Pumping and feeding versus feeding from the breast

Holly - posted on 08/26/2011

I am so jealous you can get 6 oz in one sitting :( I used to get MAYBE 3 then 2 now down to 1 aghh..I was told as long as baby is on breast a lil (to get milk going) you could pump and it would be ok. Although I wonder if I've slowed down cause I mainly pump and shes on breast 1-2 times a day.Every boob is different :)

Amber - posted on 04/24/2010

Are you nursing from both sides or only one side during a feeding? it's possible that she's not getting enough hind milk if you are switching sides. I only fed my DS on one side per feeding to ensure he got enough hind milk.

Angela - posted on 04/24/2010

I've done both, and pumping didn't work well for me. BUT, if pumping works better for you - by all means pump! You can't exactly turn off your baby eating to go get the 19 month old out of whatever they've gotten into, so I understand the allure. The fact is, you're breastfeeding however you achieve it, and you're doing what's best for your baby. Warming up the breast milk will not hurt it unless you heat it in the microwave. Just sit it in a bowl of warm water or hold it under warm running water. You're doing good - keep doing what you're doing!

Linda - posted on 04/24/2010

In addition, ur baby could be there for an hour and hungry 30min later maybe due to poor latching. Perhaps she's not latched properly to get the most milk out easily.

Or perhaps she juz needed to suck and you misread her to be hungry?

Not forgetting you need time for pumping, AND time to feed her. So you may end up taking juz as much if not more time as you wld by latching.

Linda - posted on 04/24/2010

Go for nursing if you could. The nutrients they get direct from the breasts is in its best form. Pumping out and hvg to warm it up later to feed may kill some of the anti-bodies and nutrients if not done properly.

I only needed to bring a few pcs of diapers, wet wipes and a baby sling when i bring my baby out on my own. The sling can be used to shield when you need to nurse in public.

They are also able to get more outta suckling. Eg if you are able to pump 3 oz, with suckling baby could get say 4oz. They will stop feeding once they are full. Unless bottle-feeding, you may end up trying to make them 'finish a little bit more' and could lead to overweight.

But in anyway, breastmilk in anyway is still better than none

Sharon - posted on 04/23/2010

My little guy had latch issues and we had lots of stress due to this so I began pumping and it became so much easier. I'd pump after I had fed him from the bottle as I'd naturally start leeaking. My only tip would be to make sure you do pump, regularly, and don't miss a feed/pump. When I went back to work I forgot to take my pump...7hrs, not pumping, then the next day we had a family emergency and I totally forgot about taking the pump....6hrs no pumping. This majorly affecting my supply and I had to work quite hard for the next 3 or so weeks to get my supply back up to where it should have been. Any of the excess milk you are getting, freeze it, so when your little one goes thru a growth spurt or you if you do start drying up, you will have a bit of a supply built up.

Next baby, I will do the same, pump, then feed from the bottle, plus my husband was able to join in on the feeds :-)

Emily - posted on 04/21/2010

Also wanted to add, the amount you pump is rarely equal to the actual amount your baby gets. So using a pump to see how much you have is really inaccurate. Most of the time, babies can get way more out than a pump, because babies are designed to breastfeed, whereas a pump is just a plastic machine.

It's really really normal to have an oversupply in the beginning, which is why you are pumping a large amount. This does not last forever! Your body figures out how much your baby is actually drinking and adjusts production accordingly.

Emily - posted on 04/21/2010

In the beginning, it is easy to pump a large amount, but after a few weeks or months when your supply regulates, most women find it very difficult to pump enough to feed their babies. You end up having to pump every 2 hours or so, even at night, just to keep up. Pumps just aren't as good as babies at getting the milk out, and eventually your body will not respond as well to the pump. If you are determined to breastfeed your baby, I would work on feeding directly from your breast. Your baby probably takes the bottle faster because bottles are easier to master than a breast. There are a couple problems with this. 1) Your baby could become accustomed to feeding from a bottle and not want to nurse anymore, even if you want to. 2) It is much easier to overfeed a baby through a bottle because it is easier to get the milk out. When that happens, you have a baby who is getting too much milk, then you have to produce that much more when you're pumping.

I really highly recommend working on nursing. It seems like a lot of work in the beginning, but it is really worth it. In a couple of weeks, your baby won't be spending as much time nursing.. it does get better. After the initial newborn phase, pumping full-time takes double the work because not only do you have to pump, you have to then feed that bottle, not to mention clean bottles and bottle parts all the time. With just nursing, all you have to do is nurse. Also, often you have to pump while your baby is crying in hunger. Also consider right now it's easy to pump while your baby is sleeping, but in a few months your baby will be awake a lot more, making it more difficult to find the time to pump. Being attached to the pump sucks. At least if you are nursing your baby, you can move to different rooms with the baby to be around your older child. You don't have to be stuck to a machine. And yes, I am saying all this out of experience.. I had to pump full time for my baby because she was premature. I was SO thrilled when she was finally able to latch on to me and nurse directly. Saved so much time and hassle. I would never go back to exclusive pumping. Plus, if you are nursing, you will never just "dry up" out of the blue. Babies suckling is what signals your body to make milk. Your body doesn't always get that same signal from a pump, so it's much easer to "dry up" while just pumping.

Not trying to be a downer here.. just realistic!

Shannon - posted on 04/21/2010

I pumped and bottle fed without any problems, however, you have to do it about every 3 hours to keep your supply up. Then you have to carry the pump with you everywhere and plan you whole day around it. My supply started to slowly deminish at about 7 weeks, but I was getting lazy about pumping every 3 hours and missed sessions. I say go for it if you can keep up the schedule, just remember that it is time consuming. And don't buy an expensive pumping bra, just cut verical slits in an old one :)

Andrea - posted on 04/20/2010

I am exactly the same (my son is 3 weeks old and I have a 22 month old son as well) My milk was not as abundant as my son needed I guess - I gave it over a week before trying formula or pumping. He lost over 1 lb in 3 days (he was 9.9 lbs at birth) and always hungry and fussy at night. Once I started to pump I was able to tell how much I was producing and I supplemented with formula to make up the difference (he needed 4 oz at least per feeding before he calmed down). Once I started pumping and could tell how much he was eating he started to calm down and gained 11 oz in 4 days. I haven't dried up, but I seem to produce about 2 oz ever 3-4 hours which isn't a lot, but I do think some people just produce more than others. He never seems to drain the breast when I do nurse him and he's up again in an hour to eat more because he isn't satisfied. I know how you feel but in my case it seems to work and I'm going to try to continue to pump as long as I can. I did the same with my older son and pumped for 6 months and supplemented with formula and he is just fine! I've decided not to let myself feel guilty about having to supplement (there is a lot of pressure out there!) If you are able to pump 6 oz than I don't think you'll have a problem - just do what works for you!! Good luck

Rachelle - posted on 04/19/2010

i dried up way to fast when i started pumping i lasted about three weeks i kick myself now knowing full well if i had been able to keep her on the breast that i would still be able to breast feed but shes happy and doesn't care what she eats...

Elisabeth - posted on 04/19/2010

I pumped to bottle feed and it seemed that it increased my supply! I used a double pump. I should have invested in one of those bras so that I was hands free. What i noticed though is that it took a bit longer for my hind milk to let down at first so my milk was watery looking. I have now switched to just formula feeding, which I think we are both happy about. Best of luck!