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December 2012 Moms
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Breast pumping seems so daunting

myskyegirlmyskyegirl member
in December 2012 Moms

It's been 9days and i'm still having difficulty breast feeding, I've have been using formula and I've decided to pump and use formula.  But with all the reading i'm doing on pumping i've fallen into a funk.  I'm reading that I need to pump around the clock.  I can pump when i get up, through out the day, and up until 1am (when little one "wakes up"), but pumping at 3am and after seems so daunting, all I want to do after feeding is put her back to sleep and sleep as much as I can before she wakes me up again.  I'm scared that if I don't pump throughout the night I won't produce enough, or my supply will stop.   Don't even get me started on when I have to go back to work in Feb and it's not possible for me to pump at work.

 

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Re: Breast pumping seems so daunting

  • velazquezk1velazquezk1 member

    Have you tried fenugreek?

    I BF and pump. I'm not on much of a schedule as far as when I do it because I've been more worried about getting her back up to her birth weight so everything I've pumped in the last week has went right back in her via bottle in between feedings to get her up. 

     I would think as long as you have a "schedule" even if it's a 4 hour stretch from 3-7 you'll be fine. You may wake up feeling really full. Camila sleeps in 4 hour stretches sometimes at night and if she does I usually wake up full enough to fill her up and pump a decent amount. 

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  • magnoliablossom00magnoliablossom00 member

    All women produce varying amounts of milk, so everyone will have different answers. The best thing to do if you are trying to solely use BM and build up a stash, is to pump on a strict schedule (3ish hrs) but not over-drain (which will create such an abundance that you have to pump every 2 hours or you'll be in pain).

    I have a pretty large supply, so I only pump 3 times per day (wake up, afternoon, before bed). I have "trained" my breasts to produce only 7oz from the left and 5oz from the right per pump session. However, if I wanted to, I could have 14oz from EACH per session. Ugh. Talk about engorgement! My boobs were enormous and rock hard at first, but I have managed to control them by only pumping for relief, then draining the exact amount I want at one time. Like I said, I'm now back down to 37-40oz per day total, which is where I'm the most comfortable.

    GL, mama. It can be tricky to figure out, but only you will know what is the most comfortable for your body and when to build/drain your milk/supply.

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  • Meli BMeli B member
    I completely understand how you feel. I am definitely no expert in BF but I am trying to do as best I can. My LO was always crying and hungry, never satisfied and barely slept...so I decided to pump and bottle feed to have better control of the amount he was taking. I pump throughout the day 4oz from each side which is exactly hat he is taking right now. There are times I need to pump and not able to but trying my best. Good luck to you.
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  • Kaylameow1844Kaylameow1844
    I was breastfeeding and pumping as soon as I left the hospital, that way I can train my breasts to have more milk then baby needed so I van have a large stock, with my first I didn't do this when milk first came in and it was hard to pump more then 2 oz bc my breasts were already trained to need just enough for him. I since stopped this lo had more belly issues and couldn't handle a quick let down. Now I can't pump as much. From what I learned u will have a supply as much as u train your body. Even if u don't pump around the Clock it should give y as much ad u demand , when u demand it. I think of it this way now, if ut baby Naturally slept through the night but fed other times u will still have a supply . Hope I'm explaining good enough. Try not to be so strick about what books say. I breastfed for 2 years with my first , his habits changed daily, I still had what he needed.
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  • Kaylameow1844Kaylameow1844
    Also if baby seems to be feeding more and cranky it more then likely from a growth spurt, after a few days of "cluster" feeding ur body gets up to far with the increased demand
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  • Ashley5704Ashley5704 member
    I feel ya. I had to supplement because LO wasn't getting the hang of breastfeeding so I started pumping and giving it to her. It's exhausting doing it around the clock. And in the end, it still wasn't good enough for me because i'm down to only getting around half an ounce each time I do it. :( We're moving to EFF. :(
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