Pumping too early?

AccidentlyEvil

FTM who was due Sept 30, but Baby Girl decided to debut early last Friday. (Woohoo!) While we knew there was a possibility she could come early, SO & I figured she would follow trend and be late if anything. We made plans to have our last real 'date night' this weekend, assuming we'd get it in before she was born.  It's not anything super fancy, just going down to a local music festival for the evening. For a multitude of reasons, I think our relationship really needs this "us" time, but I'm breastfeeding Baby Girl. Her grandma has agreed to watch her if we still want to go to the music festival, but we would be gone long enough that Baby Girl will need a meal or two before we pick her up. Everything I'm reading on breastfeeding and pumping says to wait at least 4 weeks before pumping or using a bottle if breastfeeding to ensure the smoothest long-term breastfeeding experience. This would be a one-off occurrence, but I don't want to do anything detrimental to the breastfeeding process either. Any advice or experiences to relate on when is "too early" to pump/bottle feed? 

*x-posted in Sept 2015 Birth Month board*

delujm0

I pumped the first time around 4 days...LO slept for a long stretch that night and I needed to take the edge off. Not a big deal.

I gave two bottles at 10 days bc my nipples needed a break (pumping didn't bother them but feeding did at first). She didn't have another bottle until 3 weeks. We were no worse for wear.

Do what you have to do...some babies are picky about bottles vs breast and some like mine don't seem to care as long as they're fed.

jesselayne8

I have always pumped within the first week with all 3 kids.

MeganG216

My baby girl started out in the NICU (one week late with meconium aspiration and pneumonia), and the hospital had me start pumping right away after every feeding, to help build a supply and for supplementing until her latch improved. I think if you are just pumping a couple times it should be fine. The reason they say not to pump too early is so you don't end up with an oversupply. I'm a SAHM, but still pump every morning after the first nursing session. I've done this since the beginning and never had any issues. Also, we started bottles around 2.5 weeks, a few times a week and didn't have any confusion.

MeganG216

Also, if you're going to be gone for long enough, you may want to figure out a way to pump at some point, for comfort and so you don't hurt your supply. Last weekend, at 6 months, I left my LO home with her daddy for 5 hours (longest stretch apart) and I brought my little manual pump with me. I was very glad I did, because I was hurting after 4 hours. Not sure where you'd be able to pump at a music festival, though.

AccidentlyEvil

Thanks for the advice ladies!  We both survived the weekend!  I fed her just before we left and she was hungry when we got back so she was able to relieve me even before we left Grandma's!  Grandma said she did fine with the bottle, though she finished all the milk I packed, so next time I'll have to make sure there's more!

KantriKaida

I know this is late but I had to start bottle feeding my baby girl on day 3 because she wasn't getting anything to eat. I try breastfeeding and 75% of the time she breastfeeds now. I also pump after every other feeding except at night and my supply hasn't gotten any more so. But I switch back and forth as needed and seems to be working fine for me.