I started by pumping after the first feeding of the morning. My DS only eats off of one side in the morning so I was able to use the pumped milk from the other side to start my freezer stash. I started pumping at 3 weeks and have been pumping every morning since. We introduced the bottle at 4 weeks and he has gotten a bottle every other day since. When DH feeds him, I pump. HTH
I don't think it's ever too early to start. Try pumping after a feed to begin with... by the time the baby's hungry again you will have made more. You may not get a lot of milk that way, but you get some, and every little bit helps at first.
I was nervous and frightened when I first started pumping, I couldn't seem to get ahead of the demand. Now I have a couple of backup bottles rotating in the fridge as well as some frozen backup, and still have enough to nurse miss Wiggly at bedtime.
What pump do you have? A good pump makes a world of difference.
(First post to this board, I usually hang out on parenting over 35. My daughter has a heart problem that makes direct bf too tiring for her, so I feed her expressed breast milk all day and then bf directly at bedtime.)
Hi Peppernut! thanks for the advice.. I am going to give pumping a try this weekend when DH is around. (I'm not sure what to do with Maeve when I am pumping!! - I guess I will wait until she is asleep and pump then))
and I know I said this before, but I love that hat!
Re: how/when to start pumping
Hi, &&!
I don't think it's ever too early to start. Try pumping after a feed to begin with... by the time the baby's hungry again you will have made more. You may not get a lot of milk that way, but you get some, and every little bit helps at first.
I was nervous and frightened when I first started pumping, I couldn't seem to get ahead of the demand. Now I have a couple of backup bottles rotating in the fridge as well as some frozen backup, and still have enough to nurse miss Wiggly at bedtime.
What pump do you have? A good pump makes a world of difference.
(First post to this board, I usually hang out on parenting over 35. My daughter has a heart problem that makes direct bf too tiring for her, so I feed her expressed breast milk all day and then bf directly at bedtime.)
Hi Peppernut! thanks for the advice.. I am going to give pumping a try this weekend when DH is around. (I'm not sure what to do with Maeve when I am pumping!! - I guess I will wait until she is asleep and pump then))
and I know I said this before, but I love that hat!