Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Breast Pump & Breast Milk Problems

After much anticipation, I finally received my Medela New Pump In Style Original Breast Pump. Initially I could have cried because I was not able to get a single drop of milk. Fortunately my husband discovered that I did not have the tubing pushed all the way against the motor port. The first time I was able to get 2 ounces of milk. After calling the lactation specialist to find out why I wasn't pumping a full bottle, she informed me that this was normal and a very good amount. Well my little girl is 24 days old and already taking a hearty 4 ounces. As a result, I mix formula and rice cereal with her 2 ounces during each feeding. She is quite satisfied. Before doing this, I was feeding from the breast on demand and she would literally feed all day long. Luckily I work from home, but I was never told a small but a very important detail. Breast milk is easily digested, so a baby may feed up to 18 times a day whereas a formula fed baby eats every 2 to 3 hours (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breastfeeding). Initially I didn't know what was going on but after the first couple of days I started giving her cereal with her milk any way.

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