Latching - how to tell if supply increased

Question

Im a low supply mum who mostly pumps 40ml in one session from both breasts. Then, my lactation consultant advised me to go full latching, to increase my supply. Im currently doing so. 1) But I wonder, how can I tell if my supply has increased when Im fully latching?2) My baby needs about 100ml intake, and drinks up to 150ml in the middle of the night for a longer stretch of sleep. I dont latch in the middle of the night as my baby can sleep more than 3 hours. Instead I pump in the middle of the night every 3 hours --- my pump amount has increased to 60-80ml. But this is still lower than my babys required intake. Does this mean my baby has been drinking less than she should when I latch her in the day? Instead of drinking 100ml from my breasts, is she only getting 60 to 80ml as per my pump? Should I try to top up with a bottle of my expressed breast milk after every latch?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

We can tell if our breastmilk supply is sufficient for baby through the number of wet diapers and weight gain. A breast pump is never a good indicator of the amount of milk producing. Further your baby is more efficient at draining your breasts than any pump available on the market. Here are some great infographics and articles: https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/ If baby falls asleep at the breast or just unlatches on her own, it means she’s content and has drunk enough.