Breastfeeding milk supply

[LJJ90]

I've been breastfeeding my now 4 week old since birth, trying to pump also as no longer with daddy so wanted to ensure I have a supply for when he starts to take him out for an hour here and there.

Baby is constantly glued to me therefore I'm worried he's not getting enough, but also when I pump (I was advise for power pump two days a week to increase supply) I only manage 1-2 ounces off each side (if that)

Does anyone know how to increase supply at all?! I have made lactate brownies as advised but have seen no difference?!

How much you can pump out isn’t the same as how much your baby can get out - your baby will get more. The best way to keep your supply up is to do what you’re doing and keep feeding 😊 The feeds get further apart once baby gets older.

Glued to you is pretty much standard for 4 weeks, and doesn’t indicate you have a supply issue. Is he gaining weight and making lots of wet/dirty nappies?

The best way to increase your supply is to feed (and possibly pump) as often as possible.

Lots of people don’t get much from pumping, especially at the beginning. You could try a different pump? My DMum used to work for the NCT and provided pumps for mums (they don’t do this any more as far as I’m aware) and she how well they worked varied hugely from woman to woman.

Can you pump one side while feeding from the other? This was the best way for me to get a decent 4oz or so.

How long do you have until you’re going to need milk for daddy? If it’s soon, you might need to supplement with formula I’m afraid. Will he wait a bit until feeding is more established? I found that my DD was a far more efficient feeder by 3 months, so feeding times became hugely shorter. I also found it easier to pump at that time.

That isn’t a low supply at this stage, so you’ve nothing to worry about. It will increase as time goes on. Drinking fennel tea and pumping after the first feed of the day should maximise output.

Your son's dad may just have to wait a bit to have him away from you, I'm afraid - i was advised by my midwife not to pump for the first 6 weeks at least as it messes with your supply, and even when i did start i barely got anything, despite succesfully breastfeeding.

I would suggest getting your ex to visit the baby at your home. He could do bath time, or tummy time, or similar - but until your son is a few months older, being away from you isn't likely to be a good idea, unless you're happy for him to have formula.

Please please don't worry about your milk supply based on pumping output. If your baby is gaining weight and also producing wet and dry nappies then that is plenty. Your 4 week old should spend lots of time at the breast to ensure your milk supply is exactly as it should be. Separating from your baby for a period of time and faffing with pumping can disrupt your supply.
Just keep feeding at the breast, keep an eye on weight and wet and dirty nappies and the babies father can wait a good while for time away from you (and the boob!)

When I was trying to build up supply at the same point I would try and pump just before / dream feed at which point I'd usually eaten and had a few hours maybe of rest if the baby had gone down ok. That really helped build my supply. I found it too hard In the day and as you say couldn't get more than an ounce or so each side. It makes a HUGE difference what you eat and even if you are moving around in the day to your milk supply. Rest and eat well and pump at a time when you're just about to feed so that you maximise chances of a good pump and then baby feeds straight after and your body will create more to meet the demand. But you need to do it on a schedule and you'll get better results than as hoc here and there. Good luck. You're doing everything right.

I can’t pump at all. I ebf for 6 months. You need to look at your baby’s out put - wee, poo and weight. Having said that unless evening cluster feeding it’s advised that if a baby is regularly taking an hour or longer for a feed then you need to get your latch checked.

What pump have you got?

How long are you leaving after feeds before pumping?

Baby will be attached at that age but if does get better. Your supply is fine IF lots of wet and dirty nappies and they are gaining weight.

Eat oats for breakfast and drink some oat milk. Pump soon after waking in the morning. I have managed to pump 1.2L this week so DC can stay away for the night (4 months old). The pump is important too, I used to just use the suction setting (spectra s1) but now I use a proper schedule to go from stimulation to suction. It’s got to be the setting which is completely comfortable otherwise nothing comes out.

Oh and litres of water. Just power neck the stuff, at least 2 per day.

What you can pump is not necessarily an indicator of you supply. I had an oversupply but could hardly pump anything. The only time I could was off one boob whilst my baby fed of the other - that got the milk flowing. It would probably be better to wait a couple more weeks before you pump so your supply can regulate.

At 4 weeks old frequent and long feeds are normal. My baby fed loads during the day, all evening solidly and a few times at night at that age!

Nappy output and weight gain are better indicators of if feeding is going well.

I used a silicone pump on the opposite side when feeding, and would get loads of milk helped by the let down reflex caused by the baby feeding.

I exclusively pump as my 14 week old son couldn't latch properly, I pump between 5-8 times a day. If Im busy or ds wont let me put him down meaning I pump 5 times a day for a few days in a row my supply really dips and I see a massive drop in how much milk I make and then struggle to have enough for my son.

If I pump 8 times a day for a few days my supply is so much more and I have enough milk to save. I'd suggest getting a double breast pump and between babies feeds pump for at least 20 minutes (I know how hard this is).

When the milk stops coming out make sure you carry on pumping for at least 5 minutes as this tells your body that you need more milk and what it is making isn't enough for baby. It should start making more pretty quickly!

Xx

Constant feeding for the first 6-8 weeks is completely normal, they are growing so fast they are needing to increase your supply themselves. If your baby is gaining weight and having wet/dirty nappies its safe to say you are producing enough.

Lots of people dont get much from expressing, have u tried a silicone pump while baby is feeding from the other side? I could rarely get more than 2-3 oz unless it was first thing in the morning. Id try a silicone, for the sake of 10 quid its worth a go