Breastfeeding

It’s recommended to wait until 6 weeks to ensure feeding is established and your body understands how much to supply for your baby. Do you then plan to only pump and give via bottle or just the option to give a bottle a day?

Just have the option to give a bottle as well as breast just to take down pressure of me xxxxx

When you pump, at first you’ll not express much and that’s completely normal. The more you do it, the more you’ll make, but pumping too much can lead to an oversupply which you don’t want. I would recommend a hakkaa and putting it on your breast when feeding. It will catch your letdown and excess milk. X

Pumping is a different suction motion so you might not get as much first, baby sucks a bit different and they get as much as they want because they know how to suck to trigger a let down. I know it’s hard at first being the only one able to feed the baby but I advise to wait until 2 months where breastfeeding and supply is fully established. Then I recommend pumping after feeds or using a haaka on the other breast when you feeding which means you will get the milk that usually goes to waste and won’t have to pump.

The midwives gave me a pump in hospital when my milk came in as I was in so much pain and it caused me a massive over supply so try not pump too much, maybe just pump on one side when baby is feeding or use a hakaa xx

As long as you’re not having engorgement, it would be reasonable to start pumping once per day whenever you feel ready - try to pump just a few oz and keep the amount you pump consistent each day to lower your risk of clogged ducts. I would start with small (like maybe 1oz) bottles so baby can learn the bottle, and nurse afterwards to finish the nursing session. Any time you give a bottle, be sure to pump that day to replace the volume given, or supply will drop.

This is just my personal experience and doesn't negate anyone else's. Pumping is awful. You see all.tjese women online who pump and have freezers full of stock... and yet when I pump I get about an ounce. Two first thing in the morning. This is considered normal yet. I feel like a bloody cow with the pump on. And more than likely I've got the wrong flange size cause the cracked nipples... it also doesn't give me any time back to reduce pressure as I'd still have to find the time to pump!! I'm so frustrated by pumping but I really hope you find it much better. Good luck with your pumping journey and make sure you do a day time or tea time feed until 13ish weeks as supply is created by night time demand til then.

I just don’t know what is best to do, he drinks so fast because of my flow and I just want to try and help him so I thought if I tried a bottle it would help reduce the gas. At the moment I am still just breastfeeding, I have been told Hakkas are good rather than pumps xxxx

@Paige that’s amazing you are not giving up, I was in the same position for about two weeks and then my milk just regulated and feeding was so easy I was so grateful because the struggle was crazy. Good luck 🤞