Pumping as SAHM

bpietronicco · January 2014

Hello. I am having to supplement one feeding a day due to LO's weight gain. She is now 5 months and we have depleted our freezer stash. SAHMs who pump, how do you pump during the day when having to tend to your LO? She doesn't like to take naps right now and will only last 10 maybe 20 min without me holding her. When I do BF her, it takes over an hour and then she wants to eat soon after again. Any advice is appreciated. TIA!

Tally879 · January 2014

I'm not a sahm, but some advice I'd give is to pump after her first feed. You'll get the most milk at this time and maybe if you can pump while H is still home he can watch her for 20 minutes. I know my H brings LO in his seat into the bathroom while he showers so I can get ready for work in the morning and then LO gets a little humidity in him with the heat constantly running.

OntheWater · January 2014

Put LO in exersaucer, bouncie, etc. or after she goes to bed or MOTN, specially if she sleeps long stretches. Other tha having to wake up (!!!!), I find the MOTN pump easy! Both DDs are sleeping, DH is home in case 1 wakes mid-way through, no company is showing up unexpectedly at 4 am, and with hormone levels being higher, I easily pump 12 oz.

Kmansmomma · January 2014

Is she actively sucking for those hour feeds? Do you see/hear her swallow after every few sucks? an hour to BF for a 5 month old seems pretty long. Babies typically get more efficient as they get older and can get a complete feed as short as 10 minutes. I would suggest reaching out to an LC to observe a feed. In response to your question about pumping, I put my LO down for bed around 6pm which is his last feed of the day until he wakes around 2am (he is 5 months) I pump right before I go to bed around 10pm. You don't get the kind of volume that you would in the morning but you don't have to worry about what to do with LO. Good luck!

BLPL101 · January 2014

During tummy time, while she's playing, bouncer, etc..

olga1311 · January 2014

I put LO in bouncer or swing amd pump. Usually I can get at least 15 mins before she

starts fussing

smittie417 · January 2014

I pump while feeding LO on the other side. I do this during her MOTN feeding at 5 am. It is easy because LO doesn't move much at all because she's so sleepy. Plus I have a ton of milk at that time.

shara3333 · January 2014

Sounds like she is doing some comfort nursing. This is fine if you are fine with hour long sessions, I wouldn't be. I will let him comfort nurse for maybe 5 additional minutes, but most of our nursing sessions are approx 8 minutes. Though he was always pretty efficient it got down to 8 minutes around the 3 month mark. After a long stretch of sleep at night, it will be more like 12 minutes. You may be nursing for an hour, but after the first 10-20 minutes, LO probably isn't drinking all that much, so getting hungry again in 1-2 hours after you finished isn't shocking. I usually pump a few hours after LO goes to bed, but before I go to bed. This is usually just for my freezer stash. If I need to during the day I'll pup during one of his naps, but it sounds like that will be hard for you.

Asivec · January 2014

Have you tried without a nipple shield? When I got rid of mine, sessions went from an hour to around 15 minutes. I think they don't fall off as easily leading to comfort nursing.

I accidentally left the shield at home on a trip to the grocery store. I was out longer than expected so LO wanted to nurse. It took a bit to latch, but we struggled through it. Comically sending milk squirting all over my car... But so worth it for the shorter sessions.

Others have gotten rid of the nipple shield by removing it halfway through feeding.

Good luck!

VitaLuna · January 2014

bpietronicco said:
Thanks ladies. She only swallows every 6 or so sucks. I am still using a nipple shield as well. It would be great if the feedings would shorten. She goes to bed around 12am but sleeps until 7:30. I may just have to add a pump in then. I will definitely try these other suggestions as well.

If she sleeps 12-7:30, I'd pump before you go to bed. Like PPs have said, though, maybe re-address why she's getting the extra milk in the first place.

bpietronicco · January 2014

Thanks ladies. She only swallows every 6 or so sucks. I am still using a nipple shield as well. It would be great if the feedings would shorten. She goes to bed around 12am but sleeps until 7:30. I may just have to add a pump in then. I will definitely try these other suggestions as well.

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