Wow, THANK YOU, everyone!! This was really helpful. I do have two questions:
1 - how much freezer space do you need if you want to pump and freeze? We have a small freezer and I'm worried about space.
2 - a lot of you have advised against pumping early but I was planning on doing that so that DH could bond with baby during feedings as well. Did anyone do this?
@books&icecream I would suggest (unless you are having supply issues) that instead of trying to pump and let dad bottle feed early on, after you finish nursing, let DH take care of burping and changing after a feed, etc. Once you are pumping, let DH take over one middle-of-the-night feeding with a bottle while you pump, so you all get back to sleep a little faster. (This was one of my favorite tips from an LC when we were figuring out our routine)
@books&icecream I agree with @kmvisioli. In the beginning, dad can do some of bathing, changing, burping, and also have him do skin to skin with baby so they can bond. I recently read an article stating babies love to study dad's face and associate it with play and socializing, so baby would probably love a lot of face to face time with dad, too!
As as far as freezer space, we were slightly limited, too, but I used the kinde system which was helpful with storing and pumping. If you are committed to pumping and storing up a freezer stash, I would at least save a quarter of your freezer space for your milk, but half would be even better.
My Moms on Call book said that if you're going to go back to work or need to bottle feed, starting with one bottle feed a day at around 2 weeks will help baby with the transition so... I was thinking about making that feed a formula feed for 2 reasons: 1- give DH a chance to bond and help out 2- formula typically holds them over a little longer so maybe we could get a slightly longer stretch of sleep at the beginning of the night
@bnsmith85 For what it's worth, I've been considering it for the sake of having more control over feedings and how much time I spend on them, and I can have help with feedings. Since I'm in school, have 3 other children whose needs need met, and the youngest two are potentially going to be in an infant head start program if their applications are accepted (this LO doesn't have a middle name, but he has a school application out already), it just seems like it would be the best option for our situation. Even with all that going on, it's still a MAYBE for me though.
@bnsmith85 my only concern with doing one formula feed while otherwise using breastmilk is that they are really different to a baby's digestive system. Lots of people do supplement (I did early on), but it may take some figuring out which brand works best for your baby to avoid tummy troubles or constipation from the formula bottle.
@kmvisioli... That was actually something I was worried about too. Will it screw up her digestive system going back and forth like that? Or will her stomach get used to both. My book said it takes 5-7 days for their stomach to fully adjust to a new formula
I'd just like to totally advocate for letting dad do one formula bottle at night. It's good for everyone.
I used Hipp and/or Holle to supplement after I could no longer solely supply the huge demand my little milk monster made on me.
I fully recommend researching what formula you may want to use, and having it at home ready to go before baby is born- even if you intend to EBF. Some people need a break to sleep, some take longer for milk to come in, some babies lose weight really fast. You may never open it, but you don't want to have to run out stressed with an angry kid to go get it.
Wow, THANK YOU, everyone!! This was really helpful. I do have two questions:
1 - how much freezer space do you need if you want to pump and freeze? We have a small freezer and I'm worried about space.
2 - a lot of you have advised against pumping early but I was planning on doing that so that DH could bond with baby during feedings as well. Did anyone do this?
1- you won't know until you get there. I had a girlfriend who mostly filled a full size deep freezer. I only needed about half a small freezer (i.e. of a freezer/fridge combo). There are rules about how long you can store milk and it what kind of freezer...you can store it in a deep freeze for 1 year before you must toss it. Refer to kellymom.com.
2- I've said before here- don't make it a priority unless you have oversupply or are uncomfortably full & baby is full. It can lead to oversupply in those early months while your body is still regulating. Now if you have under supply- an LC may ask you to BF, then immediately pump, then bottle feed what you pumped. Obviously H can do that. But again, you won't know til you get there.
There are only a thousand ways dad can bond with baby that don't involve feeding baby a bottle. But if you (or he) really want that experience, my personal recc is to do a formula bottle feed overnight with dad. Formula really isn't the devil.
NoraAurora said: ...Formula really isn't the devil.
Really love seeing others say this. Not to start the BF vs formula debate, but so many moms get so disappointed if BF doesn't work for them and it's heartbreaking to see. Breastmilk, formula... As long as your LO is fed, that's the most important thing. I always feel like I'm in the minority about this though.
