@kissthesky32 thanks! I usually just have gym clothes and my wallet. I just don't love purses so I've always uses a backpack.
Very doable then! It's even more doable if you have a sink or fridge to wash or store your pump parts between pumping. I have to carry as many sets as I'll use in a day because I don't have anywhere to clean or store the parts. When I'm home, I put the parts in the fridge between pumps.
@jess0211 my pump was in a bag. I didn't have to buy a separate bag to carry it. The motor fit right into the side of the bag and all the supplies went into the bag. I had to pay a little extra for this particular style pump but it was still covered. I had to get a script from my OB and take it to a medical supply company. They then showed me my options, which were more than what the rep at the insurance company told me. So, you may be surprised at what you are able to get.
I'm just catching up on this thread, but a couple things.
Aomeone mentioned a baby choking due to oversupply. My guess is that it might be more to fast letdown than oversupply. With all of my babies, I've had to keep a burp cloth right next to me and when the milk lets down, catch it in the burp cloth for 10-20 seconds until the flow slows down. I can't remember exactly how long this has lasted - a couple months? Eventually baby gets bigger and can handle more milk being squirted into their mouth I know this doesn't happen to every mom, but I did get a little nervous as a FTM when baby would unlatch and cough and cry at every feeding!
Also, someone had talked a little bit about pain. For me, latching is painful for the first few weeks. Like, a pretty sharp pain for 10 seconds or so at every feeding, and then it subsides. I honestly kind of dread that moment at first when just starting out. It's been with each baby, no matter how good their latch is. And I have a different kind of tingling sensation with letdown, like the discomfort when your foot falls asleep and then starts to "wake up". For me, these have been minor inconveniences, but just wanted to put it out there to share another experience:)
Something very important to remember is that breastfeeding does not work for everyone and if it doesn't work for you, you are NOT a failure as a woman or a mother. Direct nursing did not work for my first son. He did not latch, he bit me very hard at 2 days old, causing severe and painful bruising, and by the time everything had healed, he was used to a bottle and refused to nurse. With our second son he latched right away and nursing, while not easy, worked for us. I have no idea what will work or not with this little girl, so we will have to see when we get there.
There was a little bit of pain in the first 2 weeks, but after that nothing. My let down also felt like "pins and needles" of an asleep limb, which felt odd, but not bad. One other mom I spoke too described her's as the feeling of spiders running down from her shoulders to her nipples. Of the two options, I'm quite happy with mine.
I think part of what worked with our second is that we had visits from LCs at the hospital who were very helpful and willing to help instead of preach like the ones for DS1. For DS1 I pumped exclusively using a Medela Pump in Style double electric and I could not have pumped for a year without it. For DS2 I pumped once or twice, but he rejected the bottles, so I didn't want to waste milk, particularly after our first experience and breast milk being more valuable than gold.
For DS1 I had an oversupply, so all of the extra was frozen in ice cube trays and stored in gallon freezer bags in our second freezer. I had enough stashed up that we fed him breast milk for three months after I stopped pumping. For DS2 I had no over supply that I know of, so maybe the pumping caused it? It was honestly very nice that anyone could feed DS1. I could sleep in a little sometimes, DH took some night feedings, we could go out without worrying about feeding the baby. On the other hand, for DS2 it was nice that no one could take him from me "for my own good" (my MIL can be a bit pushy), I didn't have to fuss with cleaning bottles or pump parts, I didn't have to worry if the milk that was thawed in the fridge was still good or not, and the milk was always at the right temperature.
I had to use breast pads the entire time I was nursing or pumping. All day every day and all night. I was a fairly consistent leaker, so the pads saved my clothes and my dignity. For nursing if DS2 was on one side, I leaked from the other for the first 5 minutes. For DS1 if I went too long without pumping, I leaked from both sides until I got hooked up.
Wow, that turned into a novel. TL:DR: Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, breast pads are great.
Me:27 (diagnosed anovulatory May 2016) DH:29 (normal) Met 2008 | Dated 2010 | Married 2012 TTC#1 since June 2015 June 2016- 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | 2 follies (14 & 12), thin (2.45) lining | BFN July 2016- 1mg estradiol CDs 1-7, 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | 2 follies (14 & 10), thin (~4) lining | BFN August 2016- 1mg estradiol CDs 1-7, 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | BFN | Referred to specialist, visited once, was told we have less than a 3% chance even on medication, recommended to IUI for up to a 50% chance, decided not to pursue at this time | Stopped "trying" October 2016- We became licensed foster parents November 9, 2016- Arrival of DD#1, 4yo March 1, 2017- 1 day late, feel like crap (low fever & exhausted) | Mom suggested test before taking meds, I laughed but did it anyway | BFP! *shock*
I read a book called "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" and went to some La Leche League meetings before the baby came, and a BF class at our hospital. We still had tons of problems...my girl had a tongue and lip tie (TT/LT) and a raised pallet which was not caught by the hospital IBCLC so that caused slow weight gain, cracked and bleeding nipples, and just a lot of pain for me and a VERY unhappy and hungry baby. I was literally nursing her constantly...finally I called an LC to come to our house, diagnosed her and we got her TT/LT released via laser at a pediatric dentist. This was not our only problem though....turns out even with a great latch and free mouth she still wasn't getting enough and she was dehydrated and not gaining. I had gestational diabetes and insulin resistance after and that turns out can cause women to have a slow milk production rate!!!! Ugh...we had a perfect storm of issues I literally tried everything to bring up my supply but nothing worked. But I still breastfed her!! I used an SNS (supplemental nursing system) and supplemented with a bottle and still gave her what breastmilk I made. It does not have to be all or nothing. It was very traumatic at first as these were all things I had heard of in my prep but were considered rare. I now know that insulin resistance and low supply are more common then most women think!!
