@bainidhedub it just takes a bit of practice. I had my pump ready, latched the baby, then grabbed the pump. If you set it up ahead of time it's totally doable.
One for fun BF tip: To this day do I regret not getting a
topless picture of me the day my milk came in lol, just to have. Holy heck did
my boobs look AMAZING! They never looked like that after but my oh my, I know
what life as a FULL C/Small D is like now!
Late to the party but some thoughts:
@RC1014 Ugh you have my sympathy… I JUST got DD to stop. I
have had lots of friends tandem nurse though, so the milk must somehow adjust.
@caeilievalor I swear by my hands free bra. I have to pump quite a bit
at work, so it allows me to use both of my hands etc. Also once DD was older I needed
to have both hands free when pumping at home to entertain her! I agree with
@schaze re: what your insurance covers. Some features to consider are if you
want it to have a car adapter (a must for me as I have to pump during my two
hours of commuting—dreading that), battery life, cost of accessories etc.
@dogs-and-diapers As others have said, I take mine off and only use it while
pumping. It’s more of like a tight wrap than a bra, so I wouldn’t want to wear
it all day.
@madcouplewithabox I did not do a la Leche meeting but I did
a course on breastfeeding. I was glad I did! At the very least, it reaffirmed
my motivation. I think the la Leche meetings would be awesome and I am certain
they would say it is NEVER too early to go!
@EmilyLove25 It's SO FUNNY you said that. The night my milk came in with DD I DID snap a photo and sent it to my sister because it was OBSCENE (which is also the reason that I immediately deleted the photo!). I couldn't stop laughing at the ridiculousness of the size difference.
@EmilyLove25 My mom took me shopping for nursing bras the day my milk came in and in the first dressing room I yelled "Holy shit, I look like a terribly drawn anime!" Kinda wish I'd grabbed a photo too.
I was an Exclusive pumper for 10 months with my son, and had a great experience with the Medela PIS. I also second the pumping bra. I used the Medela one, but went through 3 of them because the zipper broke on all of them (maybe because i was using it 5-6 times a day).
This time, i will be getting this pumping bra that came recommended from our local breastfeeding/health care organization, that i hope will be a game changer for me!
@EmilyLove25 LMAO this is an excellent tip. I bombarded DH in the bathroom to show him. We were so sleep deprived and laughed so hard for a long time. We were like two teenage boys.
@EmilyLove25 I definitely remember looking in the mirror and yelling "HOLY SHIT!" When my milk came in. It was completely obscene how huge my boobs were. I do have a picture from a couple of weeks later and it's laughable. So a fair warning to all you first timers. It's a slightly terrifying experience.
I called my insurance today and ordered the Spectra S2 after reading awesome reviews on Amazon. Gotta take advantage of getting that free breast pump while you can because who knows what the healthcare system will be like in a few months. Shudder. I'm excited to try this one out!
Love this thread. I BF my son for the 1st year, so I can speak only to that. Two things: 1) I referred so many times to "The Breastfeeding Book" that was handed down to me from a coworker. 2) *You can recover from setbacks.* In my case, nipple shields and even bottles early on, were not the end of my BFing experience, which you will read and hear time and time again. My son would not BF without the shield, so against my lactation specialist the internet's advice I kept with it. At 3 months, my son broke his habit and was able to latch without the shield from there out! Wish I didn't have to use it, but I survived with it! Also, a close friend of mine couldn't BF for the first 3 months and exclusively pumped/bottle fed. At 3 months her baby switched from bottle to breast! Took a lot of work, but it was possible!
I share this because I believe every BFing experience is uniquely its own, and should any one of you find that you have this unique situations I hope this helps. Good luck to all in their future formula, pumping and/or BFing journeys! May you be confident and happy with whatever works best for you and baby!
@fishee333 I don't know how I missed your post before I wrote mine, but yes, what you said! I'm so thankful for the shield as well, otherwise I wouldn't have had success either.
I'm glad to have this thread! BF is making me nervous, honestly. My sister nursed for 13 and 24+ months, SIL is still nursing at 24 months, and then my mom BF all 7 kids and supplemented very little. With that track record I feel pressure to succeed already (all me--not them!) and I'm honestly not very excited about it! I hope with a lot of preparation I'll feel more comfortable. My midwives are very supportive and start to educate you early on in pregnancy so I have hope! Lol.