Just wanted to add that, I know it can really vary from baby/mom to baby/mom, but about a week after coming home with her baby my friend had to go back into the hospital due to undetected complications from childbirth. She was very sick so the baby stayed home and was formula fed for a few days, but went back to breastfeeding without issues ever since she got better. So even if something goes wrong it's possible for some (not all) babies to adapt easily. I've been recommended by other friends to try to EBF for the first month before pumping though, if it's in my control. That is, if breastfeeding works out for me when I try it
I think "if it works out" is a really healthy attitude to go into BFing with. Obviously try your best (if it's important to you) and don't give up on a bad day- but don't put all your hopes & dreams onto it
I called my insurance today to see if they cover a breast pump, and they do. Now I just have to decide which one. They cover single, double, electric and manual. So almost everything, but not hospital grade. Is there one that anyone would suggest? Any brand better than another?
TTC #1 since August 2015 BFP #1 January 28, 2016
EDD October 3, 2016 Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016 My Chart
TTC #2 Since August 2020 BFP #2 September 11, 2020 EDD May 23, 2021
You want a double electric. Medela PISA is a popular one, I used it (the backpack one) and it worked fine. I hear overwhelmingly positive reviews on the spectra 2 - it's currently the best selling pump on amazon.
Keep in mind too your insurance may cover a hospital grade rental fee if Rx'd by your OB. It might be worth asking specifically about that, as there is a world of difference between the effectiveness of hospital pumps and the rest.
I asked the insurance if they did rentals or purchases and if the would ever cover a hospital grade pump. They said that they only cover a hospital grade pump while in the hospital and only do purchases, not rentals. Good to know about those pumps. I went to a DME store today and they had 4 medela pumps and I think they had a spectra too. They had like 6 or 7 different kinds of pumps.
TTC #1 since August 2015 BFP #1 January 28, 2016
EDD October 3, 2016 Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016 My Chart
TTC #2 Since August 2020 BFP #2 September 11, 2020 EDD May 23, 2021
From what everyone is saying here, hospital grade seems more desirable. Why?
One thing I'm considering when choosing a pump is, how easy is it for me to get refills or regular maintenance things I might need/extras I might want to buy.
Based on maintenance and extras I think medela would be best. There was tons of stuff for them in the store I went to. They had all the replacement parts too. I don't know if that would be the same in your area.
I was told that hospital grade more closely mimics the sucking of a baby. Not sure how true that is.
TTC #1 since August 2015 BFP #1 January 28, 2016
EDD October 3, 2016 Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016 My Chart
TTC #2 Since August 2020 BFP #2 September 11, 2020 EDD May 23, 2021
Based on maintenance and extras I think medela would be best. There was tons of stuff for them in the store I went to. They had all the replacement parts too. I don't know if that would be the same in your area.
I was told that hospital grade more closely mimics the sucking of a baby. Not sure how true that is.
This is why I chose the Medela from the options my insurance company gave me. Seems like the easiest to maintain parts locally if need be.
Medela parts are also super cheap on Amazon. I will say that my Lansinoh hand pump is more comfortable to use than my Medela PISA, but the double electric is faster to do a full pumping session.
Hospital pumps are "better" because they are more powerful than standard/portables. I def wouldn't say that it feels more like a baby's suck, but the positive is that it takes less time than a standard pump to complete a session, which is *very* valuable when you are pumping 7-8x/day at 15-20 min a session (as opposed to 20-30 min a session).
Now, if you're only using the pump for once you get back to work or the odd outing here & there, or pumping in your car etc, you don't need a hospital pump. But if you find yourself in the position of EP'ing and you are committed to giving LO breastmilk as exclusively as possible for as long as possible (ie 1 year plus) then you will want a hospital pump as they are going to help you maintain your supply in a way that standard pumps really can't.
As for the ability to find parts easily - as a new mom, I can't stress enough the importance of getting amazon prime for the first year (if you live in the US anyways). Can't stress enough. It seriously can make life so so so much simpler. Medela definitely tends to have a corner on the pump market, so it is easiest to find medela parts. However all kinds of everything is easily available on amazon, so there's that option which is made more attractive by prime.
@NoraAurora... So helpful! Thank you! We do have Amazon Prime sonwe'll definitely get use out of it!
Isn't there an Amazon mom subscription or something like that? I feel like I remember a colleague doing that for diapers and such. Anyone know about this?
@bnsmith85 I think there is Amazon Mom or something like that! My parents just got Prime so I guess I'll just use their account and enter my info! This will be really helpful since we live in a small town with nothing. Haha
Me:33 DH: 34 Married: May 2011 TTC #1: May 2015 DS: 10/20/2016 TTC #2: June 2019 #2 EDD: 2/20/2020
@ibabyloveb87 ... Your parents can add an account to their prime subscription so you can just have it for your account. That's what we do... DH's parents get it yearly and link our account on there.
