@blackhottamales I didn't use one with DS but I'm considering getting one this time. I like the idea of this Kindred Bravely one with it being used as both pumping and nursing, simultaneously.
@mamanbebe Yep. It was me. Happy to answer any questions. I'm preparing to do this again since I have a feeling my milk will be delayed due to another CS this time:/
@Panaceia Thank you for offering to help I'm sorry that either of us have to go through it but grateful that the option exists. What type of setup did you use? Was it one of the brand names like Lact-Aid or Medela or was it just a combination of bags, hoses and other parts?
@mamanbebe it was actually a nice, inexpensive, easy set up that the hospital and my LC put together for me.
You get regular feeding tubes from the hospital supply store (you can normally buy them at the hospital and they cost very little). The tubes are very very thin. One end is closed but has a few pin sized holes. You take that end and with some medical tape (any sports tape really) you tape the tube to the side of your breast so that the end of the tube with the pin sized holes sits/ends at your nipple. The tape is on your breast but not on your nipple so it doesn't get in baby's mouth (sort of on the side of your breast about an inch back from your nipple). You get a cheep bottle and nipple, fill the bottle with formula and cut a small hole in the top of the nipple. You feed the other end of the feeding tube through the hole you cut in the bottle nipple. Then, you make sure when baby latches that the end of the feeding tube is in baby's mouth along with your nipple. That way while baby nurses she/he is working like a breast pump for you to stimulate your milk production, and she/he is eating what she needs as the formula is being sucked through the tube like a straw at the same time. When my milk started coming in DD would actually start spitting out the tube and just relatching to my nipple. It was super easy. After feedings you need to get a small syringe (super cheap and you can get them at the same place as the tubes) that fits in the end of the tube, and flush the tubing out with water so that bacteria doesn't grow. I think the rule was that you could use 1 tube for 3 days before having to throw it out and use a new one.
It worked really well for us. My milk ended up coming in eventually and DD BF'd like a champ until she was 3.5 years old. Once my milk came in and we were ready to stop using the tubes I would still offer a bottle of formula afterwards since I had low supply, but she rarely accepted it.
I hope some of this made sense:/ It is easy to use, costs virtually nothing, and was super effective for us. You just need to buy formula, feeding tubes, medical tape, a small syringe, and a cheap bottle and nipple.
@Panaceia Thank you -- sounds like I may need to get a prenatal consult with an LC who can help me get setup with the right parts. I cannot for the life of me find anything beyond branded packs of just a few tubes that are quite expensive.
@mamanbebe Yeah definitely ask. Or if you have a hospital or a hospital supply store near by give them a call. But you shouldn't have to buy any expensive branded stuff. That's crazy!
My first daughter never latched, so I feel like a first timer with breastfeeding this time. My baby girl is pretty good at it so far but she is very hard to wake even after trying undressing,blowing,wiping with wet cloth etc. With that said a lot of times she will only nurse on one side..although the time is starting to get more around 15 min which is good, but has anyone else encountered this? And what did you do about the other breast? I don't seem to feel to full so I have just been nursing her on the other side at the next feed. Also what the heck do you do about leaking on one side while she nurses on the other? I have the breast pads but it just seems like a waste of milk!
@BeatboxBaby For sleepy nursing, my LC recommended tickling under their chin to keep them going. You can do that as soon as you notice them going from deep nutritive suckling of a feed to light suckling motions that are more for soothing. You might try hooking up a Haakaa or a breast pump to the other side while baby is nursing, and also pumping after your feed is a good way to keep your supply up by emptying the breasts completely + being able to build a stash of extra milk.
I ordered the haaka to try this time around because I had that same problem with my son. I also got a pump that is very quiet so if this baby only favors one side at a time like my son did there is the option to pump the other side while nursing. Sleep is too precious to waste feeding then pumping.
@mamanbebe we've tried the chin tickling...she is just impossible to wake sometimes 😂 I'm hoping once she starts being more alert and not sleeping every second of the day that it will be a little easier!
Is the Haakaa just a manual pump? When I was in the hospital they gave me a Medela hand pump, so would that be the same?
@Niesen27 did you ever run into a problem if you pump while they feed on one side and then it turns out they will take the other side? Or would you just not try offering the other side after a while?
@BeatboxBaby look it up! It’s a soft silicone bottle that gently suctions to your other breast while nursing to catch everything that leaks. For some women they can save a significant amount to transfer to their stash.
@mamanbebe I looked it up on Amazon but misunderstood. Didn't realize it suctioned without you having to manually try to pump out milk. Will be ordering one today!
But I LOVE the Medela manual pump! Did you get the Harmony? I got so much use out of the Harmony, more than my double electrics. LOVE it especially with multiple kids at home and you don't want to be tethered to a wall outlet.
@cbeanz how is the Harmony as far as hand fatigue? I had the Lansinoh manual pump, and although it was really comfortable on the breast, it gave me hand cramps.
@mamanbebe Hmm, I haven't tried the Lansinoh. But the Harmony is really ergonomic and I never once got hand fatigue with it. Once let down happens I could often squeeze and hold, and milk would keep coming out. I probably used it 10 min each side per day and never tired. I was using it to get an extra bottle per day ~5oz. When I go back to work I switch to double electric, and if I were exclusively pumping I'm sure I couldn't keep up with just the manual. But for around the house during maternity leave it was fantastic.
