Moms with Pumps?

[moderngal]

Am I missing this thread here? Or did it never make it over from the WC? Is anyone else even interested in having it here?

[sunni76]

I'd be interested! I just pump while at work, but am always looking for support :)

[BridalLace]

count me in! :)

[gf&js]

I will do my best to pop in with any help I can offer - I just finished my pumping life, round 1 (8 1/2 months). Keep up the good work - it's not an easy road but the rewards are great!

[SiValleySteph]

Hey Pumpers! :D

I've been pumping at work now for over 5 months. I plan a minimum of 3 more months of pumping to bring us to the 1 year mark for breast milk only. I pump 3x a day while at work. I'm hoping to cut back to 2x a day at the end of the month. I have enough freezer stash that should cover 1 bottle a day for at least 2 months if that cuts back my output.

I am really proud that my son has never had any formula. I'm hoping to keep it that way. Rationally, I know it's not a big deal if he has to have a formula bottle, but it's something that matters to me since I have put so much effort & time into pumping.

Anyone have any pumping questions or anything? Should we share our pumping/bottle routines? I found just reading about how others did things so helpful when I was gearing up to return to work and it just seemed overwhelming to think about how it was going to go.

[Franni]

Another pumper here.

Just to give you gals a little encouragement.

My DD has been sick with an infection for the last 3 weeks. She was only in daycare for 3 days before falling sick. Most people would think that all the EBM she has been having had absolutely no benefits. On the contrary, the ped said that it is amazing how she is still so strong despite the ferocity of her infection. She has no lost a single oz and is happy and playful. The only ill effect from the infection has been her inability to STTN. I attribute her strength and resilience to the fact that she is a breastfed baby.

[bombedier]

Subscribing for tips and schedules - I am due in 6 weeks and will be returning to work at the 12 week old mark.

[SiValleySteph]

I'll just put out my routine in case it will help anyone.

I have an Ameda Purely Yours pump. I take the pump, collection bottles in the insulated cooler with the ice packs, and the horns & tubing together in a large ziploc to work every morning in the tote bag it came in. I go to my desk and get some work done. At 9:15, I go over to the pumping room and pump (pump #1). After pumping, I put the bottles back in the insulated cooler and put the whole thing (with the ice packs) into the fridge. I wash out my horns & attachments in warm water and dry off with a paper towel. These go back into the ziploc and back into the tote with the pump, which I take back to my desk. Around 1PM, I go through the same routine (pump #2). At 4PM, about the same (pump #3), only this time, I take the insultated cooler and it goes back into my tote bag with all the milk. Since it's in the fridge all day, the ice packs are still partially frozen and I don't worry about the milk until I get home. I have even left it in the bag for a few hours after work if I'm out shopping or whatever. Now that it's hotter, I will probably be more vigilant about getting it into the fridge within an hour or so after work. In the evenings, I transfer the pumped milk to bottles - I make 2 6 oz bottles and freeze/store the remainder in 4oz increments. I then wash the collection bottles, pump parts and all the bottles, sippy cups, bowls that DS used at daycare that day. That is my least favorite task. :p

Each night I pack up DS's bottles and food for daycare. He gets 2 6-oz fresh bottles of milk and 1 4-oz bottle of thawed milk. I always send a thawed bottle to rotate my freezer stash. I have over 50 some frozen 4oz bags, so I want to get it used within about 3 to 3-1/2 months. I also pump 2 days ahead, so Monday's milk I send on Wednesday and so on. This way I don't have to worry about making enough milk for the next day. It just gives me a little extra cushion. Most of the ladies at work in the lactation room pump for the next day, so I may be a little unusual in that respect.

When I started back to work, DS was 4 months. My mom watched him in our home and that was great because I didn't have to worry about how much milk he would need. She would just prepare as needed. Some days he drank as much as 26oz!! But usually somewhere between 14-18oz. He started daycare at 7mo and I started him with 3 6-oz bottles a day. He would often have some left, so I went to 16oz a day instead. He is having some leftovers on a regular basis (it gets tossed), so I'm thinking of going down to 14oz a day. But I don't want him to be hungry!

Okay, so that is my routine. I hope it can help someone. I've found that everyone in my lactation room (and also on line) has there own little routine and you will find a rhythm that works for you! :D

[bombedier]

SiValleySteph - this is great info! Thanks!

[Jaycee]

I'm due in November, but I'm gonna subscribe now so that I can start learning :)

[moderngal]

SiValleySteph Thank you for posting your routine!!

I was thinking that this weekend I could start a new thread with all of the info from the WC thread. That thread was super useful to me when I was looking for a pump and getting informed before having my baby. :)

[HthrStarr]

I have several pumping questions that I'm hoping someone can help with!

My DS is three weeks old and I'm just pumping now to build up a bit of a supply for when I'm out of the house or when I go back to work. So I'm trying to feed him from the breast every three hours (give or take) and then pump some extra.

1. When should I pump? Should I try to get "what's left" after he eats (I only get a little bit this way) or should I try and pump in between feedings? If I pump at the 1 1/2 hour mark, will he have enough to eat at his next feeding, or is he still going to be hungry and want to eat again sooner than three hours?

2. How do I pump? Now when I first put the pump on, it sprays for several seconds (depending on when I last fed or pumped) and then stops and just drips a tiny bit. If I take the pump away for several seconds and then put it back I get the spray again for a few seconds. Is this the way I should be doing it or should I just leave the pump on continuously?

3. How long do I pump each breast for?

Thanks in advance!!

[SiValleySteph]

HthrStarr,

These are my answers, but I am no expert. :p

Do you feed your son only on one side per feeding? Or do you do two? What I found worked best for me while at home with the babe and trying to get some milk was to feed off one side two feedings in a row and then pump the other side. That way it would get nice and full and I could get more out. Other strategies are to always pump in the morning after babe's first feeding or always at the same time every day so you start making more milk at that time. I never worried about there being enough milk left for the baby. You are constantly making more milk and if DS was still hungry, I would just feed him again sooner or offer the other side. Never had any problem.

What kind of pump are you using? When I was at home with DS, I used my Avent Isis. I would do some short, quick pumps (to get a let down) and then go to slower pumps and the milk would continue shooting out during the whole slow pump. With my double electric, I start at max cycle, med suction until I get let down and then switch over to more like med cycle, max suction. I never took off the pump and then reattached it... :confused:

As for how long - pump until you stop getting milk! If you are trying to increase your supply, you may want to pump longer after you are done getting milk, like maybe even 10 minutes more. I usually pump for about 15-20 minutes at work, but back when I was home with babe, I really never pumped more than about 5 minutes.

Remember to pump when your baby gets a bottle so your body keeps up with the milk production!

Your son is still really young, so I wouldn't worry too much about getting a "stash" ready or anything. You're still regulating your supply and all that jazz.

[Ohana]

Although I'm no longer pumping, I'm glad to offer support and advice.

If someone wants to be threadmistress, I can email you the stuff I compiled from when I was threadmistress over on WC.

Hthrstarr
1. I would go ahead and pump immediately after he eats (or the earliest chance you get). At first, you may not get much milk, but it will tell your body to produce more, and you should see a difference in a few days.

2. I always left the pump on continuously. There were a lot of times that I had that spraying at first and then nada. If I kept pumping, though, I was able to get a let down within a few minutes. Try putting a warm washcloth on your breasts before you pump and massage to help get the milk going.

3. I used a PIS and double pumped both sides until the milk stopped flowing. If I was trying to increase my supply, I usually kept going, trying to get a second letdown.

HTH!