Love this thread! I'm a STM with PCOS. Like others have mentioned, I knew very little about breastfeeding prior to giving birth. Right away, my nurse noticed I wasn't getting my milk in and had a lactation consultant come in and help me out. After we left the hospital, I saw a LC regularly. My supply was so low, I was doing skin to skin, taking herbal supplements she had suggested, pumped after each feeding, and supplemented with formula. It was TERRIBLE. I kept that up for 3 months.
The problem I was having is a problem many women with PCOS suffer. Basically, my breasts never fully prepared for breastfeeding due to hormonal imbalances. Glucose intolerance can also affect milk supply. During my pregnancy, I never felt pain or tenderness and my breasts never grew. This time around, my breasts have already gotten 2 cups larger and they have been hurting like crazy. I am on a GD diet so I don't know if that's been helping, but I hope all these signs mean I'll be able to exclusively breastfeed.
I've told myself that I'll give it only 2 weeks this time around, and if my supply is still low, I will just do formula. It was so difficult with DD to breastfeed every 3 hours, pump for 10-15 min after, clean parts, just to clean bottles and make bottles anyway. I wasn't getting any sleep either. As a FTM I felt a lot of pressure to not give up, but looking back on it, it was a waste of time. I would LOVE it if I could just breastfeed, no bottles, no expensive formula, all the bonding... but if it doesn't work out then I'm not forcing it this time. At the end of the day, what matters in my opinion, is your baby being fed and growing? Are you getting enough sleep to stay sane?
@agalvarado THIS!!! Yes!!! Last time I felt so much disappointment and guilt in myself for not being able to get it to work. This time I'm planning better, I know more of what I'm up against and hopefully it will work. I was too scared and embarrassed to utilize the lactation consultants, not this time. I'm going to be scheduling appointments with them before I'm out of the hospital. haha Kidding of course, but I'm totally going to be utilizing their services this time if I need it.
Just ordered my pump. Figured I'd get it done in case there are changing in coverage for those things. I picked up the Spectra S1. I've heard so many great things about it.
@supercoolstephy That's the pump I'm getting as well. My insurance doesn't cover it, but I know a number of mommies that LOVE IT. And it's relatively inexpensive compared to others.
@missblaze my insurance covers a portion of it, so I'm only paying the upgrade fee of $95, I went through Aeroflow to get mine again. Worth it to me. Last time I got the basic Medela pump that was 100% covered and it just didn't work with me and my body.
Also, last time I was the first of my moms in my group to have their baby which I didn't mind but the BF/Pumping thing stressed me out, this time I'm at the end of everyone here so I'll be able to learn from everyones tips and tricks to pumping and latching. I really want this to work this time.
@supercoolstephy and @missblaze - i just ordered a Spectra S1 too! The one thing i don't like about it, is that it doesn't come with a tote bag or anything like the Medelas do. My insurance covers it 100%....it's interesting how some insurance companies will cover some things like this and others don't...
It looks like my insurance company will cover Medela Pump in Style (with no accessories) or Spectra S2 (with no accessories) or Hygeia Enjoye (with a HUGE accessory kit.) I admit to being tempted by not having to buy the accessories separately... but I haven't seen anyone else say they used the Hygeia. Anyone?
Two last things I wanted to add to this awesome thread:
1. I got way more milk pumping with a manual hand pump than I ever did with an electric with DS1, so if you're not getting anything, that might be worth a shot. 2. This youtube series, by breastfeedingnz, is BY FAR my favorite breastfeeding resource. I learned more from watching this (7 chapters total) than I did from reading, the also very good: So That's What They're There For, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, and Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding. I even thought it was world's better than the hospital class I took. Watching good latches and really seeing what that looked like helped so much more than just knowing the theory of it.
And finally: I think someone mentioned Aeroflow upthread, but I just wanted to give them another plug. They make getting your pump through insurance super easy!
DS1: Nov. 2013 DS2: Jan. 2016 DS3: Dec. 2017 Baby #4 on the way!
Kellymom is GREAT for evidence-based information on basically everything related to feeding your baby.
I also recommend the Wonder Weeks app. They (scientists, authors of the book the app is based on) have charted out predictable developmental "leaps" that babies go through. It was such a comfort to notice that everything with my baby was going haywire - sleep, eating, mood - and then a notification would pop up that it was all to be expected, and here are the new things your baby will start being able to do soon.
Yes to what @KatieEl said about watching latch videos. I got sick of having horribly sore nips. I mean bad cracks and that infamous toe curling pain so I took to YouTube and watched all the latch videos I could find. The deep latch is critical and figuring it out with a tiny baby mouth can be so tough. Sometimes I'd hype myself up before a feeding by watching a latch video!
