If I pump and give my baby a bottle instead of nursing, will that affect my milk supply?

It sounds like you're breastfeeding your baby, you're pumping breast milk and feeding it to them in a bottle, but not nursing them, or latching them on the breast. But they're still getting the benefits of breast milk, and your body is getting the benefits of nursing, so that's great. But you're wondering if this is going to affect your milk supply. No pump is ever going to be as efficient as a baby, meaning a baby will always empty the breast better, and each time the breast is emptied, that's when your body is stimulated to make more milk. So a lot of mothers who do nurse their babies on and feed them that way find that when they pump, they don't pump as much milk, and their wondering, "well, is my baby getting enough to eat?" And chances are those babies are. They're just emptying the breast more efficiently.

Pumping mothers tend to get caught up in the numbers. It's a numbers game - "How much am I pumping? Am I meeting my baby's needs?" - because you're actually seeing what's coming out and what's going in. Nursing mothers just nurse, and as long as their baby is showing signs that they're getting enough, then they're not concerned. So more importantly than numbers, look at the signs that will tell you that your baby is getting enough to eat. If your baby is having at least 6 wet diapers a day, and regular bowel movements, and overall seems to be happy and healthy, and is gaining the appropriate amount of weight that is outlined by the pediatrician, then what you're making is enough to meet your baby's needs.

One guideline you can go by is, depending on your baby's age, if they're 4 to 6 weeks old, then they should probably be drinking about 2 to 3 ounces every 2 to 3 hours. And then at that point, their tummies start to get a little bit bigger, they can hold more volume, and so they start to eat more volume a little less frequently throughout the day. So instead of 2 to 3 ounces every 2 to 3 hours, they start to drink 3 to 4 ounces every 3 to 4 hours. And from then, it's just a gradual increase until about 6 months when most babies at that point are drinking about 4 to 6 ounces 4 to 5 times a day, and then having a larger feeding before bedtime, like even as big as 6 to 8 ounces.

So if your baby is following these patterns, and seems to be happy and healthy, and again, is gaining the appropriate amount of weight, then you're doing good. If you have concerns though, talk with your pediatrician, and they can decide if any changes need to be made in your baby'e feeding regimen. Good luck with everything, and if you have any other questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at   / intermountainmoms  , and recommend us to your friends and family too.