I found one on clearance for like $8 and it's amazing how great it is for such a simple design. I can't stop raving about the Harmony I probably drive my mom friends nuts.
@mamanbebe I also used the harmony manual pump last time, and loved it. I didn’t end up getting an electric pump, because I only needed to pump 2-3x a week, and the manual pump was perfect. Never had any hand cramping, and similar to @Cbeanz I found that once my letdown happened, I could just hold down and was good to go
@BeatboxBaby I never had an issue with my son wanting to switch sides. He was usually in a milk coma from drinking off one side once my supply was fully in. I had a good supply but I found that pumping the other side helped boost it a lot and I was able to store away a lot of milk. Just make sure you stay well hydrated in the middle of the night.
@Cbeanz I'm not sure tbh! I have it in the closet right now. With DD1 I exclusively pumped so I used the Medela pump in style and this time I got the lansinoh double electric which I quite like!
@Niesen27 that's a good idea! As time has gone on she seems to be nursing on both sides more often now. And we just had her 2 week appointment and she surprised us with her weight. So I suppose no matter what her feeding style, she's def getting enough milk! She went from 6 lbs 8oz to 7 lbs 5 oz within a week 😯
@BeatboxBaby wowza that's a good weight gain! She is obviously getting everything she needs from you then, so you must be doing something very right! It's amazing how fast they can grow
Haha yeah I really couldn't believe it. I thought she would be back to her birth weight (6 lb 11 oz) but no where near where she is! The pediatrician said we could let her sleep longer stretches at night now which is awesome! Not that she usually sleeps more than 2 hours but still on occasion one can hope 😂
Anyone else having issues? LO had to stay an extra day in the hospital because her blood sugar was low, and we had to start supplementing with donor milk. 6 days postpartum, I’m still having serious supply issues with little improvement, and LO is still never satisfied and guzzling supplements. Going to have to switch to formula. I’m so frustrated and much more emotionally affected than I ever would’ve expected. Tempted to throw in the towel altogether.
@hoodevil0611 I'm sorry you're feeling so frustrated. Supplementation is always such a slippery slope and it's especially hard to come back from so early on. Time with baby at the breast is THE ONLY WAY to increase supply. It's exhausting but possible. Getting your supply up is hard work for baby, too. It's easier to guzzle a bottle than to work at the breast. Can you see a lactation consultant?
@Cbeanz, we saw a lactation consultant today. She was not helpful. Her first comment was, “well I don’t understand why you’d have such supply issues. You look young and healthy.” Her only advice was to keep pumping in addition to trying to nurse, but she didn’t seem optimistic. Overall, very discouraging because I was really looking forward to the help.
@hoodevil0611 Can you supplement with assisted lactation (a tube at your nipple)? Inexpensive, easy and definitely works. Pumping did nothing to increase my supply with DD1. It was the tube and the medication that helped my milk to finally come in. We started immediately with the tube this time around and I'm only supplementing with between 3 to 5 Oz a day now. But I remember being where you are with DD1. It was so hard and so frustrating. Do what is best for you!
@hoodevil0611 I’m so sorry you’re having a frustrating time. Some things to consider are drinking enough water and taking in enough calories but also you can try Goats Rue supplements too, I’ve been on them already to help encourage an increase in glandular tissue but then postpartum they are supposed to really help boost supply. I take the Motherlove brand 4x daily with 1-2oz of water, as directed.
@hoodevil0611 we are having issues too. It is very emotional and you’re not alone. We are supplementing 1oz per feeding and feeding on average every 3 hours. I’m doing as much skin to skin as possible in addition to nursing 15minutes on each breast each feeding. LO hasn’t pooped in 4 days but Lactation consultant at the pediatrician’s office isn’t worried. First-do whats is best for you because it’s stressful and mom guilt is real! No judgment here. Second- I found this video really helpful and it shows the feeding tube process @Panaceia and @mamanbebe have mentioned. https://youtu.be/56YzjsZr4hQ
Staying very well hydrated. Use a warm washcloth on your breast prior to feedings or pumping and you can also use massage to help increase letdown. I hated the taste of mother's milk tea but I did have success with the honest company postnatal lactation plus pills. They have fenugreek in them to boost your supply. There are tons of recipes online or places you can buy lactation brownies or cookies, but they are slightly expensive.
Breastfeeding has been a little challenging for me so far (almost 2 weeks now), and this baby falls asleep so often while eating, that each feeding takes a lot of extra time and is wearing us both out. However, my milk supply is pretty good. I was wondering if anyone here is planning to exclusively pump from this early on? I am planning to ask a lactation consultant for advice on scheduling and planning the transition. So far I have the Spectra S2 and Dr. Browns bottles (in case I end up mixing breastfeeding with pumping).