Love this! Thanks @schaze! For the moms that pump at work...besides a pumping bra (which I didn't realize was a thing...oh FTM over here! lol) what should we have prepared to go back to work? Did one pump work better for traveling/working while pumping over another? Since we have a community fridge how did storing milk and parts go for everyone? Should I bring a cooler to work as well? Nervous people will freak out if I have milk/parts, etc in the fridge they store their lunch in...
I never used a pumping bra but may look into getting one this time. I stored my parts in a lunchbox (to look discreet at work) in the fridge- parts were placed inside a walmart bag. Also, when you’re doing it that way you don’t have to wash the parts after every use bc who has time for that- took me a little while to figure that out. I would just take the parts home and soak it in hot soapy water in my kitchen sink at home. I also stored the bottles in the lunchbox as well.
@sbishop426 good idea! That way I can store them in the fridge but maybe people wont really notice it! I really hated the idea of bringing a cooler too, but definitely didn't want to hear the noise from folks about their lunches and breast milk...if it happens (maybe it wouldn't...)
Pump, medela cleansing wipes, mini cooler, and bottles were in my pump bag and the whole bag went in the fridge. I didn’t transfer to milk storage bags until I got home. I also kept a manual pump at work just in case of a power issue or malfunction.
I don’t know what type of job you have but without a hands free pumping bra, you won’t have hands! It was a game changer when I got mine! You can work (or Bump!) while you have it. I had a small black bag that holds bottles of milk in the fridge-looks like a lunch bag so no one would know (although F anyone who cares!). Also depending on your set up you might need an extension cord, just think about logistics. I also ABSOLUTELY need a sign for my door that says, “pumping in progress, DO NOT DISTURB.” I work with entitled (lol!) college students, so mine had to be direct. Even with a locked door, someone knocking REALLY disrupted me and the more relaxed I was, the more milk I got! I also did not transfer to bags until Home and never needed a cooler. One other thing-I don’t know what you’d commute is but mine is an hour, so the travel adapter made it so on busy days I could pump in the car. I had to be tricky but it worked and REALLY helped my supply!
I agree with @EmilyLove25, last time my commute was over 30 minutes. I pumped while I drove with a handfree pumping bra and a lab coat on backwards. It got me extra sessions in, but current job is too close to home to plan on doing this again.
Several of you mentioned a manual pump, which do you recommend? I already have a PISA from DS and don't pump much since I SAH, so manual might be the way to go this time.
I've picked up the Spectra S1 pump. I'm planning to use the Medela accessories, not because I already own them because I got rid of them. But because they are cheaper than the spectra accessories and because there is no way these lady lumps will fit into those 24 mm flanges they come with. haha This is the hack I found, but essentially you just need this part from Maymom - https://www.amazon.com/Maymom-Backflow-Protector-Spectra-Flanges/dp/B01E3W689M.
I picked up these Silicone Breastfeeding Manual Breast Pumps, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XKVWBFG. Not to manually pump or anything but my friends have all said how awesome they are for when you get out of the shower and are leaking, or when you're breastfeeding on one side so you're collecting whats leaking from the other boob.
I've mentioned that I'm bringing my pump with me to the hospital when I deliver and I know that some of you have mentioned that your hospital doesn't want you to bring your own, I'd still bring a hands free bra with you because its so helpful to have, even when you're in the hospital.
I'm planning on bringing LO to work with me so I won't be pumping often, but I do want to build up a supply in the freezer. Suggestions for doing that? Also, is an electric pump even worth it in this case?
@EmilyLove25 and @Dani0329 so my commute is 45 min. Normally I carpool with another coworker, but if it really does help to pump while driving I can back out of the carpool... Would you say it was absolutely worth it? What tops fit best over the pumping bra or how did you cover up during the commute? And I totally agree with you @EmilyLove25 on the fridge! I mean I don't really care but I can only imagine the conversations that would be had if it was noticed! Or maybe I'm just overthinking it and absolutely no one would care! Ugh I really wish I could go ahead and order the pump so I could make sure I get alll the pieces I need! SOOOOO Annoying!
I will admit that I don't know too much about pumping as a FTM, but I am hoping to get the hang of it quickly. I have purchased a hands free pumping bra and ordered the Spectra through my insurance (although they won't ship it until I have the baby, annoying). They are also renovating an unused conference room space in my building currently for a Mother's Room. It will have a fridge, couch, lounge chair and end tables and keys will only be given to new mamas. I am happy to have a place to go that is comfy instead of my office like I had originally planned.
