Expert: ruth kraft - 4/11/2011

Question
Hello. I was wondering if you knew on average how much more a baby gets when he nurses as opposed to pumping. I breastfed my baby for the first 3 months and I am now back at work and pumping so I am only nursing 1-2 times a day and giving breastmilk in bottle the rest of the time. Now that he is getting older we are trying to get a sense of how much milk he is getting. He is not underweight, but could be gaining more. I heard that you get a lot more from nursing than pumping, but I was not sure how much more. Sometimes I only get 2-3 ounces when I pump and my baby needs more than that now at feedings when I nurse. Please let me know if you happen to know the answer to this. Also, I am going to stop breastfeeding in about 2 months. What is the best way to stop? Should I wean off or stop cold turkey? Thank you!

Answer
Hello :) There is no way to tell exactly how much he is getting from nursing vs pumping. You can however rest assured that whatever he needs, if he doesn't get it during the day feedings he will make up for when he is with you nursing, therefore, he will ALWAYS get enough. As long as you nurse when when you can, he might nurse a little longer but he will always get what he needs if you let him.

WHen you decide to wean, you should do it very gradually. One feeding per week is typically good. starting with the least favorite to the one he never misses being last. :)

Good luck!