for me , she nurses both at 6 and 7.30 am but i still get a good amount of milk (5oz) when i pump before i leave for work. I think morning supply is always better. also, i dont know if you find it doable bec i cannot see myself doing it but my friend used to pump when she was driving to work. if could help with timing.
@zoefer yeah I can pump while I drive. I've done it once already on the way home from the aquarium and it worked ok, suction is not as great but it does ok. I probably should just nurse now that I know he will take a bottle. I think this kid will be easy to feed in that he's not fighting the bottle and drinks from the breast as well. As long as it has milk I it! Ha ha. Plus nursing stimulates supply better than pumping I've heard.
Plus nursing stimulates supply better than pumping I've heard.
yes that s what i experience unfortunately. My supply increases significantly on the weekends , because I only nurse. I feel like my milk is not replaced after pumping as quick as in nursing. You could use this time before daycare to increase your frozen milk stash by only power pumping.
I have a general question : do you drink coffee /caffeinated drinks at all ? Do you think if it affects LO's sleeping? last 2-3 nights, DD started to sleep very poorly. It is worse than her newborn stage. I dont know if it s caffeine related though
I have a general question : do you drink coffee /caffeinated drinks at all ? Do you think if it affects LO's sleeping? last 2-3 nights, DD started to sleep very poorly. It is worse than her newborn stage. I dont know if it s caffeine related though
I cut out all caffeine about two months ago because M was having such a hard time napping and falling asleep at night. At first it definitely improved his sleeping, noticeably so. Now I would say it has helped but he still fights naps something terrible.
I read that babies whose mom's abstained from caffeine completely during pregnancy are more sensitive to it while nursing. So if you didn't have caffeine while pregnant like me then your LO may be having a hard time getting used to it.
The good news is it's relatively easy to test the theory. Give it a week caffeine free and see what happens!
@zoefer Ooooo I hadn't thought about power pumping! I might try that to increase supply. thanks! ido think babies are sensitive to caffeine but I do t know how much. I drink strictly decaf for now. How old is your LO? Could it be the 4 month regression or s growth spurt?
@ZoeFer I'm thinking it's the sleep regression. Caffeine doesn't seem to effect my LO. She's actually been taking better naps now and I still drink the same amount.
I went to buy buy baby and they price matched the Medela manual pump. I tried it last night and I guess I don't know what I'm doing. It was really uncomfortable and I was only able to get foremilk. Any tips?
Since I got my period this month, my supply has tanked. I've had to bring my pump home and pump before work and after S goes down for the night. In addition to 3 pumping sessions at work. I was hoping the manual pump would help out. Thinking I will have to power pump this weekend .
I was not drinking a lot of coffee, not even a cup everyday. Mostly half decaf/half regular coffee. But i started to get headaches at work if i dont get some caffeine. I am not sure if my coffee has affected her sleep or not but I will try to stick with decaf for some time. Thanks ladies.
I went to buy buy baby and they price matched the Medela manual pump. I tried it last night and I guess I don't know what I'm doing. It was really uncomfortable and I was only able to get foremilk. Any tips?
Since I got my period this month, my supply has tanked. I've had to bring my pump home and pump before work and after S goes down for the night. In addition to 3 pumping sessions at work. I was hoping the manual pump would help out. Thinking I will have to power pump this weekend .
I didn't have any luck with the manual pump. I dont seem to respond great to pumps in generate but the manual was way too much work for not a lot of gain for me.
I went to buy buy baby and they price matched the Medela manual pump. I tried it last night and I guess I don't know what I'm doing. It was really uncomfortable and I was only able to get foremilk. Any tips?
It can be uncomfortable at first but gets way easier once you get past what you're doing... start with short, quick pumps (hand motions) that simulate the letdown period. When you notice the first drop of milk begin to elongate the motions, let your hand go further and further out and pull it back closer and closer as you adjust to the intensity of the suction. Then simply move your hand as fast or as slow as you are comfortable. I prefer fast but that's because it means I get more milk in less time and it's how LO nurses. If you're only seeing fore milk (a bit clearer than hind milk), then you need to pump longer because it's hiding behind all that fore milk!
So today I decided to just nurse instead of pump for bottles and it's been so nice I still have a bottle in the fridge I'll probably give to him at 5:30 and then pump for the next days bottle. I have a week left before work and day care start. Why stress myself out pumping every day if I don't have to right? Loving nursing today
Hand expression works better for me than the manual pump. @rspalding001 One of the biggest reasons I love the weekends is that i do not have to pump ! Hope everything works out well for you.
@Ladybug2821Is the breast shield your correct size? Maybe try a size up or down
I'm wondering if I do need to size down but I wasn't having any trouble before. I'm starting to think its stress related too. I need to find ways to relax before and during pumping.
@Ladybug2821Is the breast shield your correct size? Maybe try a size up or down
I'm wondering if I do need to size down but I wasn't having any trouble before. I'm starting to think its stress related too. I need to find ways to relax before and during pumping.
