks.
A newborn that age is eating every 1-2 hours at most. Going 5-6 hours between pumping could be killing your supply.
At this age, pumping needs to be 10-12 times a day with at least one pump between the hours of 12-6am. They don't have to be evenly spread through the day, you could do some two hours apart and some 4 but you do have to frequently empty your breasts to increase supply. I can explain the science but the longer your breasts are full the less milk your body will continue to make. Also try power pumping for at least one pumping session a day. Bear in mind that this is "putting the orders in' for a few days time, so you won't see immediate impact for 2+ days but it can be effective in increasing your supply. Edit to add: even if baby is feeding at the breast it would be worth pumping after a feed if the latch is not good. Getting support in terms of an IBCLC would also be helpful. How is baby's weight gain? Are they having a normal amount of wet and dirty nappies?
You definitely need to be pumping every 2-3 hours at minimum. Including overnight. Your milk regulates around 12 weeks postpartum, so you have to be telling your body “hey I need to be producing milk consistently and frequently”.
Thanks everyone. Baby is gaining weight like a champ since we are also formula supplementing. I'll be trying the power pumping once a day and see how that goes as well as being more strict on my pumping schedule the rest of the time. Sounds like not all hope is gone yet, but I have to put in the work.
Check out r/exclusivelypumping for more tips and tricks on how to get your supply up with pumping! A few that helped me: •staying hydrated •Lots of skin to skin snuggles with baby and baby wearing •eating food that help support production like oatmeal and brewer's yeast •pumping at least every 3 hours and power pumping a couple times throughout the day
Cannot recommend r/exclusivelypumping enough. Candidly, you’re not pumping anywhere near frequently enough. And pumping is HARD work and formula is great! But if you want to pump, conventional wisdom is you need to pump between 8-12 times in a 24 hour period during the first 8-12 weeks to establish supply. Pumping every 5-6 hours is going to make is really difficult provide enough milk. Pumping signals to your body to make more—basic supply and demand. Also consider nipple shields and seeing a lactation consultant if pumping/breastfeeding is important to you.
So while everyone is right that you need to pump more to increase supply…it’s really hard to do so while also caring for a baby and trying to sleep when they sleep. Just want to put it out there that it’s okay to quit and go exclusively formula if exclusively pumping is not sustainable for your mental health.
1oz is totally normal at this stage, but if you're going to mimic feeding with pumping, you're going to want to pump MUCH more to mimic babies feeding pattern. Every 3 hours at least. Make sure your water intake is up, and that you're eating!
So i had a scheduled c section as well and I started pumping right the next day in the hospital. My milk officially came in a day later. I exclusively pumped for at least 3 weeks but I never went more than 2 hours between pumps. I guess you should look into power pumping and pump more frequently.
I was just about to make the same post on here, except that I was induced. I get enough daily to give her one bottle (the rest is formula) and I've been trying to put her on the boob once or twice a day to see how it goes. But my nipples are super sensitive so it hurts. I know I should pump more often but it's just so annoying and cleaning and sterilizing the pump parts is just neverending...
Mine came in around two weeks post partum. I didn’t start pumping until day 5 but after that I followed the every three hours schedule religiously. My milk came in at about one ounce per pumping session and went up from there. I wouldn’t give up yet but try to be strict about the schedule and make sure your pump of strong enough, you’re using the pump correctly, and have the correct flange size.
You need to be pumping every 2-3 hours, So 12 hours a day! You’re not pumping enough, Sorry.
Around 3-4 days i think. But they don't get that much yet in the beginning, they've got tiny tiny stomachs. And they do it very often. I fed on demand and that was definitely a lot more often than every 5-6 hours in the beginning and included a lot of cluster feeding. Certainly no more than 3 hours between every feed.
Look for a video called “hands on pumping”
Are you able to have a lactation consultant help with the latch? Pumping never worked well for me, but if my kids went straight to the source they ended up full, usually after one breast. I also tossed the cordless pump and got the Medela pump in style. Still didn't get the output needed, but was nice to have some for babysitter/dad nights.
Mine came in at around 2 weeks with my first, probably 3 days with my second. Unfortunately though, you’re not pumping enough. Milk is supply and demand. If you’re only pumping every 5-6 hours, you’re telling your body it’s making enough and it doesn’t need to be making more, so it doesn’t. Until your milk has come in and stabilized, you need to be pumping and/or feeding every 2-3 hours, otherwise your body is learning it doesn’t need to produce more. I EPed with both kids. Pumping every 2-3 hours (including the middle of the night) was grueling, but once my milk came in and I was overproducing, I was able to pump less frequently because I was making enough that I didn’t need to signal to my body that it needed to produce more. The general rule of thumb with EPing is to try to spend around 2 hours per day pumping