Exclusively pumping Big Thread

Holeri

Just finished reading through this thread finally! Thank you ladies for all the great advice. We have had to move to pumping. Because of anatomy issues & terrible carpal tunnel keeping me from holding my LO correctly. I look forward to reading thru this thread more. I only BUMP on my phone so it's hard to post a lot! But hopefully I can some too.

Kelsey2me

How much would you freeze in one container? I don't have a particular motive to get a freezer stash going since I work from home but I have extra so I figured it couldn't hurt. I filled a few bags with 4oz each. Should I be storing 6 per container? 8? 2? What are you all doing? TIA!

Edit: typo

Stace0616

@Kelsey2me‌ I am doing 4oz per bag. I feel like I have a ton of bags and producing 4-6oz extra per day. So I've got 3-4 feedings in the fridge at all times and have been freezing 1 or 2 bags each day. I figure by the time we use it, he'll probably eating 4oz bottles. Plus, I'd rather use a lot of bags than waste milk. At least right now when that stuff is like liquid gold!!

bacorrea

Kelsey2me said:

How much would you freeze in one container? I don't have a particular motive to get a freezer stash going since I work from home but I have extra so I figured it couldn't hurt. I filled a few bags with 4oz each. Should I be storing 6 per container? 8? 2? What are you all doing? TIA!

Edit: typo

My LC said 3oz. You can't refreeze milk, so it is better to thaw a lot of bags (if LO is eating a lot) vs. thawing one bag, but having to throw out precious milk!

scarles

I usually freeze different pumping sessions depending on how many bottles I have in the fridge. Right now I'm pumping and whatever I pump is going straight to the fridge because I have about 6 bottles ready to go. It will probably be around 5-6 oz. I wouldn't freeze anything less than 4.

scarles

Congrats @Jessieann1020‌ and welcome @Holeri‌!

Holeri

Does anyone have milk leaking from the flanges? I can't seem to avoid it. I don't know if it's the wrong size or what? I have large breasts & had to go with Extra large. It looks correct to me but I'm a first timer so who knows!

patunia7321

Pumpin pals- best pumping related purchase ever

KatieGummow

@Holeri‌ do you lube your flange? I notice when I do then milk leaks. So annoying!!!

KatieGummow

@Kelsey2me‌ I do 6oz. I figured once thawed if it isn't finished I could use it for the next feeding. Or can it not sit out for 4 hours after thawed?

Holeri

@KatieGummow‌ I don't lube. But I'm noticing lose of suction now. It's driving me crazy. I have a hygeia pump. Their website sucks on mobile for troubleshooting.

alyssa0410

What do you ladies do to warm up bottles when you're out? Do you ask for a cup of hot water?

bacorrea

@KatieGummow‌ according to Medela guidelines my LC gave me, thawed milk is safe in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.

Mamamonzo

alyssatuck said:

What do you ladies do to warm up bottles when you're out? Do you ask for a cup of hot water?

Yep, we also have a car bottle warmer. Or I pump right before we leave and then the milk is good for a while.

@KatieGummow‌ I think if you thaw in the fridge and at least keep it cold it's fine not to use all the frozen in on feeding!

RedBird11

I think I have officially decided to join you ladies. I really wanted to breastfeed but it is not going well. It has gotten to the point of dreading feeding time (which seems to come very fast) and I end up in tears almost every time with my LO screaming. It has gotten progressively more painful when he latches and he seems to be having more trouble lately latching. it is very important to me and my husband that our son gets the benefits of breast milk so that's why I am going to give exclusively pumping a try. I look forward to talking with you ladies.

Mamamonzo

Anyone else have their nipples swollen at the base? Are your nipples sore all day? I'm hurting bad!

Kelsey2me

Welcome @RedBird11‌!!

@Mamamonzo‌ My nipples look swollen and are a little tender for a while after i pump, but it goes down after 20 min or so. I have to wear a sweater or something because it looks like I'm totally nippin for a little while. Could it be the suction is turned up too high? I've been the most sore when I get too antsy and turn up the suction or if I don't have my nipple perfectly centered in the flang. Also, have you tried using a little olive oil or something to libricate the flangs and reduce friction? You've probably tried all that, but it's all I can think of.

Xxlilies

I just warm the bottle in a cup of water
Doesn't really warm it but takes the chill off

Stace0616

Are there any negatives to babies eating cold milk? James sleeps until he is starving and wakes up screaming = no time to warm up the bottle. But he doesn't even care, he'll suck it down cold or room temperature. Does it make a difference digestion-wise or nutritionally?

Mamamonzo

Kelsey2me said:

Welcome @RedBird11‌!!

@Mamamonzo‌ My nipples look swollen and are a little tender for a while after i pump, but it goes down after 20 min or so. I have to wear a sweater or something because it looks like I'm totally nippin for a little while. Could it be the suction is turned up too high? I've been the most sore when I get too antsy and turn up the suction or if I don't have my nipple perfectly centered in the flang. Also, have you tried using a little olive oil or something to libricate the flangs and reduce friction? You've probably tried all that, but it's all I can think of.

My suction may be too high. I feel like if it isn't nothing comes out! Looks like I'm going to have to sit longer and turn it down!

Sheybre

Hi moms! I'm joining y'all! We tried doing breast and bottle but have slowly turned to all bottle. I tried going back a few pages to try to find my answe but didn't so I'm sorry if this has already been overly discussed!
What pump are you using? And how happy are you with it?

Right now, I'm using a cheap single electric Nuk brand pump... It's done it's job fairly well for what I needed. But now that we are exclusively pumping and LO is eating 4ozs every feeding, it's become a real struggle to keep up. I'm looking to invest in a double electric but looking for suggestions!

