Exclusively Pumping ???s

ashleywebber

I am thinking ahead to how I am going to feed these babies and am overwhelmed.  I know that we want to use as much breastmilk as possible whether that be nursing or pumping and giving bottles (and supplementing with formula if necessary). 

I have a few questions for those of you who exclusively pumped:

1) Did you start with pumping or nursing them?

2) Why did you end up exclusively pumping or did you plan that all along?

3) How often did you pump?

4) When did you pump (in regards to the babies' routine)?

5) How much were you able to get when you pumped?

6) What was your setup? (ie how did you do it - pump, store, etc?)

7) How long were you able to exclusively pump?

8) How long were you able to pump in total (including supplementing)?

Thanks!

E&RMommy

Babies are only three weeks old so obviously I can only answer some of your questions. 

1) Did you start with pumping or nursing them?  We start pumping because at 36 weeks they didn't have very good latches and at 2 days old DS ended up in the NICU (until 8 days old).  So I hand expressed colostrum the first day then starting pumping every three hours around the clock on post partum day 2.  My milk came in on post partum day 3.

2) Why did you end up exclusively pumping or did you plan that all along?  I figured it might happen that way since I go back to work after six weeks and will work 80 hours a week.  Once DS was admitted to the NICU and DD was a crappy BFer, that just confirmed it.  I am still trying to get them on the breast, but it's not working out very well.

3) How often did you pump?  At least every three hours.  I've had a few occasions where I went as long as 5 hours (usually sleeping and just absolutely exhausted).  I noticed a dip in my supply though so I am back to every 2-3 hours pumping.

4) When did you pump (in regards to the babies' routine)?  I try to feed the babies, change babies and then pump.  This week the babies are eating sporadically due to a growth spurt.  They were eating every three hours; now it's every 2-3 hours.  So I am just trying to keep ahead of them and pump when I can.

5) How much were you able to get when you pumped?  Leftie produces on average one ounce.  Rightie produces on average 2 ounces.  I seem to have hit a plateau. 

6) What was your setup? (ie how did you do it - pump, store, etc?)  I rented a symphony (great decision).  I have a pump station set up where I keep the symphony and my laptop.  I make sure to drink a big glass of water each time I sit down to pump.  I store the milk in the fridge in bottles until it is ready to be used.

7) How long were you able to exclusively pump?  At one week of age I had enough milk to have a 24 hour supply in the fridge.  I was even able to freeze 12 ounces.  Now I am not making enough to feed them exclusively.  I am having to give them each about 2 feedings of formula a day.

8) How long were you able to pump in total (including supplementing)?  We'll see.....

Good luck!  You can do it.  It's tough.  You have to be very motivated and have a very supportive spouse or family. 

Kimmy08

1) Did you start with pumping or nursing them? The girls were born at 32 weeks, so I started from day 1 pumping since they were being fed by a nasogastric tube for the first few weeks.

2) Why did you end up exclusively pumping or did you plan that all along? I planned on EBF, but due to the girls being born early, I was only able to pump. It is a lot more time consuming for me personally to try to nurse because I have to breastfeed one at a time (about 45 minutes each), then they were still hungry, so I would feed them a bottle, then play with them, and then pump. It just wasn't feasible.

3) How often did you pump? I pump every 3 hours during the day and I do my last pumping session at midnight or so and start again at 5:30am.

4) When did you pump (in regards to the babies' routine)? I change the girls, feed them, play with them, then pump for 30 minutes.

5) How much were you able to get when you pumped? I get about 40-50oz a day. (I have to take 9 total Fenugreek pills a day and eat oatmeal for breakfast every morning to help with my supply.)

6) What was your setup? (ie how did you do it - pump, store, etc?) I have a stock in the fridge (enough for 4-5 feedings) and I rotate so that the newest ones that I pump go to the back. I have about 15-20oz in the freezer.

7) How long were you able to exclusively pump? 6 weeks

8) How long were you able to pump in total (including supplementing)? Still going strong. My ultimate goal is 1 year, but 6 months is my short term goal right now.

Good luck!

lisa&andy

1) Did you start with pumping or nursing them? I started out pumping and established my supply that way. I only nursed if I had a plugged duct, DD had no problems BF so she was always the one, DS wasn't a great BF, but I had been pumping a month when he came home from the NICU.

2) Why did you end up exclusively pumping or did you plan that all along? I planned it along, I wanted DH to be able to bond with the babies, plus it was an extra hand to help feed.

3) How often did you pump? For the first 2 months it was every 3 hours around the clock, once the kids started STTN, I dropped the night time sessions

4) When did you pump (in regards to the babies' routine)? I pumped after feeding, a hands-free pumping bra was handy to pump while feeding when I was by myself.

5) How much were you able to get when you pumped? I started pumping 4oz each session and then it increased when their intake went up, I think at the most I was up to was 60 ounces a day or so around 3 months.

6) What was your setup? (ie how did you do it - pump, store, etc?) I would pump and put the milk into the bags with dates, oldest in the front and just rotated the stock. We had a clear plastic storage container in the fridge that it kept it all together.

7) How long were you able to exclusively pump? I EP for 3 months before supplementing, I could have gone longer, but it is a lot of work to pump+bottle feed by yourself

8) How long were you able to pump in total (including supplementing)? I pumped for 6 months, that was my goal, I almost quit a few times before then. We started supplementing at 3 months due to their reflux and my sanity.

daisybride78

I pumped, supplemented with formula and occasionally nursed one of my twins (the other one never really took to it).

