I have a breast milk question?

Question

Today I posted a question asking about re lactating, and thank you all for the advice. I went and got the Medela pump that was recommended and today I was able to pump 1/2 ounce. My question is this...does this really make a difference? I know that breast milk is best, which is why I'm trying so hard to build up my supply again to be able to BF her (and I think on my first day 1/2ounce is good, right?) But does that 1/2ounce really make a difference for her right now? I noticed that her bowel movement was softer than the peanut butter consistency that formula makes it, but I also wondered if I was imagining it. Also, I was wondering if it's OK to pump into the same container during the day & then give it to her in bulk instead of giving her little by little during the day. Thanks for all the answers and advice! I truly hope I can continue this, and be able to provide breast milk to my daughter again!

Answer 1

In the long run, that half ounce will not be a huge deal, but the end product is so worth it.  Breastfeeding can be hard, but it's totally worth it.  I didn't read your previous question, but I know that you will look back and find every ounce precious, and every moment spent nursing your baby  unforgettable.

Sorry to get so sappy, it's the baby blues talking!

You can do it, and it's totally worthwhile.

Answer 2

I read that it's not good to mix warm breastmilk with cold breastmilk. I usually just pump into a bunch of containers starting with a new bottle each time and place it in the fridge and eventually pour it all in a breastmilk freezer bag. When I first started to pump, I only got 1/2 oz but slowly it went up. I pump about 6 oz each side now! You chose a very good pump. I got the medela pump in style as a gift from my sister. It's the best gift so far! Yes it does make a difference. When I only got 1/2 oz, I mixed it with formula until I finally pumped enough for an entire meal and she learned to latch on. Our ped and lactation nurse said to give her whatever I can get and a little is better none at all.  

Answer 3

What will increase your supply is how often you stimulate let-down.  Pumps help, but if you could get your daughter to feed on you EVERY time she's remotely hungry you could have your supply up really fast.  1/2 ounce from a pump is GREAT for starters - you don't need to re-lactate anymore, you just need her to increase your supply.  With that much from just pumping, you aren't deceiving yourself when you see a difference is p**p consistency!  She's getting it!

And yes, it's OK to pump into the same container - within a reasonable time limit (Perhaps a new container every 6 hours)  Make sure you refridge in between, of course.

Answer 4

you can also try putting heat on your b*****s by using a heating pad. They tell you to use ice to dry it up so use heat to bring it back. You can also try gentle massage after heat. Yes you can pump in bulk and freeze it or refrigerate it. But only refrigerate for 18-24 hours.

Answer 5

that 1/2 ounce makes a huge difference on your supply, the more you empty your b*****s the more your body will stimulate to produce milk, Breastmilk is much easier on the system so you will see smoother consistancy poops. you should pump and store into a different container and then mix when the temperatures are the same, just to rule out any possibility of curdling the milk. Good luck and congrats on your choice to breastfeed, its definetly worth it.

Answer 6

I pump into one container during a 24 hour period. (I pump several bottles while I am at work.)

Any breast milk is great! I missed the first question, but 2 things the helped me build up my supply quickly was to take Fenugreek (you can buy it at a local health food store and find the dosages on-line) and to buy bigger breast shields for the breast pump. Both increased my pumping from 4 oz in one session to 10 oz in one session.

If this is what you really want to do for your daughter, don't give up. If you are determined to succeed, you will.  

Answer 7

It would make a small difference.

Yes you can pump in to one container, because I only pump for rare nights out I just throw the whole pump in the fridge (manual pump, in your case the whole plastic part not necessarily the tubes).

The thing to keep in mind when you do this is:

a) Obviously it all goes bad from the earliest time (but of course that's really only a concern if you are storing it at room temp)

b) If you have more than one bottles worth in the container you have to make sure you carefully recombine the fat before dividing it which basically means heating it.

I usually just tell the sitter to leave the milk at room temp so the fat recombines, but I know if the milk doesn't get used I am going to end up tossing it.   But milk is good for at least 10 hours at room temp unless its very warm.

