EP check-in

RachelCA29 · September 2014

We haven't had one for a while, and selfishly I need some encouragement.
How's everyone else doing?

I feel like I want to quit. LO has been really hard to get to bed the last week (like an hour+ after his last bottle before I can put him down and leave the room). So I am so done by the end of that and then still have to do one more pump before bed. It's getting hard to keep up when I just want to sleep.

I hope it's going way better for everyone else!!

HAndrews25 · September 2014

I have been EPing from the beginning and I feel like I am in a really good rhythm now. It does suck sometimes to have to do that last pump before bed. I usually take that time to read, or listen to a book on my iPod (I am addicted to getting the audiobooks online through my library). If I am really tired, I just set the alarm on my phone and nod off for a bit. Using the Pumpin' Pal Flange really helped too. They are way more comfortable and I can sit back and relax.

My weirdness is now that I have returned to work, I pump there once too during the day. It is unnerving taking my boobs out in the office. Even if it is in a totally private locked room.

I have been absent since having the little dude in April (he decide to come 3 weeks early...) so Hello again Bump!

Jennyinheaven · September 2014

I am drying up, baby will be 5 months on Friday and I feel like a did ok getting her breast milk this long with all we went through. This week I am slowly tapering off my pump sessions and it feels really freeing. I also feel like I have more time to play, walk, read to baby etc. I struggled with this decision and still have guilt, but I am sticking to it. We also started some homemade vegetable purees and it is going well.

ghostof5letters · September 2014

Jennyinheaven said:

I am drying up, baby will be 5 months on Friday and I feel like a did ok getting her breast milk this long with all we went through. This week I am slowly tapering off my pump sessions and it feels really freeing. I also feel like I have more time to play, walk, read to baby etc. I struggled with this decision and still have guilt, but I am sticking to it. We also started some homemade vegetable purees and it is going well.

**lurking**

You did way better than OK. You did an amazing job and should be super proud of yourself. This is a major undertaking.

Jennyinheaven · September 2014

Thank you @ghostof5letters‌

bazingaa · September 2014

Sigh. Wish I could give you encouragement, but all I've got is understanding. EP sucks. My supply is next to nothing. I never recovered from mastitis about 6wks ago and now have a cold which seems to have impacted it even more. I'm supplementing over half of what DS needs daily.

I just keep telling myself whatever I can give him is great and whatever I need to supplement is fine. The kid's gonna eat one way or another... Best not to stress myself over it.

yvanehtnioj · September 2014

I'm still chugging along, LO will be 17 weeks tomorrow. I am back at work and pump twice a day here. I don't have my own office so I use either the break room or my boss's office when he's gone. It is mighty weird taking your boobs out in your boss's office. I work at a small non profit and everyone has been great.

I always planned to BF/pump until Henry started solids. I have now made that into a concrete end date on his 6 month bday, no matter what he's eating. I am getting so tired of this and need an end date in sight.

My supply has dipped a bit since going back to work. I used to be able to pump all he needed plus a freezer bag every day. Now it's just what he needs, and I'm lucky to get extra once a week. Instead of worrying about it I just decided I don't care anymore. I'm 9 weeks away from stopping, if there's a gradual loss of supply until then I shouldn't stress. Very different than the beginning, when even the thought of drying up made me cry.

But not gonna lie-- I'm really going to miss being able to eat 2000 calories a day

Does anyone have end dates planned?

RachelCA29 · September 2014

I keep telling myself 6 months is an honourable goal, but I know when (if) I hit 6 months I won't be able to give it up out of guilt.

caycelee · September 2014

I'm doing ok but I'm wrestling with the decision to call it quits. I only pump about 15 oz a day if that and on the weekends it's actually harder to find the time to pump so come Monday I get hardly 10 oz. I pump 3x at work and I feel like people are going to start complaining that I'm never at my desk. Maybe another month but we'll see...the guilt sucks!

HAndrews25 · September 2014

I have been telling myself to shoot for a year. If something happens to change that, than I will stop when I need to. While I would be bummed about not making it, the thought of stopping sounds freeing.

bazingaa · September 2014

I started out shooting for a year. Realistically I'm now thinking six months. With the way my supply has been dropping I think it will just run out one of these days.

bazingaa · September 2014

New question.... Sounds like I'm not the only one supplementing. I'm curious, how do you guys do it? Full bottles of BM and full bottles of formula or mixed bottles? Are there pros and cons either way?

