Mothers who return to paid employment after their baby is born often have questions about how they can still provide their baby with human milk. 

Two month ago, the LLL blog post focused on the importance of using the precious weeks of maternity leave to bond with your baby, learn her cues and to build your supply as much as possible. This month, the focus shifts to some of the most common challenges or questions that arise when preparing to return to paid employment.

Building a freezer stash of human milk
Not every mother-baby pair will need to build a large stash of human milk as most mothers are able to pump enough whilst at work to replenish what their baby drank during their separation.

It cannot be stressed enough that the amount of milk you are able to pump is NOT a reliable indicator of how much milk you are producing, nor how much milk baby is taking in. The healthy breastfed baby is usually much more efficient at getting milk from the breast than a pump is.*

Every mother is different but there are some generalities that can guide you.

When to pump while breastfeeding on cue

• Most experts recommend, especially for the occasional pumper, to express their milk in the early morning hours, about 10 minutes immediately after the baby’s first morning feeding. This is because many mothers usually have the most extra milk in the morning. Although you will get more milk if you wait an hour after the feeding, you are then pumping out a good part of the milk that is building up for baby’s next feeding. 
• More short pumping sessions are more efficient than fewer longer ones.
• Remember to pump at LEAST 10 minutes, but no more than 20 minutes per session.
• Try "super switch nursing/pumping.” When you and baby are together you can try this technique to help increase your milk supply. It can also be done when pumping with a one-pump flange. This involves switching sides two or three times during each feeding. Repeating this several times during the pumping session increases breast stimulation and let down.
• You could pump during a time of day that your baby takes the longest nap. 
• Try to avoid pumping right before your baby will be hungry.
• Try breastfeeding on one side while using an electric pump to pump the other side at the same time. This way, the let down is activated by the baby sucking on the breast.
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What to expect of a pumping session

• The average mom can express between ONE and THREE oz. per pumping session (not per breast, per session).
• As you pump, milk will flow and then stop, then flow and stop, then flow and stop, and so on and so forth. The individual pattern can vary from person to person. It is often beneficial to continue pumping for 5 minutes after your milk stops flowing.
• Milk is produced according to the law of supply and demand so the more frequently you breastfeed or pump, the more milk you will make. One pumping session per day is a good goal to aim for in the early days. 
• If possible, talk with other breastfeeding mothers about pumps they have used. Attending an LLL meeting is a great opportunity for you to discuss this issue.
• Another way to increase milk supply is to avoid supplementary bottles and pacifiers. This encourages your baby to meet all his sucking needs at your breasts. Doing this will help to increase your supply if you are trying to build a stash of human milk.

Seek out and accept help!

• Make sure you are getting good nutrition, adequate fluid, and lots of rest. This is a challenging time and it is important to take care of your self. Allow others to help you with your responsibilities while you focus on your baby.
• Attend a La Leche League meeting. There you will meet other mothers and get lots of support and information suitable for your situation.

Next month’s LLL blog post will focus on finding ways to make pumping at work an efficient, enjoyable (!) experience!

La Leche Leader, Bec Taylor, is a woman of many hats – WAHM to two children under 5, Masters of Teacher Librarianship student, scrapbooker, avid reader, wife and a painfully eternal optimist. Australians by birth and travellers by nature, Bec and her educator husband have happily lived and taught overseas for most of their adult lives. Bec is blessed to live in walking distance to both her parents as well as her brother and his family. It is her pleasure and privilege to support mothers through her role in LLL.

Photos: Wikimedia commons

Breastfeeding is a broad topic, this is where this blog comes in. This monthly series by Le Leche Leader Bec Taylor, who shares her ever growing knowledge on the subject will be beneficial for soon to be parents. 

“I don’t think I have enough milk for my baby!” is one of the most common concerns new mothers have. It is also usually the number one reason mothers offer supplements or give up breastfeeding altogether.

Alongside an increase in your baby’s head circumference and length, there are only two accurate ways to measure if an exclusively breastfed baby is receiving enough milk:
1) increasing weight gain and
2) adequate wet and dirty diapers.

