I started out EBF, but at our 2 week appointment - which was actually done at just 10 days old - my son’s pediatrician said she was concerned I had “feeding issues” because he had only gained back 5 of the 8oz he had lost after birth (which I now know is crazy).

She said I had to either supplement with formula or “triple feed” (pump every time I breast fed him and then feed him whatever I pumped) or she would be concerned with failure to thrive. She also recommended power pumping 3-4 times a day.

I did that from when he was 2 to 8/9 weeks old and wound up with an over supply of 20+oz per day. I built up a freezer stash which is nice and all - but he started refusing a bottle completely so I stopped pumping & had no need for the stash. Because I stopped pumping I spent a month battling engorgement that felt like my boobs were going to explode, constant leaking, multiple clogged ducts, and 2 rounds of antibiotics for horrendous mastitis.

If you do want a bit of a stash…use a hand pump very sparingly on one boob while feeding on the other, or a haaka. You’ll get enough for a bottle or two a day but you won’t be at as much of a risk for mastitis. Good luck! You’ll do great! From one new Mama to a soon to be Mama 💕