Ahhhh, baby boy FINALLY went 5 hours between feeds last night - 9:20 - 2:25. Not that I expect a repeat so soon, but that was golden. Hopefully next time I can take advantage and sleep, instead of constantly checking on him.
Anddddd my freezer stash passed 100oz today. It's a pretty good Thursday!
This is purely curiosity... Is there a reason you're building such a huge stash?? Do you think you'll stop pumping before baby is done BFing? That's incredible!
100 oz is a huge stash?! I've been EBF for the past week now. I was EP since he was born and I passed 100 oz probably by 3-4 weeks PP (which caused an oversupply for me). Should I stop building a stash until I go back to work?
TBH I don't know how much you should have stockpiled for going back to work full time, but 100 oz seems like about at least a week's supply (for work hours, not all day/night), and since you'll probably be pumping at work to refill your stash... It seems like more than enough?? But I'm sure other working mamas know better than me. I was EP with my daughter for almost a month, and I also had well over 100 oz stockpiled. A lot of it went to waste when she stopped nursing (a year later).
The size of the stash definitely depends on your work plans. I had about 100 oz stashed going into work and was obsessive about pumping g at least the amount LO ate that day for the next day while at work. By the time he was a year, having a rotating stash allowed me to drop one work pump a few weeks before actually starting him on one cup of milk per day rather than breastmilk. It's on the future for many of us yet, but I don't really recommend stopping cold turkey after hacing bf for a while-- I tried dropping just two feeds at once initially and felt really engorged and kind of depressed. My body had gotten used to the oxytocin, so I pick one back up again and just waited for him to naturally drop the feeds one at a time instead. Eta I also pulled from my stash so that I could use fresh pumped in baby food for 6mo-7mo when he was on purees which needed liquid added.
I'm impressed with you ladies who have any sort of stash. I've never stashed more than a day or two worths of milk (not including nighttime feedings) for any of my children. This baby is 4 weeks old and I haven't pumped once. I am a SAHM but I'll want to be able to leave the baby at some point or another.
@Thismakes4 I plan to stay home this year, and my stash is only at 6oz this time around. I've just been manually pumping an oz after his morning feeds this week to get something started.
I think I'm on the verge of tears hearing how much everyone has in a stash. And I can't even say at least I don't get engorged at night and/or leak. I feel so behind.
I'll bring the Kleenex and we can cry together..too creepy? Sorry... Happy for those that can build stashes but I'd gladly trade for enough milk to keep my baby happy....guess it wasn't meant to be. Doesn't mean I'm ok with it though. I'm gonna go have my pity party now....
I think I'm on the verge of tears hearing how much everyone has in a stash. And I can't even say at least I don't get engorged at night and/or leak. I feel so behind.
No no no tears! I believe you get sleep, yes? One beast for another, I suppose
I think I'm on the verge of tears hearing how much everyone has in a stash. And I can't even say at least I don't get engorged at night and/or leak. I feel so behind.
No no no tears! I believe you get sleep, yes? One beast for another, I suppose
Stuck in box - Nope. She wakes up and has been a beast to put back down lately. Plus, I'm so engorgred, I wake her up if she doesn't on her own.
@Thismakes4 I plan to stay home this year, and my stash is only at 6oz this time around. I've just been manually pumping an oz after his morning feeds this week to get something started.
Are you freezing just 1oz at a time or adding milk together? I wish I could gauge how much lo is actually eating at each feeding.
@Thismakes4 I plan to stay home this year, and my stash is only at 6oz this time around. I've just been manually pumping an oz after his morning feeds this week to get something started.
Are you freezing just 1oz at a time or adding milk together? I wish I could gauge how much lo is actually eating at each feeding.
I'm adding it together in the fridge and freezing at 3oz.
Anyone EBFing and thinking about stash? I can't figure out how to get more than like one bottle a week and that usually goes to what I like to call "goddamnit I can't take it you feed the baby!"
@JoMunson I think most of us EBFers are feeding in demand. I pump in the morning and pray she stays asleep or doesn't cry if she's awake. If she hasn't eaten yet, I drain the past boob she ate from and then top off to round up to the next ounce from the full boob.
I started pumping one side in the morning after she started sleeping for 6 hrs. I only do one side each feeding but was waking up engorged on both so it made sense
@JoMunson I think most of us EBFers are feeding in demand. I pump in the morning and pray she stays asleep or doesn't cry if she's awake. If she hasn't eaten yet, I drain the past boob she ate from and then top off to round up to the next ounce from the full boob.
How do you not feed on demand? Isn't that how everyone feeds their babies?
