Dear Becky,

(Getting on my soapbox) - it's not the stimulation that matters in milk
supply, it's the removal of milk.  A baby with a poor suck can stimulate the
breast till the cows come home (pun intended) but if the milk isn't removed,
the retained milk in the alveolus will signal shut-down at the cellular
level.  Bottom line: get the milk out!  Milk removal will always stimulate,
but stimulation might not remove milk.  In cases like this, I trust a good
pump or manual expression over a baby whose suck is (1) iffy and (2) harder
to measure. I'm the first to want to keep baby at breast for the
relationship.  However, Rule # 1 is FEED THE BABY (yes, I'm shouting).  Pump
and cupfeed for a few days - baby can nurse at breast after getting the
cupfed milk unless it tears up her nipples.  The only times the milk supply
doesn't go up with rigorous, systematic pumping with a good pump are (1)
after Sheehan's syndrome, (2) mom on hormonal contraceptives especially if
they contain estrogen, (3) breast surgery or insufficient glanduar tissue,
very rare.  Supply is very reliable, but the baby's suck isn't.

Hope this helps.

Linda Smith, climbing down now.
Dayton, Ohio