A Q for moms that BF and pump

Mrs.PsyD

Hi Girls, I hope everyone had a great T day.

I plan to BF but also would like to pump to build a supply for when I need a sanity break or when we are OOT or for whenever. My question is: When after birth can start to pump to build a freezer stash? what if I pump it all out and there is nothing left in there for her eat? How exactly is this going to work out?

Thanks, I took a BF class, but they didn't talk about this. 

-J

MrsBlayne

I think that most people wait until their LO is going longer than 2-3 hrs between every feeding and they sleep a little longer stretch at night, maybe 4 weeks or so? I don't remember exactly. Then they pump after the first morning feeding, because that is when you are generally most full. If you pump and they get hungry right away, you can try to nurse because the baby gets milk out more efficiently than the pump. If they still aren't satisfied then you can give them some of what you pumped. But if you pump right after she eats you should have a couple hours to make some more.

MelVic

MrsBlayne:

I think that most people wait until their LO is going longer than 2-3 hrs between every feeding and they sleep a little longer stretch at night, maybe 4 weeks or so? I don't remember exactly. Then they pump after the first morning feeding, because that is when you are generally most full. If you pump and they get hungry right away, you can try to nurse because the baby gets milk out more efficiently than the pump. If they still aren't satisfied then you can give them some of what you pumped. But if you pump right after she eats you should have a couple hours to make some more.

This! I started pumping when G was about a month old, and I pumped in the morning only after each feeding and built up a huge stash....

dani_girl08

I started pumping after the morning feeding when Reese was about 4 weeks.  I would occasionally also pump whichever side she did not eat from if I was feeling uncomfortable.  

Mrs.PsyD

Thanks girls!

DreamsBride411

No one told me not to start pumping immediately, so I started week one...  it left me with over supply issues because I convinced my body I was feeding twins, basically.  I am not at all regretful I did what I did, though.  IMO, oversupply is better than undersupply, so I was happy I did.

In the beginning, I read ONE article that pumping for like 5 minutes immediately before a feeding was the way to go so that all the foremilk was drawn out and the hindmilk would be the only thing that the baby got, so I did that for a few weeks, but the more I read, the more I was informed that it shoudl be the opposite, so I started pumping about an hour after a feeding and that worked out too (not better or worse).

As far as nothing being "left" for baby, don't worry about that...  I read something that said our breasts are like glasses in which someone is sucking out with a straw and someone else is endlessly pouring more in, so I just always thought of it like that.  If I ever felt too "empty" I'd just alternate breasts every 5 minutes so each boob had a chance to build up at least a couple of gulps - I only have to do that right before I get my period, but it's never so little that Mari isn't satisfied at the end of a feeding.