Pumping amount
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You could always try combo feeding. My baby’s ped told me she should be drinking 5-6oz per feeding. If I do that she will literally drown in her own milk. My online ped said 4oz/5 max at this point should suffice (that was before she found out the other lady said 5- 6oz) I combo fed until I could get more milk. I pumped after every feed and only got a collective 2.5… as she drank abit more I only get about 2.5 per breast (4-5oz) I think as baby’s demands grow so will your breast milk. I also found pumping on the lowest setting possible helped me SO much 😮💨 No one will fault you if you decide to give up. What they really don’t tell you is this can be a really hard thing physically and mentally. You got this whatever your desicion!
Between 2-4 oz every time you pump is actually normal! I think we all see so many people posting online who are truly over suppliers and think that’s normal. Just keep at it (if you want to!) I am combo feeding with a mix of pumped breastmilk and formula. I think that even the smallest amount of breastmilk is still soo good for your baby. There are lots of ways to try and up your supply, but also know it’s going to fluctuate for the first 12 weeks! Combo feeding also helps cut down on cost of formula…I tell myself that every time I’m tired of pumping haha. I’d also recommend talking to a lactation consultant and seeing if they can make sure you are using the correct flange sizes and can help you with a pumping schedule.
@Catherine thanks for the encouragement 🙏 yes it's devastating! I actually make 2.5 oz total from both sides... it's sad that I'm exhausted from all the pumping that I don't have the time and energy to be with my baby more.
@Kaylynn what’s a power pump session?
@Laura you pump for 20 minutes, rest for 10 minutes, pump again for 10 minutes, rest 10 minutes, and then pump one more time for 10 minutes. It will replace one of your regular pumps
My OB told me that research shows that babies need just 2 oz of breast milk a day to see the benefits of being a “breast fed” baby. So even small amounts combined with formula have huge benefits for baby! This helped me mentally to just not stress so much about making sure every feeding / bottle was breast milk and just take it as it comes
At 4 weeks PP 2.5oz is a good and normal pump amount. Your milk has not regulated yet, that will happen at around 12 weeks. You can try adding in some power pumping sessions 1-2 times a day for 3-7 days to see if that boosts your supply some more. It's a supply and demand system, so the more often you remove, the more you will make.