For those who only use the pump

I just had a baby about a week and a half ago..i was breastfeeding in hospital, but it was stressing me out...When i got home i started the baby on formula...My hubby really wants the baby to get some breast milk, so i've been pumping...problem is that i don't get that much milk...i was told that it should increase over time...is that true? Does anyone have any advice?

Re: For those who only use the pump

I wound up pumping for 6 months...DS never latched. I will say that in my opinion the milk supply is no where near what it has the potential to be if the child is not taking from the breast but it can be done.

And yes...your supply will increase but you have to make sure to drink lots of water, get your rest and eat well to support any type of supply. I pumped every 2 hours in the beginning and then moved to 3 when the supply increased.

Good Luck!

Re: For those who only use the pump

I've been exclusively pumping for 8 weeks now, and my supply has been increasing steadily. In the first two weeks, all I could get out was colostrum and barely an ounce. I had to supplement with formula during this time (and there is nothing wrong with that no matter what people tell you)! The LC told me to keep pumping every 2-3 hours, even in the middle of the night, and the supply would increase. Eventually it did! Now I'm getting about 6-7 ounces when pumping for 10 minutes and I'm not pumping as frequently.

There's a few other LIFers who exclusively pump as well, and they're very encouraging!

Re: For those who only use the pump

It does increase. Try to do it every 3 hours if you can. The more you pump, the more milk you should produce. It is stressful - try to stick with it if you can but if its too much, there is nothing wrong with formula. I supplement with formula. Good luck!