i don’t wanna pump anymore

[crystalsherie]

@brandon_d Why though I wonder. Milk can take up to a week to come in. They only have colostrum for the first few days. And if she said it was because of the c section, she is wrong. The second the placenta is removed your body starts producing the hormone that triggers milk supply. It does not matter in what manner you bring a baby into the world.

 

[brandon_d]

@crystalsherie i’m not sure. i was just doing what they told me. i’m kinda thankful that i posted this thread because ive learned so much more than the lactation specialist has taught me in literally less than a day

 

[wellesleygirl16]

@crystalsherie Sadly I think medical personnel know less and less about bf and pushing formula down our throats.. every person I ask if they bf they said no because the milk didn’t come and I’m like yeah it takes a little time not to mention other issues such as tongue tie or stress! Instead they just say pump and give formula right away smh so what did woman do back in the day?

 

[kayla701]

@wellesleygirl16 I tried to bf only.. and the pediatrician at the hospital was freaking out telling me that 3 days after baby was born that he's lost weight. I had no idea that this was normal as I was trying to breastfeed only, the way that the LC at the hospital told me. LC had told me, feed baby every 2-3 hours for 10-15 mins at most on each side. That any more than that will damage nipples.
When I saw the pediatrician 3 days later she tells me to ignore what the LC says and gave me formula right then to "supplement" my bf'ing to make baby gain weight, and to see her a week after. After I did this supplementing, i haven't been able to make much supply myself.. baby is 6 weeks now but still low.. I think both LC's and pediatrician's advice with the supplementing may likely be the cause for the low supply..

 

[wellesleygirl16]

@kayla701 Unbelievable..exactly what I’m talking about with these pediatricians..I wouldn’t be surprised if the benefit from us getting formula..and why would LC say that? having baby on demand is the main thing to make sure your body reacts! Your nipples suffer when the latch is not proper..and is normal to have them sore for the first two weeks but that’s worth it for what the baby is getting.. what makes you think your supply is low? I also like to drink Malta besides water to help with milk supply. Are you having your baby latch every time the baby wants?

 

[magnolia12]

@brandon_d I was reading this comment and saw that you work from home , are they currently hiring ?

 

[brandon_d]

@magnolia12 im a data scientist working as a contractor for multiple companies! i get hired for projects, but i have some connections that may be hiring if you have a background in tech

 

[magnolia12]

@brandon_d That honestly sounds awesome! I do have some experience in technology

 

[missymomof3ky]

@brandon_d I didn’t start pumping until maybe 8 weeks. I also was only getting ~0.5-1.5oz. It’s sooo discouraging. And I was never finding a good time and felt like pumping took milk from my always hungry baby, because she’d really fuss if she needed on the boob right after. The other thing is your pump will never pull as much as your baby does either. So while you think it’s not much, I’m sure your baby is getting more/plenty.

Fast forward to 16 weeks now. I started pumping again around week 13 or 14 so we could get baby sitters or have her dad feed her. Now my milk is regulated and I can pump so much faster and get a decent amount, she doesn’t eat as often, and pumping doesn’t hurt supply if I need to feed her right after.

I was told that before about 12 weeks, your supply is anticipatory and then when it’s regulated it’s on demand, if that makes sense. Our last big cluster feeding was around 11-12 weeks and I feel like nursing and pumping all got a lot easier.

If you just let your baby eat whenever they want to eat, they should make your supply what they need. There will be lots of cluster feeding times before 3 months. I think week 3, week 6, and week 11-12 were ours. It’s tough and frustrating, but baby’s growing and getting your supply to where their needs are.

TLDR; don’t worry about pumping unless you are obviously seeing supply issues (baby super fussy at the boob, weighed feeding is below what they should be getting…). After about 12 weeks, it should be a bit easier—at least it was for me. Focus on breastfeeding for now. It’s already hard enough especially in the beginning!