EPing

Pen0409

Anyone exclusively pumping for preemies?  Just wondering where to find additional information about pumping (other than LC at NICU).  Please recommend any books or websites!  I am currently pumping 6-7 times/day for 15-20 minutes ea session...babies are 7 weeks old and I began pumping the day they were born....wondering if I am doing enough.  Are there any guidelines?  i.e. How do I know if my supply is established?  How many oz should I produce a day?  I know everyone is different but I have no idea how I compare!  Thanks a ton to those that share!

lemen99

me me!

I EPed for 15 months...oh how long it was...  

My biggest advice to you is NOT to count ounces.  Easier said than done right?  Everyone is different, so there isn't any way to predict your output, but just know every ounce is a blessing.  Less stress is typically good when it comes to output, so that's why I say that. 

Also, drink lots of water and eat enough calories - do not diet!

Also, take full advantage of the LCs.  I had some issues for the first month with yeast infections and blisters and yadda yadda and they helped me through it.  After the first month, it was a sinch  (even though I hated every minute!)

I wrote a blog post about it here.

ssg73

I EP for almost 12 months.  It wasn't fun but it was something I really wanted to do.  When E was in the nicu I pumped every 3 hours during the day and then took one 5-6hr hour break at night.  I would pump at 8-9am, 12pm, 3pm 6p,9pm 12 am, 3am.  I pumped for 20-25 min and always pumped for a little after I stopped flowing.  I found massaging the breast before and during really helped.  I read an article on it while in the nicu.  I will see if I can find it.  I did pump at the bedside in the nicu but I didn't feel that it helped with my output.  One thing that helped me was to have extra sets of pumping things such as the bottles and breast sheilds that way I didn't have to wash them each time.  Also I found refrigerating them between pumps was also a time saver.  Keep up the good work it is worth it. My 2lb 5oz 30 weeker is now about 22 lbs and has rolls of fat on her.

njdcgirl

I've been EPing since DS was born.  I really hate it, but I'm going to keep doing it as long as I can.  I do keep track of how many ounces/day I pump.  I like to see progress, and although it is slow, my supply has grown over time.

Here's a message board I looked at a lot in the beginning: https://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppexcluspump

After a few weeks though, I realized I needed to stop comparing myself to other moms, cause I would just feel bad that I wasn't producing enough.  I try to get in 6 pumps a day...sometimes I get 7 and rarely I get 8.  With going back and forth to the NICU, it's what I can do.  I take a break at night...even though people say not to.  For me, my sleep is too important (especailly since I'm not going to get it once he comes home)  I usually do my last pump between 10:30 and 11, and set the alarm for 5 for my first morning pump. For now, I'm outpacing my DS and have 3/4 of a deep freezer filled, so it is working ok.

Good luck, and keep it up.  Every drop is gold!

TriciaJoy

I EPed for close to 15 months. Hats off to you for doing it. It's so much work!

The ivillage board the PP mentioned is a great resource. 

This is a (NSFW) video for maximizing how much you can get while pumping. 

I eventually needed domperidone to keep up, but I tried a lot of other things first. My supply maxed out around 25oz/day which was adequate for quite a while. The LC wanted me to be getting 24 by a week post partum, and I was at about 23, I think.. 

I was lucky in the beginning and didn't have trouble until later. 

lexismom1008

Hey! I see you are in Fairview. I live in Jerseyville, about an hour from ya. I wondered which NICU your LO was in. My LO was born at Barnes at 34 weeks and was in their SCN.

 

ETA: Sorry. That was for TriciaJoy :-)

becketts

I EP'd for DD (also Norah! ) for 8 months.  I found the breastfeeding board to be a good resource, particularly when I was dealing with low supply issues.  My best advice is to get as much support as you can -- LC, spouse/SO, friends, etc.  EPing is hard work, but so worth it, particularly for preemies. 

schtephanie

The others gave really good resources; I also found some articles on kellymom:  https://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bf-links-excpumping.html

I think when I was at your stage I was pumping every 2-3 hours (including during the night), totaling 8-9 pumps per day.  I found that my supply kind of leveled off near the 12 week mark, and I was pumping around 50 ozs per day (I had a bit of an oversupply but I liked the extra cushion - when bottle feeding it seems like so much gets wasted because you don't know exactly how much they will take during that feeding session and then I froze the rest).  I know PP said not to count the ounces, and I SO tried not to, but I am kind of a perfectionist and at the end of my EPing (when my LO was 3.5 mo) I would pump 5 oz from each breast every 5 hours.  If for some reason I didn't get that much, I would increase pumping sessions for a bit until I got back to that level.  That was the only way I knew how to keep my supply up and in check.  It totally stressed me out, I wouldn't recommend it.  Anyway, keep up the good work pumping and GL!