Exclusively Pumping, 7mos in.

segorman17

i know there is another thread in this- but it's been dead for several months so I wanted to check in with all the EPing Moms. Who else is still going? I'm curious how many times you guys are pumping each day? Have you needed to supplement formula? I am still pumping 6x's a day. This week I decided to let myself sleep through the night instead of waking up to pump and drop to 5 pumps a day. Immediately  noticed a drop in my supply of around 4oz. Doesn't seem like much but I am able to make JUST enough for LO. I have increased my water intake, even started taking my supplements again for the last month but still doesn't seem to be enough of an improvement. My goal was only BM for the first year.... But I'm starting to think this isn't going to happen. I would like to know what other EPing Moms are experiencing!

nycmommy13

I still pump but BF my baby when I'm with him. Ever since he started sleeping through the night around 4 months, I haven't had to supplement with formula (since I'm rested enough to wake up before him around 4:45 and pump). Until a few weeks ago, he took 3 bottles of 6 oz per day at daycare. I pump about 4.5-5 oz per session 3 times a day on weekdays - once before he wakes up, once at night at work, and once right after I picked him up from daycare. For the past few weeks, though, he's been eating 3 solid food meals a day and dropped to 5 BM meals a day, which means I don't pump after work anymore since he usually doesn't get to the 3rd bottle at daycare. Now I just make that the 1st bottle for the following day if he doesn't drink it and feed him directly right after I pick him up. Although he doesn't take any bottles on the weekend when I'm home, I still pump once before he wakes up to help add to the bottles during the week since I don't pump quite enough for them. It's exhausting but since I'm a teacher, I'm nearly out of school and will be bottle free until September! I can't wait!

segorman17

That is great you have all summer with your LO! I'm curious about any other moms who don't breast feed at all as the lack of stimulation from baby makes keeping a supply more difficult. I should be used to it by now, but I am still envious of moms who are able to both BF and pump. After DD got her first bottle, it was all downhill from there no matter what I tried!

FilmFreak933

I'm 8 months strong EPing! My son was a month premature and was just never took to nursing, so I went the pumping route. There was a brief time early on where we supplemented maybe 3 bottles total with formula, but other than that he's had nothing but BM. I do 5 pumps a day these days (4 on the weekends). I used to be able to freeze one bottle's worth a day, but my supply has dropped a few ounces over the past couple months so now I pretty much make exactly enough and occasionally have to pull out a frozen bag. In the beginning I was taking supplements/eating foods to encourage production, but I haven't done any of that in a few months. My goal is one year, and I probably won't drop any pumps until maybe he's 11 months. 4 more months - I can do this! 

ColoradoHiker

I'm pumping 4x a day still, I had to seriously cut down when I started working again.  My boobs were so heavy and big (36I.  Yes, that is an I) that when I started wearing regular bras again, my neck, shoulders and back couldn't take it.  I also had a huge oversupply (60 oz/ day), though.  I'm averaging about 30oz a day now, just enough to keep LO happy, with a few oz here and there supplemented with formula.  I'd rather mix than go back to higher output, tbh.  I've still got four or five canisters of free formula from the companies, haha.  

My original goal was to EP as long as I could, with the understanding that if it was too much, I'd stop.  Then it was 6 months, and now it's 7 months (tomorrow, actually).  For the moment, I'm happy and comfortable, so I'll keep going until we hit 1 year or I'm tired of it.  DH still supports this 100%.  I figure, I didn't even want to BF while I was pregnant, so every day LO still gets BM is a win in my book.

segorman17

I'm so glad you EPers are doing so well with it!! For me, supply has almost always been an issue. I'm frequently trying new things to get my supply up... Supplements, renting different pumps, power pumping, adding an extra pump, blah, blah, blah... And I have had to supplement here and there which I was trying to avoid. In the first few months I was able to freeze around 200oz, but I haven't been able to give any of it to LO due to the fact that she spits up with it, (LC said this could be due to high lipase in the milk). In the last week my supply has really taken a dive and I have had to supplement 6-8oz a day with formula. More than anything I want to make it to 1 year, and it is great to hear there are others out there who are still going strong! I just wanted to hear from others to know this wasn't an impossible goal and stay motivated. Way to go Mommas!

Ceridwen77

segorman17 said:

I'm so glad you EPers are doing so well with it!! For me, supply has almost always been an issue. I'm frequently trying new things to get my supply up... Supplements, renting different pumps, power pumping, adding an extra pump, blah, blah, blah... And I have had to supplement here and there which I was trying to avoid. In the first few months I was able to freeze around 200oz, but I haven't been able to give any of it to LO due to the fact that she spits up with it, (LC said this could be due to high lipase in the milk). In the last week my supply has really taken a dive and I have had to supplement 6-8oz a day with formula. More than anything I want to make it to 1 year, and it is great to hear there are others out there who are still going strong! I just wanted to hear from others to know this wasn't an impossible goal and stay motivated. Way to go Mommas!

Have you tried scalding the frozen milk? That typically eliminates issues from high lipase. 

segorman17

I was told and also read that has to be done when the milk is fresh. I tried doing it with thawed milk and it didn't help.