@hinotes I feel ya on that one..it usually takes an hour or so for us to nurse when she's only latched for like 15-20 min total if that! I'm sure you're trying a lot of the stuff they say, but some that I've found to work more is to feed her for as long as she will on the first side then undress to diaper and even change diaper..we've blown on her, wiped with cold wipes or used cold hands. Sometimes they are just impossible 😂 With my first baby tho I exclusively pumped from early on and it worked well for us once I accepted it was ok mentally. Then I was pumping every 2 hours and my husband would just feed her while I pumped.
I would def. Recommend the lactation appointment. Is your baby latching ok and it's just the sleepiness that is the problem? If so, I would try to stick to breastfeeding because they will eventually start to wake up more. Obviously it's a personal choice though and there is no shame either way. It's very exhausting, but you've got this! 🙂
@hinotes - I went to exclusively pumping around 3 months with my last one. It was rough because then you have to factor in pumping time on top of feeding and everything else. If you do it, I strongly recommend a hands free pump like the willow or Elvie. They are pricey but I have the Elvie and so far it's been a total game changer even a few days in because you're not tethered to an outlet.
@BeatboxBaby@mnkenned thanks! It's a latching issue plus sleepiness, leading to baby not eating enough and being weaker and more sleepy. After my recent appointment with the LC, I'm going to try pumping for 20 min 8x/day, where two or three of those times will be half pumping half breastfeeding, so I don't completely lose the ability to go back to breastfeeding if I want to. It seems like a lot to do both, so we'll see how long this lasts, but it's my current plan.
@hinotes that sounds like a good plan! Do you have anyone that can give your baby a bottle while you pump? At least that would cut out a step for you. If not @mnkenned has a good idea with the hands free pump! I recently bought the medela bra to try out to hold the pumps
Re: Breastfeeding & Pumping Questions & Support Thread
https://www.kindredbravely.com/products/hands-free-pumping-bra
https://www.kindredbravely.com/collections/nursing-bras/products/hands-free-pumping-bra?variant=12394542497888
You get regular feeding tubes from the hospital supply store (you can normally buy them at the hospital and they cost very little). The tubes are very very thin. One end is closed but has a few pin sized holes. You take that end and with some medical tape (any sports tape really) you tape the tube to the side of your breast so that the end of the tube with the pin sized holes sits/ends at your nipple. The tape is on your breast but not on your nipple so it doesn't get in baby's mouth (sort of on the side of your breast about an inch back from your nipple). You get a cheep bottle and nipple, fill the bottle with formula and cut a small hole in the top of the nipple. You feed the other end of the feeding tube through the hole you cut in the bottle nipple. Then, you make sure when baby latches that the end of the feeding tube is in baby's mouth along with your nipple. That way while baby nurses she/he is working like a breast pump for you to stimulate your milk production, and she/he is eating what she needs as the formula is being sucked through the tube like a straw at the same time. When my milk started coming in DD would actually start spitting out the tube and just relatching to my nipple. It was super easy. After feedings you need to get a small syringe (super cheap and you can get them at the same place as the tubes) that fits in the end of the tube, and flush the tubing out with water so that bacteria doesn't grow. I think the rule was that you could use 1 tube for 3 days before having to throw it out and use a new one.
It worked really well for us. My milk ended up coming in eventually and DD BF'd like a champ until she was 3.5 years old. Once my milk came in and we were ready to stop using the tubes I would still offer a bottle of formula afterwards since I had low supply, but she rarely accepted it.
I hope some of this made sense:/ It is easy to use, costs virtually nothing, and was super effective for us. You just need to buy formula, feeding tubes, medical tape, a small syringe, and a cheap bottle and nipple.
Plus, until your Haakaa arrives, hold a bottle under your leaking boob and collect that milk!
Great job!
Is the Haakaa just a manual pump? When I was in the hospital they gave me a Medela hand pump, so would that be the same?
@Cbeanz that's a good idea with the bottle!
@Niesen27 did you ever run into a problem if you pump while they feed on one side and then it turns out they will take the other side? Or would you just not try offering the other side after a while?
But I LOVE the Medela manual pump! Did you get the Harmony? I got so much use out of the Harmony, more than my double electrics. LOVE it especially with multiple kids at home and you don't want to be tethered to a wall outlet.
@BeatboxBaby
I found one on clearance for like $8 and it's amazing how great it is for such a simple design. I can't stop raving about the Harmony I probably drive my mom friends nuts.
@Niesen27 that's a good idea! As time has gone on she seems to be nursing on both sides more often now. And we just had her 2 week appointment and she surprised us with her weight. So I suppose no matter what her feeding style, she's def getting enough milk! She went from 6 lbs 8oz to 7 lbs 5 oz within a week 😯
I always enjoy gaining weight on someone else's body.
Edit: wrong account. HooDevil0611
First-do whats is best for you because it’s stressful and mom guilt is real! No judgment here.
Second- I found this video really helpful and it shows the feeding tube process @Panaceia and @mamanbebe have mentioned.
https://youtu.be/56YzjsZr4hQ
I would def. Recommend the lactation appointment. Is your baby latching ok and it's just the sleepiness that is the problem? If so, I would try to stick to breastfeeding because they will eventually start to wake up more. Obviously it's a personal choice though and there is no shame either way. It's very exhausting, but you've got this! 🙂