A few questions - re: pumping, shatavari, *normal* pumping output for age and night nursing

[sattygirl99]

Ladies you have been such a wonderful help and so I come to you with some more questions...

1 - pumping... I don't find time often to pump so I pump at night because my baby sleeps in long stretches and I get full and leaky. I need to increase my daytime supply but I don't have the time to pump after every feed... Any suggestions? I was thinking of trying to do 3 sets of power pumps but I don't know if I'd get that in either...

2 - Shatavari ... I started this a few weeks ago and I'm wondering if it's inhibiting my letdown... It seems to be taking longer to get a letdown now... how do I go about stopping it? I'm taking 2 capsules, 3 times a day... Do I cut out 2 pills a week until they're gone? Faster, slower?

3 - Pumping output for age... DS is 4 weeks old (1 month on the 25th) and I don't remember what a normal pumping output is for a missed feed (since we don't actually miss feeds as we haven't introduced a bottle yet)... I was pumping 1-1 3/4 oz last week.... now I seem to pump consistently 2 plus (between 2 and 2.5 oz)... I pump at night when he goes longer between feeds... so at 9-10 pm, I can pump 2 plus oz combined. Is this normal or am I still looking at 'low supply'? I am weaning from daytime supplements (we're down to 3/4 oz every other feeding instead of 1-1.5 per feed, hopefully I didn't go down too fast).

4 - night nursing... DS is not a night nurser... He sleeps in 4-5 hour stretches at night and I end up pumping at least once... If he nursed more at night, he'd take less during the day and I think I'd have enough milk without feeling like I need to supplement. Should I wake him? Or should I just continue to pump and go with it until his sleep schedule switches, because I know it will... If I wake him, he nurses through the letdown and then goes back to sleep so I'd probably still want to pump afterwards to ensure he emptied the breast.

Thanks ladies! We're starting the weaning from supplements process and I just keep thinking of these things... If only I could make my body make less milk during the night and more during the day, I would feel more confident... During the day, 4-5 hours have to pass before I leak or feel really full... At night I'm lucky to make it 3 and I pump 2 plus oz when I pump.

[cdahlgrd]

1. I think you should sleep and forget pumping at night. Sleep is very important to supply and lack of sleep can also contribute to PPD. SO, SLEEP!!

2. I don't know what this is.

3. I believe that average amount of bm is 1-2 oz per pumping. So you are completely average and normal. You can double check that at www.kellysmom.com .

4. I think you can both use some sleep. Let him sleep his 4-5 hours and you sleep too. You may just feel like a new woman!

If it were me, I would try to get rid of the pumping (not all at once, but graduallys so you don't get mastitis) and extra milk in the next week or 2. Just keep an eye on his diapers to know if he is OK. Plenty of of wet and dirty diapers will tell you that he is eating well. If he drops down in their number, then you may have to pump a little to keep up your supply.

Also, pumping and supply: Your body is amazing. It will learn when demand for milk comes, and make milk for that time. So if you pump at 10 pm, your body will learn to make milk for 10 pm. If you want more milk production during the day, then you need to pump or nurse more during the day. And super pumping is not helpful. Frequency and regularity is more important for overall supply. So drop the night pumping and add 1 pumping or an extra nursing session during the day.

Those are my thoughts, you can think about this and see what will work for you.

[sattygirl99]

Thanks mama! Pumping during the day is hard... He nurses ALOT and lately isn't sleeping anywhere but on me... I'm going to start pumping for 10 min after each feeding. I already let him nurse on demand and only use a paci when I need to unlatch once he's asleep.

We're on day 5 of being supplement free...
day 1- 9 wets, 2 poops
day 2- 7 wets and 1 soaked overnight diaper, 1 poop
day 3 - 9 wets in 12 hours! and no poop
day 4 - 9 wets and 1 poop
day 5 - 10 plus (he fell asleep in a wet diaper so I'm sure it's more wet) and 2 poops

Without any supplement! Woot!! My pumping output seems lower though (1 oz instead of 2) but I was told it's because he's nursing and taking so much more from me.

[cdahlgrd]

That sounds AWESOME!! You guys are doing great. He should be nursing a lot, that is how he gets your body to make more milk.

Slowly drop the pumping and relax, you are doing great!