My pumping is very affected by stress and anxiety so maybe you are experiencing some of that. And of course pumping badly then stresses me out and I then have bad output from stress. Vicious cycle
@Ladybug2821Is the breast shield your correct size? Maybe try a size up or down
I'm wondering if I do need to size down but I wasn't having any trouble before. I'm starting to think its stress related too. I need to find ways to relax before and during pumping.
My pumping is very affected by stress and anxiety so maybe you are experiencing some of that. And of course pumping badly then stresses me out and I then have bad output from stress. Vicious cycle
Yes exactly! So not sure if this was the key, but I brought a one of S's worn onesies to have for when I pump. I very creepily smelled it while I pumped and was able to get 8.5 oz. I will continue to be creepy if that's what it takes.
@Ladybug2821Is the breast shield your correct size? Maybe try a size up or down
I'm wondering if I do need to size down but I wasn't having any trouble before. I'm starting to think its stress related too. I need to find ways to relax before and during pumping.
My pumping is very affected by stress and anxiety so maybe you are experiencing some of that. And of course pumping badly then stresses me out and I then have bad output from stress. Vicious cycle
Yes exactly! So not sure if this was the key, but I brought a one of S's worn onesies to have for when I pump. I very creepily smelled it while I pumped and was able to get 8.5 oz. I will continue to be creepy if that's what it takes.
@Ladybug2821Is the breast shield your correct size? Maybe try a size up or down
I'm wondering if I do need to size down but I wasn't having any trouble before. I'm starting to think its stress related too. I need to find ways to relax before and during pumping.
My pumping is very affected by stress and anxiety so maybe you are experiencing some of that. And of course pumping badly then stresses me out and I then have bad output from stress. Vicious cycle
Yes exactly! So not sure if this was the key, but I brought a one of S's worn onesies to have for when I pump. I very creepily smelled it while I pumped and was able to get 8.5 oz. I will continue to be creepy if that's what it takes.
I've heard of people doing that or looking at pictures. I'm glad it worked for you! For me it doesn't work I just have to zone out on my phone playing a game or something
I'm with all of you, I totally think pumping is so stressful. If anything changes I get freaked out that there is something wrong with my supply. I was pumping 8oz (4oz from each side) consistently each day at work. Then my period happened and LO is sleeping through the night and now I often only get 4-6oz total. I get so nervous that something is wrong that I wish I didn't have to pump, then I could just feed him and not worry! I never know what is normal either, did I just have an over supply at first and this is what I should have? Shoulds, needs, what ifs, etc are so frustrating!
This isn't reassuring, but ladies, the pumping worries never stop. I realized with my first my mood was directly related to my pumping output - I was irritated when I didn't have enough and on cloud 9 when I overproduced. This time around I have to make the conscious effort to not allow myself to do that. Try to drink lots of water and little Mothers Milk tea and relax. Of course the operative word there is try.
Today especially, I have made sure I'm drinking a ton of water. I have ordered the mother's milk tea which should arrive today. My second session I got 5 oz which is awesome compared to the 2 oz I got yesterday at this time. A few things I did differently were massaging the breasts prior, holding the bottles instead of wearing my sports pumping bra I made (I was wondering if this was pressing the flanges too tightly to my breast), having S's onesie, and picturing waterfalls/bottles of overflowing milk. I know that last one sounds completely ridiculous but I read it several times on google and I was desperate lol. I was already looking at pics and videos of LO.
@ladybug2821 That last one is hysterical but, hey, if it works! I have found that holding my breast (at least on the underside) prompts a stronger milk flow so I have ditched the pumping bras as well. I do think the tea helps quite a bit as well. I hope it does for you too!
Stress has affected my flow. Working on de-stressing and relaxing has helped. My pump also got damp and I ordered new tubes which has helped too. I was freaking out for a week and was down to 2 oz every 4 hours. I kept working at it and with the changes I made my supply came back. I know I'm stressing again and my supply has been decreasing a little again. Maybe it's time for another massage
I did a similar poll a couple of months (seems like it anyway) ago....
How often is your LO feeding?
We're still at every 2 hours, sometimes she makes it up to 2:45, 3 during the day. (at night she goes 9-10 hours) TB 20-week newsletter told me that "baby is eating every 3 to 5 hours" and DH and I were like !! So been trying to stretch them out the last couple of days—not stringently, but seeing how close distraction can get us to 3 hours. No concern for her chunkiness, but it'd be nice to get down to 5-6 feedings! Her nursing times are inconsistent still, sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 10. Everything is on her own time!
I got the same TB email and had the same reaction as you. LO is eating every 2-3 hours during the day still. And while he was going 7-9 hours at night, this teething business has him up allll night.
