hey all, I know I have posted alot about this lately, but this is wierd and I need to know if this has happened to anyone else or not. and I am sorry if this is tmi, anyway, I was getting a little full tonight after bottle feeding my ds earlier and waiting for him to nurse tonight, and I decided to pump some out. my problem is that, my milk was real watery, not like usual, and sorry, but the taste was watery also, yes I tasted it a long time ago and I just did lol, I cannot be the only one lol, sorry, I am wierd lol, anyway, does anyone know the reason for my milk to be so watery like that, no wonder my ds doesn't want it. thanks in advance

I had the same thing happen and the next day I woke up with Mastititis. Hopefully thats not what youre getting, but my Dr told me next time I had that happen, I should pump or feed off that breast to empty it and massage it in a warm shower. You might want to try that just in case. Good Luck!

Yeah, that makes sense emily. I had a clogged duct a few days ago and when I pumped the milk from that breast was really watery. May not be mastitis yet, but definetly a clogged duct. Everyone on here advised me to feed him like crazy on that breast. I pumped when it was still full. My breast hurt so bad but it helped a bunch.

funny thing though, is I am not sore in any way shape or form. Hmmmm don't know, I am confuzzled. thanks

Breast milk does change over time to suit the needs of our babies. Could just be that happening.

Remember that breast milk is both your babies food and drink. Unlike formula milk, breastmilk changes in consistency during the feed. The first milk that comes out is very watery and is thirst quenching. As your baby goes through the feed the milk because more creamy and full of calories.

And just to add in, if I remember, breastmilk is over 90% water...As long as he is gaining weight, he is fine....I really didn't read the post to good...Is he not wanting to nurse? Maybe he is getting an ear infection..Ralinda

yeah it probably is I just did not get to the creamier stuff. thanks

My breastmilk is always watery in the beginning and then towards the end creamy white. If you're very full a good porition of it will be that watery foremilk. Once you've pumped or hand expressed quite a bit it'll get down to the hindmilk which is the fatty white milk.

When your baby first starts feeding the milk is called fore milk this is what quenches their thirst then as they continue to feed the creamier hind milk comes and thats what fills them up.
Thats what i've always been told so i should say you got comfy before you released any hind milk
HTH

I would say it's the foremilk too. I can pump about 6-7 oz in the morning, and it's all quite watery until I get to the last couple oz. My pumping bottles hold 5 measured oz, so I switch out bottles once I hit 5 oz.

When I refrgerate the bottles and the milk settles, most of the cream is in the bottle holding the 6th & 7th oz. So, I end up mixing it all together before I freeze in smaller batches so she gets a portion of hindmilk in all her servings.

I can pump about 6-7 oz in the morning,

How do you pump so much? I only get 2 oz each time I pump. What is going on?

Roxyfoxy...I couldn't pump that much until the last few weeks, and I pump in addition to breastfeeding, so my breasts are making more than we need. My daughter turned 3 months old last week.

I only pump in the morning these days...and she sleeps from 10pm-5am. At 5am, I am engorged, and I feed her off 1 breast only. She goes back to sleep until 8 or 9am, and I feed her off that same breast, because it has replenished itself.

So, the other breast is completely full...sometimes to the point where it hurts. I pump it dry every morning. Each night, I alternate which breast gets used.

On nights where she wakes up twice...which hardly ever happens anymore, I can only pump about 5 oz.

If she's in a growth spurt and eating even more often at night, I don't/can't pump extra in the morning.

Hope that clarifies.

Ah, I see. Maybe I should pump more often. I would like to have enough milk stored away for trips to places I don't feel comfortable feeding at or for my MIL when she watches the baby.

How did you start off pumping to increase your supply?

Well, it's pretty much evolved over time. I stay at home, so I'm feeding her in addition to all this pumping. I started pumping when she was 3 weeks old. I'd pump about 3 times a day...just on whichever breast was fuller, and leave the other one alone so there's milk left for the baby in the other one. I was always paranoid I'd pump and there wouldn't be enough left for the baby...but she always got enough despite my worries.

