Random Breastfeeding Advice

1. Book by Ross Lab - Breastfeeding Your Premature Baby - 35 pages - This is one of the best things I read. This talks about how the 750ml/day pumping is important.

2. Baby should get colostrum (the first milk - you can tell by the color, more yellow) as the first feedings. Our nurses did not give it to her without us insisting. Research indicates that this is the best for their new digestive system. The first pumpings may be only 1 ml or so. Have a nurse get you an empty 1 or 3 ml syringe (no needle) to suck the pumped milk into from the collection bottle. Then, that can go to the freezer or fridge to be fed to baby. First feedings for a tiny preemie are 1 ml each.

3. Since baby's mouth will be so small to feed - Medela makes a nipple shield and it makes it easier to latch on for breast feeding.

4. When baby comes home, breasts should be completely emptied 3 times a day so pump 3 times to get all the milk out. This will help with supply. This is if the baby is also breastfeeding. If baby is not breastfeeding well, pump every 3 - 4 hours or every 2 hours if you have low supply.

5. www.breastmilkproject.org will give a free hospital grade breast pump, ice packs, bottles, etc if you donate ANY amount of milk. I had 200 or so bottles of frozen milk when Norah came home because she ate so little in the NICU. I wanted to feed her fresh milk, so I donated the frozen stash. I was also having trouble with my supply (because no one had told me about the 1st 2 weeks amount you should be pumping) so I thought that donating my frozen milk would be an act of faith that God would help me with my supply.

6. I pumped and bottle-fed until Norah was 11 months old. I have lots of advice on long-term pumping (ways to make things easier). Even if you’re only pumping while baby is in the hospital, get a hands-free pumping device of some sort. I used several but found Medela’s hands free pumping kit along with their soft-cup bra to be the most comfortable and fastest to “assemble” for each pumping. Medela no longer makes this, but they do have a new pump that comes with hands-free attachments. Pumping in the car as a passenger or driver is pretty easy. Get a nursing cape to put on over your pumping equipment, then put your seat belt over all of that. Medela pumps have an optional car adapter. Also, you can store your assembled pumps in the fridge between pumps for 24 hours. This way, you only have to wash them once per day. Here is a quick reference card on milk storage: http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/milkstorage01.pdf