Breastfeeding/pumping help

[DMMMJ]

So DC is 4 weeks old been exclusively BF since birth, amazing latch and BF support described DC as a textbook BF baby.

DC had been getting weighed and at last weigh in on Thursday DC still wasn't back up to birth weight so HV advised to start giving top up of expressed milk.

DC has been a great feeder absolutely no concerns, no tongue tie etc. DC was quite fussy in the evenings between around 4 until bedtime feeding constant but been sleeping great through the night so BF support advised that nothing was wrong and it was just a case of taking the good with the bad.

So after speaking with HV we decided DC top up should be between the fussy hours so around tea time. That was fine and I started trying to express. But in all honesty I'm finding it quite hard. Any time I feel like I have DC down for a nap I get my pump ready to go, start pumping and DC wakes back up.

This morning for example, DC has fed for 1 hour 30 on right side so I decided to pump left side while DC had morning nap but then DC woke up I tried to feed on right but DC was either getting frustrated at the slow flow or just wasn't getting enough milk so I then had to stop pumping my left to try DC on that.

When I took my pump off I had Pumped 4oz and put DC on but there was a bit of fussiness then DC just stopped sucking but not completely sleeping that i could put DC down for a nap.

I feel like pumping I'm taking away from DC and honestly feel like I don't know when I actually have time to fit in pumping in order to produce enough for the tea time top up.

I've tried pumping at night after DC goes to bed and I literally produce 4 oz between both which is enough for 1 top up but I'm trying to build up a supply incase DC might need more top ups. Due to be weighed again tomorrow to see where we are at but I'm just looking for some help or advise.

How do people pump if their baby feeds constant? Am I doing it wrong.

A baby not regaining their birth weight after four weeks suggests a problem. As the latch is apparently fine, it could well be lactation insufficiency, i.e. not enough milk. Regardless of the cause, you're probably better off topping up with formula than with expressed milk, especially if you're finding pumping tricky.

I'm not some formula shill, btw. I exclusively pumped for one baby for four (brutal) months and ebf the other for six months, continuing to breastfeed to nine months, but it is quite worrying when a baby is taking so long to regain birth weight.

Are you catching the let down on the other side you are feeding from - I used an Elvie Curve because it sits in your bra but has suction.

I exclusively pumped with my first so know how tough going pumping is, I’m glad I did it but it was tough!

Were there any extenuating circumstances that might give an inflated birth weight? Like gestational diabetes or emergency CS? Friends of mine have experienced this not being taken into account in the sometimes blinkered focus on resuming birth weight.

My baby is nearly 4 weeks and I’m also topping up with a couple of bottles of expressed a day, I pump once in the morning after her first feed and once in the evening after her feed around 8, I tend to get 3oz from each side both times which is enough for us (so 12oz total each 24 hours). Unsure whether this is the right thing to do but it seems to be working for us!

Is there any science behind pumping being better than feeding for increasing supply?

Nope, and the HV shouldn’t be suggesting it.

@SunnySaturdayMorning I did wonder. Certainly in my day the advice for increasing supply was feeding more. People only really pumped if there was a physical reason the baby couldn't suckle, or so the baby could be fed by someone else. It seems to be very common nowadays. I did try but found it so difficult and distressing-I hate the thought of women feeling obliged to do it....

Baby is the best at building up your supply. As others have said the best bet to increase babies weight is to wake them up at and feed at least every 3hrs at night. Baby is also more effective at getting the milk out! So rather than the extra effort and extra work just put baby to breast and keep ensuring they go no more than 3hrs without a feed overnight. You might find it settles feeding in the day a bit too.