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Breastfeeding
dmathis10
member
So confused about when,how often,how long to pump
dmathis10
member
BF'ing with DD didn't go well for many reasons. I quit at 4 weeks. She had jaundice, so the hospital had me start pumping when DD was 4 days old (she was released after birth and re-admitted at 4 days old). I saw a LC several times in the couple of weeks that followed, and they told me to pump after every feeding (they gave me a hospital grade pump that insurance paid for). At 4 weeks, I was so drained and exhausted (I was sick, DD was sick with jaundice THEN with RSV, we had latching issues, etc, etc) that I gave up.
So, I'm a LOT confused about when you are actually supposed to start pumping. Most people say wait until 4 wks when BF'ing is established. BUT, I know several close friends who did it from the beginning and their supply was great. In fact, one friend exclusively pumps (since her LO was a week or two old) and has 1500 oz (yes, 15 HUNDRED) of frozen milk. I know that is considered drastic oversupply, but I don't really understand why oversupply is a problem, especially if you'll be returning to work and need a freezer stash. And, some people say not to pump for too long at a time (10-15 mins max). Is that right?
I will get 12 weeks maternity leave and will work full time after that.
So, when IS the appropriate time/circumstance to start pumping?? I'm just honestly so confused about it, and it doesn't help that my experience with DD was different than what most people experience.
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Re: So confused about when,how often,how long to pump
I had a hard time figuring out when to fit it in too since DS was feeding about once an hour. I really only started pumping on a regular basis week or two ago and my goal was 4oz a day (still is). Depending on how DS was feeding I'd either wait a half hour after he was done feeding and then pump from the breast he had just fed from (he's pretty much a 1 breast at a time feeder) or right after he's done feeding I'd pump from the breast he didn't feed on. At first I didn't always get very much, but I actually think it's helped to increase my supply a bit or at least to help establish a very good supply for DS.
As pp mentioned I also focused on the mornings when I generally felt fuller from not feeding as frequently during the night.
Good Luck!
I think I started pumping occasionally when DD was about 2 weeks old. If you want to start to build a freezer stash for when you go back to work, I would pump once a day right after your LO feeds in the morning, since that is when your supply is highest anyways. A typical pump session is 15 minutes.
Once you return to work, you just want to replace each feeding with a pumping session (so however many times your LO eats while away from you), again for at least 15 minutes.
With my DD I had oversupply and I made the mistake of not pumping long enough each session at work, I would pump 10 minutes or less because I was getting more than enough milk for DD in that time. But eventually my supply regulated and I had trouble keeping my supply up as her needs increased.
GL this time around!
Thanks for the responses! And, MamaAllison I think explained it a little better why they wanted me to pump so early - my supply wasn't great and DD DID have issues. A good friend of mine had her baby around the same time I did, and she always pumped so much more than I did. It frustrated me b/c I was already working toward building a freezer supply when I think I should have just been concentrating more on feeding DD what she needed at the time.