You mentioned that your baby was born premature and is in the newborn ICU and has been for about three months and you're pumping here and there at home, you mentioned that you're very busy with your other kids, which is understandable. You will struggle with supply unless you pump every two to three hours throughout the day and maybe do a couple of feedings at night. Your body is stimulated to make milk when your breasts are empty and if they're not emptied on a regular basis then your body won't think that it has to make milk. If your baby were home with you your baby would definitely remind you to feed him or her every two to three hours so that's the pattern you need to continue with while you're at home even though your baby isn't with you. Set an alarm on your phone for every two to three hours and pump. Plan your day around those feedings because it's so important to make sure they happen so you have breast milk for your little premature baby. Make sure you're pumping for at least 10 to 15 minutes on each side and if you can it would be best to use a double electric hospital grade pump. That will ensure that your breasts are being emptied as efficiently as possible. Again, it all goes back to emptying. If your breasts aren't emptied efficiently then your body won't think it needs to make milk. Those are usually the best at doing the job. Talk with a lactation specialist at the hospital about nursing your baby and about pumps if you have more questions about them. They can continue to assist you with latching your baby on. Do remember that premature babies need a lot of assistance in the beginning. Oftentimes they're on life support and they don't receive feedings from a bottle or from the mother. They need it through the IV or through tube feedings that go down into their stomach. Once they get a little bit older and they can breathe on their own and they're healthy and strong and have a good sucking reflex, which usually doesn't come until they're closer to full term, at that point then they can start nursing and latching on. You mentioned that you've been trying at least once a day and that's good. Lean on the support of the lactation specialists and NICU nurses. They can help you, offer you one on one counseling and support, and help make it successful for you. Best of luck to you and your baby. If you have any other questions in the future for me, please feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at [ Ссылка ] and recommend us to your friends and family too.
