To all my breastfeeding experts... please help!

[vsentz]

Hey girls! how's everyone doing today? Well, turns out, after I delivered Maddie, I breastfed for a couple of days and then supplemented.... I was just not making enough and she was so hungry!... but I got too comfy with the formula and started to lose my milk supply!... so now, I am trying to bring it up again... (she's almost 8 weeks) which is actually increasing thank God!, but I don't know what's normal yet. I pump at work around 8 or 9 after feeding Maddie first thing in the morning (around 6) and get lik 2 1/2 oz (both breasts), then pump again around 12ish... and get 1 oz from each breast (or so), then pump again (or wait till get home to feed her)... so I bring home around 4 1/2 oz with just 2 pump sessions... is that too little? i mean, i went from 1/2 oz to this in like 2 weeks! =)
Anyway, so, another question is that, now, overnight my breasts get engorged... she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night anymore! and i just feed her with one breast in the morning (seems to be good enough for her) and the other one is still like that.. leaking and all... and i have no time to pump at home... so i pump all the way up to 8 am!... this morning i felt the little bumps in my boob .... then i pumped... and as my other breast was 'limp' (hehehe yeah... real attractive right?) the other one still had a couple of bumps on the one side.... i got a good bit of milk out of it....and felt softer than before... but those bumps are not going away!... it doesn't hurt.... just... they are there.
Anyway, so, here i am doing the 'deed' of pumping with a noisy machine, hooked up in the bathroom stall at work... well, i guess im not the only one that has done that right? ;)

I also just ordered my hooter hider!! yay!!! it's pretty!

Take care girls!

[kellym]

Hey Vanessa, so glad to hear Maddie is sleeping through the night "HUH?" Geeze, must be nice. Blake will be 7 weeks Wed, yeah! Anyways, the bumps would probably go away if you drained your breasts fully. As long as they don't hurt, that's a good sign I think... Sounds like your milk is coming back nicely. I haven't given Blake any formula yet, only the boobie milk so my breasts have pretty much gotten to the point where they don't make a whole lot of extra after he feeds. The more you pump or she feeds from the breast, the more milk you will make! I've also heard lots of + about Fenugreek, I have some but never thought it made a whole lot of difference. For some it seems to. Also, DRINK DRINK DRINK.  I'm sure the more fluids you drink will help you also!
My sister recently came to a stop on the road where a lady was pumping both breasts, talking on the phone and driving. The fun of owning a SUV!!

[molley21]

Just make sure you pump every 3 hours, drain your boobs fuly, I found that after pumping all my milk out using an electric medella pump I would try just manually milking myself and I got alot more to come out.
And with the lumps, just keep massaging them in a warm shower, it will eventually unblock.
goodluck!!

[tiredbuthappy]

those bumps are most likely clogged ducts- you should really try to avoid them as you can get mastitis. keep an eye on them and make sure they go away when you empty your breasts. after one episode of mastitis i panicked everytime i had a clog for fear it would happen again. it would really boost your supply if you managed to empty both breasts first thing in the morning. if you don't have time to pump the other one separately, consider pumping while you nurse. i know the electric pump is noisy, so you may want to try using something like the medela harmony. it's a very quiet manual that requires one hand. sounds like you're doing a good job building up your supply. keep at it and you may even get more. that much of an increase in 2 weeks is a great sign.

[Me2mommy2b]

Hi, V!  Oh, Gosh...did I miss your post about you having your princess??  I'm so out of it!  Sorry but congrats on your little one (8 weeks later!)  I would make sure you drain those breasts really well.  Try to stick to a stricter pumping schedule or you might lose your milk that way.  I lost my milk completely by the time DD was 6 months b/c I pumped whenever I could.  When your milk supply stabilizes and you don't feel engorged anymore, don't let that fool you.  I'd think that I had no milk to pump so I wouldn't (so naive of me).  Massage those lumps to make sure they don't get infected.  How are you doing with little Maddie?  My little guy is turning 4 months already in less than 2 weeks.  Time flies!

[vsentz]

Oh my gosh, thank you guys!!!!!! All the advise was soooo helpful!
hey girl!!! (me2mommy2be) how's it going?!?! I am so glad to hear about your little one turning 4 months already! aren't they just a JOY!? i am still in cloud #9 with mine... i really don't think i'll ever get down from it tho! hehehe =) she's just a love. Daddy is the same way!, i've never seen him staring at someone with so much love.... it's so cute how he walks to her crib just to stare at her sleeping... =')

Thank you for all the advise girls.... (by the way, i fed Maddie last night, and she was so hungry, thank goodness, she unblocked those lumpy ducts! yay!!)

xoxoxox

[DollChina]

Hi V, OMG, I think I missed your birth announcement too.  How are you?  Big congrats!  I am almost 33 weeks and am getting anxious to meet Hayden.
Anyhoo, keep mursing and pumping on schedule and you will be fine.  When I nurded Gavin, I would have my pump near by so I can pump out the rest, that way, I can be sure my breasts are completely emptied and also help boost my supply.
Good luck!

[kris123]

i was just like you, couldn't get much out of each breast and had to give formula i was so heartbroken,

[AndiJ78]

I think it is too easy to believe the supply is low and get caught in that cycle. Keep pumping at work and nurse every chance you get at home, Maddie will be far better at stimulating your supply than any pump out there. Also, make sure you are using a good pump as many are just designed to empty the milk, not really stimulate the supply.