@conineml So what I typically would do is wear a nursing tank top or some tank with straps that were easy to pull down and a cardigan/shrug over it. I would put the nursing bra on before I left for work under the tank top and then just unhook the straps and have the cardigan over. Yes, if someone were to stare in my car it would look weird and they could figure out what I was doing, but the hands free pumping bras cover a lot, so you don't see my actual boobs just tubes coming out lol. As to if it is worth it, it really depends. Things to consider: You could end up having an over supply or being a solid producer and not really needing it. Can you pump right when you get to work? If so, it's less important. Are you prone to engorgement? You might need it!
For me, it was definitely essential. BUT I had a hard time getting a lot of milk when I pumped, so every session was critical--like I literally needed the 4 ounces I would get on the drive in order to keep DD EBF (with no formula) for the first 17 months--and it also helped keep my supply higher (I noticed this over time).
@EmilyLove25 good to know! I guess I can see how it goes on maternity leave and make a decision closer to coming back to work. I'll keep all that in mind though and consider the options and money spent on gas vs. formula/breast milk needs. I'm going to chat with the newest mom at work soon and see how she handles pumping at work. I know we have a room set up downstairs so that's a plus but I don't know if it has a fridge or anything like that where we could keep supplies during the day...and if I'll need that extension cord you suggested Feeling slightly unprepared for this part of the journey! I guess I just thought it would happen or it wouldn't...oh lord.
Re: Feeding Your Baby!
One for fun BF tip: To this day do I regret not getting a topless picture of me the day my milk came in lol, just to have. Holy heck did my boobs look AMAZING! They never looked like that after but my oh my, I know what life as a FULL C/Small D is like now!
Late to the party but some thoughts:
@RC1014 Ugh you have my sympathy… I JUST got DD to stop. I have had lots of friends tandem nurse though, so the milk must somehow adjust.
@caeilievalor I swear by my hands free bra. I have to pump quite a bit at work, so it allows me to use both of my hands etc. Also once DD was older I needed to have both hands free when pumping at home to entertain her! I agree with @schaze re: what your insurance covers. Some features to consider are if you want it to have a car adapter (a must for me as I have to pump during my two hours of commuting—dreading that), battery life, cost of accessories etc.
@dogs-and-diapers As others have said, I take mine off and only use it while pumping. It’s more of like a tight wrap than a bra, so I wouldn’t want to wear it all day.
@madcouplewithabox I did not do a la Leche meeting but I did a course on breastfeeding. I was glad I did! At the very least, it reaffirmed my motivation. I think the la Leche meetings would be awesome and I am certain they would say it is NEVER too early to go!
DD1 EDD 9/29/2015, Born 9/24/2015
DS1 EDD 1/3/2018, Born 12/26/2017
BFP #3 3/21/2019, EDD 11/29/2019, MMC/D&C 5/7/2019
BFP #4 6/28/2019, EDD 3/12/2020
I use Hypnobabies! http://www.hypnobabies-store.com/link.cgi?affiliateID=472
J18 December Siggy Challenge: Christmas Movies!
EDD: 1/6/2018
Eva Jane: 7/23/2014
Jan 18 December Siggy Challenge: Christmas Movies
This time, i will be getting this pumping bra that came recommended from our local breastfeeding/health care organization, that i hope will be a game changer for me!
1) I referred so many times to "The Breastfeeding Book" that was handed down to me from a coworker.
2) *You can recover from setbacks.* In my case, nipple shields and even bottles early on, were not the end of my BFing experience, which you will read and hear time and time again. My son would not BF without the shield, so against my lactation specialist the internet's advice I kept with it. At 3 months, my son broke his habit and was able to latch without the shield from there out! Wish I didn't have to use it, but I survived with it! Also, a close friend of mine couldn't BF for the first 3 months and exclusively pumped/bottle fed. At 3 months her baby switched from bottle to breast! Took a lot of work, but it was possible!
I share this because I believe every BFing experience is uniquely its own, and should any one of you find that you have this unique situations I hope this helps. Good luck to all in their future formula, pumping and/or BFing journeys! May you be confident and happy with whatever works best for you and baby!
1 Rainbow Baby: Born 4/4/15
BFP: 4/23/17 EDD 1/5/18
1 Rainbow Baby: Born 4/4/15
BFP: 4/23/17 EDD 1/5/18
The problem I was having is a problem many women with PCOS suffer. Basically, my breasts never fully prepared for breastfeeding due to hormonal imbalances. Glucose intolerance can also affect milk supply. During my pregnancy, I never felt pain or tenderness and my breasts never grew. This time around, my breasts have already gotten 2 cups larger and they have been hurting like crazy. I am on a GD diet so I don't know if that's been helping, but I hope all these signs mean I'll be able to exclusively breastfeed.
