[keehope]

I am BFing at home with baby. She is 5 weeks old. I started pumping after she is done with her morning meal and have been collecting the left over, but it takes 3 days to make a bottle.

I have hesitated to pump at other times because she is a snacker and I am worried if I pump, she might not actually be done eating (sometimes she is, but lots of times she wants more about 15 to 20 minutes later).

So my question is - if currently BFing - how long does it take for milk to build back up if I pump. If I pump after a meal and she is hungry again in 20 to 30 minutes - will there be enough milk for her??

I just am worried about how to keep feeding and pump at the same time.

[amybeth]

I had the same concern for a while, but I've found that even if Billy wakes up and is hungry shortly after I've pumped (he's woken up as little as 10 min after I've finished pumping), he seems to manage to get more out of me! Usually I feel another letdown after a min or so of him starting to nurse. I never thought that would happen, but the whole "on demand" thing seems to be true! Apparently your body is smart enough to realize that more milk is needed. Also, from what I've found, the babies are MUCH more skilled at getting milk from you and can get more than the pumps!

My suggestion to you is one that was given to me... pump after every feeding if you can do it... That will help to tell your body that you need to produce more milk and will help to build up your supply.

Good luck with your bfing and congratulations on your little girl!

[Curlgirl503]

I second everything that Amybeth said.

Just to put your mind at ease, try to remember that your baby is getting enough. Your body is making enough milk for the baby to eat, so anything you pump is above and beyond what your baby needs in a day.

I still only pump about two onces total when I pump (I usually only pump at night before I go to bed since my baby sleeps through the night).

I have had the situation where I pumped before going to bed, only to have Ethan wake up a few minutes later. Like Amybeth said, once he started feeding, I had another letdown, so there was still milk there for him.

[Cali]

Me too, had this exact same concern and posted on a BF msg board. Ladies there gave me wonderful advice that I still do. Since I'm at my fullest first thing in the morning, I pump after the very first feeding. DD will nurse off one side, then I will pump the other.

I realize your 5 weeker might not be sleeping through the night, though. If your LO is sleeping a longer stretch at night you might try this after one of the first early morning hour feeds. Hope this helps!

[amybeth]

Cali, I do the same thing with pumping in the morning. Billy feeds from one side and then falls asleep again. But I've started to pump both sides and found I can usually get anywhere from a half to one more ounce out of the side he ate from! You should try that too. Every little bit helps!

[keehope]

Thanks - that's very reassuring. Today I pumped after the first two morning feeds, skipped the next one then pumped after the afternoon feed. She did want more before her nap and I don't think there was enough, but she fell asleep anyway so it can't be that bad right?

Do you all let your DH feed LO a bottle at night - if you sleep though that feeding will it decrease your supply long term? I have three bottles in the freezer and two in the fridge and have not let DH give her one yet because I was worried if I have him give her the bottle so I can get more sleep, then I won't make as much at night.

Maybe I am just over thinking this.

[azariah08]

I let my hubby feed Brenna a bottle in the middle of the night BUT I still woke up and pumped. Seems kind of silly, but at that time Brenna took an hour to nurse and I could pump in 10 minutes so it did end up saving me time. Plus he got to deal with burping and getting her back to bed. We actually slept in separate rooms the first few weeks and I took the shift from 10-2 and he took the shift from 2-6 with the baby - so we each got peace in our respective rooms. Sounds not hubby and wife like, but it worked well for us at the time because she was a fussy sleeper.

Brenna started waiting later and later until she slept until 5 a.m. around a month - at that point I just woke up and fed her instead of bugging my hubby. He was back to work anyway by then.

On the whole milk thing, Brenna eats a TON each feeding (like 6 ounces when she was a month old) so I did occasionally run out on her. I supplemented with pumped milk in the fridge and immediately pumped so my body would know it needed to make more. Even though I was pumping empty which is kind of creepy. I didn't get into the trap of using formula.

When she was little, I waited about 20 minutes after I fed her and then pumped. I felt like that got me a little more milk but didn't risk running out so much.

[Curlgirl503]

I never had DH give Ethan a bottle at night (like, middle of the night feedings). I always thought about doing that, but honestly, it was so easy to feed him I just did it. I just grabbed him and nursed him in the side-lying position and dozed while he ate, so I never felt like I was up all night.

My pedi said that getting sleep is essential for your body to produce milk, so make sure you get enough. If having your DH bottle feed the baby a feeding in the middle of the night every once in awhile gets you some extra sleep, do it. I just wouldn't do it every night because you need to nurse to keep your supply up. It's kind of a catch 22.

I do have DH bottle feed every once in awhile though just so Ethan can practice on the bottle.

[Cali]

Originally Posted by keehope

Do you all let your DH feed LO a bottle at night - if you sleep though that feeding will it decrease your supply long term? I have three bottles in the freezer and two in the fridge and have not let DH give her one yet because I was worried if I have him give her the bottle so I can get more sleep, then I won't make as much at night.

Maybe I am just over thinking this.

I did. I just wanted more than 3hrs of uninterruped sleep and when DH offered to feed DD a bottle so this could happen, I never thought twice. LOL I'm sure it had some effect on my supply since I skipped a BF session but I never did notice. DD is 5 1/2 mo and DH still gives her a "goodnight" bottle (now it's considered "their time" together) every night. I'll BF for about 15 min first, then she gets the bottle. She's exclusively BF minus that one bottle.

Hope this helps!

Amybeth - thanks for that tip, I need to try that!

[sneal66752]

Hello everyone,
I'm expecting my LO on Aug. 14th and plan on EBF. I have two questions.

How old was your LO when they began sleeping thru the night?

How old was your LO when you began letting DH bottlefeed the baby?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Shelley

[Curlgirl503]

DH started giving Ethan a bottle around 5 weeks. That's when I started pumping.

Ethan started sleeping through the night around 2 and a half months. BUT, he still wakes up every once in awhile.