hi esther,

 

congrats on your new baby!  and kudos for making the decision to breastfeed.  one thing to keep in mind, is that your body is sort of like the economy.  i mean, it works on a supply and demand basis.  so, each time your baby nurses, he triggers your body to make more milk.  when you nurse on demand, then your body says, 'oh!  i have a hungry baby.  let me start producing more milk to meet his demands.'  it takes a day or three for your body to adjust, but it will.  the nice thing, too, is that, even if they don't feel full, your breasts are never really empty.  so, if your baby is having enough wet and poopy dipes, and he's back to his birth weight + a little bit, i'd go ahead and stop the formula, and just latch him on.  because breastmilk starts out as foremilk at the beginning of nursing.  this is thinner milk, high in sugar, and low in fat and protein.  so it's like, drinking a powerade.  then, as the nursing session goes on, the hindmilk comes down, and it's the thicker, fattier, protein rich milk.  like drinking a milkshake, or a protein shake.  it's a gradual process, kind of like getting hot water from the tap.  you have to let it 'run' for a while, you know?  a good rule of thumb, for knowing how long to nurse on each side, is, 'watch the baby, not the clock.'  when you latch him on, at first he'll do short, fast sucks to get your milk to let down.  then, as the milk starts flowing, he'll take longer, steadier sucks.  some milk might dribble out at this point.  as you continue nursing, he'll probably switch to slightly shorter, slightly more enthusiastic sucks, and then taper off.  when he unlatches himself, it's a good time to switch sides. 

 

and remember, too, that what you pump is not at all indicative of what baby can drink while nursing.  breastfeeding is an emotional/hormonal driven process, and while a pump can mimic the suckling action of the babes mouth, it's not cute, or cuddly, or doing anything to stimulate a hormonal response, you know?  so some women find it really hard to let down for a pump.  manual pumps can be tricky to master, but they do the trick if you're just trying to build a freezer stash.  if you have to go back to work, or school, i would make the investment in a good double electric pump.  either way, some good tips for pumping are

 

*pump first thing in the morning. 

*pump right after a hot bath or shower

*before you pump, put warm washclothes on your breasts, or a heated rice pack

*eat lots of oatmeal and oatmeal cookies (for some reason, oatmeal boosts your milk supply.)

*make sure your pump is properly put together, no loose bits, or missing bits.

*support your breast while pumping, if you've got larger breasts.  the ducts are most efficiently compressed when they're not, you know, hanging underneath the horn.  ;)

*some women have good luck with taking fenugreek, which is an herbal supplement known to boost milk supply.  however, it also has an effect on blood sugar levels, so you should check with a health care provider before you take it, if you have diabetes, or hypoglycemia or anything like that. 

 

overall, though, the best advice i can give you, is don't over-think it.  we are fortunate enough to live in a society where we have access to tons of information, but that can be overwhelming, and it can cause us to not trust our instincts.  basically, unless you're dealing with hormonal issues, like thyroid or pituitary problems, if you nurse on demand, (that is, whenever baby cues hunger, even if you *just* nursed him) and you nurse until baby decides to unlatch before offering the other breast, your supply should regulate itself to your baby and his needs.  3 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, and so on, you'll probably have 'marathon nursings' where all he wants to do is nurse.  this is his way of making sure your body knows that he's growing, and he's clueing you in on how to keep up with his demand.  growth spurts are tough, but you can do it.  a sling or front carrier does make it a little easier to stay sane.

 

congratulations again, and keep your chin up!  it gets easier.