pumping for nicu baby

The first day I pumped and got absolutely nothing.. had to just stimulate with pump for 20 mins then after a few sessions, I was getting a drop of colostrum.  I used a syringe to get those invaluable drops of liquid gold... had to hand express them out and only was able to get 0.1 - 0.2mls per session.  the nicu staff took whatever in gave them and mixed it in with formula.

The next day, I was able to hand express a bit more colodtrum, about 0.4 total per session, then all of a sudden, it seemed it dry out.  I couldn't get any more.  But the next few sessions reaped a few milliliters of colostrom-y milk.  I just continued to faithfully pump every 2-3 hours, and actually visited my babe in the nicu during every feeding to offer him the breast to stimulate production.  A pump could never create the same stimulation to your body the way a baby's suck could.

So by the 3rd day, my milk finally came in.  I was getting more and more... almost at 5-10mls now each session and almost catching up to baby's prescribed feedings, so that he didn't need to have formula as a supplement.  I was so proud.

Now, 9 days after birth, im getting way too much milk from pumping. exclusively is a new experience for me.  I get to see how much milk I'm producing...how much baby is eating... and it keeps my supply steady.  But also it has.turned me into a milk.cow... becuz I am producing so much milk that I get auto let downs after two hours of pumping... and full on soaking the breast pads during night time sleep of more than 4 hours.

I would like to switch to full time breast feeding... then I can slow down the production.  The pump is way too strong for my preemie appetite right now.  I don't need that much milk.  Yikes.