Up, up, up goes the scale!
It is expected that the average, exclusively breastfed baby will gain between at least 170-330grams (on average 8 ounces/245 g) per week after the fourth day of life and regain their birth weight after about 10-14 days.

For an older baby, the average acceptable weight gain per week is as follows:
Ages 2-4 months – 110-330g
Ages 4-6 months – 70-140g
Ages 6-12 months 40-110g
You can see that there is a very large range of ‘normal’ growth.

Count the diapers!
Once your milk comes in, usually on the third or fourth day, your baby should begin to have 6-8 wet cloth diapers (5-6 wet disposable diapers) per day. (An easy way to feel the weight of a wet disposable diaper is to pour 2-4 tablespoons of water in a dry diaper.)

Your baby’s stool will transition to yellow/ mustard-like bowel movements around the end of the first week. Consistently green, watery and foamy stools need to be monitored closely as they may be caused by a low intake of hindmilk, referred to as foremilk-hindmilk imbalance or “oversupply syndrome.”

False alarm!
The following normal baby or maternal behaviors often falsely make mothers doubt their milk supply:
1. Your baby wants to nurse all the time
2. You cannot pump very much milk.
3. Your breasts no longer leak milk and/or usually feel soft and ‘empty’.
4. Your baby is fussy in the evenings and wants to nurse more often.

If your doctor deems it medically necessary for your baby to be supplemented until your supply increases, your pumped milk is the best choice of supplement if you can pump as much milk as your baby needs. You can give your pumped milk by spoon, cup, or with a nursing supplementer so as to avoid nipple confusion in your baby.

Happily, the vast majority of low milk supply issues are easily overcome with better breastfeeding management

Actions to take if you feel concerned about your milk supply

1. Offer more frequent feedings
Milk is created on a supply and demand basis. The more your baby breastfeeds, the more prepared your breasts will be to supply the milk she needs. A newborn baby needs at least 8-12 feeds in a 24 hour period. Mothers are often told to ‘get that baby on a schedule’ or to hold off on feedings in order to ‘make the baby more hungry’. When in fact, the more the baby breastfeeds, the better! If your breasts are not ‘asked’ to create more milk by the baby actively nursing, your brain tells your breasts to stop making milk. Full breasts slow down milk production, frequently drained breasts enhance milk production.

2. Let your baby set the pace
Offer both breasts at each feeding. Allow your baby to stay at the first breast as long as he is actively sucking and swallowing. Offer the second breast when baby slows down or stops. “Finish the first breast first,” is a good general rule. (This technique gives your baby lots of the fatty “hindmilk.”) Your baby should end the feeding. He may do this by falling asleep and detaching from the breast after about 10 to 30 minutes of active sucking and swallowing. Try switch nursing.

3. Check your baby’s latch and your positioning
A baby who is not latched onto the breast correctly or is positioned awkwardly cannot effectively drain your breast. Listen to your baby’s swallowing sounds to make sure they are audible as she is breastfeeding.

4. Avoid supplementing your baby or offering a pacifier
Every time your baby receives a bottle (with water, formula or any other liquid, including pumped breastmilk), it signals to your breasts to produce less milk. Likewise, pacifiers can affect your baby’s latch and decrease the amount of time spent at the breast, both of which can lead to a reduction in milk production.

5. Call an LLL Leader
If you are worried about your milk supply, emailing or calling your LLL Leader can give you a chance to discuss the issue and problem solve together. Even better, come along to an LLL Series Meeting and talk with other mothers to see the wide range of normal babyweight gain and nursing patterns.

La Leche Leader, Bec Taylor, is a woman of many hats – WAHM to two children under 5, Masters of Teacher Librarianship student, scrapbooker, avid reader, wife and a painfully eternal optimist. Australians by birth and travellers by nature, Bec and her educator husband have happily lived and taught overseas for most of their adult lives. Bec is blessed to live in walking distance to both her parents as well as her brother and his family. It is her pleasure and privilege to support mothers through her role in LLL.

