Exclusively pumping Big Thread

Mamamonzo

Lactation cookies are amazing. My mother in law made them and changed them up a bit. Added coco to one batch mint chips to one and peanut butter and butterscotch chips to another! Yummy

snmetz7

@Mamamonzo‌ have her send me some!

KatieGummow

@CatherineDC2012‌ what I do is pump more than the boys feed. So while DH is home I try pumping every 2 hours if they feed every 3 hours that way a couple of your pumps can be pure freezer stash. In the beginning nursed one kiddo on one side and pumped the other side then switched the next time.

This boosted my supply and now when I pump and feed both boys their 4oz I have some left over. TONS of water! It's such a relief to have a freezer stash just in case.

KatieGummow

@Mamamonzo said:

Lactation cookies are amazing. My mother in law made them and changed them up a bit. Added coco to one batch mint chips to one and peanut butter and butterscotch chips to another! Yummy

Brilliant! Can I have her basic recipe?

KatieGummow

@maelic‌ I pump every 2-4 hours. If I can get in a pump every two I am happy, mostly I get it in 3 or 4 hours between. That's great you can pump one side! That's how I started my supply.

My boys eat just over 4oz at 6 weeks. I can usually get 9oz per session (twins) but drink tons of water and lactation cookies and I try to do mothers milk once a day. I still try to wake up every 3 hours at night because I am obsessed with my freezer stash and they basically wake every three hours any ways.

CatherineDC2012

KatieGummow said:

@CatherineDC2012‌ what I do is pump more than the boys feed. So while DH is home I try pumping every 2 hours if they feed every 3 hours that way a couple of your pumps can be pure freezer stash. In the beginning nursed one kiddo on one side and pumped the other side then switched the next time.

This boosted my supply and now when I pump and feed both boys their 4oz I have some left over. TONS of water! It's such a relief to have a freezer stash just in case.

Ooh you are a pro! So what im hearing is I need to be more consistent I think. Im only pumping at most a few times per day and to be honest that feels like a lot! How do you pump when you are home alone- that frequently I mean? Do you BF as well or exclusively give bottles? I'm
going to try today to pump every 3 hours, 4 at most. But as I'm mixing in both BF and pumping to build supply wondering if that's possible? Guess I will find out! I already pumped and bf her and it's 645am here. I'm moving towards only BF as needed as there were many times when she didn't seem satisfied and was freaking out minutes after eating. Left for frustrated momma and baby. Still, she's getting more efficient now, not a lot of "dessert" needed as of the past few feedings, but still want to have a stash ready as it makes for a happier household!

Mamamonzo

KatieGummow said:

@Mamamonzo said:

Lactation cookies are amazing. My mother in law made them and changed them up a bit. Added coco to one batch mint chips to one and peanut butter and butterscotch chips to another! Yummy

Brilliant! Can I have her basic recipe?

I will get it today!!

Xxlilies

eme520 said:

Is anyone back to work yet? I'm not "officially" back to work, but I've been taking a few shifts here and there. I'm wondering how work has affected your supply. If I'm lucky, I will be able to pump every 4 hours, but more likely every 5-6.

Also, the Medela Symphony is amazeballs. They stock them in the pumping rooms at work and they are fantastic. I'm thinking of renting one even though I already have a PISA. Wish I would have rented one from the start for home.

Wow where do you work that supplies pumps?

I dont plan on going back to work for a year but Id likely have to pump in the bathroom or kick someone out of their office. Im a cubicle dweller.

snmetz7

@xxlilies are you in the US? If you are, then your company has to provide you with a room that locks that is not a bathroom for you to pump in. If you are in another country I have no idea what their laws are. (ps if you are still pumping in a year mad props to you!)

spano41

I've been going into work in the weekends when DH can take care off DD. They have rooms where I can use the hospital grade pumps but I've just been using my freestyle and pumping where ever I'm working, at my desk, at the microscope etc. Since it's the weekend no one is around but that definitely won't fly during the week when there are people in and out. That's one reason I'm trying to convince my boss it's easier if I work from home and just come in on the weekends. It will take so much longer if i have to go to one of the lactation rooms. Pumping at work really hasn't been a problem for new other than losing track of time and going longer between pumps than I intended.

