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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

How can I increase the amount of milk I express?

25 replies

FuntoLearn · 14/12/2009 23:33

My DS1 is now 14 weeks and has EBM and breast milk.

As I am now working 21 hours a week (from home by the way) I need to be able to increase my EBM supply so DH can help out with feeds.

I can fill a bottle in the morning with EBM but DS is constantly cluster feeding at night and when I try to express hardly anything comes out. He spends AGES on the boob during the evening.

I have tried drinking more water but it doesnt seem to help.

My husband is beginning to get a bit fed up with it and keeps suggesting Formula Feeds.

DS is putting on weight fine and is pooing and weeing fine also.

DS sleeps at night from 10pm to 5pm.

Any advise would be great. Thanks in advance...

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YanknChristmasCrackers · 14/12/2009 23:44

What are you using to express? I am using a Medela Swing and am hoping to upgrade to an Ameda Lactaline dual pump. Supposedly using a dual pump helps increase your output.

My DS is 16 weeks and I'm sort of the opposite of you. Can't get much out in the morning, but after sending DS to bed after a bottle of EBM, I wait until about 5 hours from when I last fed him and can get 6oz.

Original poster
FuntoLearn · 14/12/2009 23:46

I have an avent manual pump. I used the Ameda Pump with my DD 6 years ago.

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Original poster
FuntoLearn · 15/12/2009 10:04

bump

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hobbgoblin · 15/12/2009 10:06

Fenugreek is working for me somewhat as I have XACTLY the same problem!

Picante · 15/12/2009 15:01

You need to get yourself an electric pump and pump as often as possible - it's the frequency of the pumps not the length of time which will increase your output. It will take a few days for your milk supply to react to the increase in pumping.

MrsBadger · 15/12/2009 16:14

bit rude to bump without acknowledging the good advice

I was going to suggest an electric double pump too - an Ameda Lactaline kept up with dd till she was 12m.

evening cluster feeding is perfectly normal even if you;re not expressing at all.
I remember vividly feeding with one hand and eating with the other for at least 3m at this stage...

Original poster
FuntoLearn · 15/12/2009 20:55

Apologies for bumping but a bit stressed out with it all today and DS has developed a viral rash this evening.

Sorry to be impersonal.

Think the electric pump might be worth doing ut its a bit pricey and my DH doesnt seem very convinced...

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Original poster
FuntoLearn · 15/12/2009 20:59

Thanks everyone for the advice. Much appreciated.

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jamaisjedors · 15/12/2009 21:00

I think an electric pump is really worth it.

I hired one.

It means you can express one side while the baby feeds the other side so you get automatic let-down (= more milk).

I would never express in the evening btw.

Express when you normally would have fed, and definitely first thing in the morning (ie 5am (sorry but you'll have loads of milk then! Express the side opposite to the baby, and then when you think it's all gone, put the baby on there and they will get loads more out).

Lionstar · 15/12/2009 21:04

Eating lots of oats is supposed to help your supply

YanknChristmasCrackers · 15/12/2009 21:22

Oh dear. It can be so difficult I think when your other half isn't on board. I drilled all the facts/figures/reasons about breastfeeding into DH's head before DS came along...he's a good advocate now!

Electric pumps are sooooo worth it. You can pick one up used on ebay for less than the cost of new. If he doesn't believe you, go check how much formula actually costs.

Just 7 900g containers of Aptimil will cost you about £55, and you can easily get a used electric pump on ebay for that!

In the end, if you choose to breast feed, it's about what YOU can handle doing, not your DH. What's he got to be 'fed up' about? You're the one doing the hard work!

Forgive me if I'm being too forward or reading too much into what you've said, but it seems like the breastfeeding is actually going quite well for you. I can't really understand your DH trying to put you off of doing something that is so good for your baby.

And Picante is right, if you pump frequently for a while, your supply will go up. I went from getting only about 10ml to getting 50ml when pumping after feeds.

Best of luck to you.

Original poster
FuntoLearn · 15/12/2009 21:39

I am looking on Ebay for one now ...

Thanks everyone. DH gets cheesed off when I go into my home office to work after givinbg DS a feed and then DS cries because he is still hungry or tired and poss a bit of separation anxiety....

I am trying to sort it all out by always making sure DH has a bottle to give DS when I am working. DH works 9- fulltime and I work 21 hours a week.

Also think DH feels a bit left out.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

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Original poster
FuntoLearn · 15/12/2009 21:45

sorry 9-5

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Original poster
FuntoLearn · 17/12/2009 20:48

Having a hired dual pump delivered on Tuesday. I'm so pleased. Thank you everyone.

Expressed this morning using manual pump and then DH fed DS with it at 6pm. Started work at 7pm and DS woke up started crying and DH said - "why dont we crack open the formula"

Just gave DS a feed and now he's asleep and DH is watching telly downstairs - so say I'm cheesed off would be an indestatement! Grrrr

x

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NotAnotherNewNappy · 18/12/2009 14:29

Why don't you get a book on the benefits of BF and the next time your DH says that you can hit him over the head with it hand it to him --?

I think the luxury pump will make the world of difference. I found pumping after sleep and while DD was on the other boob was best.

thenameiwantedwastaken · 18/12/2009 16:09

i find expressing near my baby helps - i get more milk if she's playing on floor infront of me or if i look at the pics i have of her on my phone and think about feeding her.

Also if you are expressing to keep her going during your work hours, do you not just need enough milk for 1 day? if you miss a feed while you are working presumably your body will still make milk which you will need to express to avoid damaging your supply/becoming horribly engorged. This can then be stored for the next time you're working. Hope that makes sense.