Photos: Courtesy of Le Leche League, Mothering Touch (Flickr)

Breastfeeding is a broad topic, this is where this blog comes in. This monthly series by Le Leche Leader Bec Taylor, who shares her ever growing knowledge on the subject will be beneficial for soon to be parents. 

“If only I knew all this before I started nursing my baby!” is a lament we often hear from new mothers at La Leche League Series Meetings. Many mothers belatedly realize that the most helpful time to learn about breastfeeding is during pregnancy.

If you, or someone close to you is pregnant and planning on breastfeeding, these tips could help get breastfeeding off to an easier start.

1. Be informed. This can mean different things to different people but could include:

• Going to an LLL Series Meeting while you are pregnant so you can get correct, up to date and realistic information from mothers who have been there and can share the realities of a breastfeeding relationship.
• While you are at an LLL Series Meeting, you will learn much about breastfeeding–what’s normal, what to watch for, and how to overcome any problems you might run into. You’ll also develop a supportive network of other breastfeeding mothers which can make a difference to breastfeeding success.
• Be brave and ask questions during LLL Series Meetings – this is your chance to get to know your local Leaders, who can be a helpful resource after your baby is born.
• Empower yourself for success by researching how medical interventions during birth impact breastfeeding and write a birth plan accordingly. Mothers who are alert and active participants in labour often have an easier time initiating breastfeeding.
• Know what early hunger cues are so your baby is relaxed and calm when latching-on – getting a stressed, hungry baby to attach well to the breast is very difficult and frustrating for both the mother and baby.
• Almost all mothers worry that they aren’t making enough milk for their babies. Learning about normal weight gain and how to count wet and dirty diapers before your baby is born is really helpful in putting your mind at ease.

2. Be a breastfeeding advocate for you and your baby at birth.

• Make arrangements with your midwife or doctor to give your baby the chance to breastfeed as soon after birth as possible. The earlier and more often a babyhas the chance to breastfeed after birth, the more easily breastfeeding is established.
• Ensure the staff at the hospital know that you plan to breastfeed, so that they will avoid giving your baby formula (sugar water or a pacifier) unless it is truly needed.
• Rooming-in with your baby (instead of having your baby cared for in the nursery) can also be very helpful because it allows you to breastfeed whenever your baby shows early signs of hunger. Try breastfeeding in a variety of positions to find out which one works best for you.

3. Communicate openly with your family and friends about your breastfeeding goals.

• As much as possible, share all this information with the people in your life that will be helping you the most with your baby. One of the most critical factors in breastfeeding success is the positive and unfailing support of a spouse or other primary caregiver of your child.
• Talk with female family members and friends about their breastfeeding experiences as it may affect how they support you during your time as a nursing mother.
• You can find many articles, tear-off sheets, and pamphlets from La Leche League International in Simplified Chinese on the LLL China website at: http://www.muruhui/org/ so family members and ayis can be just as well informed as the mother.

4. Trust your instincts.

• No one knows your baby better than you do. If you feel like something is wrong – you are in pain or are worried about your baby’s health – ask for help. If you are being pressured by well meaning family or friends to do something that doesn’t feel right, trust yourself to make the right choice for you and your baby.

5. Look after yourself, Mama!

• Let go of expectations for yourself, especially in the first few weeks, if not months. Breastfeeding an infant on cue (which is what all babies biologically expect and need) is a full-time job, especially while you are getting the hang of it! The chores and errands can wait, and most certainly be outsourced to ayis, friends, family members or your spouse.
• It is important to know that some mothers experience challenges in the early days of breastfeeding, but that almost every problem can be overcome with good information and support. LLL is only a phone call, text or email away and we are always willing to listen and give information so you can make the decision that will work best for your family.

La Leche Leader, Bec Taylor, is a woman of many hats – WAHM to two children under 5, Masters of Teacher Librarianship student, scrapbooker, avid reader, wife and a painfully eternal optimist. Australians by birth and travellers by nature, Bec and her educator husband have happily lived and taught overseas for most of their adult lives. Bec is blessed to live in walking distance to both her parents as well as her brother and his family. It is her pleasure and privilege to support mothers through her role in LLL. 

 Photos: Daquella Manera, Daily Cloudt (flickr)