I'd pump morning, afternoon, and evening. I've always got the most milk at the morning pumping. Even after I was getting like 3 oz in the morning pump, I was only getting about ½ to 1 oz at the other pumpings.

After I started pumping, within about a week, I went through engorgement all over again, so I knew my body had started to produce more milk to compensate for the extra pumping. I just kept pumping, feeding, and took ibuprofen. That lasted a few days and all was normal again.

After a while (maybe a month of pumping), I quit the afternoon & evening pumps because it wasn't worth my time to sit down and do all that for small quantities. Plus, with the periodic growth spurts and Ava just getting bigger, she was eating the extra afternoon and evening milk anyway.

Also, ever since my milk came in, I have fed her off 1 breast at a time. I don't switch halfway through the feedings. So, I think my body is accustomed to making a lot of milk in each breast...so...when Ava sleeps through the night, and I'm only feeding her off 1 breast, you can imagine how the other breast...left alone for 8 or so hours...gets very full.

Everything out of that morning pump goes into the freezer.

Also, we give Ava a bottle about 3-4 times a week. It's always at the last feeding of the day. So, that also allows the breasts a rest and to really fill up an extra couple hours over the night. Also, as the baby gets older and drinks more milk, that naturally increases your supply too. Doing this did not slow down my milk supply at all.

I think I had started getting a good freezer supply after pumping like this for a month or so. It didn't happen right away.

I think the key to increasing your supply is to drain the breast as best you can, either be pumping or feeding so your body learns to needs to make more.

Hope all that makes sense.

PS: the down side to all this (for me) is it makes my boobs even bigger to hold the excess milk. My boobs are huge and I hate them. Plus, as the baby begins to sleep through the night better and your body continues to make the milk, you are in a position where you HAVE to pump in the morning...not just when you feel like it.

Well, it's pretty much evolved over time. I stay at home, so I'm feeding her in addition to all this pumping. I started pumping when she was 3 weeks old. I'd pump about 3 times a day...just on whichever breast was fuller, and leave the other one alone so there's milk left for the baby in the other one. I was always paranoid I'd pump and there wouldn't be enough left for the baby...but she always got enough despite my worries.

I'd pump morning, afternoon, and evening. I've always got the most milk at the morning pumping. Even after I was getting like 3 oz in the morning pump, I was only getting about ½ to 1 oz at the other pumpings.

After I started pumping, within about a week, I went through engorgement all over again, so I knew my body had started to produce more milk to compensate for the extra pumping. I just kept pumping, feeding, and took ibuprofen. That lasted a few days and all was normal again.

After a while (maybe a month of pumping), I quit the afternoon & evening pumps because it wasn't worth my time to sit down and do all that for small quantities. Plus, with the periodic growth spurts and Ava just getting bigger, she was eating the extra afternoon and evening milk anyway.

Also, ever since my milk came in, I have fed her off 1 breast at a time. I don't switch halfway through the feedings. So, I think my body is accustomed to making a lot of milk in each breast...so...when Ava sleeps through the night, and I'm only feeding her off 1 breast, you can imagine how the other breast...left alone for 8 or so hours...gets very full.

Everything out of that morning pump goes into the freezer.

Also, we give Ava a bottle about 3-4 times a week. It's always at the last feeding of the day. So, that also allows the breasts a rest and to really fill up an extra couple hours over the night. Also, as the baby gets older and drinks more milk, that naturally increases your supply too. Doing this did not slow down my milk supply at all.

I think I had started getting a good freezer supply after pumping like this for a month or so. It didn't happen right away.

I think the key to increasing your supply is to drain the breast as best you can, either be pumping or feeding so your body learns to needs to make more.

Hope all that makes sense.

PS: the down side to all this (for me) is it makes my boobs even bigger to hold the excess milk. My boobs are huge and I hate them. Plus, as the baby begins to sleep through the night better and your body continues to make the milk, you are in a position where you HAVE to pump in the morning...not just when you feel like it.

Also, it you're prone to clogged ducts, letting 1 breast engorge each night might not work out for you. I haven't had a problem with it so far.