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pumping vs. off the breast

  1. #9
    Slee is offline Registered User
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    Are you using a good supportive pillow? I was able to pump and feed as soon as I started trying at six days old but my secret was a great breast pump (Medela Pump in Style) and a Boppy type pillow. Later, I also figured out that I could hold my pump in place simply by tucking it inside my maternity bra (Elle McP one which has just a hole cut out for your nipple c.f. others which are not enclosed on all sides) so had both hands free for other things!


  2. #10
    kellyst is offline Registered User
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    Slee, i'm glad you mentioned the maternity bra. i could get quite a bit in my morning pump (got 7oz this morning from the 2 sides), but it's a pain pressing the two pumps against my breast and just sitting there watching the milk for 30 min. i'll try my bras, but any other suggestions for holding the pumps in place and keeping handsfree?

    i am using a Boppy type nursing pillow, but have been finding that it's slipping from under my baby quite a bit. with the pump, i'm on Medela Lactina.

    a little update for all, since my first post, i've been moving to pumping a bit more, though i think it takes away from rest time. i am quite convinced that the baby is not having quite enough as she's stopping without really emptying my breast, and if we try feeding her right after an 'on the breast' session, she could still drink around 2oz. from the bottle.

    i agree with Sylvieng though that i also felt like my efforts going to waste if she doesn't finish off the breast milk in the bottle.

    now, i didn't think i want to go to exclusive pumping, i am concerned about reduce in supply if i don't get baby on it at all, is that true? so what i've been doing is to use the time when the milk is being warmed up to put her on my breast first. let her suck on both sides until she stops and then put her on to a top up bottle. just trying all sorts of combination we could to make this work.

    thanks all for your help!

    --kellyst


  3. #11
    barbwong_130 is offline Registered User
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    It sounds to me as if you are over feeding your baby when you ae giving the milk in a bottle.

    If you imagine a breastfeed as a normal dinner with your husband - after it you feel OK - not too full and not too empty.

    Now imagine going to a buffet and keeping eating until your body says you are full - in fact you have eaten too much - this is what tends to happen with a bottle. The milk keeps coming out so the baby keeps eating and eats past the full mark.

    Now imagine that you were offered a piece of chocolate cake straight after your dinner but were too full to eat it. But 20 to 30 minutes later, when you're not so full, you think, "Well, I'd like that cake now." This is what happens to a baby when he asks for another feed shortly after his main feed. The solution is to give him the high fat snack – i.e. another breastfeed (the milk has a higher fat content for these top up feeds - pumped milk especially from the morning is likely to have a higher sugar content).

    The feel of your breasts after a feed is not a good indication of how much milk the baby has taken or how much the baby needs. It could be that you have more milk than the baby needs. 7 oz would be a huge feed for a only one month old. Also as your breast gets used to lactating they will become softer – even when full of milk.

    The way to tell if you baby is getting enough milk is to look at the baby’s output. You should be looking for:
    At least six wet nappies in 24 hours
    At least two dirty nappies in 24 hour for babies less than six weeks old
    Baby feeding between 8 and 14 times in 24 hours
    Weight gain over time – average of 170 grams per week
    Good skin tone

    If these are happening then your baby is getting enough milk even if you still have milk in your breast after a feed. Most mothers produce more milk than the baby can drink – this is normal and there to help us out when the baby has a growth spurt.

    Most mothers who exclusively pump to give milk for their babies have a hard time keeping their supply. The reason for this is because they get bored with all the pumping and over time start to skip feeds. It is skipping feeds that is the problem not the pumping.

    Please remember that breastfeeding is not just about supplying milk for your baby. It is about communicating with him, cuddling, keeping his temperature right, bonding, loving and hormones. Giving the milk in the bottle is just not the same.

    Best wishes,
    Barb


  4. #12
    kellyst is offline Registered User
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    Barb, thanks for your reminder. it does sound like you might be right, i'll watch the overfeeding. we had never had a lack of wet/dirty diapers. i think we might have over-reacted when she started feeding more frequently and got worried that she's not having enough.

    plus, i have two other persons at home, my mother-in-law and helper that think that she is not having in enough, that does add extra pressure. anyways, will keep your comments in mind!

    --kellyst


  5. #13
    LLL_Sarah is offline Registered User
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    Dear Kellyst,

    It can be difficult to breastfeed without a lot of support. If you are finding that your family is not as supportive as you would like of your decision to breastfeed have you consisted getting the necessary support from a mother-to-mother support group?

    In Hong Kong La Leche League is the only English speaking breastfeeding support group. You are most welcome to join our meetings and ask about any issues that concern you. Our next meeting is tomorrow afternoon at Flat 2, 2nd Floor, Tower A, Villa Lotto, 18 Braodwood Road, Happy Valley, Tel: Maggie 2817-7475

    All our meetings are free and it is not necessary to be a member to join our meetings. Of course we do encourage membership as money from memberships and donations are our major sources of revenue. The format for all the meetings is similar. We spend the first part of the meeting discussing the meeting title topic and the second part of the meeting the topics which the mothers attending bring up. Thus every meeting is different depending on the needs of the mothers there. Babies and toddlers are always welcome at our meetings.

    The article Why La Leche League? http://www.wiessinger.baka.com/bfing/others/whylll.html gives a nice description of why our meetings may be helpful to attend.

    For details of when our other meetings are please visit our web site, http://www.lalecheleague.org/HongKong.html

    Occasionally we do hold extra events. If you would like to find out about these they will be announced on our e-mail reminder list. To join the list send a message to [email protected]

    Best wishes,
    SARAH
    La Leche League Leader


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