I've told myself that I'll give it only 2 weeks this time around, and if my supply is still low, I will just do formula. It was so difficult with DD to breastfeed every 3 hours, pump for 10-15 min after, clean parts, just to clean bottles and make bottles anyway. I wasn't getting any sleep either. As a FTM I felt a lot of pressure to not give up, but looking back on it, it was a waste of time. I would LOVE it if I could just breastfeed, no bottles, no expensive formula, all the bonding... but if it doesn't work out then I'm not forcing it this time. At the end of the day, what matters in my opinion, is your baby being fed and growing? Are you getting enough sleep to stay sane?
J18 December Siggy Challenge: Christmas Movies
J18 December Siggy Challenge: Christmas Movies
I use Hypnobabies! http://www.hypnobabies-store.com/link.cgi?affiliateID=472
J18 December Siggy Challenge: Christmas Movies!
EDD: 1/6/2018
Eva Jane: 7/23/2014
Also, last time I was the first of my moms in my group to have their baby which I didn't mind but the BF/Pumping thing stressed me out, this time I'm at the end of everyone here so I'll be able to learn from everyones tips and tricks to pumping and latching. I really want this to work this time.
J18 December Siggy Challenge: Christmas Movies
1. I got way more milk pumping with a manual hand pump than I ever did with an electric with DS1, so if you're not getting anything, that might be worth a shot.
2. This youtube series, by breastfeedingnz, is BY FAR my favorite breastfeeding resource. I learned more from watching this (7 chapters total) than I did from reading, the also very good: So That's What They're There For, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, and Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding. I even thought it was world's better than the hospital class I took. Watching good latches and really seeing what that looked like helped so much more than just knowing the theory of it.
And finally: I think someone mentioned Aeroflow upthread, but I just wanted to give them another plug. They make getting your pump through insurance super easy!
DS2: Jan. 2016
DS3: Dec. 2017
Baby #4 on the way!
I also recommend the Wonder Weeks app. They (scientists, authors of the book the app is based on) have charted out predictable developmental "leaps" that babies go through. It was such a comfort to notice that everything with my baby was going haywire - sleep, eating, mood - and then a notification would pop up that it was all to be expected, and here are the new things your baby will start being able to do soon.
Jan 18 December Siggy Challenge: Christmas Movies
J18 December Siggy Challenge: Christmas Movies
DD1 EDD 9/29/2015, Born 9/24/2015
DS1 EDD 1/3/2018, Born 12/26/2017
BFP #3 3/21/2019, EDD 11/29/2019, MMC/D&C 5/7/2019
BFP #4 6/28/2019, EDD 3/12/2020
I have the Medela manual. I didn’t love it or hate it. I preferred to the electric but had for supply drops or in a pinch.
I picked up these Silicone Breastfeeding Manual Breast Pumps, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XKVWBFG. Not to manually pump or anything but my friends have all said how awesome they are for when you get out of the shower and are leaking, or when you're breastfeeding on one side so you're collecting whats leaking from the other boob.
I've mentioned that I'm bringing my pump with me to the hospital when I deliver and I know that some of you have mentioned that your hospital doesn't want you to bring your own, I'd still bring a hands free bra with you because its so helpful to have, even when you're in the hospital.
J18 December Siggy Challenge: Christmas Movies
What tops fit best over the pumping bra or how did you cover up during the commute? And I totally agree with you @EmilyLove25 on the fridge! I mean I don't really care but I can only imagine the conversations that would be had if it was noticed! Or maybe I'm just overthinking it and absolutely no one would care!
Ugh I really wish I could go ahead and order the pump so I could make sure I get alll the pieces I need! SOOOOO Annoying!
For me, it was definitely essential. BUT I had a hard time getting a lot of milk when I pumped, so every session was critical--like I literally needed the 4 ounces I would get on the drive in order to keep DD EBF (with no formula) for the first 17 months--and it also helped keep my supply higher (I noticed this over time).
DD1 EDD 9/29/2015, Born 9/24/2015
DS1 EDD 1/3/2018, Born 12/26/2017
BFP #3 3/21/2019, EDD 11/29/2019, MMC/D&C 5/7/2019
BFP #4 6/28/2019, EDD 3/12/2020