@JoMunson yep. I'm just pumping after he eats in the morning and stopping when I get an oz so I don't end up with an oversupply. I'm focusing on my slightly smaller side to even them out, which works out well because it's the faster letdown side that he doesn't like as much...so it doesn't take me very long to get a bit each day.
@JoMunson I think most of us EBFers are feeding in demand. I pump in the morning and pray she stays asleep or doesn't cry if she's awake. If she hasn't eaten yet, I drain the past boob she ate from and then top off to round up to the next ounce from the full boob.
How do you not feed on demand? Isn't that how everyone feeds their babies?
This makes sense. Ezra's sleep schedule is just starting to regulate so I think I can start fitting in more regular pumping. also I agree most people feed their babies on demand. Some people (that mythical some person somewhere) don't because they think babies get hungry on a schedule.
@JoMunson I think most of us EBFers are feeding in demand. I pump in the morning and pray she stays asleep or doesn't cry if she's awake. If she hasn't eaten yet, I drain the past boob she ate from and then top off to round up to the next ounce from the full boob.
How do you not feed on demand? Isn't that how everyone feeds their babies?
This makes sense. Ezra's sleep schedule is just starting to regulate so I think I can start fitting in more regular pumping. also I agree most people feed their babies on demand. Some people (that mythical some person somewhere) don't because they think babies get hungry on a schedule.
DD only feeds on one side at a time so I'll pump one while feeding her on the other in the morning when I'm really engorged. By the time she's hungry again I have enough in either boob to fill her up. I only do it every few days and it hasn't seemed to affect my supply much.
DH is super helpful with the baby, but he always exaggerates how long he was up in the night. (I'm EBF, so DH doesn't have to get up with him that often).
Last night, for example, DS was gassy and we were both up on and off with him from 2-6:30. I overheard him tell someone that he "went to bed at 11:45, and only got an hour and a half of sleep and was up with the baby." False, for one, he went to bed at 10:45, and two, I was up with DS for over an hour before he got up.
I I really appreciate that he'll get up with DS in the night, but it cracks me up how dramatic he is about it.
Married: May 2012 DS1: May 2016 DS2: Jan 2019 Baby #3 EDD: 6/18/24
My LO tends to have a light breakfast and then falls right back to sleep leaving my breasts pretty full. I pump while she's asleep for 15 mins on each side and get 4-5oz total.
DH is super helpful with the baby, but he always exaggerates how long he was up in the night. (I'm EBF, so DH doesn't have to get up with him that often).
Last night, for example, DS was gassy and we were both up on and off with him from 2-6:30. I overheard him tell someone that he "went to bed at 11:45, and only got an hour and a half of sleep and was up with the baby." False, for one, he went to bed at 10:45, and two, I was up with DS for over an hour before he got up.
I I really appreciate that he'll get up with DS in the night, but it cracks me up how dramatic he is about it.
The one night early on I was up the whole night (no exaggeration there) and baby threw up all over me. Dh told his work friends that "we" were officially parents after that night. Really? Cause he slept through the whole thing....
DH has offered to take LO while I get a massage this weekend. Because I'm an ass I am going to purposely leave chores for him to complete. A couple loads of laundry and cooking a dinner should give him a small glimpse into my world. He always tells people he's taken care of LO before while I was out. He's talking about once when I left him with LO for 2 hours. I fed her before I left so she fell asleep and didn't wake back up until I returned. He has no clue what all day is like.
Seltzer water really does help with soda addiction! I find that I just love that cold fizz rather than the sugary aspect. Any other migraine mamas on here? I don't think I got a single one when pregnant but here I am 7 weeks pp and they're coming back. It doesn't help that some of my triggers (not eating/drinking enough, not getting enough sleep, loud noises) are also just par for the course for moms.
Just need to vent for 2 secs: My husband keeps wasting my time with him and kind of the baby's time too. Let me explain. Our day for the past week and a half has been get up around 6, he changes her, I feed her, she goes back down for a longer morning nap, he goes to work around 8-9 and I'm with the baby for the day. He may or may not hang out with her if she wakes up early before he goes and I'm pumping or doing something else. However, his "hanging out" with her is him texting or on FB while she lies on the bed awake next to him. Ugh. Then he's gone all day and been coming home (what for me is) super late. Like 9-10 late. Which I get that some people have to do that, but we own our own business so he sets his own hours and he has a freaking baby to help out with! So not only does he not really help out with chores/daily duties before he leaves (besides the one diaper change and making coffee), but then he skips out on having to help after work too. I just want to be able to clean 1 room and maybe do 1 load of laundry while he holds her so I don't have to hear her scream bloody murder till I finish (because inevitably she will wake every single time I try to get something done). Not only that, but then we don't wind up having anytime to ourselves together because while she goes to bed at 7, I'm in bed between 9-10. He (like many of your DH it seems) also exaggerates his roll in MOTN duties and sleeps from the time he gets home till about 5-6 meanwhile this mama handles the feedings and such. I finally get time to hang out on the weekends with him, but either I'm so fed up that I can't do anything during the week that I go run errands or clean house while he "watches" her or he's scheduled another job on his day off so he's not here to help at all. Sorry for the novel ladies! I'm just really needing some adult conversation and a little help around here wouldn't hurt.
