Pumping before baby is here?

Question

Idk if this is a silly question or....if it's possible but I wanted to ask anyways. With my other children I bottle fed. Except for my last child, I breastfed her right after she was born & fell absolutely in love with it. I will be EBF this baby too. Now my question is....is it possible to try and pump milk out now? Is it possible? If I could I would like to stock up now since my little one can be born any minute or induced on Monday. Has anyone done this? Or tried? I'm still a rookie breast feeder, so I'm sorry if this is a silly question, lol.

Answer

You don't have milk yet, you have colostrum. It's not advisable to pump because it can bring on labor, but your little one will have such a teeny tiny stomach at first there's no point in pumping. Once your milk comes in (4 to 7 days after birth) you can pump when your supply has been established, after four to six weeks.

Answer

Your actual milk won't "come in" until 3-5 days after birth. If you pumped now, it would just be the small amount of colostrum that is already present. So, no, there's no way to stock up at this point. My sister does recommend pumping after feedings when the baby actually comes because they rarely eat everything that's available when they are young and their stomachs are small.

Answer

In my breastfeeding class I learned that even tho you can leak a little colostrum before the baby is here, the thing that signals your body to actually produce milk as we think of it is the expelling of the placenta so I mean, I would think not but I would ask your doctor :)

Answer

Pumping/breast simulation helps bring on contractions.   So, be aware of that.   Pumping before can help your body bring in a lot if milk when it does produce after birth,  because it's already prepared.   I pumped 2 ounces at a time by day 3 with my first son (I pumped to help induce labor, but it didn't work), tons and tons of milk LOL

Answer

My doctor has me expressing colostrum because I had issues with my last 2 pregnancies after having csections due to low bp and being very weak. Anyhow, the expressions started at 35 weeks and now that I'm at 36 weeks, I only have roughly a days supply of colostrum to feed the baby in the hospital IF something happens again where I am unable to breastfeed... although it's not much, at least it keeps the baby from getting formula until I am able to breastfeed.

Answer

Pumping colustrom is recommended for some medical conditions, soits totally possible. but its recommended to not start before 37 weeks

Answer

Pumping isn't advised before your milk comes in, but look up hand expressing and colostrum harvesting if you'd like to have a supply built up for the early days in case there's a need to supplement breastfeeding and you want to avoid formula.  Quantities are tiny, but so is the baby's stomach and harvested colostrum (even in small portions) has benefits over formula supplementing.

Pumping before baby is here?

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