Question 1

My baby is eating every hour, am I not making enough milk?

Answer

You likely are making enough and baby is going through a growth spurt. These growth spurts occur multiple times throughout their first year. Just when you have a schedule down, they will switch things up on you! Baby's first spurt is usually between 1 and 3 weeks and another occurs between 6 and 8 weeks. After those spurts have been handled (smoothly or not), you can expect some more at months 3, 6, and 9. The good thing is they only last a couple days, so the end is near, even if it doesn't feel like it. Another option can be tongue tie. If the baby has a tongue tie, it can interfere with the manner in which they extract milk. A health professional will need to evaulate baby to assist with this.

Question 2

I don't seem to pump a lot of milk, is my baby getting enough?

Answer

The amount of milk you pump is NOT an indicator of how much milk you actually produce. Pumping is not the most efficent way to extract milk, so there will be a variance in what you actually produce and what is pumped. A direct latch from a baby is the most efficient way to extract milk, so the milk you pump doesn't really showcase the amount of milk you are producing. To increase the amount pumped, you can try hands on pumping, which involves breast compressions while pumping. This encourages milk flow. You can try manual pumping via hand expression vs using a machine to extract more milk. You can check your pump parts to ensure nothing is torn and out of shape. These things can assit with extracting more milk via pumping.

Question 3

My breastfed baby eats a lot less than my friend's formula-fed baby, is that normal?

Answer

Yes. Breastmilk being the perfect food for your baby means that it is higher in quality than formula, and does not require the same quantity as formula fed babies.

Question 4

My childcare provider says I need to send more milk, are they overfeeding my baby?

Answer

Completely possible. Ensure your child care provider understands and implements pace feeding. Many providers do not know what pacefeeding is and they also are not comfortable with how much a breastfed eats vs a formula-fed baby. If they are constantly running through the amount of milk you send, they can possibly be overfeeding your child.

Question 5

When does my milk come in?

Answer

Your body begins to produce the perfect milk for your baby in your 3rd trimester called Colostrum. Colostrum IS milk. It is high in antibodies, packed with nutrients, and helps protect your baby from germs. This milk is generally thicker than mature milk that comes days after birth and is the best milk for a newborn child.

Question 6

How do I produce more milk?

Answer

First ask yourself why do you think you need to produce more milk? Ensure you are not comparing to formula-fed babies. Ensure your childcare provideer is pacefeeding and following the rule of thumb of 1-1.5oz/hour. Ensure you are not listening to folks who don't know about breastfeeding and making you lose confidence. If all of that has been reviewed, check out the info below. The more milk you remove, the more milk your body will produce. Latch baby more frequently. Pump more frequently. Supply and demand. The more the demand, the more the supply. Many times it is a perception of a low milk supply, but not actual low milk supply. Cookies, shakes, and teas will not save the day here.

Question 7

Can I breastfeed in public?

Yes.