I'm back at work...this is day 2. I just want to ensure that I have adequate milk supply and that Elise is getting enough going forward, especially since Elise still isn't crazy about bottles, and we've thrown a lot of ebm away the past few days already. Which makes me crazy...all that work to pump and in the garbage it goes!

Elise nursed at 6 AM (before work) and 12 PM (lunch break) yesterday and then when I got home, nursed about 8 times from 5:30 pm until 1:30 am (when she finally went to sleep). She only took about 4 oz. via bottle in between nursings. Can my body produce and store enough for her to really eat that many times at night? I know you produce like 1.5 oz every hour, but does that happen if she's not eating, like during the afternoon? I am afraid that's why she wouldn't sleep last night, because she wasn't getting full! I don't want to start late nights again!

And any more hints on how to get her to take a bottle? The nanny got her to take about 2 oz. this morning, but she said it was a real struggle! We've tried 5 different nipples, different positions, warm ebm, cold ebm, etc. She does best with room temp, fresh ebm (that's not been refridgerated), with a latex Playtex nipple, being walked around while eating. Yes, she's a pistol!

Thanks!

Amy

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Oh, I know how hard that can be, Vivian would NEVER take a bottle but at least I was/am a SAHM so didn't have to worry about it on a daily basis. Many babies will just cluster feed when you get home, called reverse cycling, so they do get enough to eat. In that case, your boobs will keep up with it just fine.

Kellymom on reverse cycling :kellymom.com :: Reverse Cycling

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i'll be right back , but there is somethign that a lot of babies do called reverse cycle nursing. i also wanna address the 1.5 oz thing, but i need to do something real quick.

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alright, kara already posting a great link to rcn, so i won't elaborate further on it.

for the other parts, about throwing out the milk you've worked so hard to pump- studies have show that it is safe to finish the milk off at the very next feed, and if after the next feed there is still milk leftover, then toss it out. there are antibodies etc in our milk that keep bacteria at bay.

the amount you produce will vary according to how often you baby nurses, how old he/she is, etc. where did you hear the 1.5 oz refefrence, just out of curiousity?

movement was going to be my suggestion, and it looks like that is already being done...

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First of all, THANKS! It sounds like my evenings are going to consist of nursing, nursing, nursing, which is a bit frustrating, but I'm am happy to know that it'll work itself out!

The 1.5 per hour production came from The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins. I really like her book, but if there's erroneous info, well, then, perhaps I don't like it as much as I thought I did!

Amy

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yep, it should all work itself out, as long as you're able to handle it, lol. one thing that may help, at least if you wanna try to get other thigns done while still making sure the babe gets plenty of milk is a sling, it'll help free up your hands a bit, and still allow baby access to yummy mama milk.
re the book:
it has been a few years since i read that book, and i don't even know where my copy of it is, but i remember that i thought it was a great book.


i have had clients that could not express any milk at all with a pump, but their babies gained quite well on their ,milk alone, i have had moms that did fine with a pump, and then myself (obviously a freak of nature) who when i was exclusively pumping i had an extreme overabundance of milk. i would certainly say that 1.-5 oz per hour sis corerct for some women, depending on teh age of their babies etc, but that certainly isn't a universal number. i know each morning when i was pumping first thing, i masny times overflowed 9 oz bottles from my right breast alone.

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