How do you pump to up your supply?

[MommaRhi]

hi
My dd is 2 weeks old and we nurse pretty often. Sometimes she's pretty sleepy and doesn't finish eating, sometimes she finishes and then just uses me as a pacifier.
I decided that I'd like to pump to up my supply, so how do you do that? :headscratch:
I've never had much luck with pumping, except for my surrogate daughter because I wasn't nursing her, I would just pump every 1-1.5 hrs because that is when I had to otherwise I'd leak like mad or my boobs would kill and be rock hard.
Right now Emmaleigh nurses maybe every 2 hrs or less- depending on whether or not she's sleeping, or needing comfort.
Do you think that I should just pump after she's done eating? Because that would then signal to my body that she will be needing to eat more right?
Today after she ate from my right side, I don't know if she just didn't need all that was in there, but when she pulled off, I was squirting a little bit, so I put a rag up to my breast and got my pump out and pumped out whatever was left in there that needed to come out. I pumped for about 5 mins and then switched to my right side and pumped for 5 mins, just to stimulate.

Should I just keep doing that? I can't pump on one side and nurse from the other because she sometimes will eat from both sides.

Also, does upping your water really help increase production? I don't know that I can do fenugreek because I think it may be hurting her belly. It's either that or that was from when I ate broccoli. :giggle:

ANy advice how to up my supply so she can get more while nursing would be appreciated. I also wouldn't mind getting a little stash for the freezer.

Thanks!

[foodie.yarnie.mommie.]

Yup, just keep that up mama! Water really, really does help. A lot of days I'll just go to Sonic and get one of the huge cups of water, and make sure I down that and I am so much fuller on those days.

[USMCgirl_05]

I pumped after DS was done nursing...but I ended up with an oversupply as well :giggle:

[MommaRhi]

i think that pumping a lot will be overwhelming for me, so I may just do it once in awhile. I did take 3 fenugreek and i am going to try drinking a lot of water. I hope that the fenugreek doesn't hurt her belly.

[Sk8ermaiden]

I'm dehydrated today. I just realized that's why I've been getting half of what I normally pump.

But yes, I'd pump after she eats.

[Ready2Bmommy]

I was wondering the same thing. I have to make sure I can pump enough for my LO for him to have milk for the sitter's.

[Goinatural]

I never could get much pumping after feeding because I had to have a letdown when I started pumping to get anything. So I would pump like an hour after baby went to bed or 30 minutes after he ate first thing in the morning.

[Keropisunshine23]

to maximize my supply and build a freezer stash, I pumped one side while nursing the other. the letdowns from the pumping helped Sofiya who was not a strong nurser. (Much improved now) I did this every feeding for about 7 weeks, and put 1000 oz in the freezer while helping Sofiya not use as much energy during feedings. i got tired of pumping though, of course, and no longer pump and nurse, but i am happy to have a freezer stash! good luck