Mamamonzo

@snmetz7‌ @KatieGummow‌ add one tablespoon of coco powder to the cookies it's harder to tell when they are done because they are darker! So so yummy!

Xxlilies

snmetz7 said:

@xxlilies are you in the US? If you are, then your company has to provide you with a room that locks that is not a bathroom for you to pump in. If you are in another country I have no idea what their laws are. (ps if you are still pumping in a year mad props to you!)

Im in Canada near Toronto Ontario
Lol I doubt I will be pumping in a year but who knows i just plan to go for four months for now or when I'm unable to makes it seem more doable

CatherineDC2012

I'm not exclusively pumping but I'm pumping more and more to create a supply. I'm finding it hard to find time to pump and I'm not catching up enough to have a stash? How do you find time to pump every three hours or so with mixing in some BF? I just swaddled her and put her down, hoping she's ok for a but as I'm already behind for the day.

Xxlilies

@CatherineDC2012‌ I don't pump as much as some of the other ladies that post in this thread but even the 5-8 times I do pump , it is hard to find the time.
Generally I make a list of times to pump in my phone and set alarms . I almost never pump exactly when that alarm goes off because I am busy with baby etc but it lets me know I need to and I generally get it done within the hour .
To be honest I have more issue remembering to have enough fluids . I used to drink tonnes of water but since baby arrived I am go go and never remember til I'm pumping

Mustardseed2007

eme520 said:

Is anyone back to work yet? I'm not "officially" back to work, but I've been taking a few shifts here and there. I'm wondering how work has affected your supply. If I'm lucky, I will be able to pump every 4 hours, but more likely every 5-6.

Also, the Medela Symphony is amazeballs. They stock them in the pumping rooms at work and they are fantastic. I'm thinking of renting one even though I already have a PISA. Wish I would have rented one from the start for home.

I'm back to work and so far my supply has not suffered but I have had some bad moments...like my ameda purely yours pump loosing suction at work (which has put me off of it since then), and today I came in early for a meeting and was rushing to get here so my H "helpfully" helped me pack up and didn't pack all of my pump parts...um I can't really pump without any containers or flanges! Thanks tho honey!

These moments actually make me really emotional...I start to panic about pain and clogged ducts. Ugh. So I'm ordering a freestyle today and I'm going to sit one pump at work and one pump at home so that doesn't hopefully happen again. (I'm renting the symphony and I love it too).

I'm currently working my way down to fewer pumps per day so I can hopefully survive this better. Right now I'm supposed to be on a 6 pump schedule, and even still I haven't seen a supply drop. We'll see though, I'm only on day 3. I used the sample schedules at exclusivelypumping.com to work out what my schedule would be.

 

RedBird11

snmetz7 said:

@xxlilies are you in the US? If you are, then your company has to provide you with a room that locks that is not a bathroom for you to pump in. If you are in another country I have no idea what their laws are. (ps if you are still pumping in a year mad props to you!)

Interesting! I knew that my work would be required to let me pump, but I didn't know it couldn't be the bathroom. I have been considering changing my work hours and taking an hour lunch instead of 30 minutes so I could go home and pump (about a 10 minute drive). I assumed my work would make me pump in the restroom but now that I know they can't I wonder where they would put me... I can't think of a good space. Hmm.

spano41

So I've become an expert in pumping while driving, it's now one of my favorite places to pump because no one can bug me and I don't waste valuable time. Today I even went through a drive through while pumping (I really needed coffee!). I highly recommend trying it out if you have a long enough commute!

Sisimama10

Lindsay808 said:

Feeling discouraged tonight. She's starting to be much more fussy and crying a lot more. How do I pump when I'm the only one to take care of her? I can't put her down without her fussing so I have to wait until she's in a deep sleep. So feeding, changing, rocking for 30 minutes, then pumping? There's no way I can live like that.

