preventing oversupply

[Barb Glare]

This is the problem that mums have when they are pumping for their prem babies - keeping up supply in the long term. Make sure you are using a hospital grade pump - a medela symphony, hopefully with a premmie card. Personal use pumps won't cut the mustard. If you are at home you can hire one from ABA. Make sure you express every three hours day and night. You could pump 2 hoursly at some times of the day.
When you are at the hospital get as much skin to skin time with your baby as you can. She's more than 35 weeks so she will be happy to "have a go" (even though you wouldn't necessarily expect her to transfer much milk at this stage. Many mums find that they express more while they are holding/just after they have held their baby.
It won't be long (only a week or two) before she is breastfeeding. 70mls is probably more than she needs right now anyway and it should be pretty easy to build up your supply

[Maruschke]

Hi Barb, yes they have a medela pump I use at the hospital (it's awesome!) and I have an electric medela at home. I tend to get about 20 mls more at the hospital. I've expressed in the SCU so many times that the sound of the warning bells in the SCU triggers my let down. Anyway, I will do my best to keep going 3 hourly. I think the healthy baby quota on day 4 for her weight is about 37 mls per feed, 3 hourly.

[Barb Glare]

Excellent - you are doing great! Make sure your pump at home is a symphony as well - that extra 20 mls matters

[Kmn]

Are you able to hand express out the last little bit after you pump? It can make a big difference:
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/j...sing-0716.html

[Maruschke]

Are you able to hand express out the last little bit after you pump? It can make a big difference:
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/j...sing-0716.html

Thanks heaps, that's handy research! I did hand express 8 times a day for the first 3 days, now pumping 8 times a day and just then got 110 mls .

[Heaven]

Awesome Maruschke!! Sounds like it's all going to plan

[Maruschke]

Sorry I am so paranoid but...

Is 130 mls per 3 hours normal? And split 85/45 between the non-surgery / surgery boob? I'm just curious if the surgery boob is lagging behind and the other one picking up for it? And 1040 mls per day OK?