Expert: ruth kraft - 8/14/2009

Question
I have a 4 week old and I just realized that I should be pumping while feeding in order to build my milk supply to full capacity and have enough to feed as the baby grows. The hospital book that I just decided to read stated I should have been pumping the day I left the hospital, yet I have not begun to pump. My question is with the baby currently feeding every 3 hours, how and when do I pump the 8 to 10 times a day to build my milk supply while still making sure the baby has enough to get full?

Answer
I have never heard such a thing. If you are going to exlusivly pump, then yes, pumping from the start is needed. But if your baby is nursing and has been from birth, then you dont need to pump at all. Your baby nursing is the most efficient way to build and keep a milk supply. You can check just about any other resource and get the same information. The book you are reading must be very old information or misinformed.

keep nursing! thats all you need to do unless you stop nursing. then any feeding the baby misses you should pump. like if you are going out to dinner one night and leave the baby home with a caretaker, pump a bottle of milk for while you are out ;) thats it :) breastfeeding is that easy :)