ETA: he also likes to complain that he has to change ALL the diapers. *insert eye rolling emoji* 1-2 a day does not make all the diapers. I did freak out the other day on his lack of participation and he wound up cleaning the whole house by himself though so there's that?
Just need to vent for 2 secs: My husband keeps wasting my time with him and kind of the baby's time too. Let me explain. Our day for the past week and a half has been get up around 6, he changes her, I feed her, she goes back down for a longer morning nap, he goes to work around 8-9 and I'm with the baby for the day. He may or may not hang out with her if she wakes up early before he goes and I'm pumping or doing something else. However, his "hanging out" with her is him texting or on FB while she lies on the bed awake next to him. Ugh. Then he's gone all day and been coming home (what for me is) super late. Like 9-10 late. Which I get that some people have to do that, but we own our own business so he sets his own hours and he has a freaking baby to help out with! So not only does he not really help out with chores/daily duties before he leaves (besides the one diaper change and making coffee), but then he skips out on having to help after work too. I just want to be able to clean 1 room and maybe do 1 load of laundry while he holds her so I don't have to hear her scream bloody murder till I finish (because inevitably she will wake every single time I try to get something done). Not only that, but then we don't wind up having anytime to ourselves together because I go to bed between 9-10. He (like many of your DH it seems) also exaggerates his roll in MOTN duties and sleeps from the time he gets home till about 5-6 meanwhile this mama handles the feedings and such. I finally get time to hang out on the weekends with him, but either I'm so fed up that I can't do anything during the week that I go run errands or clean house while her "watches" her or he's scheduled another job on his day off. Sorry for the novel ladies! I'm just really needing some adult conversation and a little help around here wouldn't hurt.
My DH (and baby!) are that way too sometimes. Here's my advice: 1. I told DH I was worried about his relationship with LO because he didn't seem to engage him enough. DH kindof schooled me about the games they play when I'm not paying attention and I noticed more "of course I'll take him" or "we got this go do X" after we talked. He's not perfect, but it felt better knowing he was at least aware of his relationship. 2. Ezra will cry if I put him down to do anything if he is awake, which sounds like your LO. I'm telling you, get yourself a carrier! It's magic! If Ezra is fed and changed and has a paci he will zonk out in his carrier or look around quietly while I clean or do the dishes or the laundry or goof off on the bump a carrier seriously made it more manageable for me to have a baby who loves being held.
@JoMunson ok glad I'm not the only one who's experienced some disconnect without a little nudge to connect more/show more interest. I have a Mei Tai which I love, but it was hard for me to get it on by myself. I finally broke down and got an agility yesterday so I'm hoping that helps! I only tried using it once today already, but had to take her out pretty much immediately to feed so I haven't gotten to play with it much.
@JoMunson ok glad I'm not the only one who's experienced some disconnect without a little nudge to connect more/show more interest. I have a Mei Tai which I love, but it was hard for me to get it on by myself. I finally broke down and got an agility yesterday so I'm hoping that helps! I only tried using it once today already, but had to take her out pretty much immediately to feed so I haven't gotten to play with it much.
I think we're so in tune with our kids we forget husbands haven't had the nine months we have- not excusing any lazy parenting though! carrier style definitely matters. We have an ergo but I can't do the high clip by myself so I got a moby and it's amazing.
@JoMunson so true about the being in tune thing! Honestly though I'm feeling at this point I would take on all the parenting so long as he would make the time for me. You know have dinner together once in a while, plan a date, hang out on the couch and cuddle, talk about something other than the latest baby news, do something for me without being asked....anything. *Sigh* we will find our rhythm eventually.