You could pump and leave it all at room temp and then when you have about 2-3oz offer that, and then start pumping into a new container.  But it depends on how long that would take you to pump.

Don't forget to work on getting your daughter back to breast as well, that will make things a lot easier.

Breastmilk Storage & Handling

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milks...

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/reusi...

Reusing expressed breastmilk

Q: Should breastmilk left over from a feeding be dumped immediately (like formula), or can you save it and give it to baby later?

A: It should be safe to save the left-over milk and use it at the next feeding.

Per Breastfeeding, A Guide for the Medical Profession by Ruth Lawrence, MD (p. 438):

    Breastmilk can safely stand at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours and need not be discarded if the first feeding attempt is incomplete. In contrast, formula must be refrigerated and discarded after the first feeding attempt because it contains no antibodies or infection protection factors.

Can I 're-use' pumped breastmilk? Q&A by Ruth Lawrence, MD

    "... If the milk is warmed up but not used, it is OK to reheat the milk once. But the more you reheat the more you decrease some of the valuable immunologic properties of the milk..."

If my baby doesn't finish a bottle of pumped breast milk can I save it for later? by Jan Barger, R.N., M.A., IBCLC

    "...Based on this study, which admittedly needs to be done on a larger scale, it would seem to me that expressed breast milk, fed to the baby, partially consumed, and then refrigerated, could be used for one more feeding no more than four hours later. That's probably fairly conservative. One of the best tests of whether the milk is spoiled is to do what you do with cow's milk: Smell it and taste it!"

Brusseau R. Bacterial Analysis of Refrigerated Human Milk Following Infant Feeding. May 1998.

    "Summary: The number of infants who are breastfed is on the rise, as is the number of women in the workforce. Many women who choose breastfeeding after returning to work, express milk during the day and store this milk for a future feeding. When infants do not finish a bottle of expressed breastmilk, doctors recommend unfinished portions be thrown away. This study examined bacterial levels in expressed, partially consumed breastmilk that was stored for 48 hours at 4-6° C. A portion of unconsumed milk was examined as a control. Samples were taken every 12 hours for bacterial analysis. Tests were performed to identify total colony counts, pathogenic Staphylococci, coliforms and b-hemolytic Streptococci. This study showed no significant difference between bottles that were partially consumed and those that were not exposed to the baby’s mouth for 5 out of 6 participants. All milk samples had colony counts in the acceptable range of < 105 colony forming units per milliliter (CFU/ml). Although this project provides evidence that it may be safe to refeed a child a bottle of breastmilk, due to the small sample size, further tests should be performed."

http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/sto...

While it was originally thought that a mother had to cool her fresh breastmilk before combining it with previously expressed cooled milk, the latest research now shows that you may pump directly into already refrigerated or cooled milk as long as the milk is added within 24 hours of the first milk expressed. You should then follow the storage recommendations based upon the time and date of the first milk expressed. You may pump directly into milk that has been stored at room temperature as long as you do so within 10 hours. This milk would need to then be used.

You may add your fresh milk to what you have already frozen as long as you chill the fresh milk first for about half an hour and it is a smaller amount than the amount that you are adding it to.

http://www.mother-2-mother.com/storemilk...

Can I Freeze My Milk After It Has Been Refrigerated Several Days?

Yes - most sources seem to indicate that you should be safe to use ALL the storage options in succession if you need to.

For example, storing freshly expressed breastmilk at room temperature for up to 10 hours, THEN in a refrigerator for up to 8 days, and THEN in a freezer for 3-12 months (depending on the type of freezer).

You're likely to get to stretch your storage times to the maximum (or even a little longer) if you don't "use up" all of your "warmer" storage - for example, you can expect a longer storage time if you freeze the milk immediately (if you know you'll want it frozen) rather than keep it at room temp for 10 hours, then refrigerate for 8 days and THEN freeze the milk.

Even though storage times may be decreased, most bf experts suggest *not* throwing out any milk before the maximum storage time unless when you warm it you notice that it has a very distinct foul smell.