Breastfeeding
Mother’s Milk
When you’re a new mom and the topic of breastfeeding comes up, it can all be overwhelming! Sometimes I find the advice to be a little black and white. You need to take breastfeeding in stride. Some of the strict advice is unrealistic, such as: “never give your baby a pacifier, never give formula, and never go more than 3 hours without pumping at work”. I’ve seen too many moms give up entirely because they couldn’t do it the perfect way they were advised! Remember, there are no absolutes and you need to find what is best for you. Here are some things I advise my patients.
The sucking reflex is very great in some babies and if your little one wants to stay latched on every moment of the day it is okay to give them the pacifier. If you want to introduce a bottle, try doing so around two weeks to a month of age. Personally I like the two week mark but do it as long as the baby is very proficient at drinking from the breast and isn’t struggling with nipple confusion. I like parents to use pumped breast milk because some babies can get very gassy and constipated when switching between formula and breast milk.
About a month before you are going back to work start storing up milk. In the morning after some sleep, you will feel fuller so this is a good time to pump and actually get extra out.
Feed your baby in the morning and then immediately pump out that which she didn’t take. Store it in the freezer and then feed her when the next normal time would be. Remember that the more you pump out the more your body will make. If you do this every morning you’ll have a ready supply when you return to work. Now about pumping at work... Early on a physician friend reminded me that it was okay not to pump exactly when I would be feeding her. You can pump two hours apart particularly in the morning and get a good amount, and then later in the day go five hours without pumping. This is the schedule I worked out for myself. Feed your baby in the morning (let’s say 5 or 6 am) then pump immediately afterwards for the extra. Then in a couple of hours go to work and pump immediately again (or pump right before you leave if you don’t have a long commute). Then pump at 12:00 noon when you have lunch. By now, between pumping and feeding the baby, you’ve expressed milk four times in six hours. You can then wait until 5 or 6 pm to feed her when you get home. Nurse her again before her bedtime and pump again before you go to sleep. You can see this takes some dedication, but this routine has worked for me. Above all try your own schedule and trust yourself! Some people want only to nurse their baby in the morning and evening and give formula all day. This is also okay. Your body will soon adjust and make enough only for these times.
If your supply drops whether through decreased pumping or your baby goes through a growth spurt, try pumping after every time she feeds. Your body needs to be told to make more! I do this on the weekends. If you’re drinking and eating then your supply will rise again by the following week. Remember that to make milk you need to be drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day, eating and sleeping.
Finally, I suggest getting a car adapter as well as a battery operated pack for your pump. You’ll be happier to pump in a car with a blanket over you rather than in a bathroom stall!
Dr. Sheila Cason
When you’re a new mom and the topic of breastfeeding comes up, it can all be overwhelming! Sometimes I find the advice to be a little black and white. You need to take breastfeeding in stride. Some of the strict advice is unrealistic, such as: “never give your baby a pacifier, never give formula, and never go more than 3 hours without pumping at work”. I’ve seen too many moms give up entirely because they couldn’t do it the perfect way they were advised! Remember, there are no absolutes and you need to find what is best for you. Here are some things I advise my patients.The sucking reflex is very great in some babies and if your little one wants to stay latched on every moment of the day it is okay to give them the pacifier. If you want to introduce a bottle, try doing so around two weeks to a month of age. Personally I like the two week mark but do it as long as the baby is very proficient at drinking from the breast and isn’t struggling with nipple confusion. I like parents to use pumped breast milk because some babies can get very gassy and constipated when switching between formula and breast milk.
About a month before you are going back to work start storing up milk. In the morning after some sleep, you will feel fuller so this is a good time to pump and actually get extra out.
If your supply drops whether through decreased pumping or your baby goes through a growth spurt, try pumping after every time she feeds. Your body needs to be told to make more! I do this on the weekends. If you’re drinking and eating then your supply will rise again by the following week. Remember that to make milk you need to be drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day, eating and sleeping.
Finally, I suggest getting a car adapter as well as a battery operated pack for your pump. You’ll be happier to pump in a car with a blanket over you rather than in a bathroom stall!
Dr. Sheila Cason
posted by MedRounds Publications at 10:45 PM
(e-mail article) 
1 Comments:
Thank you for the advice on pumping and feeding a bottle. I have been pumping daily and introduced a bottle last week with no problems with the bottle or with continuing to breastfeed.
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