We have our 4mo checkup on Friday, so I'm going to ask then. Just wondering what others are doing.

Jennyinheaven · September 2014

Like I said I'm drying up now so we are down to two bm bottles a day but when I was full on pumping I would feed as much all bm milk bottles as I could then do one or two all formula bottles as needed.

RachelCA29 · September 2014

We were mixing BM with ready to feed, but as he is needing more and more formula we are using powder now, so not mixing. I'm just doing full BM bottles and about two formula bottles with powder per day. If I have BM that isn't a full bottle I will use it as top off after a meal if he still seems hungry.

kellyld6926 · September 2014

Until recently I had to supplement about an ounce a bottle of formula (DS eats 5+ ounces about every 3 hrs during the day and 1 bottle at night). My pumping goal is a year but I'm mostly taking it one day at a time because a year seems overwhelming. The last pump right before bed is something I struggle with also. I try to get to bed a little earlier and that usually helps me. It also helps that DH is extremely supportive and when he is home, he watches DS when I pump and waits on me hand and foot :-) When I think that I should stop pumping because of all the time it takes (for me, about 1.5+ hrs a day total), I realize that the time I am pumping is actually time I have to force myself to sit down and rest/relax. If I wasn't pumping, I would never sit and rest periodically throughout the day. Trying to think positively! I am also proud of what I have done so far with giving my son breast milk this long. You should all be proud of how long you have made it pumping regardless of when you decide to stop! And when you decide to stop, don't look back and have no regrets! You are doing what is best for you, your baby, and your family! Your baby will continue to grow and thrive!

CamrynnsMommy · September 2014

Still here, still hating it. My supply took a drastic hit after DD spent the day at Children's and I wasn't able to pump for 15 hours, as well as being sick, I'm trying to do all I can to increase my supply, but if after a week or two my supply isn't back up, then I'll call it quits.

I was pumping nearly 50 oz a day, now I'm barely getting 25 oz.

Before my dip, I had intended to quit the week before Thanksgiving, so I can indulge in dairy again.

caycelee · September 2014

bazingaa said:
New question.... Sounds like I'm not the only one supplementing. I'm curious, how do you guys do it? Full bottles of BM and full bottles of formula or mixed bottles? Are there pros and cons either way?

We have our 4mo checkup on Friday, so I'm going to ask then. Just wondering what others are doing.

We do both mixed and separate bottles of just formula. He doesn't seem to care so it works!

FlemDance · September 2014

I consider myself lucky because pumping is still going well for me. It's annoying to do, but I think I've found a good system that works as best as it can. I am worried about my supply dropping - I started Whole30 on Monday and I've heard that you can dry up if you aren't eating enough. So far, so good, but I'm trying to keep a close eye on things. My plan was to give LO BM for a year, but not sure how long that meant I would have to pump. Still hoping that I can achieve that goal.

bazingaa · September 2014

CamrynnsMommy said:

Still here, still hating it. My supply took a drastic hit after DD spent the day at Children's and I wasn't able to pump for 15 hours, as well as being sick, I'm trying to do all I can to increase my supply, but if after a week or two my supply isn't back up, then I'll call it quits. I was pumping nearly 50 oz a day, now I'm barely getting 25 oz. Before my dip, I had intended to quit the week before Thanksgiving, so I can indulge in dairy again.

15hrs?! The thought of that sounds so painful... I kick myself when I sleep through the night without a pump midway.

Side note...Hope your LO is okay!

CamrynnsMommy · September 2014

bazingaa said:

CamrynnsMommy said:

Still here, still hating it. My supply took a drastic hit after DD spent the day at Children's and I wasn't able to pump for 15 hours, as well as being sick, I'm trying to do all I can to increase my supply, but if after a week or two my supply isn't back up, then I'll call it quits.

I was pumping nearly 50 oz a day, now I'm barely getting 25 oz.

Before my dip, I had intended to quit the week before Thanksgiving, so I can indulge in dairy again.

15hrs?! The thought of that sounds so painful... I kick myself when I sleep through the night without a pump midway.

Side note...Hope your LO is okay!

It was brutal, but obviously my LO was my first priority.

She's doing much better, thank you!

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