Original poster
FuntoLearn · 18/12/2009 16:31

Notanothernewnappy

I think a hard back would be best {fgrin]

The name i wanted was taken

I will express each work day morning so I have enough for DH evening feed. Prob do it every day thinking about it so that DS and my boobs get into a routine and DH gets his evening baby feed fix

Thanks again everyone

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MadameMoe · 18/12/2009 16:38

It's really very important that you express at around the time your DS would normally feed, so when your DH is giving the evening EBM you should be expressing. Otherwise you really do risk damaging your supply.

Giving the EBM from a teat with the smallest possible opening is likely to mean your DS is satisfied for longer after a feed. It's much easier to feed from a bottle than a breast so he may well feel that he still needs to suck even though he isn't actually hungry anymore IYSWIM.

MrsSantosnotSanta · 18/12/2009 16:40

Gentle massage prior to pumping can help - also a warm flannel can aid the flow. Some days you will get more than others. Try not to stress about the "low" days. Relaxing in a warm environment is good (says she who used to be desperately trying to pump before going out to work at night)

This is good (tho' I can't get the actual page at the moment. It's written by a very experienced BFC.

Kellymom is always a good bet too.

Hospital grade pumps may give you the best results (but not everyone likes them) but if you are looking at pumping long term then that could work out expensive. There are pump reviews in the Products section on here.

Good luck.

undressedfordinner · 19/12/2009 07:37

Totally agree with Madam Moe about using the smallest possible teat opening - my DS is 7 months now and when he has EBM 2 nights a week while I'm at work he still has it from a newborn teat. DS always had tantrums at the end of a bottle feed and I think a lot of it was down to just needing to suck. He never took a dummy but now sucks his fingers so at the end of a feed (even BF) will stick them in instead. Do you use a dummy? I know it's supposed to cause nipple confusion and everything but if your baby has breast and bottle without probs that shouldn't be a problem.

I also have a nightmare trying to express, I am only able to maintain my freezer stash now by expressing the feed I skip as soon as I get in from work, otherwise I could sit there pumping away for hours and not get more than 80cc. When I was trying to increase my supply in the early days I was advised to express for 20 minutes after every feed - which I'm sure is effective but means you spend your entire day feeding/expressing/cleaning the pump.

That said...IME expressing is never going to stimulate your supply as much as your baby, and if you don't express or feed during your working hours on a regular basis I imagine your supply will fall. I haven't had this problem (yet) but I only skip a feed 2 days out of 7 and express as soon as I can.

Also...my DS cluster fed for about a month from 12-16 weeks ish, possibly a bit longer. I thought I was going to go berserk but have since discovered that there's a fairly substantial growth spurt in there.

It sounds like you're both working really hard and not seeing a great deal of one another. Don't be too hard on your DH - it's not easy coming home from work tired to a tired baby and feeling powerless to comfort him. I would sit down with him in a calm moment (not a work day) and talk about why you want to breastfeed and how the whole supply-demand thing works. And ask him not to suggest formula even if he's trying to be helpful because it's quite demoralising for a BF mum. Maybe he could try taking baby for a walk after his bottle, then giving him a bath and putting him to bed. 10pm is quite late for bedtime, could also be he's crying because he's had enough.

Hang on in there, hope things improve soon!

Original poster
FuntoLearn · 20/12/2009 12:28

Thanks you everyone for all this fAB advice.

DS doesnt have a dummy but he does play with his fingers in mouth.

I am expressing in the morning about 80-100ml and then DH giving him that in the evening. He is still hungry later on and wants more - so am also cluster feeding later on in the evening.

He is pretty much on the boob untill 11pm - then awake at 4am - 5am for another feed.

Is this me not giving him enough or a growth spurt?

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MrsSantosnotSanta · 23/12/2009 22:28

11-4 sounds OK for a 14 wk old and I think (if my cobwebby memory is correct) anything after 5am is a "morning feed" anyway. Do you get to snuggle down with him for another sleep after 5am? I used to get another 2 hours from DD (first child like that).

All babies play with their fingers - it doesn't mean he is hungry necessarily. It means he has found his hands and is exploring them .

He won't feed like this forever. In the greater scheme of things, tis a small amount of time. Sounds like you are OK with this but your H might need reminding of the pros and cons of infant feeding choices - like for example, bottle fed babies get restless and grouchy in the evenings too Ask around at any mother and baby group. We are all a bit knackered looking after babies regardless of feeding choices.

Elpis · 24/12/2009 14:23

Yes, dual electric pumping is the way forward. The Medela Freestyle is expensive but it's meant that I can express between 400-520ml each day for DD, in two sessions of around 12 minutes each, which is enough to leave for the following day and fits around my work.

I could just about manage that with two manual pumps, but it took a lot longer.

And jamaisjedors is right - expressing in the evening is usually a bit hopeless, unless DS hasn't drunk much during the day and you're a bit engorged.

Ditto with the fenugreek.

good luck!

jamaisjedors · 27/12/2009 19:10

80-100ml doesn't sound like loads tbh for a 14 week old, but my memory is not that great about quantities.

Hope things are going well with the electric pump?

Original poster
FuntoLearn · 27/12/2009 21:38

Hi all.

Got the Ameda Lacalitine Dual Pump via NHS hire on Tuesday and its been a life saver. Cost me £20 for the 2 sterilisation sets - brilliant value...

Expressing in the morning and getting around 120ml in each bottle - so really pleased!

DH is feeding in the evening and it seems to be working OK at the mo. The proof will be when I start back at work on the 4th.

Will keep you posted.

Many thanks for all your advice. It is really appreciated.

x

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