I forget what happened with amazon mom - you can open a chat window with a rep and ask. Basically they just do 20% off subscribe & save diapers (which is fantastic) but I'm not sure it applies to much else or not?
Okay I have a question for the BTDT moms and it's a seriously dumb one but I'm curious. You know how on tv they show a mom that has gone back to work while she's breastfeeding and someone around her starts crying and then she starts leaking cause crying it a trigger to the body that baby is hungry so you start producing? Does that really happen?
@LauraPCOS it happened to me! I know it doesn't happen to everyone. I remember one time, we went out for our first date night after DD was born and I heard a baby cry. Instant leaking. Right thru my shirt. I doubled up on pads in my bra after that and always brought extras. Sometimes, all I would have to do was look at a picture of DD and I would start leaking.
@LauraPCOS YES. My very first date night out after I had DD, a woman came into the restaurant we were eating at with an infant. It started cooing and making noises and not 2 minutes later the front of my shirt was soaking wet. Never in a million years was I prepared for THAT. So yes, it is very real. ALWAYS keep nursing pads in your bra, always.
@LauraPCOS yup, I soaked the front of my dress in church on Easter Sunday when DS was a few weeks old, just from bending over! A warm shower also always made me leak all over the place, and I would soak through nursing pads overnight. It does ease up, though!
Definitely a grown adult crying would have never ever caused me to letdown. But I kind of can't stand criers (I'm sort of an asshole) so I may be a SS. However going to the grocery store & hearing a crying infant (not even a crying toddler or child would do it) caused letdown, as well as visiting a friend in the hospital who just had a baby, and working on the pediatrics floor. It's weird.
The sound of crying infants still stresses me out to an unreasonable degree- I'm starting to think I will always feel this way.
@LauraPCOS yup, I soaked the front of my dress in church on Easter Sunday when DS was a few weeks old, just from bending over! A warm shower also always made me leak all over the place, and I would soak through nursing pads overnight. It does ease up, though!
Also yes to the showers, good luck getting your legs dried off after a shower for a while. Mine got milked everytime I bent over to dry off. Then I'd get mad over "all that wasted milk".
Not only would I have letdown when a baby would cry, I also had phantom letdown after I stopped BFing. Strangest feeling ever. This thread has made me realize how much I've already forgotten about BFing since DD. I'm hoping that it all comes back to me!
Ok, this isn't exactly breastfeeding related, but it sort of is ...
I need advice from some BDTD mamas on your fave nursing bras! Especially the seamless kind, since I know that at this point my boobs will still be changing a lot. But all of my bras are so uncomfortable right now! Earlier in my pregnancy I impulsively bought a nursing bra at Target when I was pressed for time, which was a huge mistake because the fit is horrendous (the sides poke out, ugh). I tried on a few at motherhood maternity and they gave me horrible uniboob and no support. I was a 32 DD before pregnancy and those bras are currently way too small in the band and cup, so I need something supportive. I'm generally pretty cheap but willing to spend a little more for something awesome! I'm dying for comfort and support over here!!!
@blonde1817 I'm looking forward to comments on this, too! Personally I bought a few of the shelf/sports-bra style nursing bras to use at first, and am planning to measure for the more structured ones - that I will wear to work - after my milk comes in. I don't trust my boobs not to flip out on me and change more.
The most comfortable nursing bras I found were from Soma, and they were 2/$60 (for actual underwire ones, which yes you should wait a little while to buy). Most comfortable soft bra was a Gilligan O'malley one from Target. I was a 36D pre-preg, so I understand the larger bust issue!
I hated all of my nursing bras last time, so I'm interested in seeing what worked for others. I've been checking out some of the bras on Zulily, since they are fairly affordable. Lucie's List has some recommendations as well.
Just according to my experience - it's hard to recommend a bra without knowing your needs. For example, if you're a SAHM/WAHM and you know you will rarely or never be pumping, Cake bras are amazeballs.
If you're going back to work early, pumping often (or EP'ing) you will obviously need a great pumping bra. I loved Dairy Fairy's Arden bra. It also works as a nursing bra but maybe not as comfortably as some others.
Re: All Things Breastfeeding
1 - how much freezer space do you need if you want to pump and freeze? We have a small freezer and I'm worried about space.
2 - a lot of you have advised against pumping early but I was planning on doing that so that DH could bond with baby during feedings as well. Did anyone do this?