@Lindsay808‌ I tuck the pumps into the edge of my built in bra tank tops so they're hands free and sit on the floor next to D while he's in the bouncer. Then I give him a bottle while I pump and we are all happy. hope this helps!

Mamamonzo

Sisimama10 said:

Lindsay808 said:

Feeling discouraged tonight. She's starting to be much more fussy and crying a lot more. How do I pump when I'm the only one to take care of her? I can't put her down without her fussing so I have to wait until she's in a deep sleep. So feeding, changing, rocking for 30 minutes, then pumping? There's no way I can live like that.

@Lindsay808‌ I tuck the pumps into the edge of my built in bra tank tops so they're hands free and sit on the floor next to D while he's in the bouncer. Then I give him a bottle while I pump and we are all happy. hope this helps!

I've master the shoulder hold while pumping. It's had since he can knock the bottles out of place, if he is high enough up it's usually ok. Trust me I know exactly how you feel.

snmetz7

My first day back at work and while I missed A more than words, it wa soooo nice to pump in silence.

Mamamonzo

Why or why does Lucas poop as soon as I turn my pump on!?!? Augh

snmetz7

Mamamonzo said:

Why or why does Lucas poop as soon as I turn my pump on!?!? Augh

he is making room for the fresh stuff

MissHSoonToBeMrsS

@spano41‌ how does pumping in your car work? I figure I could put a blanket over myself, but I would look like Madonna with my shields sticking out!

Mamamonzo

snmetz7 said:

Mamamonzo said:

Why or why does Lucas poop as soon as I turn my pump on!?!? Augh

he is making room for the fresh stuff


More like getting rid of what I just fed him!!

snmetz7

MissHSoonToBeMrsS said:

@spano41‌ how does pumping in your car work? I figure I could put a blanket over myself, but I would look like Madonna with my shields sticking out!

I did this for the first time yesterday. I just used a scarf to cover and just drove. no one even looked twice.

Emily041285

Hey ladies, small PSA: target has all their Medela stuff on sale plus the red card discount.

CatherineDC2012

Xxlilies said:

@CatherineDC2012‌ I don't pump as much as some of the other ladies that post in this thread but even the 5-8 times I do pump , it is hard to find the time.
Generally I make a list of times to pump in my phone and set alarms . I almost never pump exactly when that alarm goes off because I am busy with baby etc but it lets me know I need to and I generally get it done within the hour .
To be honest I have more issue remembering to have enough fluids . I used to drink tonnes of water but since baby arrived I am go go and never remember til I'm pumping

I so hear ya!! I have water bottles all over this house and still don't get enough h2o! I tried keeping track of times but i swear she wakes up gets fussy or needs to eat again right when I pump! Sigh. I have to get better at timing! Also wish I could walk and
Pump since I'm terrible at naps and can't take the time she sleeps to just chill out!

spano41

@MissHsoontobeMrsS Yeah I just use an A&A blanket to cover and then put the seat belt over to hold it in place.  If people are looking in your car closely they can tell what's going on but they can't seen any boob or nipple or anything.  The tricky part is taking the horns out when you get to your destination without a passer by seeing a nip slip. 

scarles

Organized my freezer stash today because we just received our new deep freezer! Over 500 ounces!!

hordol

How long did it take you to get used to the pump? I'm assuming that most of you probably didn't have amazing pumping results right off the bat (and if you did awesome and I'm jealous!) so how long did it take before you were getting a decent amount via pump? My body responds horribly to the pump. I've tried everything and basically I have realized that I just need to see how it will be once my body gets used to it. I return to work Monday and am 98% sure I will not pump enough for DS to eat while I'm gone the next day. This morning I pumped the boob that DS didn't eat from (it was slightly engorged so I thought I would get a lot) but I got a quarter of an ounce. I'm not really looking to trouble shoot my pumping technique because I have done a lot of research and have seriously tried almost everything (although I never turn down advice so I will gladly take it anyway if you have any to offer) so I'm just looking to see how your individual outputs improved over time from pumping regularly. I will be pumping 3x/day probably.