@JoMunson so true about the being in tune thing! Honestly though I'm feeling at this point I would take on all the parenting so long as he would make the time for me. You know have dinner together once in a while, plan a date, hang out on the couch and cuddle, talk about something other than the latest baby news, do something for me without being asked....anything. *Sigh* we will find our rhythm eventually.
for the past week everytime DH has offered to give Pollie her MOTN bottle she ends up sleeping through the night, on the other nights she wakes up. Somehow this little daddy's girl knows when he's on MOTN duty and becomes the worlds best sleeper
for the past week everytime DH has offered to give Pollie her MOTN bottle she ends up sleeping through the night, on the other nights she wakes up. Somehow this little daddy's girl knows when he's on MOTN duty and becomes the worlds best sleeper
So...DH is gone...and we've talked briefly before about how had we known that he would have been gone for 3 months out of the 6 since moving to VA from CA, and then deploy for 8 months, I likely would've stayed with family back in CA so that I wasn't alone with two dogs, a baby, and a yard to mow, a house to keep, etc all by myself. Anyway, he found out that when he gets home from his 8 month deployment, they're sending him to Japan unaccompanied (without DD and I) for 18 months just 5 short months after he gets home. Money is tight so we made the decision for me to pack up our house, put everything in storage, and drive cross country back to CA to live with my parents for a few months and then take over the lease at my sister's duplex. I'm so so sad that DH is gone and even more upset to hear that we are going to spend so much more time apart over the next few years, and am excited to be close to family again since they're def not my husband, but it'll be nice to be in a familiar city and close to people I love who can help out a little bit emotionally and with the baby. I am however, effing crazy for giving myself 6 weeks to make arrangements for this all to happen, pack up my 3 bedroom house, and drive 3,000 miles back to CA with a baby and two dogs. Wish me luck and sanity!
Best of luck to you, @ncm0328 ! I can't imagine how difficult this all must be for you and DH, but it sounds like you are doing the best thing by being closer to your family and in a familiar area. And thank you to your DH for his service!
We are officially under contract on a house! Waiting on inspection and all that fun stuff but we bought our first home! Hooray!!!! Can't wait to be in our own place.
@ncm0328 Hugs my fellow milso! The stuff we have to do. My dad was a pilot, and I told myself I never wanted to be with anyone in the military. And what happens? I fall in love with a pilot. He's so good and so involved with LO. When I thank him for everything he does, he tells me that he does it because one day he may have to deploy and then it will be all me. I dread that day.
We are officially under contract on a house! Waiting on inspection and all that fun stuff but we bought our first home! Hooray!!!! Can't wait to be in our own place.
Awesome!! Hope there are no 'surprises' at the inspection and everything goes through smoothly!
Re: Weekly Randoms 6/20
Eta I also pulled from my stash so that I could use fresh pumped in baby food for 6mo-7mo when he was on purees which needed liquid added.
Happy for those that can build stashes but I'd gladly trade for enough milk to keep my baby happy....guess it wasn't meant to be.
Doesn't mean I'm ok with it though. I'm gonna go have my pity party now....
ETA I'm bad with words.
also I agree most people feed their babies on demand. Some people (that mythical some person somewhere) don't because they think babies get hungry on a schedule.
Last night, for example, DS was gassy and we were both up on and off with him from 2-6:30. I overheard him tell someone that he "went to bed at 11:45, and only got an hour and a half of sleep and was up with the baby." False, for one, he went to bed at 10:45, and two, I was up with DS for over an hour before he got up.
I I really appreciate that he'll get up with DS in the night, but it cracks me up how dramatic he is about it.
DS1: May 2016
DS2: Jan 2019
Baby #3 EDD: 6/18/24
DD: 05/14/16
of this la croix .... Really need to kick that habit so I can lose this stubborn preggo weight
Any other migraine mamas on here? I don't think I got a single one when pregnant but here I am 7 weeks pp and they're coming back. It doesn't help that some of my triggers (not eating/drinking enough, not getting enough sleep, loud noises) are also just par for the course for moms.
ETA: he also likes to complain that he has to change ALL the diapers. *insert eye rolling emoji* 1-2 a day does not make all the diapers. I did freak out the other day on his lack of participation and he wound up cleaning the whole house by himself though so there's that?
1. I told DH I was worried about his relationship with LO because he didn't seem to engage him enough. DH kindof schooled me about the games they play when I'm not paying attention and I noticed more "of course I'll take him" or "we got this go do X" after we talked. He's not perfect, but it felt better knowing he was at least aware of his relationship.
2. Ezra will cry if I put him down to do anything if he is awake, which sounds like your LO. I'm telling you, get yourself a carrier! It's magic! If Ezra is fed and changed and has a paci he will zonk out in his carrier or look around quietly while I clean or do the dishes or the laundry or goof off on the bump
carrier style definitely matters. We have an ergo but I can't do the high clip by myself so I got a moby and it's amazing.
5.5.16 | 8.14.17 | 1.30.19