Mine has been about every 3 hours but day care made it more like 2-2.5 and this weekend it has been 1.5-2 it's nuts. I've busted out some bottles bc I don't feel like he gets much from me if it's 1.5-2 hours later
I also try to go every 3 hours which I can most days on the weekend. This weekend I purposefully did every 2 just to help with supply. My pedi told me I could give her 7 oz every 4-5 hours and honestly, I don't agree with that. I think BF babies will continue to eat often until they start eating more solids. The frequency and amount will change based on different factors such as leaps, growth spurts, teething, etc. Prior to 4 months, S would sleep 8 hour stretches but now she wakes twice to eat so I feel like she's been the opposite of what I expected to happen. I'm waiting for the day she goes back to 8 hour stretches, but my luck that won't be until she's almost 1 .
On the weekdays, usually every 3-3.5 hours. but she never likes the bottle so we try to wait until she s hungry. on the weekends usually every 2.5-3 hours but it really depends on her mood. when there is too much excitement, she refuses to eat until she s super hungry.
I left my pumping funnels at home , hand expression didnot work. i could not get a let down . i have so much to do, i cannot take the day off for this. aghhhh
Kind of related to breastfeeding; we visited some friends this weekend who exclusively pumped. She said she never put her breastmilk in the fridge because it killed the antibodies. Is this true? I work long hours so I need to store my breastmilk for at least part of the day. But it would explain why A has a permanent cold since starting daycare...
@rhodamorgenstern I think freezing kills a certain percentage of antibodies but not all. It's still better than formula. Refrigerating shouldn't harm breastmilk as I understand it.
Has anyone's LO decreased their ounce intake? DS was taking 20 oz ravenously at daycare a week ago and is now only taking 12-17. He's not on any solids there or with any regularity at home, not too mention he's not even 5 mo yet.
Fresh breastmilk has the most bacteria-fighting power, followed by refrigerated milk, then previously-frozen milk. Milk that has been frozen a shorter period of time will have more anti-infective properties than milk frozen for a longer period of time. Bacteria grows more slowly in any breastmilk than it does in formula.
@SandNStarsNJ If my LO drinks 12 onces, we celebrate this at home !! ) Her appetite is changing day to day but I think it is a little low again these days.
The tubes to my pump never dry out and I can never get all of the condensation out. I called Medela and they are sending me another set for free. I'm sure its a one time thing but an fyi in case anyone has a Medela pump and needs a replacement part.
Re: All Things Breastfeeding
also, i dont know if you find it doable bec i cannot see myself doing it but my friend used to pump when she was driving to work. if could help with timing.
I have a general question : do you drink coffee /caffeinated drinks at all ? Do you think if it affects LO's sleeping? last 2-3 nights, DD started to sleep very poorly. It is worse than her newborn stage. I dont know if it s caffeine related though
I read that babies whose mom's abstained from caffeine completely during pregnancy are more sensitive to it while nursing. So if you didn't have caffeine while pregnant like me then your LO may be having a hard time getting used to it.
The good news is it's relatively easy to test the theory. Give it a week caffeine free and see what happens!
ido think babies are sensitive to caffeine but I do t know how much. I drink strictly decaf for now. How old is your LO? Could it be the 4 month regression or s growth spurt?
Since I got my period this month, my supply has tanked. I've had to bring my pump home and pump before work and after S goes down for the night. In addition to 3 pumping sessions at work. I was hoping the manual pump would help out. Thinking I will have to power pump this weekend
Hope this helps!
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
@rspalding001 One of the biggest reasons I love the weekends is that i do not have to pump ! Hope everything works out well for you.
Yes exactly! So not sure if this was the key, but I brought a one of S's worn onesies to have for when I pump. I very creepily smelled it while I pumped and was able to get 8.5 oz. I will continue to be creepy if that's what it takes.
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
Today especially, I have made sure I'm drinking a ton of water. I have ordered the mother's milk tea which should arrive today. My second session I got 5 oz which is awesome compared to the 2 oz I got yesterday at this time. A few things I did differently were massaging the breasts prior, holding the bottles instead of wearing my sports pumping bra I made (I was wondering if this was pressing the flanges too tightly to my breast), having S's onesie, and picturing waterfalls/bottles of overflowing milk. I know that last one sounds completely ridiculous but I read it several times on google and I was desperate lol. I was already looking at pics and videos of LO.
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
How often is your LO feeding?
We're still at every 2 hours, sometimes she makes it up to 2:45, 3 during the day. (at night she goes 9-10 hours)
TB 20-week newsletter told me that "baby is eating every 3 to 5 hours" and DH and I were like
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
Eta: ebf
I left my pumping funnels at home , hand expression didnot work. i could not get a let down . i have so much to do, i cannot take the day off for this. aghhhh
Welcomed baby girl: 06.10.14
Second pregnancy EDD: 06.16.16 MC: 10.29.15
Welcomed baby boy: 11.25.16
- BFP: 3/10/16 — Baby Girl born 11/20/16
TTC#2 April 2019