Megczapla

hordol said:

How long did it take you to get used to the pump? I'm assuming that most of you probably didn't have amazing pumping results right off the bat (and if you did awesome and I'm jealous!) so how long did it take before you were getting a decent amount via pump? My body responds horribly to the pump. I've tried everything and basically I have realized that I just need to see how it will be once my body gets used to it. I return to work Monday and am 98% sure I will not pump enough for DS to eat while I'm gone the next day. This morning I pumped the boob that DS didn't eat from (it was slightly engorged so I thought I would get a lot) but I got a quarter of an ounce. I'm not really looking to trouble shoot my pumping technique because I have done a lot of research and have seriously tried almost everything (although I never turn down advice so I will gladly take it anyway if you have any to offer) so I'm just looking to see how your individual outputs improved over time from pumping regularly. I will be pumping 3x/day probably.

I have zero advice, but am in the same situation aside from the returning to work part. Would love advice!

spano41

So I don't know what you've tried but I would suggest trying to start by hand expressing a bit to get things going and then start pumping. This helps speed up my letdown at least. Also you can experiment with different flange sizes and suction strength which I'm sure you've done. It may help to have your baby or a picture of your baby to look at to help with letdown. I found I have to pump for 30min as opposed to the 20 min everyone recommends so you could try to pump a little longer maybe. I also find distracting myself from pumping helps me relax and get more, so maybe put on the tv or play a game on your phone. Good luck!

scarles

I think you'll see better results after you pump more frequently. Like pp said, distract yourself and watch tv or read. Also try massaging while you pump. I think you just need to get your body used it. I am EPing so I'm getting good results now but it took a few days to get used to it.

LBStewart

Also, make sure you have the right size flanges.  I always try to keep myself occupied and not watch the bottles too much.  The type of pump and the suction level you're using might make a difference too. 

Lindsay808

Anyone else get water droplets in the tubes? I'm sure it's from my parts not being completely dry but I'm worried about mold or something. I've tried putting it on full blast and letting it run for a while but they don't budge

Xxlilies

Purchased some milk collectors ( I have no idea what to call them really) this weekend and have been able to get an extra half ounce to an ounce couple times a day

KM0715

I just started EPing a week ago so I'm a newbie at this and this may be a dumb question.. Do I have to pump everytime LO eats? Or can I space pumping every 3 hours so long as I'm producing enough to match her daily intake? So far I've been pumping whenever she eats and it's difficult when she goes only 2 hours apart, I also get much more per pump when it's spaced farther apart.

Mamamonzo

KM0715 said:

I just started EPing a week ago so I'm a newbie at this and this may be a dumb question.. Do I have to pump everytime LO eats? Or can I space pumping every 3 hours so long as I'm producing enough to match her daily intake? So far I've been pumping whenever she eats and it's difficult when she goes only 2 hours apart, I also get much more per pump when it's spaced farther apart.

They say up until 12 weeks pp you are supposed to pump every two hours but who the hell has time for that!?!?

I pump every 3 hours with a 5 hour stretch from 11-4 at night then 4 hour stretch 4-8 in the morning then info every 3 from there.

Unless you have a real supply issue I say 3 hours is fine

Kelsey2me

What would be considered an ideal, well established pumping schedule to shoot for. Is the goal to pump 4 times a day? Is that too little? What's the best pumping schedule you've heard of that still worked? I'm wondering if you can eventually get away with pumping 3 or 4 times a day and be fine. I've had no supply issues and will be starting work soon so I wanted to set a reasonable goal for number of pumps per day and seeing I can work towards it, but don't want to get my hopes up.

snmetz7

I love when I get a good spray going. I start cheering my boobs. Anyone else? Nope just me?