Strategies for pumping while BF

[IrishEyes]

I was looking for some strategies or perhaps some ladies to share their stories on pumping while exclusively BF.

DS is 5 weeks old, and about a week ago I started pumping (I've done it 4x) and have given him a bottle 2x. My goal is to give him a bottle about 3x a week (the number given to me by my LC to keep him "used to" a bottle) and to create a little stash of EBM for occasions to go out. I'm not sure when is the best time to pump--DS's schedule is still erratic and I don't know when he's going to be hungry in 1 hr or 3 hr after a feeding. He usually eats from just one breast at a time, but sometimes he does feed from both (about 15 min after the first breast).

I'm just looking for what other moms do if they're pumping while BFing.

[sparkle&shine]

I have been BFing and pumping for my little guy. He is 8 months old and I went back to work when he was 3 months old and he has never been supplemented. So 5 months of pumping so far. It has been pretty easy for me but I have a pretty easy DS. For me it was easy to pump because DS only eats from 1 breast at each feeding. I could have theoretically pumped the second breast at every feeding but I didn't. I ALWAYS pumped after the first morning feeding even before I went back to work so that I could build up a stash and it was when I had the best supply. I am also very lucky in that most days I go home for lunch and am able to BF my son so he only takes 2 bottles a day. Right now I pump 3 times a day - Morning, Noon, and Night ;) It is a lot of work at first washing bottles and pump parts but it so quickly becomes a part of your routine you don't even notice it.

We use Avent bottles with the newborn nipple still. It makes him have to work at the bottle which is more like my breast. I have an Ameda Purely Yours and I love it!

Any questions I would be happy to answer! At first I felt very overwhelmed at the thought but it really works itself all out.

[IrishEyes]

Thanks for your story, S&S. I pumped this morning and I'll keep trying that!

[alienhost]

What I have done is pump during/after the feeding with a bottle. Can you DH or someone else give your DS the bottle? Then you can pump during that time. I often had DH give DD the latenight bottle, then I would pump and clean up the pump gear during that time.

I also found if I gave her a bottle, I needed to pump anyway to prevent engorgement.