Mamamonzo

Medela for me. Insurance covered it. Can you look into your insurance covering a pump for you?

scarles

I am using a hygeia pump and I think it's great but I have nothing to compare it to.

RedBird11

I also got the Medela through insurance. Its the only one I have ever used so I can't really compare it to anything but I do like it. It is easy to use.

spano41

I'm renting a medela Symphony which was covered through insurance and also just bought a medela freestyle for a portable option.

bsh25c

I use the lansinoh double electric and it's great. Definitely invest in a hands free bra if you are EP.

Kelsey2me

Mamamonzo said:

Kelsey2me said:

My suction may be too high. I feel like if it isn't nothing comes out! Looks like I'm going to have to sit longer and turn it down!

No milk flows for the first couple of minutes for me either. My system has been to pump on the lowest setting for about 2 minutes, or until I see little drops of milk starting to come out, before I turn up the suction and speed. I feel like starting on a lower setting is like a warm up round for the nips.

Holljade

The medela freestyle is amazing- coupled with a hands free bra and I can walk around my house doing other things while pumping. I love that I am not chained to an outlet.

spano41

dani+california said:

I use a Medela Pump In Style as well...double electric for the win. Ironically, as a Canadian this is the ONE THING my insurance and healthcare doesn't cover! Had to pay $440 OOP for it, but it works like a dream and I'm only ever attached to it for 5 minutes at a time.

How do you only pump for 5 min at a time? Tell me your secret! It takes me at least 30 min to pump including setting up and cleaning up.

KatieGummow

Jessieann1020 said:

When I am tired and know I need to wake up again in 3 hours to pump it is really hard to keep my positive attitude that I am trying to keep.

I struggle with this too. But also during the day. I feel like time flies between pumpings and I am a cow.

snmetz7

I've been a dirty lurker on this thread as I haven't made the jump to EP yet but will be when I return to work at the end of the month.

This is a great wealth of info and I'm grateful to you ladies.

Dani... I know you said in an earlier post that you get 4 oz in like 5 mins but I heard that you need to at least pump for 10 mins to ensure a fore/hind milk balance.. Are you sure you are getting enough hind milk? If you are more power to ya! I wish my supply was that awesome.

As it is I'm struggling to get my supply up. Trying everything so I don't need to be told what I can do. It's slowly but surely increasing.

KatieGummow

Yay @snmetz7‌ I am happy your supply is going up! For me when I drink a ton of water I can get 5oz out of each breast, but can only do that once or twice a day because who had time to drink that much water?
---
I am getting frustrated because both boys are at 100mL which means that is almost my whole pump. I would like to be adding more to my freezer supply... I also am pumping closer to 4 hours apart vs 3 but I can't help it. I am feeling a little discouraged. Has anyone tried mothers milk tea? Does it work? Will my supply start going up because their appetites are? Or do I really just need to make sure I am pumping more often?
(Sorry for the novel)

patunia7321

I drink mothers milk tea. I have massive supply issues so I can't truly attest to effectiveness: I get 1-1 1/2 oz no matter what I do. As for taste, it takes a little getting used to but I don't really mind it. The box says hot or iced, so I make a pitcher of iced tea out of it and drink it all day. I add some simple syrup- it's like fresh brewed sweet tea-milk maker style!  

eta: I was getting sick of oatmeal- decided to throw in a pinch of choc chips, best decision ever. 

scarles

@KatieGummow‌ I think your supply will increase over time. I keep track of pumps using baby connect and my volume increases each day. Have you tried taking fenugreek? I've read that really helps.

scarles

Welcome @snmetz7‌! Sorry you have to join us, but we are a good group why can't you BF at home when you return to work?

KatieGummow

@megla‌ I keep hearing about fenugreek, I will have to look into it. I have no idea what it is.

Thanks for chiming in ladies!!

snmetz7

@megla‌ because of my supply issues I bf for 30-40 mins, then have to supplement usually with formula then pump to increase my supply and its just driving me crazy. I told myself I would give bf until I go back to work at which point I will be mostly pumping anyway. I want to know just how much I'm making vs how much she wants/needs. Sometimes she eats another 3 oz after feeding from me! Tbh I will probably still nurse the middle o the night feeding for the sake of convenience.

@KatieGummow‌ fenugreek has really helped me. It's a seed. It smells like maple syrup. And somehow it just works.

Stace0616

You could try spacing them out a little differently? My supply is slowly and steadily increasing--getting about 4oz per pump now which is an entire ounce over what he eats, so it's getting easier to freeze a bag or two each day.

I couldn't handle the lack of sleep, especially since DH takes the entire 8pm-2am shift. So I dropped the pump in the middle. Now when I wake up at 2am, I am getting nearly six ounces each time! Not exactly enough to make up for the missed pump, but sooooo worth the sleep. I then go shorter amounts of time between pumping a during the day so that I can still get in 8 pumps. And I try not to get my body used to a strict schedule so I pump after every feeding just to keep it guessing. My routine goes: feed baby, pump, change baby, try to get baby to nap. I think the sound of the pump calms him down LOL!

snmetz7

@Stace0616‌ DD hates the sound of the pump and gets mad every time I turn it on. I think she's mad that something else is taking all her milk.

Stace0616

Haha! Yeah we are lucky--the sound machine "heartbeat" noise that we use sounds very similar to my Medela pump noise, so I think it kind of lulls him to sleep half of the time. Which sucks because I then have to hear him scream bloody murder when I change him. But as long as I can still hear him pooping while I pump, that diaper is staying ON!!