Soft Breast Syndrom??

[@llli*meagoleago]

My 4.5 month old son eats 5 ounces of expressed breast milk roughly every two hours plus a little extra at daycare (total of 22 ounces) but at home nurses about ever hours and feeds from one side only (about 2 ounces id say) Daycare suggested he might need another ounce per bottle but right now im struggling to keep up with the 5! A girlfriend of mine mentioned something called Soft Breast Syndrom and said i am now producing milk on demand and not ahead so it will be harder for me to pump than what it used to be.

Is this an actual thing and what, if anything can i do to get more milk from each pumping session?

He is in the daycare downstairs, so if i needed to i could probably just nurse him instead but taking a break ever hour to hour and a half for 15 minutes at least is really tough. Is it possible to get a Dr's note or something you can give to your job to make this allowable?

[@llli*mommal]

First off, it sounds like your daycare is overfeeding your baby pretty significantly. The rule of thumb is that a breastfed baby needs around 1.5 oz of milk per hour of separation- some babies will take less, some will take more (particularly during growth spurts). But your baby is routinely taking over 2.5 oz per hour and the daycare is still asking for more. To me, that spells overfeeding, and I would want to have a sit down with the daycare provider and discuss how she's feeding the baby. Is she familiar with the eating patterns of breastfed babies? Is she using paced feeding techniques? Feeding on demand? Is she encouraging the baby to finish the bottles? Swapping in a pacifier after the baby finishes the bottle? Giving a little extra so that baby will go down for a long nap? I would also start breaking down your bottles into smaller sizes- perhaps a 3 oz bottle and a couple of 1 oz "top-off" bottles. That way the daycare worker will be forced to pause the feeding in order to reach for the second bottle, giving your baby a chance to decide whether or not he's actually still hungry.

"Soft breast syndrome" sounds like something your girlfriend made up. But she is correct that when mom's supply and baby's demand have adjusted to match each other very well, it is typical for mom to have a little more trouble keeping up when using the pump.

Ways to get more milk when pumping:
- Pump more often, including pumping at home after nursing if more workday pump breaks are not possible for you
- Use a better pump
- Make sure your pump is working well! and that your shields are the right size

Herbal supplements like fenugreek and oatmeal may also be useful, but do not expect them to make a huge difference in your pump amounts. Increased stimulation to and milk removal from the breast is better than any herb or drug on the market.

The best way to get nursing breaks would be to talk it through with your boss, explain the situation you find yourself in, and hope for the best. A note from your doc might help, but I wouldn't make that my first tactic. Honestly, if it were me I would want to address overfeeding at daycare, rather than ask for more pump breaks.

[@llli*meagoleago]

Im so sorry i didnt explain the 5 ounces very well. he takes takes that over a span of 2 to 3 hours. He eats about 3 ounces and then an hour and a half or so later he likes the remainig 2. They suggested i increase to 6 ounces per bottle so he can eat 3 and 3. That is then where my concern lies as im having a hard time keeping up with 5 ounce bottles let alone 6. Right now i pump in the Morning, 3 times at work and then when i get home for about 20 minutes each session. I think ill try a supplement and maybe add in a pump before bed.

[@llli*mommal]

How long are you at work every day? Pardon me if I'm being dense, but I don't quite see how daycare is feeding 5 oz every 2-3 hours and yet manages to go through 22 oz per day, unless you're at work for a very long time.

What is the daycare's rationale for the 3 oz/3 oz portions rather than sticking with the 3 oz/2oz portions?

[@llli*sonogirl]

I agree that this sounds like your daycare is significantly overfeeding your baby. 22 oz is, for some babies, an entire day's worth of milk! Unless your shift has you away from baby for at least 15 hours, this is too much milk.

I also wonder why, if baby is naturally only taking in about 3 ounces per feeding, would your daycare provider request you send them 6 ounce bottles? Wouldn't it make more sense to just send them more small bottles instead of fewer GIANT bottles, since they are already not finishing the bottles they are using in a single feeding?

[@llli*maddieb]

that there is overfeeding going on unless you are working double shifts. overfeeding is very destructive to breastfeeding relationship for a few reasons so you want to adress this asap.

with mpmmal Soft breast syndrome=normal regulation of milk production from a bit too much typical in the first couple months to enough. Yes this often changes what a mom can pump per session and even overall. yes you make less milk because nature does not want you making too much. So some moms do have to pump more than once to get enough for one feeding. BUT if your baby is being significantly overfed you will never be able to catch up. Also If your breast has changed considerably, you flange may now be ill fitting and that would harm output.

[@llli*meagoleago]

Sorry it took my a while to respond! Today i send him to daycare with 6, 3 ounce bottles with instruction to stive for ever hour and a half to 2 hours for feeding. I nurse him at 7am when i drop him off and then i pick him up at 4 and nurse him when we get home at 4:30. I sent six just to have one extra in case he had a hard time adjusting.

I really get so confused, some sites say a baby can eat up to 30 ounces a day and yet others say 22. He isnt over sleeping at daycare or showing any other signs of over eating. When he is home with me he nurses about every hour, which is about 2.5 ounces. which is why i sent him with 5 ounce bottles origionally.

Im hoping this 3/6 works because that seems a little more managable, but i hate to think of him being hungry there an having not enough to eat.

i think my pump is great, its a Medela but i also have an Ameda as a back up but i didnt like it as much. I use the flanges that come with the pump. sometimes i do feel like they are too small but when i try the larger size i dont notice a difference so maybe it is just how my nipples look when pumping.

[@llli*mommal]

I really get so confused, some sites say a baby can eat up to 30 ounces a day and yet others say 22.

The extremely reliable Kellymom.com says that "exclusively breastfed babies take in an average of 25 oz (750 mL) per day between the ages of 1 month and 6 months. Different babies take in different amounts of milk; a typical range of milk intakes is 19-30 oz per day". That's a 24 hour day, not a 8-10 hour workday! A baby who is getting 30 oz of milk at daycare is therefore being overfed pretty significantly. When a baby is getting a huge amount of his daily calories at daycare, he will likely have less need for them when he's home with mom, and will eventually nurse less. Less nursing means greater likelihood of premature weaning because baby never really needs the breast, and because diminished nursing means diminished supply.

[@llli*maddieb]

Have you changed out the membranes on your pump regulalry? What makes you think the flange is too small? Too small woudl cause pain and nipple rubbing which might inhibit production. Too big means breasts are not stimulated enough to produce.

When he is home with me he nurses about every hour, which is about 2.5 ounces.

nursing is going to happen more because nursing is meeting many more needs than bottles.

[@llli*krystine]

nursing is going to happen more because nursing is meeting many more needs than bottles.

Yes. Are you weighing your baby pre/post feeding? How do you know 2.5 oz/hr? That is a ton of milk to drink. My babies took closer to an oz/hr when I went to work my first day although they also nurse throughout the night but 1-1.5oz/hr is pretty typical.