Up until 6 months, I was able to give my boys 75% breastmilk, 25% formula. When they were nb, they would get bm during the day and formula at night. Once they started sttn, they would get only get formula for their last feeding right before bed, then around 5 months they got formula first thing in the morning and right before bed, but bm during the rest of the day. At 6 months, my supply really dropped and they were on about 50% formula and 50% breastmilk. I'm really happy about my decision to pump and feel like my boys thrived on what they got. 

1) Did you start with pumping or nursing them?I'm guessing you mean the day? I would get up before they did and pump for 30 minutes first thing in the morning. This is when I would get the most milk and would get about 15 ounces total. 2) Why did you end up exclusively pumping or did you plan that all along? I ended up pumping because one of my boys was in the nicu for the first 12 days, so I was pumping for him. Then with the time back and forth in the nicu, it just became a routine for me to pump and just worked out really well that way.3) How often did you pump? Until they sttn, I would pump first thing in the morning (around 7am), and then again at noon, 4ish, right before bed and then around 3:00am when I got up with them. After they started sttn, I was able to go down to just pumping at 7am, 1pm, 4pm and right before bed and evenutally, I dropped an afternoon pump and only pumped at 7, 3 and right before bed.4) When did you pump (in regards to the babies' routine)? I pumped before they got up in the am, or if that didn't work, I would pump while I fed them. This was tricky, but became pretty routine. We would be on the bed in the guest room and I would have one in the boppy, and one on my lap. Oh and a hands free pumping bra is a MUST. Then I would burp them both and put the one that was in my lap in another boppy and then would just hang out in their boppys until I finished pumping. Once they got older (4 months or so), I would put them both in a crib together with a bunch of toys and they would play while I pumped. For the afternoon pump, I would do it while they were napping.5) How much were you able to get when you pumped? When my supply was at its best, I was able to pump about 40 oz per day. When I went down to pumping 3 times/day, I got about 34-36oz per day.6) What was your setup? (ie how did you do it - pump, store, etc?)The pump pretty much stayed in the guest room (the tv was in there) so I pumped in there, then would bring the milk downstairs and would throw the pump parts in the upstairs bathroom sink. I would rinse them out throughout the day, and then clean them and sterilize them at night. I would keep out what I pumped first thing in the am (bm can be kept at room temp for up to 10 hours) and just give it to them at room temp. The rest would go in the fridge and would get heated up in a hot water bath.7) How long were you able to exclusively pump? I am weaning now at 8 months. Its bittersweet but I am ready to be done. I am doing it super gradually though.

8) How long were you able to pump in total (including supplementing)? See above. 

Good luck to you and page me if you have any more questions about pumping! 

joliemariée

) Did you start with pumping or nursing them?

 Both from day they were born, nursed 1hr after c/s, started pumping that night

2) Why did you end up exclusively pumping or did you plan that all along?

DD never really liked BFing, I tandemed for about a month, but DD really did better with a bottle, DS loved it so I BF him 1-2x a day throughout

3) How often did you pump? 5-8x day round the clock

4) When did you pump (in regards to the babies' routine)?

After each feeding, it got much harder as they became more alert/needy and I couldn't pump unless DH was there which was stressful

5) How much were you able to get when you pumped?

average 8-12oz per session after milk came in  fully ( about 10days PP)

6) What was your setup? (ie how did you do it - pump, store, etc?)

pump into medela bottle and put in fridge. I didn't freeze any BM

7) How long were you able to exclusively pump?

4mths

 

8) How long were you able to pump in total (including supplementing)?

4mths, we supplemented 2 feeding w/formula from their  birth ( overnight bottles) gradually increased formula and decreased pumping sessions

 

trr8203

I very rarely respond to posts on this board, although I read them sometimes.  But I think I can help with this one.

1) Did you start with pumping or nursing them?  I started with pumping when they were in the NICU, but also tried to nurse.  They were not good latchers and it was just frustrating, so I stuck with pumping and gave up on nursing.  FWIW, my girls were born at 35 weeks 6 days and spent 9 days in the NICU.

2) Why did you end up exclusively pumping or did you plan that all along?  Not my plan.  I did it because of latching issues.  I didn't have the patience to work with both of my babies long enough to actually get them to latch.  They fell asleep at the breast too quickly, so it was easier to pump and feed them bottles.

3) How often did you pump?  I pumped right after each feeding for a long time.  My girls didn't sleep through the night regularly until about 5 or so months old, so I was still pumping during the night when they would get up.

4) When did you pump (in regards to the babies' routine)?  At first I would feed a baby and then pump while my husband, mom or MIL would take care of the other baby.  I would lay the baby on my stomach and she would sleep while I pumped.  Then I got good at feeding a baby while pumping.  On occasion I fed both babies and pumped at the same time- that was tough, though.

5) How much were you able to get when you pumped?  It depended on how long it had been since I last pumped.  But I would say a normal pumping session for me was around 8-10 ounces.  After a couple of months I had to pump into 8 ounce bottles and would occasionally fill those and have to change bottles mid-pump- but that was normally just first thing in the morning.

6) What was your setup? (ie how did you do it - pump, store, etc?)  I sat on the couch with my pump on the end table beside me.  I pumped into bottles and then transferred the milk into Lansinoh bags.  I stored it in the refrigerator and if I had enough in the refrigerator I would freeze some- but most of mine got used within a couple of days of pumping, so it stayed in the refrigerator.

7) How long were you able to exclusively pump?  374 days.  I pumped for the last time on the 1 year anniversary of them coming home from the hospital.

8) How long were you able to pump in total (including supplementing)?  Oh, well, my girls always got a bottle of formula at bedtime.  We wanted to make sure they didn't lose their taste for formula, just in case I ever had to stop pumping.  We would also give them formula if we were out somewhere because it was easier to take that and mix it out than worry about carrying bottles of milk.  All total, my girls got breastmilk for just over a year.