DS#2 due 25 April 2019
Once you are pumping, let DH take over one middle-of-the-night feeding with a bottle while you pump, so you all get back to sleep a little faster. (This was one of my favorite tips from an LC when we were figuring out our routine)
As as far as freezer space, we were slightly limited, too, but I used the kinde system which was helpful with storing and pumping. If you are committed to pumping and storing up a freezer stash, I would at least save a quarter of your freezer space for your milk, but half would be even better.
1- give DH a chance to bond and help out
2- formula typically holds them over a little longer so maybe we could get a slightly longer stretch of sleep at the beginning of the night
thoughts on this idea?
I used Hipp and/or Holle to supplement after I could no longer solely supply the huge demand my little milk monster made on me.
I fully recommend researching what formula you may want to use, and having it at home ready to go before baby is born- even if you intend to EBF. Some people need a break to sleep, some take longer for milk to come in, some babies lose weight really fast. You may never open it, but you don't want to have to run out stressed with an angry kid to go get it.
2- I've said before here- don't make it a priority unless you have oversupply or are uncomfortably full & baby is full. It can lead to oversupply in those early months while your body is still regulating. Now if you have under supply- an LC may ask you to BF, then immediately pump, then bottle feed what you pumped. Obviously H can do that. But again, you won't know til you get there.
There are only a thousand ways dad can bond with baby that don't involve feeding baby a bottle. But if you (or he) really want that experience, my personal recc is to do a formula bottle feed overnight with dad. Formula really isn't the devil.
BFP #1 January 28, 2016
Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016
My Chart
BFP #2 September 11, 2020
EDD May 23, 2021
Keep in mind too your insurance may cover a hospital grade rental fee if Rx'd by your OB. It might be worth asking specifically about that, as there is a world of difference between the effectiveness of hospital pumps and the rest.
Good to know about those pumps. I went to a DME store today and they had 4 medela pumps and I think they had a spectra too. They had like 6 or 7 different kinds of pumps.
BFP #1 January 28, 2016
Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016
My Chart
BFP #2 September 11, 2020
EDD May 23, 2021
One thing I'm considering when choosing a pump is, how easy is it for me to get refills or regular maintenance things I might need/extras I might want to buy.
I was told that hospital grade more closely mimics the sucking of a baby. Not sure how true that is.
BFP #1 January 28, 2016
Felicity Joy, born September 2, 2016
My Chart
BFP #2 September 11, 2020
EDD May 23, 2021
Now, if you're only using the pump for once you get back to work or the odd outing here & there, or pumping in your car etc, you don't need a hospital pump. But if you find yourself in the position of EP'ing and you are committed to giving LO breastmilk as exclusively as possible for as long as possible (ie 1 year plus) then you will want a hospital pump as they are going to help you maintain your supply in a way that standard pumps really can't.
As for the ability to find parts easily - as a new mom, I can't stress enough the importance of getting amazon prime for the first year (if you live in the US anyways). Can't stress enough. It seriously can make life so so so much simpler. Medela definitely tends to have a corner on the pump market, so it is easiest to find medela parts. However all kinds of everything is easily available on amazon, so there's that option which is made more attractive by prime.
Isn't there an Amazon mom subscription or something like that? I feel like I remember a colleague doing that for diapers and such. Anyone know about this?
DH: 34
Married: May 2011
TTC #1: May 2015
DS: 10/20/2016
TTC #2: June 2019
#2 EDD: 2/20/2020
This thread has been so helpful and Amazon will also be so helpful.
Sometimes, all I would have to do was look at a picture of DD and I would start leaking.
Fell in love: Dec 2005 // Married: Feb 9, 2013
Little Miss Rosalie Harper--Born Jan 9th, 2014
The sound of crying infants still stresses me out to an unreasonable degree- I'm starting to think I will always feel this way.
This thread has made me realize how much I've already forgotten about BFing since DD. I'm hoping that it all comes back to me!
I need advice from some BDTD mamas on your fave nursing bras! Especially the seamless kind, since I know that at this point my boobs will still be changing a lot. But all of my bras are so uncomfortable right now! Earlier in my pregnancy I impulsively bought a nursing bra at Target when I was pressed for time, which was a huge mistake because the fit is horrendous (the sides poke out, ugh). I tried on a few at motherhood maternity and they gave me horrible uniboob and no support. I was a 32 DD before pregnancy and those bras are currently way too small in the band and cup, so I need something supportive. I'm generally pretty cheap but willing to spend a little more for something awesome! I'm dying for comfort and support over here!!!
It's a boy!
If you're going back to work early, pumping often (or EP'ing) you will obviously need a great pumping bra. I loved Dairy Fairy's Arden bra. It also works as a nursing bra but maybe not as comfortably as some others.
Lucie's list has a good review area going for this too.