I actually ended up on a very helpful FB group called IGT and Low Milk Supply Support Group. It was really helpful to be around other moms who were dealing with the same feelings of inadequacy and loss of hoping to have a EBF relationship and were physically unable to produce and they helped me to produce more milk and feel better!
I did a lot of general research online but hands down the two things that helped me most was advice from moms I know and the LC in the hospital. I second the pain for the first few weeks and I also had cracked nipples and bleeding. I was not at all expecting that. Her latch was fine, she was just really aggressive when she latched. But it eventually gets better. Also, beware of growth spurts when your LOs may feel like they're nursing around the clock.
I didn't know that GD/insulin resistance was associated with low production. Thanks for sharing that! Feels like a good thing to know to help encourage/educate other women.
Re: Breastfeeding
Aomeone mentioned a baby choking due to oversupply. My guess is that it might be more to fast letdown than oversupply. With all of my babies, I've had to keep a burp cloth right next to me and when the milk lets down, catch it in the burp cloth for 10-20 seconds until the flow slows down. I can't remember exactly how long this has lasted - a couple months? Eventually baby gets bigger and can handle more milk being squirted into their mouth
Also, someone had talked a little bit about pain. For me, latching is painful for the first few weeks. Like, a pretty sharp pain for 10 seconds or so at every feeding, and then it subsides. I honestly kind of dread that moment at first when just starting out. It's been with each baby, no matter how good their latch is. And I have a different kind of tingling sensation with letdown, like the discomfort when your foot falls asleep and then starts to "wake up". For me, these have been minor inconveniences, but just wanted to put it out there to share another experience:)
There was a little bit of pain in the first 2 weeks, but after that nothing. My let down also felt like "pins and needles" of an asleep limb, which felt odd, but not bad. One other mom I spoke too described her's as the feeling of spiders running down from her shoulders to her nipples. Of the two options, I'm quite happy with mine.
I think part of what worked with our second is that we had visits from LCs at the hospital who were very helpful and willing to help instead of preach like the ones for DS1. For DS1 I pumped exclusively using a Medela Pump in Style double electric and I could not have pumped for a year without it. For DS2 I pumped once or twice, but he rejected the bottles, so I didn't want to waste milk, particularly after our first experience and breast milk being more valuable than gold.
For DS1 I had an oversupply, so all of the extra was frozen in ice cube trays and stored in gallon freezer bags in our second freezer. I had enough stashed up that we fed him breast milk for three months after I stopped pumping. For DS2 I had no over supply that I know of, so maybe the pumping caused it? It was honestly very nice that anyone could feed DS1. I could sleep in a little sometimes, DH took some night feedings, we could go out without worrying about feeding the baby. On the other hand, for DS2 it was nice that no one could take him from me "for my own good" (my MIL can be a bit pushy), I didn't have to fuss with cleaning bottles or pump parts, I didn't have to worry if the milk that was thawed in the fridge was still good or not, and the milk was always at the right temperature.
I had to use breast pads the entire time I was nursing or pumping. All day every day and all night. I was a fairly consistent leaker, so the pads saved my clothes and my dignity. For nursing if DS2 was on one side, I leaked from the other for the first 5 minutes. For DS1 if I went too long without pumping, I leaked from both sides until I got hooked up.
Wow, that turned into a novel. TL:DR: Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, breast pads are great.
Met 2008 | Dated 2010 | Married 2012
TTC#1 since June 2015
June 2016- 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | 2 follies (14 & 12), thin (2.45) lining | BFN
July 2016- 1mg estradiol CDs 1-7, 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | 2 follies (14 & 10), thin (~4) lining | BFN
August 2016- 1mg estradiol CDs 1-7, 50mg generic clomid CDs 5-9 w/TI | BFN | Referred to specialist, visited once, was told we have less than a 3% chance even on medication, recommended to IUI for up to a 50% chance, decided not to pursue at this time | Stopped "trying"
October 2016- We became licensed foster parents
November 9, 2016- Arrival of DD#1, 4yo
March 1, 2017- 1 day late, feel like crap (low fever & exhausted) | Mom suggested test before taking meds, I laughed but did it anyway | BFP! *shock*
I actually ended up on a very helpful FB group called IGT and Low Milk Supply Support Group. It was really helpful to be around other moms who were dealing with the same feelings of inadequacy and loss of hoping to have a EBF relationship and were physically unable to produce and they helped me to produce more milk and feel better!